on her quest for perfection.
When Alex caught up to them, a full five minutes later, he’d managed to quell his physical reaction to their encounter, but couldn’t banish the sense of regret he felt. What might have happened if they’d been alone in the woods, without interruption? Would they have given in to their attraction, finally and fully? She’d wanted him to kiss her. He’d seen it in her eyes, in the way her mouth quivered slightly, in the soft clouds of frozen breath that betrayed her excitement. But how much longer could they both deny what was so blatantly obvious? They wanted each other, in the simplest, most primal way.
“Come on, Dad!” Eric called. “Holly found a tree she likes.”
She stood beside a balsam that resembled every other balsam she’d rejected, her hands clutched in front of her, her attention firmly on the tree. “This is the one,” she murmured, again refusing to look at him.
Alex circled the tree, knowing full well that she’d chosen the first thing she’d come upon. It was clear she’d do anything to escape his presence, including settling for a substandard tree. “What about this bare spot?” he asked.
“We can put it against the wall,” she said, her earlier enthusiasm diminished, her expression uneasy. “And that little one, over there, will be fine for the library. And the one over there for the family room. If you’ll just cut them down, we can be on our way.”
She was upset, but Alex wasn’t sure why. Could he have misread her reactions? Had he been so long without a woman that he couldn’t tell the difference between desire and distaste? He cursed inwardly, cursed his runaway urges and his unbidden reaction to them. “Eric, why don’t you take Miss Bennett back to the house. She looks a little…cold.”
That brought a response, narrowed eyes and cheeks stained red from more than just the frigid air. “I can find my way back on my own,” she said defensively.
“I’m sure you can. But I’d feel better if Eric showed you the way. He knows this land as well as I do.”
Alex watched them go, standing in the same spot until they disappeared behind a low rise in the landscape. Then with a soft groan, he sat down in the snow. Though he’d tried his best to resist her, there was no denying the truth. He wasn’t going to be satisfied until he kissed Holly Bennett, long and hard and deep. Maybe then, he’d be able to put this strange fascination behind him. That was the answer, then. At the next available opportunity, he’d pull her into his arms and kiss her. And finally, that would be the end of it.
Or maybe, it would just be a beginning.
4
THE FLAMES IN THE fireplace had ebbed to glowing embers by the time Holly finished decorating Eric’s tree in the family room. He’d grown bored with hanging ornaments and was now fast asleep on the sofa, his head nestled against Thurston’s stomach. Though Alex appeared to be absorbed in the newspaper, Holly felt his gaze on her every time she turned her back, making the hairs on her arms prickle and tingle.
How had things moved so quickly between them? Just three nights ago, she was standing on his front porch, a complete stranger, and now they were lusting after each other like love-starved teenagers. Though she’d tried to control her impulses in his presence, she always seemed to forget herself, to ignore the woman she was supposed to be.
Holly had never put much stock in passion. She and Stephan had shared a satisfying relationship in bed, but it had never been fireworks and angel choirs. But then, she’d never expected that, so how could she have known what she was missing?
Now she did. That little flutter that leaped in her stomach every time she looked at Alex. The ache she felt deep in her core every time he brushed against her. The look she saw in his eyes when he meant to kiss her. She’d come to crave them all.
Her head warned her to keep her relationship with Alex strictly business. But her heart said there was more than just business between them. After their tumble in the snow, she could think of nothing more than finishing what they’d started, giving in to the kiss that hadn’t happened. But where would a simple kiss lead? The only path Holly could see was the path to a broken heart and she was determined to avoid that route.
She placed the last ornament on the tree, then stepped back. Though she hadn’t been completely sold on the idea of a “bug” tree, she had to admit the nature theme worked well. They’d added bird ornaments to the lady-bugs and butterflies and bees, along with Eric’s dragonfly lights. Holly had found natural garland made of tiny pine-cones and dried wildflowers to emphasize the backyard garden theme. Though it wasn’t her most sophisticated tree, it had its charms. “What do you think?” she murmured, staring up at the birdhouse that topped the tree.
“Pardon?”
Holly tweaked one of Eric’s dragonfly lights, then turned around. “What do you think?”
Alex glanced down at Eric. “I think I’d better put this guy to bed.” He set his newspaper down, then reached out to slip his arm beneath his son. The little boy opened his eyes and yawned.
When he caught sight of the tree, ablaze with the twinkling dragonflies, he smiled sleepily. “Cool,” he murmured. He pushed up from the sofa and crossed the room. Wrapping his arms around Holly’s waist, he gave her a hug, warming Holly’s heart. “See you in the morning, Holly.”
She patted his head, then watched as he returned to his father’s side. They both walked out of the room, leaving her with a tiny smile on her lips. The love between father and son was so apparent, so assured that she felt the power of it just being near them. She’d shared the same security with her own father, the unfaltering bond between parent and child. Someday, she’d have that for herself, a child to love her unconditionally.
But when she conjured herself a family, the picture was no longer vague and unfocused. Eric was the child she pictured as her own. And Alex Marrin had taken over the role as fantasy father and perfect mate. Not that she wanted to marry him and have his children. But she wanted a father for her children who could love as deeply as he did.
Holly sighed softly, then began to gather the boxes and bags scattered around the floor. When she’d tidied the room, she walked over to the light switch and flipped the lights off. This was always her favorite moment, when the tree came to life in front of her eyes. She wasn’t sure how long she stared at the tree, enjoying the pungent odor of fresh pine and the soft light thrown across the ceiling.
“Beautiful.”
She turned to find Alex standing a few feet behind her. “You like it?”
“I wasn’t talking about the tree.”
Holly felt a blush warm her cheeks. How a simple compliment could disarm her! Especially when it came from Alex Marrin. “I think the bugs work.”
“Would you like a glass of wine?” Alex asked.
Holly nearly caught herself accepting his offer. “Now that I’ve finished here, I should get to work hanging the garland in the library. And I’ve got to plan for the—”
He took her arms and slowly turned her around. Without hesitation, he cupped her face between his hands and brought his lips softly down on hers. The kiss was so gentle, so unexpected, that Holly wasn’t sure what to do. No surge of indignation washed over her, no embarrassment or guilt. Just warm and wonderful pleasure.
His mouth lingered over hers for a long time, testing, tasting. Holly slid her palms up his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck, sinking against him. When he tried to pull back, she urged him not to stop, her fingers splayed across his nape. A soft moan rumbled low in his throat as the passion grew between them by degrees.
“I’ve been wanting to do this since that very first night,” he murmured, his breath soft against her cheek. He traced a line of kisses from her jaw to the notch at the base of her neck. “Tell me you wanted this, too.”
“I—I’m not sure,” Holly