Cooped Up for Christmas - Sabrina York Page 0,21

and took the phone from me and stared at it. “Damn, Vic,” he said. “You look hot.”

I grabbed the phone back. Yeah. I’d looked pretty snazzy that night, but that was hardly the point. “This is Dirk,” I said pointing to his photo-face.

“Dirk?” snicker.

“He is my boyfriend. He loooves me.”

“Oh yeah?” Coop leaned against the pillar. “Then why isn’t he here?”

“It’s not his job—”

“If I loved someone, no way would I let her go off for Christmas without me. Even if I had to miss the family potluck.”

“Oh… you!” He was so frustrating sometimes. “There was no potluck. There was a suite in the Swiss Alps, with five star service and fancy parties and…relaxation.”

His smile was sly. “And Dirk, of course,” he said softly.

“Of course.”

“Interesting that you didn’t mention him. You know. Just sayin’.”

“I mentioned him.”

“I believe I mentioned him, but why belabor the point?”

“Oh. Was there a point?” Honestly. He was so exasperating.

“I think the main point is that you and I are here, together, on Christmas. And Dirk is not.” At which point, he stalked toward me and took me in his arms and kissed me.

God, it was sexy. His mouth was soft and warm and plaintive as he teased me into a response. It didn’t take long for flames to lick through me with him so close, the two of us breathing the same sweet air. The kiss deepened; he ate at my mouth and caressed my scalp and walked me back until the door slammed against my back.

I was transported. We both were.

Until a spoon tapped on the window.

And not the nice way a spoon might tap on a window. This was a very angry spoon.

Whack! Whack! Whack!

Coop lifted his head, peered inside, and laughed. “I think we’re disturbing the chef,” he said releasing me.

I meticulously brushed myself down, patted my hair back in place, and cleared my throat before I went inside. “Good morning, Noel.”

He said some things in French that apparently needed to be pronounced through one nostril in order to be said correctly. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t cordial.

I surveyed the six or seven dishes he had cooking. “How’s breakfast coming?” It was supposed to be a quick buffet before the guests took off with Cooper and his team. Ah. The thought of all that quiet was delightful. “Let me know when you want to start set up.” I didn’t wait for a response. I headed straight into the great room to pull out the breakfast dishes.

Coop followed. Apparently. I nearly walked right into him when I turned around too quickly with arms full of china. “Oh, sheesh.” I frowned at him. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“Let me take those.”

“I don’t need any help.”

He ignored me and took what I had, so I went back for more. When I met him at the table, I frowned. “I don’t need help.”

“I know. I just want to spend a few more moments with you before I head out with the guests.”

Naturally, I eyed him warily. “Why?”

“Maybe I enjoy your company? Would that be so impossible to believe? Or maybe I just really want to reconnect with an old—”

“There’s that word again.”

“Friend.” He leaned against the table and grinned. “I really have missed you, Vic. Always wondered what might have happened…”

Yeah. He let it trail off like that.

“Kind of a moot point, isn’t it?” I asked as I started laying out the silverware. He tried to help but he put the spoons on the wrong side.

“Why?”

I shrugged. “That was then. This is now.”

He tapped his chin. “I think I read that book in junior high.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.” He cocked a head and peered at me. “Here we are, together, attracted to each other. Both single. You’re sure you’re not married?”

I set my hands on my hips and huffed a sigh. “Grant told you I wasn’t.”

“You never confirmed it.”

Confirmed it? Was he serious? “No. I am not married.” Heaven forbid.

“Just checking.” He started setting goblets above the knife, but I had to stop him because he wasn’t wearing gloves and he was getting fingerprints all over the glasses.

“I think I would have mentioned I was married the first time you kissed me, don’t you?”

He shrugged and watched me buff off his stupid fingerprints. “You never know, these days.”

I glared at him. “You should have asked if I was seeing anyone. That’s what you should have asked.”

“I didn’t care if you were seeing someone. I just wanted to see you again. To know…”

“Right,” I finished