Free New Year’s Kisses by Rhian Cahill

more kids outside and again fought the urge to flee. Talli nudged him from behind; there was no getting out of what he’d agreed to do.
    “Keep going. It’ll be a rush to be ready before the parents get here as it is. Don’t need you dawdling.” She bumped him again. “C’mon, Dean, move it.”
    With only one choice, he followed the woman in front. They crossed the room full of kids and moved into a larger one filled with rows and rows of seats. The area in front of the chairs was set up with a large Christmas tree and a throne that was obviously meant for Santa. A rock settled in Dean’s stomach and he turned his head to look at Talli.
    “Tell me I am not dressing up as Santa,” he growled.
    Her eyes rounded as her gaze darted to meet his. Talli shook her head. “No. You’re n-not Santa.”
    Okay, that was good. So why did the look on her face make the rock sink deeper? They reached the front of the room and there was no more time to press for details.
    “I thought you could set up over here behind the tree.” The woman put the bags and boxes down. “That way the little ones won’t get into any of your equipment and you’re close to it for when we do the Santa pictures. You can use my office and the storeroom to get changed.”
    “Thanks, Em.” Talli moved passed him. “Speaking of Santa, did he arrive yet?”
    “Yeah,” Em grumbled. “I cannot believe that man is going to hold me to my promise.”
    Talli laughed. “C’mon, one date with Wade won’t kill you.”
    “No, but it might kill him.” Em smiled. “I’m sure I’ll survive. You know where everything is, but yell if you need something.”
    “I think I’ve got everything, but thanks. We’ll get set up.”
    Dean placed his load of boxes on the floor behind the tree. A closer look at the branches showed the decorations were handmade and he smiled at the misshapen, brightly colored snowmen, reindeer, and Santas. On the very top was an oversized star made of tinfoil. Smiling, he turned to point them out to Talli, only she didn’t give him a chance.
    “Here.” She shoved a plastic bag at him. “That’s a storeroom. You can get changed in there and I’ll use Em’s office.”
    He took the bag, but before he could look inside Talli moved behind him and placed both hands on his back. She gave him a hard shove and he had to step forward or fall on his face. Pushing until she’d maneuvered him into the small room, Dean found himself shut in before he could spin around and protest. Resigned to the inevitable, he open the bag and pulled out the item on top. Dean sucked in a breath.
    “No.” She hadn’t.
    Dropping the red and green bundle on the floor, he reached into the bag for the next piece.
    “Hell no.” She couldn’t have.
    Dean tipped the bag up and stared as a pile of red, green, and white velvet and fur at his feet. What the hell was Talli thinking? There was no way he was putting that thing on. Especially seeing how there didn’t appear to be enough material to cover his extra large body. He used his foot to spread the costume out and almost choked when he got a good look at the pants, or more accurately – tights .
    “Talli!”

Excerpt from Drawing Closer by Jenny Schwartz
    Zoe bit the tip of her paintbrush, grimaced and reached hastily for her bottle of water. Ugh, much as she needed to break the habit of biting the tip of the paintbrush while thinking, perhaps coating it in gag-inducing Vegemite was a bit extreme.
    “You can’t be a true Aussie. Every Aussie kid loves their Vegemite sandwiches.”
    The laughter in Nick Gordon’s deep voice sent a shiver down Zoe’s spine. Not that she was about to show him how he affected her. No way. No how. She’d seen how he treated the women who responded to his sex god looks. He had it down pat, one long gaze down and up the length of their body, then one blond eyebrow lifted in derision and he turned away. Zoe valued their friendship too highly to risk him turning