Santa Maybe (The Duchess Hotel #1)

Chapter 11

Eleven

Before Rosie could make her way toward the squabbling kids, Drew stood and straightened to his full height. When he spoke, he used his low, authoritative “Santa” voice, the one that had dominated her dreams on more than one occasion.

“Now, now,” he said. “There’s no need to fight. I promise I won’t leave until everyone’s gotten a chance to talk to me.”

A girl in pigtails, probably around five or six, pointed to the boy standing beside her. “I was next in line, but he cut in front of me.”

“Did not!” the boy replied. “She’s lying.”

“You’re the liar!”

Drew knelt so he was at eye level with the girl. “Let’s not worry about it, all right? I’m not sure who was first, but don’t let it upset you. Spending more time waiting to chat with me means you get longer to think of what you want for Christmas.” He stood and addressed the children. “Let’s stay on our best behavior. That way, I can keep all of you on the nice list. Okay?”

All the children nodded, as did the parents standing next to them. Relief whooshed from Rosie’s lungs as the guests resumed chatting amongst themselves. She stared at Drew in admiration, feeling more smitten than ever.

“Looks like you picked the right Santa,” Preston said. “I like the way he defused the situation.”

“Thank you, sir. He came highly recommended.”

By the time Drew had met with all the kids in line, it was almost five, but he’d made no attempt to rush them. Only after all the families had trickled out did Rosie close up the breakfast room. Preston was long gone, and Sofia had taken off to meet with her husband. The only staff remaining were the four Damsels, Knox, and Drew, who was still dressed in his Santa outfit, minus the hat and beard.

Rosie surveyed the room critically, cringing at the cookie crumbs, the overflowing garbage can, and the bits and pieces of various crafts that littered the floor. Despite the mess, she was exceptionally pleased at what they’d accomplished.

She called everyone together. “Thanks for putting in so much work. I truly believe we gave these guests an experience they couldn’t get at any other hotel in the city.”

Charlie clapped her hands together. “Having the Restalls show up was a major victory. They really boosted our numbers.”

“I still can’t believe you got Sofia Sanchez to come here,” Laurel said. “She’s got a massive following.”

“That was my sister’s doing, but I’ll pass the word along.” Since Rosie would be seeing Isabella tomorrow at her parents’ house for Sunday dinner, she’d thank her then. In the meantime, she planned to watch a few of her sister’s “mommy influencer” videos.

“Should we get started on cleanup?” Laurel asked.

“Nope.” Rosie pointed toward the door. “For now, you can all take off. I’ll deal with it.”

“You sure?” Charlie said. “We don’t mind sticking around.”

“I’ve got this. If anything, tidying up will help me unwind a little.”

“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to stay,” Drew said. “Put me to work.”

With a grin, Charlie grabbed Knox’s arm. “Let’s go. I want to try one of your new holiday cocktails.”

“Can I take off this vest first?” he said.

“You look so festive in it. Please keep it on. Just for me?”

Rosie laughed when Knox agreed, albeit grudgingly. He left the room with Charlie; Selena and Laurel followed.

When Drew placed his hand on her shoulder, her skin prickled with goose bumps. “Everything okay?” she asked.

“It is, but before you start cleaning up, sit down and let me take care of you.”

The affection in his voice nearly brought her to tears. When was the last time any guy had cared this much about her well-being? Certainly not her last boyfriend. Rather than offer her any way to relieve her constant, work-related tension, Erik had usually complained she wasn’t being attentive enough.

“Are you sure?” she asked Drew. “You’ve already done so much.”

“It’s my pleasure. What kind of Santa would I be if I didn’t spoil my best girl? Now, sit.”

She did as he said, waiting as he grabbed a plate for her, piled it with snacks, and filled a cup with hot chocolate. At the first bite of a gingersnap, the sweet, spicy flavors of ginger and cinnamon flooded her taste buds. Her sister’s recipe was ten times better than any store-bought version.

“Thanks,” she said. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“I figured as much. This is just a starter. I thought I’d order some real food, too. Veggie pizza okay?”

“Sure. The only thing I don’t like on pizza is pineapple.”

“Oh, so you’re one of those people. Personally, I love a good Hawaiian-style pizza.”

“Weirdo. Putting fruit on your pizza is abnormal. When’s the last time you heard about anyone adding watermelon to it? Or strawberries?”

He gave a rueful shake of his head. “You’re the one that’s missing out.”

She expected him to join her at the table, but he went to stand behind her. She peeked at him over her shoulder. “Aren’t you going to sit with me? You’ve been working as hard as I have.”

“I’ve been sitting for over an hour. You look like you’re carrying a lot of tension in your shoulders. How about a little massage?”

A massage? Rosie’s face heated up, as did the rest of her body. This was a bad idea. Very, very bad.

Don’t overreact. It’s not sexual. It’s something he’s been trained to do.

“Um…okay. Let me take off my blazer.” She shrugged it off and set it on the chair beside her. Under it, she’d only been wearing a sleeveless, silken shell so she wouldn’t get overheated. But when Drew’s hands touched her shoulders, both her pulse and her temperature spiked. Forget hot chocolate. What she needed was a big glass of ice water.

“You’re so tight,” he murmured as his hands kneaded her shoulders. “All that stress can’t be good for you.”

“It…it’s not. But so much was riding on today. It’s been a lot to deal with.” Her voice wobbled. “I…I just can’t thank you enough. For everything. Coming with me to my parents’ Sunday dinners. Getting your sister to donate loads of craft supplies. Being a kick-ass Santa. All I’m doing is attending a wedding. It’s hardly fair.”

“You’re wrong. Every time you show up at the gym and act like my girlfriend, it gives me a huge boost of confidence. Hannah and her friends love teasing me about you, and the other trainers aren’t treating me like I’m a wounded puppy.”

A powerful ache tugged at her heart. She was glad to be helping him. But another part of her wished it wasn’t a ruse. Which was foolish because she had too much on her plate to deal with a romantic relationship. And Drew had already warned her he couldn’t handle one, either.

“I’m glad I could help,” she said.

As he dug in deeper, massaging stiff muscles, she let out a groan. Closing her eyes, she surrendered to the power of his hands. If he was this good at giving a massage, what was he like in the bedroom? Tender? Teasing? Did he like giving as much as receiving?

Stop. S he could not be thinking about sex with Drew, not when all he was doing was giving her a massage.

When he was done, he patted her on the shoulder and sat across from her. “The other thing I wanted to say? Spending time with you isn’t a hardship. I enjoy it.”

She gazed into his expressive brown eyes, wanting so badly to tell him everything—that she’d had a crush on him since last year, that she secretly dreamed of him at night, and that her physical desires went further than just a friendly massage.

“What is it?” he said. “You’re giving me that look again.”

Shit. She needed to get her emotions under control. “What look?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I dunno…kind of a yearning look? Like maybe you’ve been reading some of those Santa romances that Selena mentioned. Is it because I’m dressed in a Santa suit?”

Too flustered to deflect his question, she blurted out an honest response. “Yes. I mean…I…never had any Santa fantasies before, but now I sort of do?”

She covered her face with her hands. Why was she admitting this? Clearly, the massage had weakened her self-control.

“All Santas? Like Tim Allen from The Santa Clause ? Or the old guy from Elf ? Or just me?”

“Just you.” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

He stared at her for a long beat. “Really? What do you fantasize about?”

“Um…sitting on your lap?” She stopped before she added the part about being naked.

“Then let’s make it happen.” He stood and pointed to his throne, still sitting in the corner. “Come on.”

What had she done? And why was he playing along?

As if propelled by an unseen force, she followed him over to the throne. He sat on it and pulled her onto his lap. She caught a whiff of his scent, sweat mingled with a woodsy aftershave. Her heart was beating so loudly she was sure he could hear it.

He addressed her in a rumble that came from deep in his chest. “Tell me, Rosie Gonzalez. What do you want from Santa?”

She licked her lips, tasting cinnamon sugar from one of the cookies. She could have said she wanted a raise at work. A new car. A winning lottery ticket. But instead, she spoke with her heart. “I…I want you to kiss me.”

His eyes widened. He pushed a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“First, I want to see you with your hair down,” he said.

With shaky hands, she undid the elastic and bobby pins holding her bun in place and let it cascade to her shoulders.

He cupped her face gently, smoothing his calloused palms over her cheeks. The first brush of his lips was whisper-soft, like the touch of a butterfly’s wings. Wanting more, she whimpered in protest. He deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping against hers, and she tasted hot chocolate and peppermint, which was exactly how Santa should taste. With a groan, she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer. Every inch of her body was alight, heat and desire flooding through her. For all the times she’d pined for Drew, she’d never imagined kissing him would feel this glorious.

He tangled his hands in her hair, making her whimper again as the friction sent a bolt of need straight to her core. She arched her neck, allowing him to place soft kisses on the curve of her throat. And then he was claiming her lips again, with such passion she almost forgot to breathe. She was so lost in his touch and taste that she didn’t hear the door open until it was too late. She pulled away hastily, only to see Charlie standing in the doorway, holding a pizza box and a two-liter bottle of Diet Coke.

“Um…I didn’t mean to interrupt, but your pizza arrived.” Charlie made no attempt to hide her shit-eating grin. She set their order on one of the tables. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Hoping to regain a little self-control, Rosie tucked her hair behind her ears. By now, her cheeks were so warm they probably matched the red in Drew’s suit.

“Thanks, Charlie,” she said.

“No problem. But just FYI, the boss man’s still around. He stopped by the front desk ten minutes ago to tell me a few business associates would be arriving later tonight. He wanted to make sure they got the VIP treatment.”

Rosie expelled a ragged breath. Preston would never approve of her sitting on Santa’s lap and making out with him like a teenager. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

“Sure. Have a nice night.”

After Charlie left, a wave of regret washed over Rosie. No matter how much she’d enjoyed kissing Drew, she shouldn’t have done it. Not if she wanted to maintain their boundaries. “Um…maybe we should eat? Before the pizza gets cold?”

“Yeah…sorry if I got carried away.”

“Don’t be. I’m the one who suggested it.”

He gave her a wry smile. “It was the suit, wasn’t it?”

No. It was you. But she couldn’t admit it. If she told him how much she desired him, she might scare him away. This whole fake-dating scheme was based on the notion they could keep things platonic.

She eased off his lap. “Definitely the suit. I blame Selena for recommending those steamy romances.”

His smile vanished so quickly that she feared she’d hurt his feelings. Should she have told him how she really felt?

But then he gave a quick chuckle. “It’s okay. I do make a damn good Santa. But we probably shouldn’t blur the lines, not when this relationship has a definite end date.”

“Right. We both have too much to deal with.”

Thank God they were in agreement. This way, no one would get hurt.

So why did her heart feel like it was already breaking?