Under the Mistletoe. Katherine Garbera

was only her fear that was keeping her from leaping into it. She didn’t want to make another mistake. Who did?

      “I have arranged for a little surprise for you,” he said, breaking into her thoughts. “Why don’t you think it over and meet me in the lobby under the mistletoe in thirty minutes if you’re interested.”

      “What kind of surprise?” she asked, but she already realized that she liked his surprises.

      “An outdoor one, so you might want to get changed,” he said.

      “What if I don’t show up?” Penny asked. She tried to imagine him standing there waiting for her. No guy she’d dated in the past would have done that, would have left themselves so obviously open to being stood up. “Won’t you feel silly standing there?”

      “Not at all. I’ll feel like a man who missed out on knowing a very special woman. I hope you’ll take the chance and let me make this a Christmas we can both remember.”

      * * *

      PENNY WASN’T TOO sure about Will or letting herself know him any better. Two weeks sounded fun in theory, but the truth was that she wasn’t always supersmart when it came to love. She fell for all those losers and the sweet promises they made—but seldom kept—because inside she desperately wanted to be loved.

      She knew it. Her therapist had confirmed it. And let’s face it, all those bad boyfriends over the years had just reinforced it.

      But Will was different. He wasn’t making her any promises. All he’d said was, Let’s be each other’s Christmas present. Meet under the mistletoe to accept. And now she stood in the corner of the Lodge’s big reception area, waiting to see if he was going to show up.

      She’d taken her time with her hair and makeup, wore a pair of slim-fitting black pants and a cream-colored silk top that showed off her curves. She looked her best. But now she just had to believe in herself. That was part of why she kept falling for those guys who couldn’t give her what she needed.

      But believing in herself in a relationship was always a slippery slope.

      “Hello, gorgeous,” Will said, coming up behind her.

      She flushed and turned toward him. A few snowflakes still clung to his thick brown hair, and his bangs fell forward, brushing his face. His blue eyes were bright, but she noticed that he was watching her carefully.

      He wore dark jeans and an olive green sweater that accentuated his muscular physique and broad shoulders. A few snowflakes still clung to his thick brown hair and his bangs fell forward, brushing his face.

      “Hello.” She reached up on the premise of brushing the snow away but really just wanted to touch his hair.

      “Are you waiting for me? Or hiding?”

      “Neither,” she said. “Just giving myself a swift mental kick in the attitude.”

      “Why is that?” he asked.

      “I’m not sure about you yet, Will. I don’t have a good track record with men—something we’ve discussed. And I have to be honest here, you are almost too good to be true.”

      “A sort of Christmas miracle?”

      She had to laugh at the way he said it. He had enough confidence for both of them.

      “I haven’t decided yet. You could be a mean old Jack Frost just blowing chilly air and leaving ice in your path.”

      He gave her an enigmatic look as he peered down at her. “I have no way to prove I’m not. But we both know the girl who threw her phone in the snowbank wants to take a chance on me. So I’m going to go stand under that mistletoe and wait.”

      He walked away, his stride long and confident, those jeans still hugging his butt. Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Christmas Canon” played in the background and Penny stood there, hesitating for a second before she realized that she wanted Will. Wanted him enough that she was going to go for it.

      He’d said two weeks was the optimum time to just enjoy each other, and she was going to just have to take him at his word. Besides, Will seemed like the perfect sort of Christmas surprise that she couldn’t wait to unwrap.

      She walked slowly toward him, the music dipping and swelling, the scent of the large pine Christmas tree in the lobby filling the air. Her courage and her hope were building with each step.

      She stopped right in front of him and he gave her a cocky grin. “Knew you couldn’t resist me.”

      “Maybe I just felt bad for you standing all alone under the mistletoe,” she said, leaning in to kiss him.

      His mouth was soft and firm as his lips moved under hers. With their breaths mingling together, sheer physical need inundated her senses. She felt the tip of his tongue brush against her lips, then gently part them. Shivers ran down her spine until she forgot everything except this man. Will.

      He put his hands on her waist to draw her closer, but she broke the kiss and stepped back. Just because she’d decided to take a chance on him didn’t mean she was going to lose her head. She was going to keep her attraction to him under control.

      “What was that?”

      “A kiss,” she said.

      “A pity kiss? I expected more from you,” he said.

      “You’re going to have to show me a little more of the man who thinks two weeks is enough time to get to know someone.”

      “Fair enough. I have a surprise for you,” he said, sliding his hands up her back and pulling her into his arms for a more thorough kiss. He took his time with it and she was struck with how good he tasted. It wasn’t just the fresh taste of his mouthwash; it was more than that. Something that seemed to stem entirely from Will.

      He angled his head to the side and thrust his tongue deeper. She lifted her hands and framed his face with them. Spread her fingers over his five-o’clock shadow and then drew back.

      “Where’s this surprise?” she asked, even though she wanted to pull him into a nice private corner and have her way with him. Keep kissing him until they were both so turned on that they could forget about everything except each other.

      “Outside. Did you bring a coat?”

      “I did,” she said.

      She’d left it at the coat check and they walked over to get both of their coats. Then he led her out the door, which led to the ski slopes and outdoor area with fire pits and trails. A chill wind blew a light snow around them as they walked. Her neck was cold and she wished she’d brought a hat with her, but she’d forsaken it for vanity’s sake—so her hair would look good.

      Warm sounded better than nice hair at this moment, however. She turned her collar up around the back of her neck and shoved her hands deeper into her pockets.

      “Damn, it’s cold. We’ll be warm in a few minutes,” Will said. “Wait right here.”

      She watched as he strode away in the lightly falling snow. She almost felt the first tingles of that same worry that had bothered her in the lobby but she pushed it to the back of her mind. She’d made her decision. She had two weeks of just being with Will before she had to deal with the fallout from it.

      * * *

      THE SLEIGH WAS big and looked like it had come from a scene from one of the Currier and Ives lithographs that had hung in her grandparents’ hallway when she’d been little. The driver introduced himself to them and as Will talked to him, Penny moved to the front of the sleigh to get a closer look at the horses.

      She’d grown up back East in a fairly suburban area, but her best friend growing up had been raised on a horse ranch and Penny had always loved the animals.

      “Ready?” Will asked.

      She nodded, even though she felt a little nervous. Hell, after