not before leaving him with instructions on packing up her equipment. Images of Talli stripping out of her elf suit to reveal naked skin filled his mind. He knew she wouldn’t be nude beneath her costume but Dean’s imagination tortured him with the idea anyway.
Talli always kept her equipment well organised and by the time she returned, he’d packed up the remaining cameras and the special light she’d made him hold during the Santa photos. She stood before him in baggy denim shorts and a loose T-shirt; neither showed off an inch of her lush body and yet he was still rocked by a jolt of lust. Her impact on his senses increased with every second that passed. He needed to dial it back a notch or she might work out what he was thinking before he was ready to make a move.
And he would be making one.
Dean stacked the boxes and lifted the pile.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Everything’s packed?”
He nodded. “All set.”
“Okay, let me find Em and tell her we’re heading out.”
“Last I saw her she was in a heated discussion with Santa and heading outside.”
“Thanks, give me a minute.” Talli walked over to the sliding doors leading to the outdoor play area and peered out. “I can’t see them anywhere.”
Dean shrugged. “That’s the way they went.”
Talli stepped through the doorway a few feet and turned in a full circle. Dean took the opportunity to study her. She was tall for a woman, her body long and lean, but with all the right curves. Her hair, a deep brown with hints of auburn, fell straight down her back from the red and green ribbon holding the long tail together at the base of her neck. Smooth tan skin disappeared beneath the collar of her T-shirt and Dean wondered if the sleek slope would feel as silky as it looked.
She turned and he quickly averted his gaze. He didn’t want to get busted ogling her. Not yet anyway. An idea began to form. Talli owed him dinner and he had to go via her place to pick up his spare keys, so he’d suggest they order pizza while he helped her put her gear away. He’d have her all to himself in the loft above her studio, the perfect place to put his plan into action. It wasn’t all that well thought out, but then with Talli you always needed to be ready to roll with whatever happened next. The woman had a knack for changing direction mid-stride.
Even after a lifetime of keeping up with Talli, Dean couldn’t ignore the niggle of fear currently tugging at his gut. Should he launch an all-out assault or take it slow, dropping subtle hints here and there until she made a move on him? Then again, Talli didn’t do subtle very well. Dean knew the guy who owned the coffee shop next door to her studio had been hinting about taking her out for months and, to his knowledge, she still hadn’t caught on.
“C’mon. What are you waiting for?”
He turned to find Talli had gathered up the rest of her gear and made it all the way to the door while he’d been contemplating his dilemma. “Sorry. I was thinking about that pepperoni pizza you’re going to order me for dinner.”
“What?”
“You said dinner was your shout,” Dean said.
“But I thought you said that wasn’t enough?” Talli led the way through the outer room.
Dean marveled at the clean space. The toy explosion from earlier was nowhere to be seen. “I said it would cost more than one dinner. Consider pizza a partial payment.”
Talli laughed. “Like a payment plan?”
“Sure, why not? Doesn’t matter what you call it, you still owe me big for today. Pizza can be the down payment.”
Talli was busy juggling bags and trying to unlock the safety gate, so he couldn’t read her expression when she replied, “You better not charge interest.”
“Here, let me get that,” Santa – minus his hat and beard – rushed over.
“Oh, thanks Wade. Have you seen Em?”
“Um…” Wade looked behind him. “She’s finishing up some last minute things. The centre is closed for the holidays after
Talli always kept her equipment well organised and by the time she returned, he’d packed up the remaining cameras and the special light she’d made him hold during the Santa photos. She stood before him in baggy denim shorts and a loose T-shirt; neither showed off an inch of her lush body and yet he was still rocked by a jolt of lust. Her impact on his senses increased with every second that passed. He needed to dial it back a notch or she might work out what he was thinking before he was ready to make a move.
And he would be making one.
Dean stacked the boxes and lifted the pile.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Everything’s packed?”
He nodded. “All set.”
“Okay, let me find Em and tell her we’re heading out.”
“Last I saw her she was in a heated discussion with Santa and heading outside.”
“Thanks, give me a minute.” Talli walked over to the sliding doors leading to the outdoor play area and peered out. “I can’t see them anywhere.”
Dean shrugged. “That’s the way they went.”
Talli stepped through the doorway a few feet and turned in a full circle. Dean took the opportunity to study her. She was tall for a woman, her body long and lean, but with all the right curves. Her hair, a deep brown with hints of auburn, fell straight down her back from the red and green ribbon holding the long tail together at the base of her neck. Smooth tan skin disappeared beneath the collar of her T-shirt and Dean wondered if the sleek slope would feel as silky as it looked.
She turned and he quickly averted his gaze. He didn’t want to get busted ogling her. Not yet anyway. An idea began to form. Talli owed him dinner and he had to go via her place to pick up his spare keys, so he’d suggest they order pizza while he helped her put her gear away. He’d have her all to himself in the loft above her studio, the perfect place to put his plan into action. It wasn’t all that well thought out, but then with Talli you always needed to be ready to roll with whatever happened next. The woman had a knack for changing direction mid-stride.
Even after a lifetime of keeping up with Talli, Dean couldn’t ignore the niggle of fear currently tugging at his gut. Should he launch an all-out assault or take it slow, dropping subtle hints here and there until she made a move on him? Then again, Talli didn’t do subtle very well. Dean knew the guy who owned the coffee shop next door to her studio had been hinting about taking her out for months and, to his knowledge, she still hadn’t caught on.
“C’mon. What are you waiting for?”
He turned to find Talli had gathered up the rest of her gear and made it all the way to the door while he’d been contemplating his dilemma. “Sorry. I was thinking about that pepperoni pizza you’re going to order me for dinner.”
“What?”
“You said dinner was your shout,” Dean said.
“But I thought you said that wasn’t enough?” Talli led the way through the outer room.
Dean marveled at the clean space. The toy explosion from earlier was nowhere to be seen. “I said it would cost more than one dinner. Consider pizza a partial payment.”
Talli laughed. “Like a payment plan?”
“Sure, why not? Doesn’t matter what you call it, you still owe me big for today. Pizza can be the down payment.”
Talli was busy juggling bags and trying to unlock the safety gate, so he couldn’t read her expression when she replied, “You better not charge interest.”
“Here, let me get that,” Santa – minus his hat and beard – rushed over.
“Oh, thanks Wade. Have you seen Em?”
“Um…” Wade looked behind him. “She’s finishing up some last minute things. The centre is closed for the holidays after
Similar Books
Miss Pymbroke's Rules
Rosemary Stevens
The Pumpkin Eater
Penelope Mortimer
Scar Night
Alan Campbell
Spider Bones
Kathy Reichs
Tall, Dark & Distant
Julie Fison
Shopping Showdown
Buffi BeCraft-Woodall
Everything, Everything
Nicola Yoon
Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism
Natasha Walter
Ultima
Stephen Baxter
The Hard Life
Flann O’Brien