Her Christmas Detective - Laura Ann Page 0,36

getting the exact reaction she had hoped for. “You look pretty delicious yourself,” she murmured back.

She’d never seen him in a suit, and this one looked like it had been sewn just for him. It spread perfectly across his shoulders and chest, the dark blue color making his deep brown eyes look fathomless.

“Oh, brother.”

Bella grinned. She’d forgotten Jimmy was in the foyer with her.

“Delicious? Really?” Jimmy groaned. “Maybe as delicious as those inedible gingerbread houses.”

Bella snorted as she tried to hold back her laughter.

Henry’s right eyebrow rose. “What’s he talking about?”

“Oh, nothing,” Bella sang. “We were just discussing which was more ridiculous. Gingerbread competitions or basketball.”

“Sounds serious.”

“Oh, it was,” Bella assured him.

“Basketball isn’t ridiculous,” Jimmy said forcefully. “Building food you can’t eat is.”

Bella turned back to the young teenager. “If you say so.”

“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes again in true teenage fashion. “I’m going back inside.”

“Don’t you dare eat anyone’s display,” Bella called after him.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Nice kid.”

Henry’s voice was right behind her and Bella’s heart skipped a beat, then picked up speed. Whether from his nearness or from startling her, she couldn’t quite tell. Slowly, she spun to face him, tilting her head way back to look him in the eye. “He can be. But like most teenage boys, he doesn’t see the point in art...or food he can’t consume.”

Henry nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on her lips. “I see.”

“You didn’t hear anything I said, did you?” she asked with a grin.

He shook his head. “Nope. I’m afraid my mind was on something else.”

“Would it have to do with the mistletoe hanging over us?” Bella asked, her voice growing breathless in anticipation.

“It didn’t, but since you gave me the excuse...”

THE LAST TWO DAYS HAD been torturous. Hank was running on too little sleep as he worked to solve the problems plaguing Gingerbread Inn, and keep his dream woman and her family safe.

After he’d found the shovel placed just right to trip someone coming out of the house, Hank had known the situation was more serious than he’d anticipated. This wasn’t just a few weird accidents. Someone was out to cause injury.

He’d spent the last couple of days since the display room rebuild on the phone with social workers and hospital personnel. He’d found Jimmy’s caretaker and they would be here later tonight. He had also found out some other news. News he was loath to share with Bella, though he knew she’d want to know.

Right now, however, despite how tired he was, he was in absolute heaven. When he’d walked in the front door, it had been as if an angel was standing there waiting for him. Her dress showed off every slim curve she had, but still came down to just below her knee. The heels she was wearing made her legs look much longer, and it created a long, smooth body line that had him feeling hot at the collar.

Her greeting, however, is what had put him over the edge. Forty-eight hours without seeing or touching her was too long, as evidenced by the fact that he couldn’t seem to get enough.

His arms wound around her back and he shifted her just right so he could straighten up, pulling her up with him. After a slight squeak of surprise, Bella wound her arms around his neck and continued kissing him with reckless abandon.

Her eagerness and returned affection did absolutely nothing for his self-control. Most of their time together had been in working on the case, and it was wearing on him. He wanted to do much more than share cocoa and a few notes with her. He wanted time to snuggle in front of a movie. He wanted to hold her hand and walk through the park. He wanted to sit by her at church, with his arm around her shoulders, showing everyone that she was with him.

He wanted way more than he was going to get by the new year when she went back to her old job.

After who knew how long, but still wasn’t long enough, Hank forced himself to pull back. His breathing was heavy and his pulse erratic, yet he still didn't feel satisfied. He wasn’t sure he ever would with the sassy Bella.

“I think you should always greet me that way,” Bella whispered hoarsely. Her lips were slightly swollen from his attack and her lip gloss had disappeared.

Hank licked his own lips and realized most of it was on him. Yeah...that’s going to look good at the party. “Only if you promise to