Hot Toy (10 page)
Authors: Jennifer Crusie
“You got in the cab thinking you already had the codes, didn't you?” Trudy said. “Did the NSA tell you to do that?”
“No, they told me to stay put since they had the cab under control.”
“Why'd you get in?”
Nolan shrugged. “I wasn't that sure they had it under control.”
“You came along to protect me,” Trudy said.
“Yeah,” Nolan said. “But don't go giving me any medals because that turned out great for me. We ended up with everything we needed because I got in that cab. Following you around made me look like a genius to my boss.” He shook his head. “And now we have this year's codes. You're good for me, Gertrude.”
Trudy wrapped her arms around the Mac, feeling the crunch of its duct tape against her stomach. “You turned out pretty good for me, too, Nolan.”
He nodded and met her eyes for a long moment.
Kiss me,
she thought.
Then he said, “I have to go.”
“Of course,” Trudy said, deflating.
“But I would like to come back,” he said, as if he were choosing his words very carefully. “Can I have you, uh”âhe shook his headâ“see you later tonight?”
Under the Christmas tree with all the lights on.
“Yes,” Trudy said primly. “That would be very nice.”
Kiss me.
“Okay then.” Nolan looked at a loss for words. “About seven?”
“Seven is good,” Trudy said.
Kiss me.
“I'll see you at seven then,” Nolan said. “I really will, I promise.”
“I believe you,” Trudy said. “Thank you for the MacGuffin.”
Kiss me, you idiot.
“Uh, you're welcome. Thank you for the Chinese spy codes.” He turned to go.
“Wait,” Trudy said, and when he turned back she grabbed the lapel of his coat and pulled him down to her and kissed him good, and he dropped the Twinkletoes and pulled her close, squashing the Mac One between them.
“I'm crazy about you,” he whispered when he broke the kiss.
“I'm crazy about you, too,” she said, dizzy with happiness. “Hurry back.”
“I will,” he said fervently, and then he was gone, off into the snow, but he'd be back. He'd promised, and she believed him.
She closed the door and went back into the living room just in time to see Leroy squeeze the Mac Two so that green toxic waste shot across the room as Madonna sang “Santa Baby” on the radio and Courtney dipped a broken gingerbread arm into her gin.
“I love Christmas,” Trudy said, and went to join her family.
Brian Ach Photography, Inc.
Jennifer Crusie
was researching her dissertation on the differences in the way men and women tell stories when she got sidetracked into writing romance novels.
Her first book was published in 1993 (which pretty much finished off any hope of her getting that Ph.D.) and her twenty-second book,
Maybe This Time,
came out in August of 2010, all of which she considers a minor miracle, especially since she is also a
New York Times, USA Today,
and
Publishers Weekly
bestseller and a two-time Rita award winner. You can sign up for email updates
here
.
    
Also by
Jennifer Crusie
With Bob Mayer
With Anne Stuart and Lani Diane Rich
With Eileen Dreyer and Anne Stuart
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Contents
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novella is either a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
HOT TOY
. Copyright © 2006 by Argh Ink. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover design by Olga Grlic
Cover photograph © Mega Pixel / Mega Pixel
e-ISBN 9781250090416
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First Edition: October 2015