Christmas Kisses Collection. Louise Allen

into her bed. He hadn’t. Which surprised her.

      “The tension between you two is unreal.”

      “Tension? We weren’t fighting today.”

      “Sexual tension, McKenzie. It’s so thick between you two that you could cut it with a knife.”

      There was that. Which made his lack of pushing beyond their nightly kisses even more difficult to understand.

      “I see you’re not denying it.”

      “Would there be any point?”

      “None.” Cecilia leaned back again and smiled at what she saw. She held a hand mirror up for McKenzie to see what she’d done. “Perfect.”

      McKenzie stared at her reflection. Cecilia had done wonders with her face. McKenzie rarely wore more than just mascara and a shiny lip gloss that she liked the scent of. Cecilia had plucked, brushed, drawn and done her face up to the point where McKenzie barely recognized the glamorous woman staring back at her. “Wow.”

      “How much do you want to bet that when Lance sees you he’ll want to forget the party and just stay here and party with you?”

      “Not gonna happen.” Not on her part and, based on the past week, not on his part either. But anticipation filled her at the thought of Lance seeing her at her best. “Help me into my dress?”

      “Definitely. I want to see what underwear you’re wearing.”

      McKenzie’s face caught on fire. Busted. “What?”

      “You heard me,” Cecilia brooked no argument. “I’ll know your intentions by your underwear.”

      McKenzie sighed and slipped off her robe.

      Grinning, Cecilia rubbed her hands together. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

      “This doesn’t mean a thing, you know.”

      “Of course it doesn’t. That’s why you aren’t wearing granny panties.”

      McKenzie stuck her tongue out at her friend. “I never wear granny panties.”

      “Yeah, well, you don’t usually wear sexy thongs either, but you are tonight.”

      “Works better with the material of my dress. No unsightly panty lines that way.”

      Cecilia had the audacity to laugh. “Keep telling yourself that.”

      “Fine. I will. Think what you like.”

      Cecilia laughed again. “Here, let’s get you into your dress, let me do any necessary last-minute hair fixes, and then I’m out of here before Dr. Wonderful shows up.”

      “He’s not that wonderful,” McKenzie countered.

      “Sure he’s not. That’s why you’re a nervous wreck and wearing barely-there panties and a matching bra.”

      Cecilia laughed and slid McKenzie’s sparkly green dress over her head and tugged it downward.

      “A real best friend wouldn’t point out such things,” McKenzie pointed out to the woman who’d been a constant in her life since kindergarten. “You know, it’s not too late to trade you in for a less annoying model.”

      Cecilia’s loud laughter said she was real worried.

      “Have I told you how beautiful you look?”

      “Only about a dozen times.” McKenzie ran her gaze over Lance. He had gone all out and was wearing a black suit that fit so well she wondered if it was tailor-made. He’d washed away all traces of his Christmas parade costume. His hair had a hint of curl, his eyes a twinkle, and his lips a constant smile. “Have I mentioned how handsome you look in your suit?”

      “A time or two.” He grinned. “I’m the envy of every man in the building.”

      “Hardly.”

      “It’s true. You look absolutely stunning.”

      “Cecilia gets all the credit. She’s the miracle worker. I sure can’t pull off this…” she gestured to her face and hair “…without her waving her magic wand.”

      “Your fairy godmother, huh?”

      “That’s what I’ve called her this week.”

      “She’s definitely talented,” he agreed. “Then again, she had a lot to work with because on your worst day, you’re beautiful, McKenzie.”

      “That does it. No more spiked Christmas punch for you.” She made a play for his glass, but he kept it out of her reach.

      “Is the punch really spiked?”

      “It must be,” she assured him, “for you to be spouting so many compliments.”

      He waggled his brows and took another drink. “I don’t think so.”

      The Christmas party was being held in a local hotel’s conference room. There were about two hundred employees in total who worked for the clinic. With those employees and their significant others, the party was going full swing and was full of loud commotion from all directions.

      Several of their coworkers had commented on how great they looked tonight, how great they’d looked in the Christmas parade, how excited they were that they were a couple.

      Those comments made McKenzie want to squirm in her three-inch heels. All their coworkers now knew without a doubt that they were seeing each other as more than friends.

      She’d known this would happen. She’d allowed this to happen.

      Several of her female coworkers stared at her with outright envy that she was with Lance. She couldn’t blame them. He was gorgeous, fun, intelligent and charming. He didn’t seem to notice any of their attention, just stayed close to McKenzie’s side and tended to her every need.

      Well, almost every need.

      Because more and more she’d been thinking of Cecilia’s teasing. Yeah, her green dress fit her like a glove right down to where it flared into a floaty skirt that twirled around her thighs when she moved just right. But she hadn’t had to wear teeny-tiny underwear because of the dress. She’d worn them because…

      “That’s the first time I’ve not seen a smile on your face all evening,” Lance whispered close to her ear.

      “Sorry,” she apologized, immediately smiling. “I was just thinking.”

      Which, of course, led to him asking what she’d been thinking about.

      She just smiled a little brighter, grabbed his hand, and tugged him toward the dance floor. “Dance with me?”

      “I thought you’d never ask,” he teased, leading her out onto the crowded dance floor. “I’ve been itching to have you in my arms all evening.”

      “All you had to do was ask.”

      “Well, part of me was concerned about the consequences of holding you close.”

      “Consequences?” She stared into his eyes, saw the truth there, then widened her eyes. “Oh.”

      “Yeah, oh.”

      “I guess it’s a good thing girls don’t have to worry about such things.”

      His eyes remained locked with hers, half teasing, half serious. “Would that be a problem for you, McKenzie?”

      A problem?

      Her chin lifted. “I’m not frigid, if that’s what you’re asking.”

      “It wasn’t, but it’s good to know.” He pulled her close and they swayed back and forth to the beat of the music.