Holiday Sparks

“Ben Hartley.”

Miriam slid her tablet in front of her and typed quickly. “Make sure all the receipts go to Maureen in the cashier’s box. Normally I’d make sure to hold you to a budget, but this has to be handled as expediently as possible. Within reason, Ms. Tucker. I trust you.”

It took all the power she had in her to not to let her mouth drop open. Did the Black Widow just tell her that she’d done a good job? “I appreciate that.”

“Well, don’t just stand there.”

Ahh, there she was. Darcy resisted the impulse to snap a salute and turned on her heel. She checked her watch. It was barely seven thirty. She was tempting fate with this scheme, but there was no way she’d be able to pull off a Blackstone-worthy display on her own. Maybe she could take half the rent off as a Christmas present. Her bank account could handle a one-month hit.

She sent a quick message to Gary’s unit to leave the display alone and to cover for her per the boss’s decree. She lengthened her stride and gathered her things, stashing her tablet in her locker before signing out. Now she just had to figure out a way to convince Ben Hartley to be her Christmas savior.

Chapter Three

Ben pulled the pillow over his head, trying desperately to ignore the incessant buzz of his alarm. He flung his hand out but it wasn’t his alarm. He squinted at the clock. “That better be 7:50 p.m.,” he muttered.

The shrill ring of his doorbell finally scraped at his consciousness. “Fucking fuck.” Whoever was leaning on it as though it was their job was going to pay. He’d been up sketching until after three. And it was his goddamn day off. He fumbled out of bed and nearly walked down the stairs before he remembered that he slept in the raw.

That was one way to get rid of whoever was at the door.

He tugged on a pair of workout shorts and a shirt before shuffling down the stairs. When the blasted bell went off again he growled his way to the door and swung it open. “What the hell do you— Oh, for God’s sake, I promised I’d take down the lights today, not at eight in the fucking morning.”

His landlord winced and twisted her fingers together. “Actually,” she pointed to the note on the door, “I left that this morning before I left for work. And now I have an even bigger problem.”

A jaw-popping yawn was his first answer. “Look, Miss Tucker—”

“Darcy.”

“Darcy.” He decided he liked the way it felt on his tongue. And that was dangerous. He should have stayed in goddamn bed. His landlady’s teeth chattered as she held the collar of her coat up under her chin. Sunny yellow hair whipped around her face. In the searing light of day, her pretty eyes were even more captivating. And that little tidbit was a sure sign that he needed coffee. Now. “Do you want to come in?”

She was going to saw her damn bottom lip off before she answered, so he reached out and took her arm, dragging her inside. “It’s freezing.”

“Didn’t you get the email that it’s winter?”

Ben looked down at himself and then back at her. “I was sleeping. You’re lucky I have this on.”

Those evergreen eyes widened and a bit of his grumpiness slipped away. Maybe she wanted a better look at him. “I know, and I hate to bother you, truly. Truly,” she repeated. “I know we kind of got off on the wrong foot yesterday.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Actually, I think your foot might still be in my ass from yesterday.”

Darcy brought her cupped hands up to her lips and blew into them. “Can we sit for a minute?” She looked around his living room. “I mean if that’s okay.”

“It’s your house,” he said, stepping down into the living room. Three large boxes of decorations were clustered around the fireplace. “You made that clear yesterday.”

She hunched up her shoulders. “I had a really awful day yesterday, and it’s no excuse, but I came home to find that Christmas threw up on my house.” She sighed and sank into his couch. “It wasn’t my finest hour.”

He sat across from her. Luckily he’d actually picked up the house yesterday. Christmas decorating always equaled a major overhaul inside and out. “No, but I should have mentioned it to you, I suppose.”

It was her house, as she’d explained. But he did use LED lights to keep down the cost. Anything he did wouldn’t have increased her electricity bill more than a few pennies.

She slid off her coat. A lightweight gray sweater hugged her shoulders and scooped low on her neck to emphasize her collar bone and elegant neck. Not the right time to notice all of your favorite spots on a woman, Hartley. Especially this woman.

Darcy pushed up her sleeves and leaned forward. “Speaking of those decorations.”

He sighed, leaning back and lacing his fingers over his belly. “I told you I’d take them down.”

“No, actually. I’d left you the note to leave most of them up. Maybe tone them down to a more traditional look, but keep most of them.”

He sat up. “Why the change?”