2. Dalton
Chapter Two
DALTON
Candy’s voice is soft as she looks up at me. “I’m working here until Christmas.”
I bend over and pick up another reindeer. My dick is still rock hard from that brief contact with her. Fuck, she smells good. Like apple candy and vanilla mixed with musk. I want to bury my nose in her neck for another sniff. Pick her up and cradle her voluptuous body against mine again.
Instead, I press another reindeer’s nose. I squeeze it a little too hard and the damn thing comes off in my hand.
Candy’s eyes crinkle at the corner as she giggles again. Against the background of squeaky reindeer singing, it sounds glorious. Her laugh always did something to me. It’s like I’m cold, and suddenly I’m in front of a warm fire, heat flooding deep into my bones.
My lips quirk upwards, but I draw them back down into a frown. This girl, no matter how gorgeous she is, is strictly off-limits. Jax would be spitting feathers if he knew what I thought about his sister. But I can’t resist appreciating her curvy thighs in those tight pants. Checking how her light-up Christmas sweater cups her full tits and admiring the sweet, sensual curve of her pink lips.
My best friend’s sister’s always been it for me. My ultimate, unattainable fantasy. It doesn’t help that she dresses like a vintage pin-up girl. Not that a girl like her would look twice at an out-of-shape lug like me.
“These reindeer are really terrible, aren’t they?” She bends over to pick one up as I try not to gawk at her ass.
“Your Dad got a whole crate of them cheap. I can see why.”
“Yeah–Rudy, give it back!” She chases after the dog, who’s running out of the door with a reindeer wedged in his mouth. She catches him and, after a little wrangling, manages to extract the reindeer.
“I see your parents still haven’t agreed to take him to dog training.” I turn off the last of the reindeer.
She rolls her eyes. “Mom thinks he’ll grow out of it. She still reckons Rudy’s a puppy. Grandma’s been trying to convince her for months, but Mom’s not paying attention. Rudy’s like the king of the house. It’s chaos.”
I crouch down, holding my hands out. The big, fluffy white dog runs up to sniff them. He lets me pet him before wriggling away to squeeze under a table piled with nutcrackers.
“How come you’re back here working at the store?” I ask.
Candy’s face falls. “You know. Life.”
I shake my head. “Life, how?”
Maybe I’m being too curious, but there’s a sadness in her eyes that wasn’t there the last time I saw her. The date is emblazoned in my memory. New Year’s Eve, two years ago. She wore a red sequined dress with a low-cut neckline that still haunts my dreams.
“I’m not working with the troupe any more. So I have to make money to buy Christmas presents somehow.”
“Sorry to hear that. Have you got another gig lined up?” I’m surprised.
The last I heard from Jax, Candy was performing in the city with her fiancé. The idea of another guy with his hands on her makes the back of my neck prickle. I check her hand. No ring. What asshole would mess things up with a girl like her?
“Nope. Do you mind if we talk about something else? I need to get some of this cleaned up before Mom gets back. What do they call it?”
“Damage limitation?”
“That’s it.”
“Let me grab the dustpan and broom.” I walk carefully around her and into the room behind the counter. My throat is dry, my chest is tight. Candy’s always had a strange effect on me. Like I’m pumped with adrenaline, horny as hell, and utterly content all at the same time.
She peers up at me when I walk back. “How come you’re doing stuff at Twinkle Town? I thought you loved it at the firehouse?”
My back stiffens. “I’m taking a break. I guess Jax didn’t mention–”
“Are you talking about me?” Jax strides into the store carrying a big box. “Buddy, can you help me get these inside? It’s snowing again, and I don’t want the boxes to get wet.”
I finish sweeping the broken ornaments and hand Candy the broom. Our fingers brush and a tingle of electricity runs up my finger, then down my spine to my dick. She blinks a couple of times, her dark blue eyes wide as she turns away.
That time Candy drank spiked punch at a holiday party when she was a senior, then tried to kiss me flashes into my brain. I walked her home, half-carrying her, then went back to the party and raised hell with the asshole who spiked the punch.
When I’m out at the truck, Jax hands me a box. “Thanks, dude. I know this isn’t quite in your remit, but I don’t want Dad trying to carry these in.”
“It’s fine. Your sister doesn’t know about…about the fire?” I shift my weight as Jax loads another box on top of the first.
He shakes his head. “No, last year we were all so preoccupied when Grandma hurt her ankle. Then Candy left to go back to the city. I can tell her if you like?”
“It’s fine. She doesn’t need to know, I guess. Maybe say something if she asks.”
“You give any more thought to coming back to the firehouse? Chief Brock is short on volunteers. He mentioned your name more than once.”
“Not really. Got a lot to do for the holidays.” I walk back up the snowy sidewalk to the store. I always shut this kind of conversation down. Even with Jax. No use going over the past and all those bad memories.
Jax follows me. “Well, we’re all glad you’re dealing with the electronics here. Those orders for outdoor lights and displays keep increasing every year. Dad can’t keep up with the repairs.”
I shrug as I duck my head to go inside. “No problem.”
Candy’s not at the counter when we walk back into the store. I navigate the shelves and tables piled with decorations, carrying the box down the stairs to the basement storeroom. Rudy stands at the top and howls as Jaxon walks behind me.
“Don’t worry, Dalton. Your secret’s safe with me.”
My back stiffens. Has Jax clocked the way I’ve been eyeing his sister?
“And that is?” I keep my tone casual.
“You like all of this. Christmas . Twinkle Town. The whole grumpy Scrooge thing doesn’t fool me, I know you too well. You’re a fan of the holidays.” He raises an eyebrow at me as we set the boxes down.
“And you worked this out how, Sherlock?” I cross my arms.
“Those Christmas sweaters you say your sister forces you to wear–”
“I wear them for my nephew. You know how he feels about Christmas.”
“Yes, I get it. But the secret you’re hiding is that you like it too.”
“I hate to ruin your supposition, Jaxon, but you’re wrong.” I walk back up the stairs as they creak under my weight.
“ Supposition ? Don’t throw those big words around at me, dude. You used to do that at school. It’s a distraction technique.”
“I’ll come back tomorrow when your Dad’s here. I need to pick Charlie up from school, Heidi’s working today.”
He rolls his eyes. “I’m gonna prove it. You like Christmas.”
As I walk to the door, Candy emerges from the back. She waves as I leave. I get that overpowering urge to run back in, scoop her up, and then carry her off. I allow myself one more look at her beautiful face and raise my hand in return. I duck just in time to stop my head from hitting the door frame.
Charlie is waiting for me as I trudge through the deepening snow to his school.
“Do you think we’ll have a snow day tomorrow, Uncle Dalton?”
“I don’t know, buddy. What do you think?”
“I hope so. School sucks.”
I laugh. “Don’t let your Mom hear you say that. I thought you liked school.”
“It’s complicated.” His small face is serious. “Did you get the pine trees?”
“I sure did. And I ordered some new lights. And some of that peppermint cocoa you like.”
Charlie smiles. “That’s the best news I’ve had all day! Let’s see if we can get everything set up before Mom arrives to pick me up.”
Back at my house, Charlie clutches his cocoa in one hand as he carefully sets up the snow-dusted trees around the train track. My sister Heidi thinks I spoil my nephew by letting him have his Christmas train set up all year round, but what else would I do with all the extra space in my basement?
And as much as I told Jax he was wrong, he was one hundred percent correct. I secretly like Christmas.
Almost as much as I like his disturbingly gorgeous sister.