Depends on Who's Asking - Lani Lynn Vale Page 0,65

his hair.

I grinned. “I do.”

“How many of those calendars do you have?” he asked curiously.

“I have one up here,” I said. “I got it for my mom, but Dad didn’t really like it, so we hung it up in here. I have one at my office, and one at home.”

He grimaced. “I’ll never do a calendar again.”

I frowned. “Why not?”

“Because I’m tired of being called Mr. December,” he admitted. “I don’t like it. I don’t like it when people still, twelve months later, ask me to sign their stupid calendars because they’re trying to win a beach vacation to somewhere that ended like nine months ago. To make matters worse, I’m objectified. I think I’m one of the only ones, though, that didn’t face the camera, so not many people know that I was on it. I only get ‘Mr. December’ comments from people that heard I was in there from someone else.”

“Awww, Mr. December,” I teased as I sat down on the counter. “Your poor little self.”

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

When he finished trying to straighten out his hair, he was glaring.

“We had a SWAT call last week where a little old lady called in because she needed help ousting a tenant. A tenant that got really pissy when he refused to leave and then pulled a gun on the little old lady’s husband. After the SWAT call was over, she had every single one of us sign her calendar. But since it was only half of us there, she came up to the station and brought us cookies and muffins, and then had everyone else sign it.” He paused as he reached for the bar of soap. “But she made special cookies for me because I ‘wasn’t very festive’ in my calendar photo. She was hoping that the Santa-shaped cookies would bring me more ‘holiday cheer.’ Now everyone likes to give me little Christmas gifts as a ‘cheer up’ present.”

That was actually kind of funny.

I allowed my hand to trail down the length of his side, stopping when I couldn’t get any farther due to the press of our bodies.

He tensed as I stroked the left side of the V on his lower body.

“What are you doing?” He tried to step back.

All that did was allow me to get to the thing that I most wanted.

“I want to do something,” I said.

“Do what?” He looked at me worriedly, backing up a step and encountering the toilet.

“I’ll be quick…” I said, dropping down to my knees.

Saint’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “I can’t do this here. There’s… oh, holy shit.”

In all honesty, Saint lost a bit of control there for a moment.

Long seconds after he was finished, his chest heaving, he looked down at me still on the ground between his splayed thighs.

“I… shit. Your father’s never going to say yes now.” He covered his face with his hands. “I just defiled his daughter under his own roof.”

I rolled my eyes and stood up, walking to my sink where I brushed my teeth and washed my face.

“Get dressed. It took you all of like, two seconds. We’re not going to be caught.”

He grumbled something under his breath but nonetheless started to do what I said.

“How do you feel about going to visit my father?” he asked softly. “I don’t want to go alone.”

I studied his tired eyes.

His glasses had smudges on them.

I pulled them off his face and cleaned his glasses on my shirt. When I felt they were clean enough, I replaced them on his face.

“I’d go anywhere with you. Even to meet the former president.”

CHAPTER 20

Santa saw your photos on Instagram. You’re getting a Bible for Christmas.

-Coffee Cup

SAINT

I wasn’t really sure about Christmas.

Never really had been, either.

But I was sure that I’d enjoy spending it with Carolina.

After her assault—or more like care?—in the bathroom, she left, taking Smoke with her. I got dressed and pocketed my phone before heading out to find them.

They were all sitting out by the Christmas tree in the living room.

All of my presents for Carolina—and a few for her parents, one for each of her brothers—were now under their tree.

I grinned and went to the one and only seat left. The recliner next to the fire.

The fire that was burning hot and melting off skin the moment I sat down—which was likely why no one was sitting there.

I got up and moved it closer to Carolina, who looked amused.

“Everyone ready?” Nikki asked.

Carolina clapped her hands. “Do you