The thing about hosting a family Christmas was it was your responsibility to make sure your guests had a good time on the big day. So far, Joe thought he’d been doing a bang-up job.

He’d managed a smile and “Merry Christmas” when Kerry had banged on their door at six thirty in the morning wanting to open presents like an overexcited three-year-old. He’d bitten his tongue after Aaron had volunteered the two of them to help lay down the Komekes’ hangi. He’d kept the conversation jovial while making the four of them a traditional Irish breakfast, even though Mac still refused to eat black pudding. And he’d even joined in a game of cricket on the beach that afternoon since the wind had dropped overnight and gifted the islanders with a grand summer’s day.

But here at the community hall, with MacKenna wearing a new off-the-shoulder white dress with the jade pendant he’d got her for Christmas emphasizing what a bloody fine rack she had, being responsible for Aaron and Kerry’s good time had become harder and harder. As had he…

Joe shifted again on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs set out in the hall, grateful for the white tablecloth covering his discomfort. Mac sat beside him, her hand resting on his thigh, but half turned away from him as she was deep in conversation with his sister.

Keeping his gaze well away from the tempting swell of Mac’s breasts—one of many height advantages of having a petite fiancée—Joe scanned the room to see where his brother-in-law had ended up. Aaron had been accepted into the Komekes’ whānau as if he were just another extended family member. The twins and Rob had started ragging on him as if he were, so Joe wasn’t surprised to see him, Harley, and Carter clustered in the far corner of the hall by a portable baby pen.

From inside the pen came a sharp little yip—one of West’s and Piper’s puppies must’ve woken from their nap. West, the big softie, couldn’t bear to leave them at home alone all day, and so had set up a temporary puppy day care in the hall. A day care that had proved very popular with kids and adults alike.

God bless Dallas’s and Moe’s cuteness factor. He craned around MacKenna to catch Kerry’s eye.

“The puppies are awake. You’d better go now if you want a cuddle before the line gets too long.”

“Oooh.” Kerry’s eyes lit up. “You want to come, too, Mac?”

Before Mac could ruin his sudden inspiring plan, he leaned toward her so her hand slid up his thigh and bumped into his groin. Her head whipped around and he grinned at her.

“Um,” she said. “I’m allergic to dogs.”

“Is that right?” The corner of Kerry’s mouth twitched up. “Developed suddenly since I last saw you lovin’ up on our neighbor’s retrievers when you were visiting a while back?”

“Sudden onset allergies,” Joe said straight-faced, stilling Mac’s hand which had gotten all sorts of ideas and started to wander. “If not treated immediately the consequences tend to be dire.”

Kerry’s smile was knife sharp but full of affection. “You’d better slip out the back and check Mac hasn’t broken out in hives someplace most uncomfortable.”

He tugged the tails of his button-down shirt out of his pants and let them drape over his groin. He stood, pressed a quick kiss to Kerry’s forehead with a muttered, “Owe you one,” and tugged Mac to her feet. She giggled and linked their hands. For a woman wearing a dangerously high pair of heels, she plowed a rapid path through the locals to the end of the hall.

“I know just where I can check you for hives.” Joe led her down the short corridor leading to the janitor’s room.

They reached the storeroom door and Joe couldn’t wait any longer—he spun Mac around and pinned her lush body to the wall, each and every one of her curves playing havoc with his restraint. Cupping her face in his palms, he bent and took her mouth. To hell with the pretty red lipstick she’d only just applied after dinner, because every time he’d glanced at his fiancée’s mouth he’d imagined those cherry red lips around his…

Joe groaned, freeing a hand from her face and fumbling with the storeroom’s door handle. Which wouldn’t turn. At all.

He broke the kiss with a sound closer to a sob than a growl, and glared at the metal handle—as if sheer will alone would unlock it. Stupid eejit. Of course the janitor’s room would be locked when there were children roaming around who could accidentally gain access to the chemicals and cleaning products inside.

Mac looked at him with hooded eyes and a slightly puffy mouth from his kisses. His damn cock nearly stormed the door like a battering ram.

Shite!

His mind scrambled to clear itself of about to get lucky hormone overload so he could formulate a way to hunt down someone with access to the community hall’s office where the janitor’s key was kept.

High-pitched barking, laughter, shouting, and the screech of chair legs dragged on the wooden floor erupted from the hall behind them.

“What the hell?” Mac said.

She pushed against his chest to back him up a step so she could see around him, craning forward just as two puppies shot through the main hall door—the one Mac and Joe obviously hadn’t shut properly after they’d left. The pups’ paws skidded on the floor, one of them spectacularly face-planting and sliding sideways as he or she struggled to continue with their escape plan. A second later the hall’s double doors blasted wide open. Zoe and Jade were the first into the foyer, followed closely by Carter and Harley, with Aaron and a cluster of other locals bringing up the rear guard.

Before Joe could drag Mac out of the side doors and away from the chaos, the puppies’ beady little eyes spotted them frozen at the end of the corridor. With excited yips, the two dogs made a beeline for them.

“I’ll get the ringleader. You grab the chubby one.” Mac ducked under his arm and assumed a stance similar to a rugby player about to enter a scrum.

“They’re both bloody chubby,” Joe said, but lunged at the nearest Houdini pup and snatched up the wriggling, licking ball of fur.

Quickly surrounded by cooing and laughing locals, Joe couldn’t do anything but good-naturedly smile and accept the approval for saving Christmas by recapturing the runaways. Harley and Aaron claimed a pup each, with Aaron giving Joe and Mac’s dishevelment an amused side-eye.

The corridor emptied out as the call for dessert came over the hall’s sound system.

“Not got a sweet tooth, Doc?”

Joe’s gaze zipped to Kip who still remained in the corridor, leaning against the wall with a knowing smirk on his face. Joe grunted a noncommittal reply, since all his brainpower had been used up fielding the hundred and one questions from Zoe about puppy anatomy and behaviour in the past two minutes.

“Maybe instead of dessert you’d prefer this?” Kip unfolded his crossed arms and dangled a key chain from his finger. The key chain containing the key to the janitor’s room. Joe’s heartbeat tripled. “How did you…”

Kip’s smirk transformed to an ear-to-ear smile. “I’ve some experience with the janitor’s room around this time of year, and when I saw you two sneaking away…” He pulled a face and shrugged.

Mac threw herself at Kip and snatched the key chain from him. Joe almost expected his fiancée to scale the big bartender to plant one on him in desperate appreciation. Of course, Joe would’ve had to beat his friend senseless…then again, he was tempted to lay a big and juicy one on Kip himself.

“You’re a fine, upstanding man,” Joe said as Mac shoved the key into the storeroom door. “And I’ll raise a glass with you later—much later.”

Kip chuckled. “Do I win the best wingman of the year award?”

Mac got the door unlocked and threw it open. She stepped inside and out of Kip’s line of sight, and tugged the dress farther down one slender shoulder to expose more of her creamy cleavage.

“You do,” Joe said. “Now in the nicest possible way, piss off, mate. I’m about to unwrap the best Christmas present ever.”