Darcy rubbed the heels of her palms together for the eighth time. Her palms were so itchy she was pretty sure she was going to go insane. Okay, so what if it was only when she had to come up to the front end of the store? It didn’t mean anything.

She passed the tree stand. Ben wasn’t there. Her heart rate stuttered into an easy rhythm with a side of disappointment. Ri-freaking-diculous. She needed to calm down and stop thinking about him. It was her imagination that he was going to kiss her in the break room. Garlic breath, exhaustion and this sudden surge of attraction were making her crazy.

That’s all there was to it.

Period.

“Hey, Darcy.”

She stopped. Now she was hearing things.

“Down here. I’m hiding from Tiffany.”

She wished she could hide from that particular cashier herself. She crouched down and saw Ben sitting cross-legged against the wall in the shadows of the tree. There was a small storage cubby hole there. He had a string of lights set on the half wall so he could see what he was doing. “What are you doing back there?”

“I told you. Hiding.” He lifted a small tool that looked like a pen. “And soldering.” He waved her in. “She’ll see you and then she’ll know my spot.”

She laughed. Ridiculous was the word of the day. She dropped to one knee. There was no way she was crawling under the tree in her wool pants.

That half grin tipped up his mouth. “I won’t bite. C’mon.”

“I have work.”

“No, you’re off shift. You’re mine.”

She swallowed. “Wh-what?” The way he’d said mine. Not right in any way.

His grin spread into a smile. Just how flame red were her cheeks? “Your Miriam Blackstone came over. She told me that after three you were all mine for the day. She wants this tree beyond perfection.”

Of course that’s what he meant. She’d gotten the same orders, but she assumed that just meant she would be required to be in the store. Not helping him. “You don’t really want my help, do you?”

He crawled forward, caught her hands and dragged her across the slick floor until their knees touched. “I really do.”

She ducked her head and pushed a branch away. Dust bunnies and pine needles scattered around her. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

He patted the spot beside him. “The little throwback from Valley Girl is a little too much to take. If she asks me one more question I’m going to strangle her with the pink stripe in her hair.”

Darcy giggled, stifling it as soon as she started, but it was too late.

“What? Do I speak the truth or not?”

The laugh broke free. “Yes. Gosh, yes.” She leaned against the wall. It was cozy and out of the way and so much cooler. A sweater had not been the way to go today. Of course if she’d known she’d be working a twenty-four-hour shift she would have dressed differently.

PJ’s perhaps?

What did it matter, she was a wreck already. She slid down the wall until her knees were higher than her eyes. “I’m just going to take a nap. Can you wake me when it’s over?”

“If you sleep like that you’ll be in traction. I’m good at a back massage, but not that good.”

“You gotta stop saying stuff like that,” she said on a groan. Then wanted to curl into a ball. Outside voice—that had definitely been her outside voice.

“Why?”

“Because.” She struggled to sit up. “Because, heck. I don’t know why.”

“Are you seeing someone?” His gaze dropped to her mouth then lifted to her eyes. “Not into guys?”

She laughed. “I’m into guys.”

“I’m too tall?”

She laughed again. He was far too charming. “That’s just mean. Do you know how often I meet a guy that’s taller than me?”

“Do you know how often I meet a woman I don’t have to crick my neck to kiss?”

Her palms tingled again, right up to the tips of her fingers. “You want to kiss me?”

He set the board and the soldering tool aside and spun around until he was facing her. His knee pressed into her thigh as he gripped his crisscrossed ankles. “Oh yeah.”

“Now?”

“Definitely now.”

What if someone saw them? The tree wasn’t that big, was it? “I taste like garlic,” she blurted.

He leaned closer. “I love garlic.”

The pads of her fingertips flattened into the cool floor. She moved in until his scent wrapped around her. Spruce from spending the day with the tree and a lingering hint of cinnamon stuck to him. They lined up like puzzle pieces, shifting and turning until they fit. His hand moved beside hers on the floor, not quite touching. His nose bumped her cheek, then nuzzled against hers lightly. Soft as cashmere, his bottom lip brushed hers. Sweet and innocent, the kiss was everything he shouldn’t be.

Ben was the last man she pictured herself kissing, let alone hiding behind a tree with. But he kept the kiss light in every way. The tip of his tongue flicked along her lower lip and his other hand came up to cup her cheek.

His thumb coasted along the crest of her cheek as his fingers slid into her hair. She hitched in a shaky breath and opened for him. He sucked her tongue lightly before covering her mouth completely. All the while his fingertips slid through the strands of her hair along the side of her face and gathered them into his hand. He gently stroked her hair and continued the easy and thorough exploration of her mouth.

Too overwhelmed to do anything but go along for the ride, she curled her forefinger over his on the floor. She rose onto her knees, bumping into his long legs. He tipped his head back to keep the kiss going and she opened her eyes. She pushed away his overlong bangs, coming up for air and a moment of sanity. His long neck was corded and so intrinsically male.

Stubble dotted his neck, swirling around his Adam’s apple. He swallowed hard as she dragged the pad of her thumb down the column, taking a precious breath that her lungs couldn’t possibly handle. He opened his eyes a fraction. The glittering heat in his deep-brown eyes trapped the rest of her breath in her lungs. She settled her hands on his shoulders, tracing her thumb over his fluttering pulse.

Reassured that she wasn’t alone, and more importantly that she wasn’t doing it wrong, she lightly trailed her fingers along the solid muscles between his neck and shoulder and up. He’d obviously shaved that morning, but his stubble was already there, pricking the pads of her fingers as she traced the strong line of his jaw. She followed the indent of his chin to the shadow under his lips. The patch of hair was slightly softer there. As if he hadn’t quite gotten all of it on his shave.

She touched his lower lip and he opened for her, tipping his chin down to take her fingertip between his teeth. His steady gaze was disarming. Patience was there, but it wasn’t the only thing. No, there was a wealth of heat too.

For her.

She couldn’t stop the curve of her own mouth. When had a man ever looked at her like that? The power of it ticked her heart rate up until her breath quickened. Wanting a taste, needing a taste of something that thrilling, she pressed her mouth to his. The tip of her tongue found his, but instead of falling into the kiss this time, she teased him.

Gaining confidence, she did the sucking this time, drawing him deeper into her mouth. Sliding against the side of his tongue, she was the explorer. Cinnamon burned her tongue the deeper she went. He’d been chewing gum recently. So ordinary, but the peppery bite kicked her into gear. She drove her fingers into his hair and sealed her mouth to his.

He slid his arm around her waist as the kiss went deeper, pulling her tighter to him. She’d never been kissed like this in her life. As if she were precious and delicious at the same time.

Her name buzzed from his throat before she felt it on her tongue. Deep and growling with an edge of something more. Something she’d never tasted. Men didn’t get riled up for her. She simply didn’t incite passion.

She pulled back.

But instead of letting her go, his even white teeth nipped at her chin as his fingers gripped her hair and dragged her back down. Slanting lips and clicking teeth replaced the first kiss. He pulled her into his lap until she straddled him and he cradled her against his chest.

Her palm slapped against the wall and the tree shuddered as her shoulder bumped a branch. Still he didn’t stop. And she was too far gone to care where they were. The kiss went from meadow-picnic sweet to black silk sheets and sweat within moments. The puzzle pieces had snapped together, flush and perfect. And it was amazing.

His grip was almost bruising, but it only pushed her harder. Made her want more. She could feel the press of his zipper against her slacks. The bulge of a man not the least bit unfazed by her kiss. No, there was clear want as her heart slammed against her chest. Was it just hers? The tumultuous beat couldn’t be just her.

The tablet at her hip beeped. She pulled back instantly.

“Don’t.” He sighed and tipped his head back when she unlocked it and flipped open the cover. She was officially off shift, but it was Miriam. She was coming up to check in with them.

“I’m sorry. It’s Miriam.”

He shimmied his hand up between them and cupped her face, pushing her back and yet holding her tighter at the same time. “Her timing blows.”

“I shouldn’t be making out in the corner like a teenager.”

He nuzzled along her neck. “Being bad feels good though.”

She closed her eyes. Gosh, did it ever. But this was her career on the line. “You make it a habit, Mr. Hartley?”

He leaned back, the cool white of the lights accentuating the shadows and angles of his face. He was incredibly good-looking. The kind of good-looking that made a woman feel as average as copy paper beside him. She tried to shimmy back a little but he held on tight. “I haven’t wanted to touch a woman for a few months until just now.”

She searched his eyes. The deep brown had little tiny flecks of gold in them. Almost imperceptible until she was—oh, say three inches away. “Bad breakup?”

“You could say that.”

“I…” She what? She couldn’t say she didn’t want him to kiss her again. That was a damn lie. “I liked this.”

“I think like is an understatement.” He shifted under her and her eyes widened. That quirk to his mouth was back. “Sorry.”

“Uh huh.”

He leaned up with a laugh and nipped her bottom lip. “I really do like kissing you, Miss Tucker.”

She couldn’t stop the smile. “Ditto.”

His fingers tightened along her hips, riding the curve of her backside. “I like it a little too much, but I’m not exactly for voyeurism.”

“Too bad.” Shocked that it came out of her mouth, she detangled herself. “I—”

He laughed. “Kinky manager. Oh darlin’, we’ll have some fun.”

She stopped. “We will?”

He paused, then nodded. “I think we both could use it.”

“Even if I hate Christmas?”

“I’ll change your mind.”

“You are one cocky man.”

“Just about making you have some fun. I’m good at it.”

Of that she had no doubt. “Work first.”

He curled an arm around her waist, brushing his fingertips along the curve of her rib cage. “Authoritative women are hot.”

She pushed him back, delight beating down the doubt. “Well, then you’ll love me.”

His smile slipped a bit. “Do you need to go talk to boss lady?”

“She’s going to come up and check on us in a few minutes.”

“Then let’s get to work. I have most of the lights set up on switches. Now we just have to follow the grid I made up.” He scooted back, grabbed a graph notebook and handed it to her.

She crisscrossed her legs, settling beside him again. The tree was to scale, and was damn close to a photograph representation. The man was talented. He had each bough sectioned off with a string of lights and labeled with letters. Along the side there was a paragraph of code that meant less than nothing to her. She turned the page and found scribbled notes and a rough sketch of the registers with more lights labeled. The fat retro ones were obvious and the tiny twinkle lights were so effortlessly weaved throughout she didn’t even know how to react.

Through Ben’s eyes, the store would be beautiful.

He was going to put her on the path of assistant manager. With Christmas.

The irony wasn’t lost on her.

She turned to him. “This is amazing.”

He took the notebook with a smile. “It’s going to be amazing when I get it set up.”

She brushed her hand over his shoulder. “Let me just brush a little of that confidence off you, Ben.”

He rolled onto his knees. “You want this store to be the best. I’m the best.”

“What did I say about that confidence?”

“I’ve been working on this for years. Now I get to implement it on a grand scale. I’m going to make this so good you’ll be able to feel Christmas right into your bones. And you’re going to love it.”

“It’s just lights.” But she wasn’t so certain anymore. The pure determination in his eyes was contagious. She straightened her shoulders, not willing to back down. “You’re going to make my career, Ben.”

A little of the cocky swagger faded as he changed course and slid out the back of the tree. “I hope I change your mind about Christmas at the same time.”

She followed him. The moment was lost. Because of her. But this was about business and she had to remember that. “What do I need to do?”

“I’ll head back up the ladder. Why don’t you work on the bottom branches? I’ve got it sectioned off into four.” He handed her the notebook and climbed the ladder with an armful of the retro lights.

She’d been doing grids for displays for years. This would be easy. She hoped.

She pushed back her sleeves and wished for a t-shirt like Ben. Of course the entire store was clothes. It wouldn’t hurt her budget too much to buy a t-shirt. “Let me just run and get something I can move in.”

Hurrying through the store to the women’s department, she snagged a shirt and, on impulse, her favorite brand of jeans. She needed a new pair anyway. After checking out and a quick change she headed back to the front end. Jaime met her at the jewelry counter.

“Look at you. All sexy and sassy.”

Darcy frowned. “Jeans and a t-shirt is sexy and sassy?”

“They are when you have legs like that. How is it that you have legs up to your ears anyway?”

“Don’t pout, you get to be tiny and dainty. I’m the Amazon.”

“Yeah, well Wonder Woman was an amazon and that worked out for her.”

She pulled her ponytail over her shoulder and smoothed the pin-straight strands. “Yeah, that’s me.” Nine hours of work left her hair limp and lifeless. No matter what product she put in it, it still ended up lying like a limp dishrag by the end of her shift. And she still had another six to eight hours to go.

“You are, mija. It’s going to be a long day. Are you sure you’re going to be okay with him after closing. All alone?”

“Yes. I’m not worried about that.”

Jaime’s eyebrow lifted. “Oh?”

“He’s perfectly safe.”

“Safe enough for stubble burn and lips that look like they were chewed on?”

“Jaime,” she said with a groan.

“What? I know the look of a woman well loved. Just be careful, love. That boy has the kind of grin that will make a woman forget how to keep her panties on.”

“I thought you wanted me to live a little? Didn’t you just tell me to enjoy him a few hours ago?”

“I did. I’m sort of shocked that you actually took my advice.”

She was too. But nothing about the last day and a half had been normal. Ben was right, it felt good to be a little bad. When had she ever kissed a man impulsively? Heck, she usually had to go out with someone at least a few times before she even entertained the idea of a kiss, let alone crawled in a man’s lap.

“I’ve been with men like him. Fun is what you need.”

Darcy could feel her face flaming. “I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

“I want you to do something stupid. Something fun and stupid with lots of orgasms,” Jaime said on a whisper. “But I also know how overwhelming a sexy guy can be. My Michael got me into tons of trouble.”

“Ben’s…” Well, she had certainly taken a chance kissing the stuffing out of him under the tree, but that was it. She wouldn’t be careless. She didn’t know how to be careless. “Ben’s here to do a job.”

“He’s going to do a job on you. Enjoy it and I want details.”

Darcy sighed. “I’ve got to get back.”

“Go.”

She quickened her step, faltering when she caught sight of him on the ladder, his upper half buried in the tree. She could do this. He was just a guy. Even if he was a guy who loved Christmas.