Simply Sexy (Simply 5)

“Wouldn’t be unusual for people to have family over during the holidays. By the way, that reminds me of something I’ve been meaning to bring up. And would have if you weren’t so sexy and distracting. Christmas Eve is tomorrow night.” He turned off the ignition at the same time he turned on the charm, treating her to the endearing grin she’d come to know so well. “Did you have any plans?”

Jake and Brianne were coming up from New York tomorrow when her sister-in-law got off from work, and she wanted Colin to meet them. She refused to think about what that meant. Neither did she want Colin to be alone while Joe lay in a hospital bed.

But she wanted to hear his thoughts before she sprang her suggestion on him. “What did you have in mind?”

He twirled her hair around his finger. “I noticed there’s no Christmas tree in your apartment.”

Now that he mentioned it, she’d noticed the same about his condo. “I didn’t want to put one up alone.” Jake would probably kill her when he arrived and discovered she’d neglected their favorite family tradition, but she hadn’t wanted to go tree shopping solo.

“Tsk, tsk,” he said jokingly. “Don’t you think Norton deserves a festive holiday?”

“Norton!” She had to get inside and let him out. Reaching for the handle, she jumped out of the car and ran up the back stairs.

Once outside her apartment, she paused. A pair of women’s slippers sat by the welcome mat in the hall. A pair of wet women’s slippers with gold embroidery that could only belong to one person. Rina crinkled her nose, recognizing that Norton had done his business yet again, this time on Emma’s shoes. Though what Emma would be doing here, she hadn’t any idea.

“Oh, no. Emma? Emma, is that you?”

Colin’s footsteps sounded behind her as he followed her inside. “Emma’s here?”

Rina pointed to the damp slippers. “No self-respecting prowler would wear these or leave them as evidence. Frankie must have let her in.” She ran a hand through her still-damp hair. Colin, macho guy that he was, didn’t have a blow-dryer. “I wonder what she wants.”

He groaned. “Does it matter? We get to be interrogated by the matchmaker the morning after. That’s fun I wouldn’t mind missing.”

“Chicken.” She grinned, grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, surprised when Norton didn’t come bounding toward her. “Emma?” she called once more.

“I’m in the kitchen.”

Rina stepped into the room and found Emma, the sleeves of her silk blouse rolled up to her elbows as she rinsed what looked like a pair of panty hose in the sink.

Norton had obviously ruined them, as well as her shoes. Rina winced. “Hi, Emma.”

“Hello, dear. Your friend Francesca let me in. Lovely girl. Bad date last night and I’m coming up with a list of possible men to help her out.” Emma shut off the faucet and wrung out the damp hose.

“I see you met Norton?” Rina asked carefully.

“Oh yes.” Emma smiled.

“And you aren’t angry?”

She shook her head. “What can you expect when the poor thing’s been left alone all night. You should be happy I don’t report you to the ASPCA.” Her wink made a mockery of her words.

Rina rolled her eyes. Norton was perfectly capable of holding himself for the time she’d been gone. He had an extraordinary bladder. “What happened?”

“He got so excited when I rang your bell. It was about the same time Francesca had come upstairs to walk him, and while she was looking for the leash, he…uh…well, suffice it to say he didn’t quite make it this time.” She lifted her shoulder in the delicate shrug Rina had come to know well. “Anyway, Frankie took him for a walk and she said she’d keep him downstairs for a while. Just in case he had any ideas about repeating himself.”

Rina shook her head. “I’ll pay for your shoes and panty hose.” Knowing Emma’s expensive taste, replacing them would probably set her back a fair penny. But somebody had to pay Norton’s debts.

“Never mind that.” Emma lay her stockings over one of Rina’s kitchen chairs as if she lived there and walked into the living room, expecting them to follow.

Of course, they did.

“You two have some explaining to do,” she said as she turned around and seated herself in the club chair in the corner, holding court in Rina’s house.

Colin walked by and knelt down beside Emma. As he passed, Rina inhaled his masculine scent and her body heated up all over again. The timing was all wrong, of course. As much as Rina enjoyed Emma’s company, the older woman seemed to have taken up residence, hadn’t told Rina what she wanted and didn’t seem inclined to leave anytime soon.

After lifting Emma’s hand in his, Colin placed a kiss on her hand. “You know I adore you.”

Was it Rina’s imagination or did Emma actually blush?