The Night Before Christmas. Tawny Weber

as tasty as he thought.

      Public, Gage reminded himself again. Keep it in control.

      Because while he wasn’t averse to a little public display of passion himself, he had the feeling that Hailey would be. Especially if some of those models in there were hers.

      Then her hands shifted, moving off his shoulders to press their way down his chest. Gage could feel their heat even through the thick fur of his costume.

      He shuddered with need, taking in the flush of rosy color washing over Hailey’s cheeks and pouring down her throat and chest to meet that tight satin.

      One taste couldn’t hurt, he decided.

      Even as his mind listed all the ways it actually could, he moved closer, so his body was tight against hers. As Hailey’s hum of pleasure filled the air, he pressed his mouth against the side of her throat, just under her ear, and gave in to the need to taste.

      She was delicious.

      Seriously worried for his sanity if she kept teasing him with those delicate fingers, Gage folded his hand over hers and pressed her palm flat against his chest. Then he grabbed the zipper tab and yanked.

      It didn’t move.

      The grabby need clawing at Gage’s libido slowed, even as the foggy desire tried to pull him back.

      He yanked again.

      Nothing.

      “Hell,” he muttered, pulling his mouth from Hailey’s.

      Unwilling to separate their bodies, he angled his head to peer at his chest. He got a better grip on the tab and pulled again.

      The zipper was stuck.

      “I can’t get it down.”

      “Well, I guess I’d rather hear that than you can’t get it up,” she said, her eyes dancing with laughter. Clearly a smart woman, Hailey pressed those lush lips together to keep it contained, though.

      Gage growled.

      And yanked.

      Nothing.

      This was not happening.

      His body straining against the thick fur of the costume from hell, he considered ripping it right off.

      “I guess the moment’s lost,” he said with a reluctant smile when she couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. He figured that was better than acting like a spoiled, tantrum-throwing asshole.

      Although he was reserving the right to throw the tantrum later in private.

      “Maybe not lost,” she said, her smile gentle now, her eyes bright with promise. “Maybe just delayed.”

      Gage considered the option of a delay over cancellation. It had a lot more appeal. And while he wasn’t so uptight that he had stupid rules about sex, clients and associates, he was also smart enough to know that women got funny about stuff. If Hailey thought he’d slept with her to get to her client, and to snag the deal, she’d go one of two ways. Give it to him because he was so damned good. Or withhold it out of spite.

      He didn’t see her as the spiteful type, but she didn’t come across as the kind of woman who’d take kindly to ulterior motives, either.

      Time for some careful maneuvering.

      “Why don’t I call you?” he offered. After a quick mental review of his calendar, he added, “I’m out of town for the next couple of days. Are you available for dinner on Wednesday? I’ll pick you up at six.”

      Her eyes were huge as she gave him a long look.

      It was the kind of look that’d usually make him nervous.

      A look filled with hope. With trust. With all those sweet, innocent emotions he’d never experienced in his life.

      It was scary as hell.

      His feet itched to run, even as his dick ached to stay.

      “I have a meeting on Wednesday,” she finally said. She reached up to trace her index finger over his lower lip, making Gage want to growl and nip at her soft flesh. Then, without warning, she ducked under his arm and shifted away.

      Scowling at how lost his arms felt all of a sudden, he turned to watch her stop a couple of feet away. What? Did she think looking at her instead of touching was going to simmer down the need boiling through his system?

      Impossible.

      She was pure eye candy.

      Still clinging with one hairpin, her hat was askew, dangling to one side. Blond curls, so soft when he’d tangled them in his fingers, were a bright halo around her face. And that face.

      Gage wanted to groan.

      He’d never gone for sweet. Sweet was dangerous. Sweet came with expectation, with demands. Sweet set off the run-don’t-walk sirens in his head.

      But he couldn’t resist Hailey. He wanted all of the sweetness she had to offer.

      But she was also the key to his winning this bet. And that, even more than the sirens, warned him to back off. At least until they’d settled their business.

      “Well, if you have plans...” he started to say. Before he could excuse his way out of dinner and suggest a more businesslike meeting, she interrupted.

      “Do you know Carinos?” she asked.

      He gave a hesitant nod. Upscale and trendy, Carinos was the latest see-and-be-seen hot spot.

      “How about I meet you there on Wednesday? We’ll need to make it seven instead of six, though. I’m not sure how late my meeting will go.”

      This was it. His chance to back out.

      But he couldn’t make himself suggest alternate plans.

      Gage tried to sort through his confused thoughts. Not an easy thing to do when he could barely stand, thanks to the throbbing hard-on he was sporting.

      Before he could decide if he should accept or counter, she smiled.

      That sweet, sexy smile that shut down his brain.

      Looking like a naughty elf, Hailey wet her lips. He wanted to groan at the sight of her small, pink tongue.

      And then, moving so fast she was a blur of blond, she kissed him. Hot, intense. A sweep of her tongue, a slide of her lips. Just enough hint of teeth to make him growl to keep from begging.

      Then, before he could take control, or hell, even react with more than a groan of appreciation for the hot spike of desire shooting through him, she moved back.

      “See ya Wednesday,” she said.

      With that, a little finger wave and a smile that showed just a hint of nerves around the edges, she was gone.

      Gage wanted to run after her. To grab her and insist she do something about the crazy desire she’d set to flames in his body.

      Except for two things.

      One, his dick was so hard, he couldn’t walk for fear of something breaking.

      And two, his mind was still reeling.

      He’d tried to blame the costume. Because he didn’t get stupid over women.

      Ever.

      But that cute little elf, with her candy-cane-sweet taste, had sent him so far into Stupidville, he might as well set up camp.

      Until he’d figured it out, he needed to stay away from her.

      Far, far away.

      Because horny was all good and well.

      And, he had to admit, stupid-horny was a pretty freaking awesome feeling.

      But stupid-horny and business?

      Not a good combination.

      At