Merry Kisses (Riverbend Romance 5) by Valerie Comer

January, but would you like to go for dinner?”
      “I’d like that.” She would. She really would.
    “Tonight?” he said softly.
    Sonya lifted her eyes to his and nearly lost herself in their brown depths. She nodded. Whoever would have guessed she’d fervently wish to be kissed by Santa Claus?

    * * *

    She peered into the mirror and swept mascara over her long lashes. Then she stepped back, right on the cat, who yowled.
    “Sorry, Tangle.” Sonya scooped the calico up and gave her a quick rub as she eyed herself critically. This was as good as it was going to get. If Heath could give her a second glance when she wore that ridiculous giraffe uniform, he obviously wasn’t too picky.
    Sonya turned one way, then the other. Dark gray slacks, a white cami, and a subdued purple-and-gray striped sweater. Her black boots added a couple of inches of height.
    She set the cat down and gathered her hair in both hands. Maybe she should wear it up. No. She’d already decided on down. Loose. This wasn’t a formal event.
    When was the last time she’d been out? Six months? Eight? She heard the buzzer from the apartment building foyer, and she pressed the button. “Hello.”
    “It’s Heath. May I come up? I have something for you.”
    Sonya’d planned to meet him downstairs. She shot a quick glance around her apartment. “Sure.” What would it look like to him? How much of her personality showed in her space? Would he notice the lack of Christmas? Well, she was who she was. “Behave yourself,” she whispered to Tangle.
    A light tap sounded on her door and she swung it open. Heath stood in the hallway holding a giant poinsettia. “For you.” He grinned and leaned closer, his lips sweeping her cheek. “Merry kisses.”
    Her face tingled. It was all she could do not to touch the spot. As it was, his cologne lingered between them. Belatedly, she reached for the beautiful plant, its base wrapped in red foil. “Thank you. It will look perfect on my table.”
    Sonya set the poinsettia on the runner her grandmother had quilted for her a few years back. “It’s stunning.” She stepped back... right into Heath.
    His hands clasped her elbows, steadying her for a second before letting go. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
    His nearness was intoxicating. She shifted to one side, needing a bit of space to keep her head. Just because the guy was cute, funny, and a Christian didn’t mean she could let her guard down quite this quickly.
    Heath tipped his head to one side, examining her with his warm brown eyes. “You look terrific.”
    “So do you.” What was that about thinking before she spoke? But it was true. He’d ditched his Santa suit for a navy jacket, partially unzipped so a dark red turtleneck peeked out, and he wore black jeans. He looked more than terrific. Amazing.
    “Wow, you have a lot of plants.” He glanced around the living room with appreciation. “You must have a green thumb.”
    “I hadn’t picked up a poinsettia yet, though.” She wouldn’t have, either. Wasn’t that just buying into the Christmas hype?
    Tangle hopped up onto the runner and sniffed the new addition. The cat never seemed to learn to stay off the table. Sonya scooped her away and deposited her on the floor.
    “Oh, I didn’t realize you had a cat. Poinsettias are poisonous. That’s probably why you didn’t get one.”
    He could think what he liked. “This is Tangle. She’ll be fine now that she knows what it is. She’s not a plant eater.”
    Heath lifted Tangle and rubbed her ears. The cat nearly melted in his hands. He chuckled and set her back down then turned to Sonya. “May I help you with your coat?”
    Any guy that liked her cat was a winner. Okay, Heath was a winner half a dozen ways. If it weren’t for Santa, he’d be perfect. “Thank you. It’s hanging in the closet behind you.”  
    She held her breath as Heath settled her coat over her shoulders then slid his fingers behind her hair to untuck it.