every minute.â
Okay, heâd worked with her dad, and Nolan seemed to know him from the department, and he was probably not a psychotic killer, and he said he knew where there were Mac Twos. Did she really have a choice?
She put one foot into the cab, dragging her packages with her, keeping the other foot on the curb.
âSo this warehouse,â she began, and then stopped, getting a good look at the inside of the cab. It was festooned with LED Christmas lights blinking red and green in time to the music, the songâs refrain whispering, âGimme, gimme, gimme, Santa Baby.â She saw Reese look up at the ceiling and followed his eyes to a shriveled piece of mistletoe safety-pinned to the sagging fabric. âMy God.â
âMistletoe,â Reese said.
âPretty limp,â Trudy said, squinting at it.
âIâm not.â
âI have Mace.â
He ducked his head and kissed her, bumping her nose, and it was nice, being kissed in a warm cab by a younger man, even if there was snow drifting in through the open door and the foot she still had on the curb was freezing. Gimme, gimme, gimme, Trudy thought, and wished he were Nolan.
Reese pulled back a little. âThank you for not Macing me.â
âI was thinking about it,â Trudy said, and he kissed her again, putting his arms around her and pulling her close, and this time she kissed him back, because it was Christmas Eve and he might be getting her a Mac II. And because he was a pretty good kisser even if he wasnât Nolan, who was a grave disappointment anyway.
Then Nolan leaned into the cab and scared the hell out of her.
âSo, where are we going?â he asked cheerfully.
âWhere did you come from?â she said, her heart hammering.
âLooking for a cab.â Nolan smiled at her. âCanât find one.â He nudged the leg she had stretched out to the curb. âCan I share yours?â
âNo,â Reese said, evidently not planning on taking any classes from Nolan in the future.
âItâs polite to share a cab on Christmas Eve, Mr. Daniels,â Nolan said.
âIâm not polite, Professor Mitchell.â Reese tightened his grip on her.
Trudy looked from one to the other. They were glaring at each other, which was sort of flattering until she remembered that they probably both wanted the Mac Two more than they wanted her. Well, there had to be safety in numbers. What were the chances they were both serial killers?
âIâm polite.â Trudy pulled her foot into the cab and scooted over, stopping when her hip touched Reeseâs.
Nolan slid in until his hip touched hers, and shut the door.
The cab grew warmer.
âWhere are we going?â he said. âTell me itâs a place with MacGuffins.â
Trudy nodded. âA warehouse. With MacGuffins mint in their boxes.â
âWay to go, dude,â Nolan said to Reese.
âOut,â Reese said, still hanging on to Trudy.
âOh no.â Trudy pulled away, leaning into Nolan in the process. âIâm only going if he goes.â
âIâm touched,â Nolan said.
âNo, youâre not,â Trudy said, moving back from him again. âSafety in numbers. Any number. Not you specifically.â She smiled at Reese. âWeâll all go together.â
Reese looked as though he might argue and then sighed. âGo,â he said to the cabbie, and gave an address that Trudy knew was in the warehouse district, probably now dark and deserted and half an hour away.
Well, at least she knew Nolan wouldnât attack her. The dumbass had no interest in her body at all.
âGimme, gimme, gimme,â the radio sang.
âI hate Christmas,â Trudy said, and settled back as the cab jerked into motion.
Chapter 2
âSo,â Nolan said as the cab moved through the falling snow and the brightly lit streets. âThis is really nice.â
âNo, it
Debbie Gould, L.J. Garland