Christmas Eve by Flame Arden Read Free Book Online

right it frightened him. A man could quickly become accustomed to this.
    Just not him . He knew better than to risk it, but for the next few days he'd indulge himself.
    What harm could befall him if he kept his eyes open to all the pitfalls in his path?
    When he stepped into the kitchen, Nick realized the smell of over-simmered rum had replaced the enticing aroma of carefully prepared food, and wondered if his luck had run out.
    "Did it burn?" Eve asked, her own disappointment adding to his.
    He discovered the candle beneath the chaffing dish had long since sputtered out. "No, we're in luck. Looks like the candle burned out just before the contents scorched."
    "Oh, good. Do you have any more cherry juice?" Eve asked, surveying the ruin.
    "Will maraschino cherries do?" For some unexplained reason he was reluctant to admit he hadn't prepared the dessert. "Or more rum?"
    Eve laughed. Nick looked at her suspiciously, then grinned. She was not making fun of him, she was enjoying herself. To his startled amazement, he realized he was having a good time, too.
    Who would have believed it possible for two virtual strangers brought together by a telephone call to so readily become compatible? He shook his head.
    Maybe wonders did never cease. Until now he'd remained unconvinced, especially where women were concerned. But somehow, this tall, statuesque woman smiling at him through tears of laughter was writing a new chapter in his book.
    She thinned the sauce with a quarter cup of rum, and a new votive candle quickly brought the yummy looking concoction back to a simmering boil. While she stirred the thick sauce, Nick draped a barbeque apron around his neck over his loose, short robe.
    In his hurry to satisfy his hunger, he hadn't bothered to pull on pajama pants and noticed Eve admiring his muscular legs as he bent down to locate dessert plates in a lower cabinet.
    And heard her breath catch.
    He found what he sought and turned to set two ceramic bowls on the table. He carried the sauce to the chafing dish, slowly poured the brandy over the contents of the dish and lit a match.
    "Longer ago than I care to admit, I watched my grandfather do that," Eve said as the sauce flamed.
    Had he imagined the wash of longing in her voice?
    "At times like this, I sorely miss the dear man."
    Sensing a change in Eve's mood by her sudden silence while waiting for the flames to die, with hurried motions Nick scooped ice cream over the cherries he'd scooped into two bowls, then spooned on the thick sauce.
    "Come on," he said, glancing over his shoulder to make sure she followed, before leading the way back to the living room hearth.
    The robe she'd donned was much too large for her, he realized. It hung off her shoulders and dragged on the toes of her boots. Even so, Croupier began to throb. She looked like some sexy model on a lingerie photo shoot. As she walked, one shoulder seam slid down her arm, exposing the luscious crest of a plump breast.
    Nick stumbled. He'd tripped over his own feet and suddenly found himself unable to walk in a straight line, his unrelenting desire for Eve the cause. The fire in the main room had all but died. Only a few glowing embers remained. He set the bowls on the mantel, piled three split logs on the embers, then turned on the blower. New flames flared, and a comforting warmth began to fill the room.
    The two chairs they'd used earlier were still near the hearth, but he drew the chairs even closer together before inviting Eve to sit.
    Once seated, she gazed longingly up at the mantel. Grinning, he placed a deep dish in her hands. "Here you are. Enjoy."
    Before he took a seat, Nick selected one of the many Pete Fountain CD's in his collection of New Orleans Jazz. He put it into the CD player and started the disc before returning to the fire.
    As a clarinet played the lively bars of "When The Saints Go Marching In," Eve ate quickly, spooning up her ice cream in time to the scintillating rhythm. She kept time by tapping her