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mailed this to me when it came out in the grocery stores for the holidays.”
    “Are the holidays close?” Yet another thing I didn’t know.
    She didn’t seem surprised. “Today is Christmas.”
    “It is?”
    She nodded and took a sip of her coffee. I knew she enjoyed it because her eyes briefly closed as she swallowed.
    “Wow. How could I not know that?”
    “Same way you didn’t know that you didn’t drink your coffee black.” Her nose wrinkled when she smiled. It was cute.
    I laughed. “Touché.”
    “Merry Christmas,” she said, holding up her cup in salute.
    “Merry Christmas.” I bumped my mug against hers. “How come you didn’t go home for the holidays?”
    She was silent a moment. Then she replied, “I would have just arrived home today. The States are behind us in time so I would have made it in time for Christmas.”
    “You not only stayed behind to take care of me, but you’re missing Christmas with your family?” All this for some stranger she didn’t know. For me.
    “There’s always next Christmas.” She shrugged like it was no big deal.
    But it was. I moved before I thought better of it, setting aside my cup and taking two large steps to arrive directly in front of her. Rachel’s eyes widened, but she didn’t step away.
    I took the cup from her hand and set it away.
    “Vance?” she questioned, a little hesitation in her tone.
    That’s okay. I was sure enough for both of us.
    I took her by the shoulders and pulled her in, bending a little at the knees to take her mouth into a demanding kiss. Her body went rigid and she gasped, giving me the perfect opportunity to slip my tongue into her mouth and explore it at my leisure.
    A low purr vibrated the back of her throat and she melted against me. Removing my arms from her shoulders, I wrapped them around her waist and lifted, drawing her up to my height so I could have even greater access to her mouth.
    I slanted my mouth over hers, rubbing our lips together, enjoying the feel of her silky skin against mine. God, she was soft. Maybe the softest thing I’d ever touched. I twirled my tongue around hers, asking it to come out and play, and Rachel replied. Her tongue stroked against mine boldly, causing heat to lick up my spine and desire to permeate the room.
    I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been with a woman, and in that moment, I was fucking glad for it. It was only her. Only her lips I could feel, only her tongue that I knew, and only her body against mine.
    I ripped my mouth from hers and groaned, sliding her hot little body down my front as I dragged in ragged breaths. Before pulling away, I slid my hand down her back and palmed her butt, giving it a squeeze.
    “What was that?” she panted, pressing a hand to her lips and looking up at me.
    The flushed pink color of her cheeks had my cock jerking in my pants.
    “It was a thank you,” I said, not being able to resist squeezing her ass one last time. “You could have left me here and not looked back.”
    She stepped back and swayed on her feet a little. I scooped my arm back around her waist, using her unbalance as an excuse to tow her close again.
    “Careful,” I rumbled, noticing the way her tank top rode up on her belly, leaving my fingers to caress her bare, flat middle.
    It didn’t escape my attention, the little shiver that ran up her back and the goose bumps that raced over her shoulder when I touched her. It made me even more turned on.
    I knew she was affected by me. I could smell her desire. Her need. I had no doubt that if I plunged my fingers down in the sleep shorts she was wearing, I would discover wet panties.
    But it was the other scent that kept me from acting upon the thought.
    I also smelled her apprehension. Turned on or not, Rachel still wasn’t sure about me. “I think you just might have enough supplies to make up a pretty good Christmas breakfast,” I said, gently setting her away from me and pointing at the nearby box.
    She lifted an