I'm Your Santa by Dianne Castell Read Free Book Online Page B

he’d ever had. But he wanted her so much, all the time, that sound thinking no longer factored in for him.
    Beth smiled, and then looked beyond him. “Ben brought everything here?”
    Levi glanced behind him at the stack of her once-gaily wrapped gifts. “Yeah. I can help you repair those tomorrow if you want.”
    â€œWhy?”
    He turned back to her. “Because you dropped them on account of me. Running away from me.”
    Her smile slipped. “I wasn’t running.”
    Looked like running to him, but he didn’t want to antagonize her. “Okay.” Levi soaked in the sight of her, then caught himself. “Sorry.” He held the door wider. “Come on in.”
    She did. Cautiously.
    â€œWe’ve got two beds, like you requested.” The suite came with a queen-sized bed, but Ben had also delivered a rollaway. “I’ll use the crappy one.”
    Beth frowned at the lumpy, bent-in-the-middle cot. “You’d barely fit. I’ll use it.”
    â€œNo, I—”
    â€œDon’t be noble, Levi, okay? I really don’t mind, and I really will fit better.” She eyed him head to toe and back again. “You’re what? Over six feet, right?”
    That look put him back on his heels. In a low voice, he said, “Six-two.”
    â€œThere, you see?” She nodded. “A good eight inches taller than me. And heavier.”
    Why this conversation made him hot, Levi didn’t know. But maybe just the comparison of her small female frame to his larger, stronger body was enough to remind him how well they fit together. “By at least seventy pounds.”
    As if that proved her point beyond argument, Beth said, “So I’ll use the rollaway and you can have the queen, and we’ll both be comfortable.”
    Baloney. He’d be miserable all night and he knew it.
    Beth waited for his agreement. “Okay?”
    â€œFine.” Since they wouldn’t be sharing one, he didn’t want to argue about the beds. “Are you hungry? Ben was nice enough to bring us up some stuff from the kitchen. I put it in the little fridge.”
    â€œBen is my hero. I’m starved.” She headed for the kitchenette. “What do we have?”
    â€œI’m not sure. It was all in containers.” And he’d been too anxious to see her to worry about food. Levi followed her. “It smelled good.”
    â€œWell whatever it is, it’s sure to be good. Ben’s cook is the best.” In short order, Beth emptied the fridge of the containers and opened them all on the miniscule counter. “Mmmm,” she purred, peeking into the first container. “Chicken salad, my favorite.” She also found croissants, pickles, fruit, and slabs of chocolate cake smothered in icing. “ Manna from heaven.”
    Watching her made Levi hungry—just not for food. Beth wasn’t a big woman by any stretch, but he’d never seen her fuss about her weight or struggle with a diet as most women seemed prone to do. “I have some paper plates here. Do we have anything to drink?”
    â€œThere’s a cola machine around the corner.” Assuming he’d go, she said, “I’ll take a Coke.”
    â€œYou’ll owe me fifty cents.”
    Busy loading the croissants with the chicken salad, Beth laughed. “I’d rather owe you than cheat you out of it.” She winked at him. “While you’re gone, I’ll put on coffee to drink with our cake.”
    Fifteen minutes later, Beth slumped back in her seat with a hearty sigh. “Delicious. I’m stuffed.”
    â€œYou were right.” Levi finished off his coffee. “Ben’s cook is incredible.”
    â€œI’ll tell Horace you said so.”
    Levi studied her relaxed pose. “It’s nice seeing you like this for a change.”
    She immediately stiffened. “What do you mean?”
    â€œEver since last