Harlequin Holiday Collection - Four Classic Seasonal Novellas

her body pressing against his, Zach had almost been able to forget they weren’t alone. His cock certainly had. His brain, however, kicked back into gear, noting the way Holly provided a visible barrier between his tented pants and the others in the room.
    “Okay, we can do this,” Holly said, her voice shaky.
    “But nobody touches the body again.” Thrusting a frustrated hand through his hair, Zach added, “Who knows how much evidence you have already destroyed….”
    Holly swung back around. “Evidence?”
    “Yeah. The police are going to be looking for evidence to solve his murder.”
    Her shocked gasp told him she hadn’t considered that.
    “What, did you think he just had a heart attack and fell into the nearest Christmas tree?”
    Her cheeks went pink. “Not exactly. We figured it was more of a…a…”
    “An industrial accident,” offered the maid.
    Industrial accident. Sure. Given the identity of the victim, the only work-related death he could experience was being shot by the police during a robbery.
    But Holly and her family couldn’t know that. So it was time for him to reveal exactly who was lying on the floor of their pantry and why he was there. And who might be looking for him.
    There was also one additional matter he had to clear up. She still thought he was the reporter doing the inn-saving story for the travel show. He only hoped she’d understand when he told her why he’d kept the truth from her.
    “Holly, there’s something I have to tell you.”

Chapter Twelve
    Zach’s tone told Holly she wasn’t going to like what he was about to tell her. Well, she hadn’t liked much about her day. Since this morning, she’d gone from nervousness, to worry, to shock.
    And when Zach had held her in his arms, to flat-out lust.
    What could he possibly say that would be worse than what she’d just told him —that she and her family had been hiding a body?
    “I’m not who you think I am.”
    “We dated for a long time,” she replied. “I think I’d recognize a Zach-imposter, even if we haven’t seen each other in eight years.” Given the way her entire body reacted around Zach, she felt sure she could recognize him after eighty.
    “I told you I was a reporter…I didn’t tell you I am a newspaper reporter.”
    Not following, Holly waited for the rest.
    “I’m a writer working the crime beat. I don’t work for any TV station or travel show.”
    Holly gasped. Everything they’d done today—thinking he was here to do the feature on the inn had been for nothing?
    Seeing her expression, he raised his hands in defense. “I didn’t even realize for a while that you thought I was a TV reporter here to do a story on this place.”
    “And when you did realize it?” she asked, her tone icy.
    “By then,” he replied, “I’d decided I wasn’t leaving until there were other people around. I thought a dangerous criminal might be headed this way.”
    “Did he say dangerous?” Nana asked, sounding more titillated than frightened.
    Zach glanced at the elderly couple seated at the table and at the maid standing by the sink. Then, finally, back at Holly. “The dead guy in your pantry is a thug named Leo Meaney. He and his partner, Fred Kipling, are wanted armed robbers and are on the run. I’m following the story.”
    Feeling the strength leave her legs, Holly sagged against the counter.
    “The owner of that tree lot caught Kipling there last night and chased him off with a shotgun. I had assumed he’d hidden something in the tree.”
    “He had,” Holly whispered. “His accomplice.”
    “Exactly. I bet they were meeting up to divide the take, had some kind of disagreement and Kipling killed him. When the owner of the tree lot showed up armed, Kipling did the first thing he could think of.”
    “Shoved his little buddy in a twelve-footer and put the whole thing through the tree binder.”
    “Exactly. When he found out you’d bought the tree, he must have panicked.” Zach stepped closer, reaching up and brushing a strand of Holly’s hair off her face. The warmth of his fingers reassured her in a way all of his words had not. “I’d originally worried he’d follow his stolen goods up here…and that you might be in danger.”
    Oh God. A killer might be coming after them. Stunned, Holly slowly began to quiver. “You can’t be serious.”
    Zach reached for her, both hands comforting, strong and confident on her shoulders. Lending support—and making a promise. You’re