Harlequin Holiday Collection - Four Classic Seasonal Novellas

the body’s travels wouldn’t matter.
    Hopefully.
    By 5:00 p.m., the body had been taken away and all the officers had left except Detective Santori. After he’d been persuaded to pause for a cup of Nana’s famous cider and ginger cookies, Zach and Holly walked him out. Though they’d invited him to stay for dinner, he said, “Sorry, I’ve got to swing by a tux shop and get fitted. My brother Nick’s getting married in a couple of weeks.” A tender look appeared on his face. “Plus, I don’t like to leave Noelle alone at night, now that she’s seven months along.”
    Thanking him again, Zach and Holly watched Mark pull away. Zach couldn’t help thinking for a moment about how much his friend had changed in two years. From a determined bachelor to a married father-to-be, he seemed entirely happy. All because he’d met the right woman.
    Well, Zach had met the right woman once, too. But he’d been stupid enough to let her believe the worst of him and get away. Now that he had Holly Cavanaugh back in his life, however, he wasn’t about to make the same mistake.
    It was time to confront their past.

Chapter Fifteen
    Though everything had been taken care of and the danger was over, Zach didn’t leave. Holly kept waiting for him to—knowing there was no reason for him to stay. Unless, like her, he was wondering what their unexpected reunion meant.
    He’d loved her once and she’d loved him. They’d just been too immature to deal with it. She’d been nineteen and determined not to let sex ruin their relationship, hoping to avoid the inevitable heartbreak her parents always seemed to be going through. He’d been an oversexed almost-twenty-year old who got tired of hearing no.
    But now she was no longer a virgin and there wasn’t a woman on the planet who’d say no to this man.
    “What a day,” her grandfather said after they’d all finished dinner.
    Nana nodded in agreement. “Time for bed, I think.” It was only eight o’clock, but since Reggie had left an hour ago, Nana had been not-so-discreetly trying to get Holly and Zach alone together. Holly didn’t argue.
    After the elderly couple left, Zach said, “Let’s go into the living room. I’d like to see that tree by firelight.”
    That sounded…romantic. Holly gulped, not sure she wanted romance with Zach. Sex? Oh, yes, she’d decided that hours ago. She wanted to take him, have him, savor him in all the ways she hadn’t eight years ago.
    Her body she’d share. But she didn’t want to risk her heart. Because while she’d gotten over her certainty that sex equaled problems—and she was certainly no longer an innocent girl—she still came from a pair of extremely selfish, self-absorbed, commitment-phobic people. And Zach had already cheated on her once when she’d thought he loved her.
    A sweet, tender evening in front of the Christmas tree sounded emotional. She only wanted physical. “I don’t think so.”
    Zach’s eyes widened in surprise. But she didn’t let him argue. Instead, she grabbed the front of his shirt, pushing him until he was backed against the refrigerator. His mouth opened and Holly leaned up to cover it with hers. She thrust her tongue against his lips, demanding entrance, and he gave it to her with not a moment’s hesitation. The kiss deepened, insistent and hot and was so good she wondered how she’d survived for eight years without his lips.
    Zach’s strong arms encircled her body, tugging her up closer. Every inch of her was pressed against him and Holly writhed, loving the heat, the intensity, the friction. As they continued to kiss—wet and deep—Holly reached for the bottom of his shirt, tugging it free from his jeans.
    Hissing against her mouth, he let go of her long enough to help. Holly trailed her fingers over his rippled stomach and broad chest. She’d noted the changes in his body earlier, but until now, as she watched him tug the shirt over his head, she hadn’t dwelled on just how wide his shoulders had become, nor had she realized that the smooth, boyish chest was now thickly roped with muscle and sprinkled with sexy dark hair. She tangled her fingers in it, reaching to brush the tips of her fingers over his dark, flat nipples.
    Touching wasn’t enough, so she replaced her hands with her mouth.
    “Holly,” he groaned as she tasted him. “God, it seems like I’ve wanted you forever.”
    “Me, too,” she said, reaching for his belt buckle. Her fingers almost shook as she unfastened