Cole's Christmas Wish (14 page)

Huh. Sounded plausible to Rachel, anyway.

“Okay, yeah. I see what you’re getting at.” Haley flipped her
hair forward, started twirling a chunk of it with her finger. Aha! “Um, yes.
We’ve known her for...well, forever.”

“Hmm,” Rachel murmured, as if absorbing the information.
“That’s good to know. What about her career? Does she work in the tourist
industry here in Steamboat?” And then, before Haley could put up a fuss, said,
“What careers we choose also speak to who we are.”

“She’s...ah...sort of in between jobs at the moment.”

“A lot of folks are out of work these days,” Rachel said in a
compassionate tone. “What did she do before she was ‘in between jobs’?”

More twirling. Haley swallowed and shrugged. “She’s done a lot
of different things. I really can’t remember every job she’s ever had.”

“Nothing at all?”

“No. Nothing at all.” If she wrapped that lock of hair any
tighter around her finger, she’d soon have a bald spot. “Sorry.”

Rachel groaned again, louder than before, all for Haley’s
benefit. “Well, gee. I don’t know what to do, then. Poor Mary. I really hope she
likes clean carpets.”

“Don’t let him buy the vacuum cleaner,” Haley said, sounding
more like herself. Returning her gaze to Rachel, finally, she laughed.
“Seriously, I wouldn’t worry about this. You’re a woman. You know what women
consider romantic. Go with your gut, Rachel.”

“I think that’s the best advice I’ve had all day,” Rachel said
with a huge smile. She’d had a few other questions but was afraid to push her
luck. Besides which, supposing Dylan’s assessment about Haley and her tells were
correct, Rachel had enough.
More
than enough.
“You’re absolutely right. I’ll just...trust my instincts.”

“So, no more questions?” Haley asked with a relieved ring in
her voice. “We’re done?”

“Nope, no more. And yes, we’re done.” Crossing her fingers over
her heart, she said, “Don’t stress about any of this, I won’t say a word to
Cole. Promise.”

“Cool. I won’t, either.”

They talked for another fifteen minutes, steering clear of the
subject of Cole and Mary, focusing instead on normal girl chat. Rachel truly did
adore Haley, and she enjoyed the time she spent with her but was equally as
anxious to put the next part of her plan in motion.

When Rachel left, she was caught somewhere in the middle of
shock, happiness and irritation. The happy would rule out, eventually, but not
until she gave Cole a little of what he’d given her. He wanted to play games,
did he? Well, she had a few moves of her own. Moves, she was sure, he wouldn’t
see coming. Moves that would knock the breath from his lungs.

She’d have him begging for mercy soon enough, just like
yesterday with the snowball fight. This time, though, the game wouldn’t end with
snow being tossed in her face. This time, she’d get that kiss...and if she—
they
—were very lucky, a whole hell of a lot more.

But all of that started with teaching Mr. Cole Foster a lesson
he’d never forget.

Chapter Nine

C
ole had had about enough of the crowds,
the overly warm stores, the way-too-eager salespeople and the nonstop noise of
holiday music. Not to mention how damn long it had taken them to find a parking
space. Without a doubt, he disliked everything about large, enclosed spaces,
which made being at the mall almost unbearable.

Rachel had insisted, though, stating they’d already
visited every other store in Steamboat Springs, so it was beyond time to expand
their options. He’d reluctantly agreed. Now, he wished he hadn’t. Mostly due to
the establishment they now stood in.

“I’m not sure this is the way to go,” Cole said, fingering the
silky red negligee she’d thrust into his hands. “Don’t women hate gifts like
this? I mean, won’t she view this as more for my benefit than hers?”

“Only if you’re the typical lughead, which you’re not.”
Reclaiming the negligee, Rachel swung the garment in front of her as if it were
a pendulum. “Imagine Mary wearing this, Cole. You said she was gorgeous, right?
How would she look in this?”

He swallowed, hard, and tried to do exactly the opposite.
Visualizing Rachel in that bit of fabric would not be a good idea. Especially in
public. “She’d be...irresistible.”

“Good.” Rachel nodded, as if pleased with his description.
“Now, consider how you would feel seeing her in this, and then consider all the
different methods you could use to make
her
feel
incredible. If you make this negligee all about her, and the pleasure you can
give her, then trust me, she’ll be a very happy and satisfied woman.”

Cole tugged at the collar of his shirt, which had inexplicably
seemed to tighten the longer Rachel talked. Beads of perspiration dotted his
forehead and the back of his neck, adding to his distress. “It’s a little hot in
here, isn’t it?”

“Is it? I hadn’t noticed.” Smiling indulgently, she plastered
the negligee tight against her body. “Maybe I should slip into the dressing room
and try this on. Give you an actual picture to work with, rather than guessing
how the negligee looks on a woman’s shape. Would that help?”

“No!” he all but yelled. Several shoppers turned to stare. He
ignored them and worked to regain control of his libido. “That isn’t necessary.
I...I get what you’re saying. Even so,” he said in a voice as strained as his
jeans were becoming, “I’d rather go in a different direction.”

Disappointment flickered over her features. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” He loosened his knees and bent them slightly, not enough
to call notice to the action, but enough to alleviate his discomfort. An
unsuccessful attempt, as it turned out. Where the hell was a cold shower when a
man needed one? “I’m absolutely positive.”

“I suppose you know what’s best.” She went to put the blasted
negligee back where she’d gotten it from, stopped and faced him again.
“Actually,” she said slowly, with a downright wicked gleam darkening her eyes,
“I
am
going to try this on.”

“No, Rach,” he repeated. “There isn’t any reason to, since I’m
not buying it. Mary wouldn’t...I...” He gulped for air, unable to conceive of
anything coherent to say. “Don’t.”

“Oh, not on your account, silly. For me.” Her smile brightened
and her lashes fluttered into a sleepy sort of blink. “For the man in my life.
If I like how this looks on me, that is.” She held the silky negligee against
her body again. “If
you
were that man, and I walked
down the stairs wearing this, with a few Christmas bows placed in strategic
positions, would you consider—”

“I’ll buy the negligee!” Cole interrupted her, fast, before she
could continue on with that tormenting train of thought. God help him, but the
idea of Andrew seeing the woman he loved in that slinky, sexy, revealing get-up
had sent a stabbing pain directly between his eyes.

Nope. No way, no how was she buying that with Andrew in mind
when Cole was with her. Not if he could stop her.

“I thought you said you wanted to go in a different
direction?”

“I did, but now that I’ve had a moment to reconsider, I think
you’re right on the money.” He snatched the red lingerie from Rachel’s grip. A
tremor of relief rolled down his backbone. “Let me just buy this and we’ll get
out of here.”

Tipping her head, she stared at him for a second. Probably
wondering what had gotten into him. “Not so fast, buddy,” she said. “I still
want to browse, see if I can find something else. I’ll do that while you’re
waiting in line.”

Great. Knowing his recent luck, she’d lock on to an even more
revealing slip of silk and insist on trying the darn thing on.

Desperation crept through him. He had to get them out of here.
As fast as possible. Before...well, before he listened to his sister and
resorted to kidnapping.

“Actually, I’d rather we move on as soon as I buy this,” he
said, thinking on his feet. “We have a few more items to get, and remember,
we’re supposed to be finishing
my
shopping.”

“Right.” She huffed out an irritated breath. “Okay, then, since
you’re in such a hurry, I’ll wait out front.” She gave a last, lingering glance
at the selection of lingerie nearest her. “Maybe if we hurry this along, we can
come back later.”

With a threat like that, he’d go out of his way to ascertain
they did not hurry anything along. What he said, though, was, “Sure. No problem.
Whatever you want.”

His answer seemed to mollify her, thank goodness. She came to
him, stood on her tiptoes and gave him a sweet, small kiss on his cheek. It was
disgustingly chaste.

“Thank you, Cole. I want this Christmas to be something truly
special for my man.” Then, with a toss of her long, blond,
silkier-than-the-negligee hair over her shoulders, she raised her lips to his
ear and whispered, “And hot. As hot and delicious as I can make it.”

She retreated an inch or so, winked and strutted—yes, strutted
was the appropriate term—toward the front of the store, her hips sashaying back
and forth. Hot, she’d said. And delicious. What did that even mean?

Dammit. After yesterday, he’d almost believed his plan was
succeeding. Now, he had to wonder if he’d been fooling himself. Or had something
changed?

He stepped forward as the line moved, lost in thought. Perhaps
all of this, every last bit of it, was indeed a massive mistake, just as Reid
had said. While Cole pretended to be in love with someone else, Rachel might
very well be falling in love with Andrew.

Due to the charade?
In spite
of?

Cole shook his head, frustrated. Should he consider bowing out?
The deception, which had started off harmlessly enough, was already becoming an
unmanageable beast. Every single time Rachel asked a question about “Mary,” he
had to lie outright, evade the question or find a creatively honest answer.
Which, he admitted, was pretty much the same as a lie.

He didn’t like lying in general. He despised lying to
Rachel.

On the other side of the dilemma, he wasn’t ready to give up,
even if he
should
. Though, if Rachel actually said
the words “I love Andrew,” that would be a different matter entirely.

The stabbing sensation relocated to his heart. Yup, kidnapping
Rachel and whisking her somewhere—anywhere—far, far away was becoming more
appealing by the second.

When Cole reached the front of the line, he handed the negligee
to the cashier and waited while she rung it up. He pushed his credit card
through the digital reader, declined the offered gift wrapping and finally,
followed in Rachel’s footsteps.

Soon, he promised himself, he’d delve into the conversation
they needed to have. He should have yesterday, had planned to, but they’d had
such a great day—natural and fun, the way they used to be together—that he
hadn’t wanted to end something so positive on a sour note.

Or maybe he was just afraid.

About three feet from exiting the store, a saleswoman tapped
him on his arm. Thinking he’d forgotten his wallet at the counter, he reached
for his back pocket as he stopped. “Yes?”

“Excuse me, but is your name Cole?” she asked.

“Yeah.” His wallet was safe and sound, right where it should
be. “That’s me.”

“Your friend asked me to get you.” She nodded toward the rear
of the store. “She found something she would like your opinion on.”

“Lovely,” he muttered, heading in that direction. Cole felt
pretty dang sure that whatever Rachel wanted to show him in this store, he’d
rather not see. Not with the words
hot
and
delicious
attached to Andrew scorched in his
brain.

But he couldn’t very well leave her here, now could he?

Sighing, Cole weaved his way around other shoppers—mostly men
appearing as confused and out of place as he felt—and kept an eye out for
Rachel’s blond hair and the holly-green sweater she was wearing.

He saw neither.

When he could go no farther, he located an empty section of
wall and leaned against it to wait. She’d find him, he knew, when she was good
and ready. Until then, he’d try to ignore the thongs, panties, bras and various
other unmentionables cluttering the space around him.

Every one of them put a picture of a half-naked Rachel in his
head. Pleasurable, yes. Desirable, exceptionally so. Images he’d likely think of
later, when he was alone at home.

But not here. Not when he had to keep his wits about him.

“Cole,” Rachel called in a low voice from somewhere to his
left. “Where are you?”

He jerked his head to the left, didn’t see her. “I’m standing
amidst a sea of women’s under...things, exactly where the saleswoman directed
me,” he said somewhat sheepishly, feeling about as foolish as he ever had.
“Where are
you?
”

“Over here,” she said. “At the dressing rooms.”

Oh, crap. Along the left-side wall, on the other side of the
shelves and shelves of panties he stood by, were five individual
dressing...stalls, Cole guessed they’d be called, and yep, there was Rachel’s
blond-haired head peeking out from one of them.

“You want me to come there? I don’t know, Rach—”

“Just get over here already, will you? Geez.”

People were staring again, looking from her to him, most of
whom had amused expressions decorating their faces. Yeah. This was fun.

Cole hesitated, caught between two impenetrable barriers. Hell,
yes, he wanted to see Rachel in whatever slinky bit of something she likely had
on. How could he not? But dammit, she’d all but said her plan was to seduce
Andrew for Christmas. With Christmas bows placed in strategic positions, no
less. Put the two together, and it was enough to drive a man insane.

Glowering, Cole pushed off the wall and started forward. He
could handle this. He’d dealt with far worse, hadn’t he? His accident, for one.
The surgeries and the seemingly endless rehab that followed. Painful and
miserable experiences that had altered Cole forever.

Right. Getting through the next few minutes couldn’t possibly
be more excruciating.

He stopped at the dressing room door, which was closed again,
inhaled a deep, fortifying breath and tapped lightly. Rachel opened the door and
yanked him inside before he knew what was happening. Hell, again. Was he even
allowed to be in here with her? Surely, store policy—

And then, he quit thinking altogether.

“What do you think?” she asked, turning in a circle. “Would
this set a man on fire?”

“Um.” He coughed, closed his eyes. Didn’t work. He could still
see her, the image burned into his brain for all eternity. “I...ah...probably
shouldn’t be in here.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” she said breezily.

“Still...this...um...” He mentally recited the alphabet. Yup,
all the letters were there. Apparently, he’d only lost the ability to use those
letters to form actual words. Backing up, he shoved his body against the door.
And kept his eyes shut. “Not a good idea,” he muttered.

“Why, Cole Foster, are you embarrassed?” A slow, sultry laugh
whispered through the air. She brushed his jaw with her fingers. “Don’t be
silly. You can’t give me your opinion if you don’t look. And I really, really
need your opinion.”

“You...ah...” God help him, if he opened his eyes, he was going
to do something he should not do. “Haley,” he croaked. “Call Haley. She...er,
loves clothes.”

“But you’re here now, and you’re my best friend.” Another
deep-throated laugh that sent his already out-of-control libido into another
hemisphere. “
Forever
friends, right?”

Cole swallowed, nodded. He was behaving like an idiot, he knew,
but didn’t see a way around that fact at this particular moment. Rachel was
involved with another man. The only available course of action was to make his
escape before he gave in to his baser instincts.

Reaching behind him, he located and twisted the doorknob,
cracked open the door and slithered to the side. He’d just...well, he’d wait
outside the store. By the time Rachel reappeared—spitting mad, probably—he’d
have regained his control.

Almost as soon as the thought had processed, a warm body—
Rachel’s
warm body—was pressed against his. He heard
her hands make contact with the door, heard the door click shut again. In a very
different circumstance, this could be every man’s fantasy coming true.

Not in this scenario, unfortunately.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” she said, her mouth at his ear, her breath
hot against his neck. “With all of the help I’ve given you, you can’t do this
one miniscule thing for me?”

“I... Andrew wouldn’t like it,” he said, though he couldn’t
care less about that. He needed an excuse and that seemed a rather good one. “He
has that jealous nature.”

“Andrew no longer has any issues with our friendship,” she
said, her mouth still dangerously close to his. “I told you that, remember?”