Rush

with him. I love all the lights and the hustle and bustle of Christmas in the city.
     Love window-shopping and looking at all the displays. It’s the very best time of the
     year.”
    He looked thoughtful for a moment and then shrugged. “Lisa and I always spent it in
     the Hamptons, and then when she and I divorced, I just worked through the holidays.”
    She gaped at him. “Worked? You work during Christmas? Gabe, that’s terrible. You sound
     like Scrooge!”
    “Pointless holiday.”
    She rolled her eyes. “I wish I would have known. I would have made you spend it with
     Jace and me. No one should be alone at Christmas. I assumed you’d spend it with your
     parents.”
    She broke off, biting her lip in consternation for bringing up a sore subject.
    “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I wasn’t thinking.”
    He gave her a rueful smile. “It’s okay. Apparently my fatherhas decided he’s fucked up and now he wants my mother back. Lord only knows how that’s
     going to go down.”
    Her eyes widened. “He said that?”
    “Oh yeah,” Gabe said with a weary sigh. “Over lunch when he came to the office. The
     day after his date was trying her best to get into my pants.”
    Mia scowled and Gabe laughed.
    “So what’s your mother going to do?” Mia asked.
    “Hell if I know. If I had to guess, he hasn’t yet gone to grovel or I would have heard
     about it by now.”
    “I don’t know that I could forgive him sleeping with all those women,” Mia said unhappily.
     “That had to hurt your mother terribly.”
    “He says he wasn’t unfaithful.”
    Mia gave him an
oh please
look.
    He waved his hand. “I have no idea what he considers being unfaithful and I’m not
     sure it even matters if he didn’t sleep with them. The entire world thinks he did.
     My mother thinks he did. It’s not humiliation she’s going to get over soon.”
    “This must be so difficult for you,” she said in a soft voice. What a sucky day all
     around. First his dad dropping the bomb, and then his ex-wife showing up just hours
     later.
    He looked uncomfortable with her sympathy and glanced away, his eyes lightening with
     relief when the waiter approached with their entrees.
    The seafood smelled divine as she sniffed appreciatively. The waiter set her grilled
     shrimp in front of her and Gabe’s blackened mahimahi in front of him.
    “
Ohhh,
yours looks awesome,” she said.
    He smiled and forked a bite, holding it over the table to her. She closed her mouth
     over it, holding it for just a moment as their gazes caught and held.
    It was surprisingly intimate, his feeding her just that one bite.He was staring at her mouth as he lowered his fork back to his plate.
    She cut a piece of her shrimp and then offered him a sample as he’d done for her.
     He hesitated a moment but then allowed her to slide the bite into his mouth.
    A little unsettled by how deeply affected she was by the exchange, she lowered her
     gaze to her plate and focused on eating her meal.
    “Good?” Gabe asked several long minutes later.
    She glanced up and smiled. “Delicious. I’m nearly stuffed!”
    He lifted his napkin from his lap and dabbed at his mouth before tossing it down on
     the table. As soon as she lowered her fork and pushed back her plate, he rose and
     extended his hand to her.
    “Let’s dance,” he murmured.
    Feeling as fluttery as a teenager on her first date, Mia allowed him to pull her to
     her feet and lead her through the maze of tables to the area reserved for dancing.
    He turned her toward him and tucked her tightly against him. There wasn’t an inch
     between them, and his hand splayed wide on her bare back, settling possessively just
     above where the material rested.
    She let out a contented sigh and closed her eyes as Gabe rested his cheek to her temple.
     They were barely moving. Softly swaying to the strains of the music, wrapped up in
     one another. She could stay this way forever. She could fool herself into thinking
     that Gabe was truly hers. That their relationship transcended just sex.
    It wouldn’t hurt to pretend for a little while. It may hurt later, but right now she
     was determined to live the fantasy.
    His hand didn’t remain still just above her behind. He stroked and rubbed, caressing
     as they danced, his body molded tightly to hers. She turned her nose toward his neck,
     inhaling his scent. Shewas so tempted to nibble at his ear and at the column of his neck. She loved the taste
     of him and she