'Tis the Season to Kiss Santa (Entangled Indulgence) Read Online Free

her the truth.
    She bit her lip. “Sorry.”
    He spread his hands. “Don’t be. It’s always sensible to take precautions. Especially in a city you don’t know.”
    “I’m Ellie Brown. Betty’s goddaughter. Well, you knew that bit.”
    They shook hands, and she felt as if she’d been galvanized when his skin touched hers. She hadn’t reacted to someone like that in years, not even to Jeff. It made her want to run, yet it also made her want to stay and find out more about him.
    She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had made her feel that flustered. It ought to worry her, yet little flickers of excitement were running down her spine.
    “What’s the address?” he asked.
    She told him. “Look, if it’s out of your way…”
    “It is, a bit,” he admitted. “But I think the real Santa would take a dim view of me leaving his Chief Elf to her own devices. So I’m driving you home. No arguments.”
    She could see that Mitch was used to taking charge. That moment in the hospice when he’d seemed lost and vulnerable clearly wasn’t a common occurrence.
    “Okay. Thank you.” She followed him over to his car. She’d been half-expecting some flashy sports car to go with his designer clothes, but it was a dark gray sedan. A little more serious than she’d expected, though the inside was incredibly comfortable, all plush leather seats and glossy wood paneling.
    “Very posh,” she said with a smile. This was the kind of car she’d never be able to afford.
    He shrugged. “It was a good deal. And it’s good to drive.”
    And that was that line of conversation exhausted, she thought. “Thank you for the lift.”
    “No problem.”

Chapter Three
    Mitch put Ellie’s address into his GPS and drove off. He couldn’t quite believe he was actually doing this. The atmosphere at the hospice must have affected him more than he thought. He was never deliberately rude to people, but he wouldn’t normally get involved, either. The way he’d grown up had taught him to keep himself separate. So why had he offered to drive a complete stranger home, in some of the worst weather conditions he’d seen in a while?
    He had to admit that Ellie Brown intrigued him. And, given that she was the first woman in a long time who’d made him feel this way, Mitch wanted to work out just what it was about her that drew him.
    He stole a brief glance. Now that she’d taken off her elf hat, he could see that her hair was a mass of red corkscrew curls. He itched to wind one around his finger and see if her hair was as soft as it looked. It was just as well that he was driving with both hands otherwise occupied.
    “So what’s a Brit doing in Philadelphia?” he asked.
    “Helping out. My godmother just had an operation for a hip replacement, so I’m looking after the bakery for her. Well, and obviously stepping in for her at the party today.”
    That surprised him. C.J. had sounded impressed by Betty. So how come she’d had to call in help from a different continent? “And you were the nearest one to help? Four thousand miles away?”
    Ellie shrugged. “I guess so.”
    “She doesn’t have kids?”
    “Not any more. Robin would’ve been the same age as me, but—well.” She gave an awkward grimace. “He’s why she caters the Christmas party at the hospice every year.”
    He nodded. “So my boss told me. I’m sorry.”
    “I assume your boss is Santa for the same reason?”
    “Yeah. This time of year is rough on him.”
    “Putting flowers on a grave instead of enjoying the holiday season together. It’s the same for Betty. And such a shame that she didn’t have any more children, because she would’ve made such a great mum.”
    There was a wistfulness in Ellie’s tone that made him wonder if she was talking about herself, too. She was, what, nearly thirty? A couple of years younger than him. The age when a lot of women of his acquaintance started to hear their biological clocks ticking.
    Not that it was any of his