Harlequin Holiday Collection - Four Classic Seasonal Novellas

heartthrob with his lean build, longish brown hair and devilish smile, he’d turned into an absolutely mouthwatering man. He was still lean, especially in the hips, but broader in the shoulder and the chest. His dark eyes were no longer dreamy, they were piercing. His face had been youthful and soft then, but was rugged and strong now, with slashing cheekbones, a strong, resolute jaw and a sensually curved mouth.
    In short, he was to die for.
    Die. That reminded her. Hello? Dead guy in the living room.
    She grabbed his arm, forcing herself to ignore the resulting spark of heated awareness. “Shall we walk around?”
    He didn’t budge. Instead, Zach stared down at her, an inscrutable expression on his face. Finally he murmured, “No. I don’t think so. I want to see what’s going on inside.”

Chapter Four
    Zach was going inside, whether Holly Cavanaugh liked it or not. She was trying to keep him from entering the inn and the first reason that came to mind was that an armed thug was inside holding someone hostage.
    Damn, he should have called the police before heading up here. He’d just taken off, worried about the unknown lady who’d bought a Christmas tree possibly containing stolen diamonds pursued by at least one dangerous criminal. What would he have done if he’d known that woman was Holly Cavanaugh?
    Driven faster.
    He lifted his hand as if coughing, shielding his mouth from view of the window. “Is something going on?”
    Her face blanched—all the proof he needed. “Call 911,” he barked, tossing her his phone. Then he pushed the door open and strode inside to find—
    Nothing. Not a soul was in sight. The cheery foyer looked warm and welcoming, ready to greet holiday visitors, though judging by the empty parking lot and silence in the building, there were none.
    “What the hell are you doing?”
    Holly had followed him inside, and she looked…hot. Not just sexy hot, but ticked-off hot. He remembered that she really didn’t like any macho crap. Playing protector maybe hadn’t been the best way to win her cooperation.
    “I’m sorry. I thought… Has a tall, beefy man been here today?” She shook her head a little too quickly. “Nope. No tall, big guy. Now, listen, I might have to deal with you professionally, but just because we had a few sessions of grope-and-grab in the back seat of your rusted Chevy in the old days doesn’t give you the right to manhandle me now.”
    “Grope-and-grab?” Zach murmured, his voice throaty. He stepped closer, unable to help it, drawn to the fire in her eyes and the flame of her hair. “I think it was more than that.” They had, after all, dated for nearly two years during their senior year of high school and freshman year of college.
    Eight years ago. Could it really have been that long since he’d seen her, touched her, breathed her in?
    Zach lifted a hand to her cheek, running the tip of one finger over it, feeling the coldness of her skin. Cupping her face in his hand, he moved closer so their legs brushed and their chests met. Even through his coat he felt her heat. Gazing down, he noted the creaminess of her skin, revealed by the deep V of her sweater. And the fullness of her breasts, punctuated by her hard nipples thrusting against the soft fabric.
    “Don’t stand so close.”
    Her voice held no conviction. Holly’s breath was raspy, her lips parted. When she moistened them with her tongue, he groaned and bent toward her, knowing she’d probably punch him again but needing to kiss her too badly to care.
    A breath away from her lips, he was interrupted by a loud crash coming from the room to the right. “What the…”
    He couldn’t finish the question—Holly’s hands had come up and tangled in his hair. She pressed her mouth to his in a deep, hungry kiss that made Zach forget all about the noise, the diamonds, the robbery.
    There was only her.

    Being in Zach’s arms again for the first time in eight years would have been enough to drive just about anything out of Holly’s head. Anything except the dead guy on her living room floor.
    Although she’d grabbed Zach and planted a kiss on his surprised mouth to prevent him from going into the room and finding the corpse, she quickly realized she liked it. Oh, did she like it.
    He felt so good, the curve of his lips matching perfectly the bow of her own. Beginning to forget why she’d started this, Holly let her mouth open a little, enticing him to deepen the intimacy. He accepted the