Wrapped In Red: Mistletoe Mantra / White Hot Holiday. Sherelle Green

for speech.

      “It’ll be easier if you let me pick you up.”

      Right. “Oh.”

      Gently, he lifted her and set her next to him on the grass.

      Despite the cold of the grass and the whipping air, Nomi flushed. Not only did Lincoln Porter have the devil’s tempting smile but apparently, he had the power to turn her bones to liquid too.

      Just having him hold her on his lap was enough to make her brain conjure all sorts of interesting scenarios about him naked. Nomi cleared her throat in an attempt to dissipate the imagery. What was she supposed to say? “I couldn’t help noticing you were working with some serious equipment. Can I help you with that?” No.

      She wasn’t here looking for a fling. She was here for work. And Linc was doing her a favor. He didn’t want her, current erection notwithstanding. She had pretty much given the poor man a lap dance.

      Lucky for her, he took all the fumbling words out of her mouth and stood smoothly before extending a gloved hand to her. Swallowing hard, she placed her hand into his. When he spoke, his voice was low. “Tell me, Nomi, are you done with your adventures in B and E now?” He pulled her to her feet easily.

      “Yeah. It’s clear he’s not here. If he ever was to begin with.”

      He watched her with those intense eyes of his and she shifted on her feet under the weight of his scrutiny. “You giving up on me?”

      She lifted her chin. “Nope. There’s still the auction tomorrow night.”

      His smile was fleeting. “There’s the Nomi we all know and love. Come on, let’s head into town.”

      The drive back to town carried an undercurrent of tension. None from Linc’s side apparently, as he chatted with her about happenings in town.

      But she felt the tension. Every time he touched her. Every time he slanted a grin at her. It was damned inconvenient.

      After three more hours searching through the town and a false trail with his post office box, followed by coming up empty-handed with Jilly’s contact at the bank, she was losing hope. Her feet hurt. Her back hurt. And to make matters worse, she was still hyper aware of Linc.

      He pulled into the guesthouse entrance and she was surprised to find a car in the driveway. One she recognized. Her mother’s.

      She came out the back entrance before Linc had a chance to even park. Whistling low, he said, “You want me to stay with you?”

      Nomi shook her head. She couldn’t hide forever. Eventually she’d have to deal with her parents and now seemed as good a time as any. “No, I got it.”

      They both climbed out of his car and he headed straight for his room and she for her mother. Her mother’s no-nonsense stride hadn’t changed in the five years Nomi had been gone.

      “Nomi Adams, do you want to explain to me how you come to town and you don’t even tell your parents?”

      She sighed. “I’m sorry. This was supposed to be a really quick trip.”

      “Nomi,” her mother admonished.

      Nomi clenched her jaw. She hated that tone. Hated how it made her feel like a misbehaving teenager. Never mind that she’d called her mother weeks ago and had yet to get a call back. But she hadn’t come to fight, and no doubt Linc and his mother in the main house could hear them. “I’m sorry. I came for work. I should have come by the house. I didn’t think it through.”

      “That’s an understatement. Is that why you were hiding from me in the parking lot this morning?”

      Damn, she’d seen her. “I wasn’t hiding, exactly.” She sighed and opted for a little honesty. “I panicked. If I’d had my way I wouldn’t have even come back to Faith. And seeing you was sort of a shock to my system.”

      Her mother added more quietly, “When do you leave?”

      “I’m not sure actually. I still haven’t finished what I came to do.”

      “Why would you come stay with the Porters when you could have come home?”

      What? And have them on her case all the time about how she never came home and how they couldn’t possibly make it out to California for some reason or another? Her mother had spent her career following Senator Porter around, but now she claimed she didn’t like to travel. They’d only been to see her twice. “It’s a long story. The hotel was overbooked and Linc helped me out.”

      “You could have come home.” Her mother softened her voice. “Since you’re here and the holiday is only a few days away, you should come to dinner, see your father. Christmas Day?”

      “I...” The last thing she wanted to do was go home. But she didn’t want to do the same thing she accused them of. “If I’m still here, I’ll come.”

      Her mother squared her shoulders. “I know it hasn’t been easy. But we haven’t seen you in a year and you haven’t been home in ages. It will be good for all of us, don’t you think?”

      What she thought was that it might be torture. But there was no way out. Apparently, coming back to Faith also meant going home.

       Chapter 8

      The following night at the auction, after a fruitless day of searching, Nomi was tense. After last night’s showdown with her mother, it was bound to happen. But when she located the Polk piece for auction, all the tension rolled out of her body. Normally, she was down for a fancy party. The auction was just part of the itinerary for this event. But tonight, even the nicest champagne wasn’t making her any happier.