After the Christmas Party...

He studied her a moment then rubbed his knuckles across her cheeks. “We’re talking dinner and a ride to your car, Trinity, not for ever. Smile and say, ‘Thank you, I’d love to go to dinner with you, Riley.’”

Her face screwed up with doubts, she bared her teeth. “Thank you. I’d love to go to dinner with you, Riley.”

He laughed and tweaked her nose. “Atta girl.”

How had Riley finagled Trinity into doing this?

Going to the hospital Christmas party one night and going on a dinner date the next was just too much for her bah-humbug to digest.

Oh, yeah, she didn’t have her car, she justified to herself.

“Jingle-bells, jingle bells,” he sang, looking way too amazing in his jeans and lightweight sweater as he maneuvered through traffic.

Urgh. The only thing worse would be if he was wearing an ugly Christmas sweater.

He glanced her way and grinned. “Penny for your thoughts.”

“You don’t want them.”

“Sure I do.”

“I was imagining you in an ugly Christmas sweater. I bet you have a closet full.”

Laughing, he arched one brow. “Ugly Christmas sweater?”

“You know, the ones that sport more decorations than a department store.”

“Oh, those ugly Christmas sweaters.” He grinned. “I might have a few prime specimens tucked away from years past. You wanna borrow one, or are you just making your Christmas gift request?”

“Hardly.” But she ruined the effect by laughing at the thought that he might really have a few. Surely not. Covering his shoulders and chest with a knit sweater with sparkly dangly things all over it would be awful.

“Speaking of department stores, do you mind if we swing by and pick up a few strands of lights for my tree before we go eat? I should have grabbed some last week but didn’t realize mine were shot at the time.”

She bit the inside of her lip. He’d been so kind to her that could she say no?

“I guess that would be okay.”

Not really, but maybe she could sit in the car to avoid the hustle and bustle. If he insisted on her going inside the store, she could surely find a happy place in her mind somewhere for however long it took him to get his lights.

“Don’t sound so enthusiastic,” he teased.

She didn’t want to seem ungrateful. He’d transformed the night before into a fun memory…at least the parts she remembered had been fun. He’d not taken advantage when she’d been at his mercy. He’d been gracious and kind, offering to take her to dinner and to get her car. He made her smile. Whether she wanted to or not, she liked the man.

“Sorry, I guess I get a little cranky when I get hungry.”

Pulling into a parking spot, he turned off the ignition and reached across the car to take her hand. “If it’s okay, I’ll do a quick run for the lights while you grab us some sandwiches from the place there.” He handed her a couple of twenties and pointed to a sandwich shop. “I’ll make it up to you by taking you to my place so you can help decorate my tree. Deal?”

Before she could tell him that decorating his tree would be more like punishment, he got out of the car. “I’ll take a club loaded with everything…hold the onions.”

A sinking feeling in her gut, Trinity watched him rush toward a seasonal store in the strip mall.

Dinner and decorating a tree? Not what she’d signed up for, but apparently what she’d be doing, all the same, with a forced smile for Riley’s sake.

Trinity had to admit the sandwiches were delicious or she really had been hungrier than she’d thought. The tree decorating, well, she was still holding back her opinion on that.

Not that she enjoyed the decorating but she’d have to be blind not to appreciate the view. Standing on a stepladder, Riley leaned and made another snip from the live blue spruce tree that towered several feet over her head. After clipping a few more twigs, he inspected the tree to see if it met with his approval.

From where she stood at the bottom of the ladder, she had to admit he definitely met her visual approval. The man was hot.