Wrapped in You (13 page)

Shaking her head, she sat down. “This is mad.”

“It’s an assignment for work,” he reminded her. “Now smile for the camera and tell Santa what you want for Christmas.”

She narrowed her eyes and raised her finger for the camera.

Laughing, Freya took pictures from all different angles.

Mason held Trudy close. “That’s why I love you, your angelic nature.”

She hopped off his lap, startled by the words,
I love you
, even though she knew he didn’t mean it like that. “That’s good. I’m sure we’ve got something that’ll work.”

One of the young women sitting in front of the fireplace stood and sauntered toward Mason. “I want to sit on your lap, too!”

Trudy stopped the girl with a hand. “Not if you want to walk out of here unaided. Santa’s going home with me tonight.”

The girl made a face. “You don’t look like Mrs. Claus.”

“That’s right. I’m not nearly as sweet.”

Standing, Mason tugged her back and wrapped his arms around her. Trudy heard the amusement in his voice when he said, “Sorry, my reindeer and I are exclusively at this lady’s disposal tonight.”

The girl rolled her eyes and tottered away in her heels.

Mason turned Trudy around. “Did you just defend my honor?”

“I wouldn’t have had to if you weren’t dressed so provocatively.” She leered at his padded belly.

“I think I’m turned on.” He stepped closer, his voice low and husky, desire glittering in his eyes. “Take me up to your room, Gertrude, and have your way with me.”

“I’d tell you to get a room,” Freya said, holding out the mobile, “but I understand you already have one here. Have fun, kids. See you Wednesday at Eve’s?”

Mason looked at her in question.

Trudy sighed. She wanted to speak to Gwen’s partner, and that was the only reason the gathering was tempting—and if she kept repeating that mantra she might believe it. “Yes.”

“Great.” Smiling, the redhead joined Eve at the counter.

Trudy took Mason by his furry collar and led him out the lounge and into the hotel.

“Wait till you see my suspenders,” he said as they walked hand-in-hand to her room. “You’ll want me to leave them on, because they’re so hot.”

She felt a flush of affection for him, and she impulsively grabbed him in a tight embrace.

His arms wrapped around her. “See? You’re already caving in to their power, and you haven’t even seen them yet.”

She placed a kiss on a small patch of skin that his bushy beard didn’t cover. It wasn’t the suspenders she was in danger of succumbing to.

Chapter Nine

Instead of arguing over text, Trudy called him.

“You’re being stubborn,” was how he greeted her.

“Me?” She stood in the middle of her hotel room, hand on her hip. She saw the unopened dress box sitting on the dresser and turned her back on it. “You need to realize you aren’t my boss any longer.”

“You still have one more list item,” he reminded her. “Until then, I’m your lord and master.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me. How long have I known you?”

“Almost nine really,
really
long years,” she said, grabbing a new top she’d bought because she’d thought Mason would like how she looked in it.

“Yes, and in all that time, how many laps have you sat on, that I know about?”

She made a face as she tossed a skirt onto the bed. “I don’t sit on laps and tell.”

“You don’t sit on laps, period,” Jon exclaimed.

“You’re the one who said I needed to take a picture with Santa,” she yelled back.

“I didn’t tell you to have feelings for Santa.”

“I have no feelings,” she shouted, glaring at the dress box. “Except rage.”

“You only have rage when you care about something,” he said stubbornly.

“The only thing I care about is that all the men in my life are trying to make me to be something I’m not!”

“Is that what you’re telling yourself? Because you’re so susceptible to people forcing you to do things,” he said, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

“It’s true.” First Jon, with forcing her to take this holiday and be festive, and now Mason with this dress. She hugged herself, feeling under attack.

“It’s absolute shite.” There was a feminine mumble in the background and then Jon said, “Summer’s telling me to calm down.”

Trudy nodded. “Yeah, you need to calm down.”

He muttered a curse. “You women are killing me.”

“Not yet, but maybe, especially if you let me borrow your Walther PPK.”

He snorted and then hung up.

Tossing the mobile aside, she glanced at the time and cursed. Mason would be here to pick her up soon. She turned—

And knocked the dress box onto the floor.

Damn it
. She kicked it aside, not able to deal with it, and put her clothes on. When Mason texted her, she was ready.

Or as ready as she’d be, given everything tonight. She glared at the box and strode out of the room.

Mason was waiting for her in his roadster, a happy smile on his face. He looked fabulous in one of the outfits she’d bought him.

It made her want to both kiss him and snarl at him. She got in the car and slammed the door.

“Hello, dear,” he said pleasantly, zipping away from the curb. “How was your day?”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

He grinned even though he kept his gaze on the road. Taking her hand, he put it on his leg. “Well,
I’m
excited to spend the evening with you, even if you’re not. Can I tell you that you look hot without risking you biting my head off?”