I’M YOUR SANTA
by Karen Kelley
Hollywood hottie Jeremy Hunter needs to get serious about his acting career, and that means Christmas spent researching his upcoming role. But going incognito as a preacher in a tiny Texas town soon brings wicked temptation in the form of beautiful Bailey Tanner…
Excerpt
The roar of a motorcycle caught her attention, drawing her back to the present. She swiveled her stool toward the door as the man on the cycle pulled under the awning of the burger shop.
“Someone passing through,” Kathy mumbled. “I don’t know anyone in Two Creeks with a cycle besides my brother.”
“Not just any cycle. That’s a Harley.” A big black Harley. She sighed. There was just something about a motorcycle that made her want to straddle the leather seat and feel all that power nestled between her legs.
When she’d only mentioned that she’d like to have a motorcycle, her brother almost had a coronary. Her sister-in-law had liked the idea. But Wade had raised such a fuss that she’d given in and bought a cute little sports car instead. Man, could it corner. Not that she’d tell her brother.
But this bike was sweet. The guy getting off it wasn’t bad either. She couldn’t see his face very well because of the dark sunglasses and helmet he wore. But the black-leather pants and jacket were sinfully sexy. The bad girl inside her emerged thinking all kinds of naughty thoughts.
Man, she really must be bored. It was just like she’d told the people of Two Creeks at the last community meeting; they needed to bring in new business and more people or the town was going to die.
Point in fact, she was lusting over the stranger and he was probably ugly as sin…
He removed his helmet and placed it on the back of his bike, then combed his fingers through thick black hair. When he turned around, she got the full effect of him. At least six foot two inches of pure male testosterone at it’s finest.
Her breath caught in her throat. Everything about him was dark: his tan, the stubble of beard…his eyes. He was hell on wheels and Bailey knew she’d burn for the kind of thoughts she was having. Oh, baby, she could already feel the heat.
“Nice package,” Kathy choked out.
“You’re engaged.”
“Am I? To who?”
“It’s whom and his name is Chad, remember him?”
She sighed. “Vaguely.”
They looked at each other and chuckled.
“Looks like the eye candy is hungry. I’d love to be his next meal. Maybe I have enough time to scribble my name on the menu. TODAY’S SPECIAL: KATHY…NO CHARGE”
“Shh,” she whispered. “Just act natural.”
“Then you think throwing myself at his feet would be a little too much?”
Bailey smothered a laugh. “Be good, and get me a soda—diet.”
“I thought you had to get home?”
She stuck her tongue out but quickly straightened in her seat as the bell jingled over the door. She didn’t look toward it. She didn’t have to. Bailey felt him. Her body tingled with awareness. It was a sin for a man to look that damned sexy.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him slide onto a stool. There were only two between them.
“What’s good?” he asked, words raspy, rough.
She quickly took a drink of the soda Kathy handed her, hoping the cold drink would cool her down. Didn’t work, darn it.
Kathy leaned against the counter. “I make a mean burger—best in town.”
Bailey swiveled slightly in her seat and studied him, then frowned. He looked familiar. Why did he look familiar? Had she dreamed about him? Maybe he was her soul mate.
If she believed in that sort of thing—and she didn’t. But still…
“You remind me of someone…” Her brow furrowed.
He looked right at her and she almost had an orgasm. His intense gaze stripped her clothes away as it meandered over her body. Her nipples tightened. Oh, man, he started an ache deep inside her. She needed a fire extinguisher!
“Jeremy Hunter?” he supplied. “I hear that a lot.”
“Huh?”
He grinned, as if he knew exactly the effect he had on her. “People tell me I look like Jeremy Hunter, the actor.”
She mentally shook her head to clear it, not sure exactly what had passed between them. Yeah right, she knew exactly what had happened. Testosterone had crashed into estrogen and there’d been a sexual explosion.
She drew in a deep breath. “Except he has blue eyes and brown hair.” She studied him—which wasn’t hard at all. “And you have a thin scar down the side of your face.”
“And the fact I’m not an actor,” he said.
She really liked the sound of his voice. Listening to him talk was better than drinking a triple chocolate raspberry swirl.
“You could be.” Kathy blushed. “I mean, you look like one.”
“Except I’m not.”
“So what do you do?” Bailey knew she was crossing the line from friendly to nosy but she couldn’t help herself. She was curious. Male stripper? Yum, she could envision him slowly peeling off his clothes and…
“I’m a preacher.”
Bailey had the straw in her mouth but rather than sucking, she blew in it. Her drink became Old Faithful as it bubbled over the top.
She quickly set it on the counter and looked at the biker. “You’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me.”
She’d been lusting after a preacher! Oh God, she was going to hell for sure. She grimaced. Had she just said freakin’? This was so not her day.
Excerpt I’M YOUR SANTA
Copyright © Karen Kelley
Release date: October 2008
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