“This is my dad, David,” Luke chimed in.
I held out my hand and she placed her glove-covered palm over mine. Despite the layers of leather, I felt a shocking spark as they touched. I felt it down to my bones and it warmed me all over. Her eyes widened with confusion and she slowly pulled her hand back. I was reluctant to let it go, but didn’t want to seem creepy and scare her off.
“It’s nice to meet you, Harley.” My voice had lowered involuntarily and
was practically a purr. I wanted to shake my head to clear away the fog I was suddenly immersed in. But then her cheeks turned even more pink and she grinned, charming me even more.
“Oh! I forgot my homework packet in my classroom,” Tyler exclaimed. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll help you find it,” Luke added quickly and they both raced off toward the school’s front doors.
Suddenly, I was alone with Harley and felt oddly tongue-tied. “Um…Tyler’s parents out of town?” I asked lamely.
Harley rolled her eyes and laughed. “Nope. Apparently, they just aren’t cool enough to pick him up. Since I work a couple blocks down and get off shortly before school is over, I figured I might as well cement my status as the ‘cool’ older sister.”
I laughed and nodded in understanding. “Yeah, I dread the day when Luke decides I’m just his boring, old dad.”
Smirking, Harley’s beautiful eyes ran over me from head to toe, leaving a burning trail in their wake. “You’re awfully young to ever be his boring, old dad.”
I shrugged. “We had Luke young, but I’m still creeping up on thirty, which is apparently ‘sooooooo old,’” I said, imitating my son on the last two words.
Holly chuckled, but some of the sparkle in her eyes dimmed. She glanced toward the school and shuffled her feet before looking back at me. “Here come the boys. It was nice to meet you.”
Her tone was dismissive and I was suddenly confused. Was I the only one who’d felt the connection between us?
“Your wife is probably anxious for you both to get home.”
Oh fuck. She thought I was still married. “My ex-wife lives an hour away with her fiancé, so I doubt she’ll notice.”
“Oh, um. I’m sorry.” She certainly didn’t look it. I suppressed a smile at her attempt to hide her delight.
“Dad, can Tyler come over tomorrow after school?” Luke asked as he stopped beside me.
“Sure,” I responded, ruffling his blond hair and laughing when he ducked away with a glare.
“You’ll drop me off there, right Harley?” Tyler pleaded with practiced puppy-dog eyes.
Her eyes briefly darted to me before she looked back down at her brother. “Sure, kid.”
A grin spread across my face. “See you tomorrow.”
The red of her wind-blown cheeks deepened again and she nodded. “Tomorrow.” Then she quickly got back into her car. “Come on, kid,” she called. “Hot chocolate is calling our names!” Tyler did a fist pump, then high-fived Luke before rushing into the car.
Luke and I started toward our own vehicle, but I couldn’t help looking back one last time to catch a glimpse of the beautiful woman I couldn’t wait to see again.
“No way, Luke,” I growled, trying to ignore his pleading expression as we decorated our Christmas tree. “Last year was enough for one lifetime.” Playing Santa at the mall for a school charity event had been a nightmare. The hot, itchy suit, crying kids, angry parents…I shuddered.
“But Dad, they can’t get the real Santa and you’re the best fake Santa ever.”
I rolled my eyes playfully. “Nice try, sport. Telling me that I closely resemble a fat man isn’t going to get the job done.” I patted my flat stomach, self-consciously feeling for any sign that I was letting myself go.
“Not because of that, Dad,” he said with a dramatic eye roll. “Tyler even said you were the best one. And, his sister takes him to see Santa every year.” He threw his arms around me and looked up with hopeful eyes. “Pleeeeeeease?”
Son of a bitch. I was such a sucker for my son. It had nothing to do with the thought of Harley on my lap… “Fine,” I relented, not bothering to hide my irritation. “I’ll call them tomorrow and accept. But this is the last year, Luke. I mean it.”
“You’re the best, Dad!” He went back to decorating with a huge smile, and as much as I was dreading it, I loved seeing such joy on my son’s face. I briefly wondered what Harley’s would look like when she visited Santa…me. Would she smile with that kissable mouth and light up? I licked my dry lips at the thought and then shook the thoughts off and went back to our activity.
Despite my attempt to put her out of my mind, I dreamt about her that night. I imagined what was underneath all those winter layers and what would happen once I got her out of them. I woke in a sweat and ended up having to take a cold shower before I could get back to sleep.
The next day, I buzzed with anxious energy the whole time I was at work. As the owner of a successful toy company, I was able to keep my schedule flexible so I could always be there for my son. However, this was our busiest time of year and I was swamped with meetings. But, I barely paid attention to any of them, counting down the minutes until I would pick up Luke.
Chapter Two
Harley
“C’mon, hurry up already.” I tapped my toe as I stared at the clock, counting down the minutes until my shift at work was finally over. Time was moving slower than usual, and that was saying a lot since that last half hour was always a killer. Today was different though. I had to pick my brother up from school and drop him off at Luke’s house later...which meant I was going to see David. Or at least I hoped I was.
I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him ever since he’d told me Luke’s mom was his ex—something I should have realized all on my own since Tyler never talked about his best friend’s mom. Only his dad. His smokin’ hot dad who I couldn’t get off my mind.
“Finally,” I sighed when it hit the top of the hour. I clocked out and said my goodbyes as I raced towards the door. I had time to spare, but I was hoping I might bump into David while waiting.
With that goal in mind, I pulled into the parking lot and snagged a spot up front. Since there were only a few other cars there, I took the extra time I had to flip down my visor and apply a swipe of mascara and lip gloss. I wasn’t one for a lot of makeup, but I wanted to look my best—and a little older than usual so David didn’t think of me as just Tyler’s big sister.
“Too bad this is about as good as it’s going to get,” I muttered to myself as I climbed out of my car and spotted David standing on the sidewalk near the front doors. I felt butterflies in my stomach just looking at him. At six foot two, with a lean, muscular frame and dark, wavy hair paired with piercing brown eyes; he put tall, dark, and handsome to shame. Dressed in a gray suit and a black wool overcoat that fit him perfectly, he was so out of my league. But it didn’t seem like he agreed, not with the way his eyes lit up when they zeroed in on me and swept down my body. Those butterflies swarmed so much that I felt like I might puke.
“Keep it together, girl,” I mumbled to myself as I stepped over the curb and walked over to him.
“Harley.” His raspy greeting sent goosebumps down my spine, and they only multiplied when he slid his palm from my elbow to my wrist and tugged me close enough to press his lips against my cheek.
“Hey,” I breathed. I couldn’t get any other words out since I was trying hard not to squeal like a little girl. Then I caught the glare one of the perfectly put together moms was sending my way, and I frowned up at David. “I think someone’s trying to get your attention. Either that or she thinks she’s the female version of Cyclops and she’s going to kill me with her laser beam eyes for standing too close to you.”
“An X-Men reference?” I nodded and shrugged with a grin. “Could you be any more fucking perfect?”
“Umm, I don’t think I’m the perfect one.” I jerked my head in the direction of the tall blonde headed our way.
“Fuck,” he groaned when he looked up. Then he bent his head low and whispered in my ear, “do me a favor and go with it?”
“What?”
His brown eyes widened pleadingly. “Please.”
“Uh-huh.” I nodded. Because really, what else could I say with him looking at me like that?
I stumbled into his hard chest when he yanked me closer and wrapped his arm around my waist. He rested his palm against my lower back, and the heat of it bu
rned into my skin through my sweater and winter coat like they weren’t even there.
“David,” the blonde cooed when she reached us. Her blue eyes iced over when she took in how he held me close, but then they warmed right back up when she smiled at him. “I’m so glad I bumped into you today. The sign-up sheet for the holiday party is filling up fast. I saved a few of the easier items in case you wanted one of them, like paper plates and plastic cups. But if you’d like to tackle something a little harder this year, I’d be more than happy to lend you a helping hand. I’ve been told that I make the absolute best cutout cookies ever, and Luke usually asks for an extra one whenever I bring them in for the class. Maybe I could come over and teach you the recipe.”
It was ridiculously obvious she had more in mind than baking cookies, and I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Hard.
“Thanks for the offer, Janice.” He squeezed me tight. “But Harley and I have it covered this year. Go ahead and sign us up for cookies. We can do a trial run tonight to make sure the batch Luke brings in for the party are perfect.”
“Oh.” Her enthusiasm dimmed, but I had to give her credit for trying to keep up the façade...before she failed miserably and her gaze raked over me again. “Did you hire a new babysitter for Luke?”
“Nope.”
I stifled a giggle at David’s one-word response, which was technically true since I wasn’t Luke’s babysitter even though I’d watched him and my brother for my parents many times. “Has Tyler signed up for anything yet? If not, you can put him down for cookies, too. If my mom can’t make them, then we’ll just make a double batch and the boys can bring in the same kind.”
“Tyler? Mom?” she sputtered, her eyes getting wider by the second. “Are you—you’re—you can’t possibly be telling me that you’re dating the sister of one of your son’s classmates?”