McDonald_NoELFngWay_GEN_Dec2015 Read Online Free PDF

brags about your parenting skills all the time. Since I would never call your mother a liar, it leaves me little choice but to believe you had at least a little to do with Nicky’s charm.”
    Dash felt a firm tap on one shoulder blade and then a brush of red velvet against his arm. The white t-shirt he wore stretched tight across his shoulders as he shifted stiffly to accommodate the unspoken request. He reached back blindly to slip his arms into the sleeves of the Santa jacket.
    When Vixen moved around him, his breath caught. It was hard not to fall into her busy hands as she briskly tugged on his jacket front to straighten it. She kept her head bowed as she hooked up the fasteners. He was mesmerized by her fingers, and totally wished the clothing was coming off rather than going on.
    “The truth is that I think about how lucky I am every time I see him run to me,” Dash confessed, staring at the jingle bell on the end of her hat.
    When Vixen’s serious gaze lifted to his, he felt the impact of it all the way to his toes. He wanted her… but he also wanted to get to know her… again.
    “I like being a dad,” Dash admitted.
    Vixen clicked her tongue. “You’re a hard man to get over, Dash… and a harder one to hate evidently. I guess you’re forgiven for being a schmuck to me when we were in college. From now on, I’m going to pretend we’re strangers and that you’re just some random good-looking father with a charming son.”
    Vixen thought he was good-looking? That worked for him.
    Dash stared into her eyes and imagined her under him. He imagined the drugging kiss he remembered, and the way Vixen would melt into the passion leaping between them. He’d never taken it beyond kissing in college. His ethics had at least extended that far toward being fair.
    Today the need to see if Vixen still responded that way took him over. He wanted to watch her eyelids drop slowly as she whispered his name just before she…
    His sexy daydream was broken by a hand smacking his chest above the fake gut.
    “Well?” Vixen demanded. “I’m pouring out my soul here, Dasher Sleigh. Can you do something other than stare at me like I just said the stupidest thing you ever heard?”
    Annoyed at his lack of control, Dash reached out and flicked the end of her hat bell to send it ringing. Then he caught it in his grip so she couldn’t easily get away. He knew it was too soon to make a grab for her. He wondered if she’d ever be receptive to his touches again.
    “You have a strange effect on me, Vixen Dunder. And I’m not sure I want to be a random stranger to you. Despite letting my friends talk me into being stupid enough to hurt your feelings, I never forgot kissing you for endless hours. Since I’d like to keep that part of our past, I think I’d rather focus on convincing you I’m no longer the callous kid you once dated.”
    “Really? How do you propose to do that?” Vixen asked.
    “Oh… the usual ways. Coffee. Dinner. Getting another chance to kiss you,” Dash said quietly, holding her alarmed gaze with his steady one. His instincts about a woman had never been so loud.
    Vixen leaned away until Dash’s hand let go of her noisy hat ornament. She wasn’t able to move the rest of her. If she retreated now, she would be constantly retreating from the man. And Dash would know how much she was still bothered by him. It was something she wasn’t ready to admit… would never be ready to admit again.
    She shook her head. “No further convincing needed. Your son was enough proof.”
    Dash smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “But it wasn’t my son who hurt you. What kind of example would I be setting if I didn’t make this right? I want real forgiveness, Vixen. And I think I’ll get it because I’m a patient man. Lord knows, Nicky has given me plenty of practice.”
    When his body loomed over hers, and his face started to lower in her direction, Vixen did step away. Unfortunately, Dash’s impact was stronger