Free Snow Job by Delphine Dryden Page A

to be cynical about that but found she couldn’t, not in the face of it. For al their wealth, they weren’t extravagant when it came to family holidays, if one discounted the fact of their spending the holiday en masse at a luxurious ski resort. The location might be costly but the occasion was always about family. And they were welcoming her back into that family as if she had never abandoned it, never abandoned their golden boy of a son because he didn’t meet her high ideals.
    She had just enough grace to feel a little ashamed at accepting their hospitality.

    * * * * *
    Karl’s grandparents—the al eged reason for Elyce’s being at the cabin in the first place—seemed pleased to see her, but only in the usual way. She had to keep reminding herself that of course, they were the only ones there who had expected to see her al along. They didn’t know they were welcoming her back after a long absence.
    Karl’s grandmother, Joan, did make a few pointed remarks about how much smal er Karl’s family stil was than those of his siblings, but other than that she was perfectly pleasant as always.
    “We’l get back to you on that one, Jo-jo,” Karl said lightly as he steered Elyce away from his grandmother’s efforts to dig deeper about the prospect of more grandchildren. When he deemed they were a safe distance away, he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial murmur, glancing around to make sure nobody else was nearby. “Al right, we’re going to have to make a plan. I don’t have a present for you; you probably stil don’t have one for me. So what do you want for Christmas?”
    Elyce bit back her first answer, which would have been,
    “I don’t want anything from you.” She wasn’t surprised they were in the same dilemma, but she stil didn’t feel inclined to cut Karl any slack this holiday. He had invited her, so he should have already considered the gift issue.
    “Surprise me,” she said instead, smiling sweetly and looking around the room. Nobody seemed to be paying any attention to them. “What do you want for Christmas?”
    “You.”
    “That isn’t helpful.”
    “Not meant to be.”
    Elyce wanted to growl in exasperation but stifled the impulse. “Why don’t we each just go buy something for ourselves then we can wrap whatever that is and pretend to be surprised Christmas morning?”
    “No deal,” he said. “I require a present. If it can’t be you, at least it can be from you.” He was leaning closer, his hand tucked possessively around her upper arm, and his smile would have seemed seductive even to the casual passerby.
    Elyce told herself it did not seem seductive to her, not in the slightest. Nor was the brush of his fingers, stroking just above her elbow, any type of distraction.
    “Fine. I’l get you a scarf or something.”
    “I’l take what I can get,” said Karl, and kissed her without warning. It was a fairly restrained kiss, on the edge of family appropriate, but no chaste peck. When she started to pul away in protest he gripped her arm more tightly, as if reminding her of her purpose there. When he final y released her, he looked smug and she had to clench her nails into the palms of her hands to keep from slapping the look from his face. She was as angry at herself as she was at him, for the heavy sweep of desire that had knocked her off balance halfway through the kiss, and for the fact that her knees stil felt shaky after he pul ed away.

    “That was uncal ed for,” she whispered, with another saccharine smile for the benefit of any who might have noticed their interaction.
    “That was what you’re here for,” he reminded her, and then sauntered away as if nothing unusual had transpired between them.
    Elyce stood a moment and watched him walk over to join his brother by the fire, then turned and walked in the other direction, not sure where to go, feeling like she needed something to do with her hands. At a loss for another alternative, she joined Emily by the tree,