A light snow began falling as they marched toward the town center, sweet voices all around them singing “Silent Night.” So much nostalgia filled the air. It was more touching than anything Natalie had ever experienced before.

As she walked with her candle in her shaking hand, she was barely able to sing. She was surprised that the small flakes of snow didn’t extinguish the light, but it seemed that nothing, not even a winter storm, could stop the magic of this evening.

They reached the little park in the center of town, where a huge tree stood proudly with a stage to the left of it. The newcomers saw a small crowd of town residents already waiting for more people to arrive, and for the next twenty minutes, the festive caroling continued as more and more people joined in the celebration.

When the songs stopped, the mayor stepped up to a microphone and gave a short speech about the magic of the season and the blessings of living in a small community. Then another man stepped forward and the crowd clapped noisily.

“This year we’ve been blessed more than ever before. Our town continues to stay strong while other places struggle. And why? Because we genuinely care about each other, and because we know how to treat our neighbors. I expect each and every one of you to come and give me a kiss beneath the mistletoe.” He finished his remarks with a saucy wink at the crowd. Natalie found herself laughing along with everyone else.

“I’m sure Eileen will be the first person in that line,” Bethel said, making Eileen blush.

Eileen bristled. “That’s just not polite, Bethel.”

But Natalie noticed that Eileen was still gazing at the man who’d just left the lectern and microphone.

“Who is he?” Natalie asked.

“That’s Martin Whitman,” Maggie said. “He employs most of the people in this town at his oil plant. Has four very sexy sons, and they’re each just waiting for a woman to tame them.”

“Oh.” Natalie didn’t know what else to say to that.

“You’ll pretty much meet the entire town tonight,” Bethel told her, and for some reason Natalie found her own cheeks taking on major color. Just because she was meeting people, it didn’t mean that these nice women were trying to match her up with anyone. It wouldn’t do them any good anyway, as it seemed she couldn’t think of anyone other than the town’s sexy fire chief.

The talking stopped when Martin stepped over to a large box and pushed a button. The tree lit up instantly, and the crowd gave out a collective sigh.

“Come on, darling. Time to find that mistletoe,” Maggie said, and she took Natalie’s arm in hers as everyone began moving toward the fire station.

Natalie’s stomach dropped. Yes, because she could so easily picture kissing a certain person beneath the bunch of leaves and berries. And she’d be mortified if his mother knew the less than strictly religious thoughts that were running through her head. When they walked through the doors, there was barely room to move, let alone seek anyone out.

Yet somehow Natalie found herself beneath the mistletoe. And even more amazingly, she was standing right in front of the man she couldn’t stop thinking about.

“I’ve never been able to resist a beautiful woman beneath the mistletoe.”

That was all the warning she received before Hawk bent down and captured her lips. As festive partyers merged around them, Natalie saw no one, heard no one, and thought of nothing but Hawk and the way she felt with his lips caressing hers.

Why again did she try so desperately to avoid this man? Because when she was actually in his arms, all her insecurities faded and all she could think about was that this was perfect, it was right.

When he finally released her lips, he looked down into her eyes, and she knew she was his for the taking. It was too late for her to turn around this thing between them, because she wanted to get lost in his arms, and whether he wanted her for a day, or a maximum of three as the ladies at school were so fond of saying, then that’s what she’d give him.

Walking away at this point just wasn’t an option. “Wow,” she finally whispered and his lips turned up in a sexy grin.

“I was about to say the same thing. Want to go find all the places mistletoe is hung?”

“I was thinking that you could at least offer me a glass of eggnog first,” she replied, trying to rein in her passion. After all, they were surrounded by most of the town of Sterling.

“I think I can arrange that,” he said, freeing her from his arms but quickly capturing her hand and maybe capturing a little bit of her soul . . .

chapter

11

Way too much eggnog!

The party was over and her head was beyond fuzzy, but Natalie walked about the nearly empty firehouse with the other volunteers who’d offered to stay for cleanup. She wasn’t capable of doing much to help them, but she could at least say she was trying to help.

After a couple of dances with Hawk, the two of them had been separated, so here she was, trying to decide whether to go home alone or to wait him out. She knew she would rather wait, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to seem desperate. The alcohol was messing with her rational mind.

Music was playing softly over the speakers, smooth country tunes, mellow, relaxing. She felt her eyes grow heavy, and she spread herself out on the front of the nearest fire engine. The step was wide enough for her to get just a little rest.

No one would notice if she lay down for just a moment . . .

Before she knew it, she was asleep.

* * *

“See ya later, chief!”

Hawk watched as the last people trickled from the fire station. They’d done such a great job of cleaning, it didn’t even look like there’d been a party. Good. He liked it when things were all in order. He valued a job well done. Only one problem remained.

He’d been separated from Natalie too soon. He hadn’t been ready for their night to end, and he still wasn’t. And now as he turned out the lights and did his final walk-through of the station, he felt an odd emptiness settle inside him.

It was ludicrous. Hawk didn’t need to be around a woman to find fulfillment. He didn’t have to have companionship. But in the space of a couple of weeks, he’d found himself counting down the hours until he got to see Natalie again. The highlight of his day was when he walked into that gym and found her there, speaking with the children, smiling, gifting them with her laughter.

This was so far beyond anything he’d ever experienced before that he couldn’t even identify what exactly he was feeling. One thing he knew for sure, though—he wasn’t going to wait until Monday to see her again.

He couldn’t. He had to see her. Tonight.

Walking around the front of his line of fire engines, Hawk stopped in his tracks.

“What happened?” Natalie’s voice came out huskily as she began sitting up on the front bumper of the fire engine before him.

So Hawk didn’t have to go anywhere to find Natalie. She was within grasping distance. At the sight of her sleepy eyes and tousled hair, he could think only of taking her, right now.

“Everyone’s gone,” he said, his voice a low growl.

Her eyes widened, and then, even under the dim lights, he could see the change in her expression. She knew what came next. They both did.

He stopped trying to fight himself. This was inevitable from the moment he’d caught her in his arms that first day on the cold front porch of his rental property. He stepped forward, grasped her hands, and pulled her to her feet before kissing her, knowing this time he wasn’t going to be interrupted.

Urgently, almost frantic, Hawk reached for the hem of her sweater and yanked it over her head. He had to see her body, had to feel her naked skin against his as soon as his own clothes came off.

Her moans of pent-up desire encouraged him, and he grabbed her wool slacks and slid the zipper down. Within minutes she was standing before him in nothing but a lacy bra and matching fire-engine-red panties. Whoever had invented women’s underclothing should be thanked profusely, he told himself.

He’d get on that. Well, maybe not right now. He’d get on her instead.

“Let’s go inside,” he said, feeling a sudden urge to take her in his favorite fire engine. Yes, he knew that some of his men, just for the thrill of it, brought women to the fire department for a night of sex, but Hawk hadn’t even thought once about doing such a fantastical thing.

He doubted it was a great idea now—he’d never walk through these doors again without thinking of her—but they were hurtling forward at breakneck speed, and there was no reverse for the ride they were on.

He opened the door to the fire truck, and Natalie wobbled in that direction. She reached the first step on the truck, leaving her bent over with half her body inside the truck while her luscious behind presented itself right in front of his face, hanging outside the door.

Gripping her hips to stop her from going any farther, he ran his fingers along the smooth skin of her thighs, delighting in the panties that barely hid anything from his view. Her pleased gasp encouraged him to continue.

Spreading her thighs, he moved his fingers along the seam of those delectable panties, touching her moist folds and reveling in the slow purr she gave in response.

“So ready,” he whispered, wondering how he’d managed to wait this long to make love to this woman. Passion like this didn’t burn out. No. The only way to extinguish the fire burning within them both was by coming together in a blaze unlike anything he’d ever battled before.

As Natalie arched her back, lifting her derriere higher into the air, her hands clutching at the diamond-patterned floorboard of his truck, Hawk leaned forward and caressed the smooth skin of her behind with his tongue. He took a slight nip at one perfectly round cheek, and she wiggled her hips in return, wanting more. So much more.

He was more than willing to give it to her. Running his tongue down and around toward what he wanted so badly, he pulled on her hips so he could get a taste of her sweet, boiling-hot core.

So wet.

So willing.

The fabric of her panties was no barrier against his tongue or fingers. He slid them effortlessly out of his way so he could pay homage to her womanhood. He built her pleasure higher and higher until they were both ready to explode, and she was writhing beneath his expert tongue.

When he pulled back, she moaned in protest, but after a moment, she slowly climbed the rest of the way into the truck. Without any guidance from Hawk, Natalie bent forward over one of the jump seats and grabbed ahold of a hanging strap.

Hawk took his time. How could he not look his fill at the sweet image of her flushed skin, of her ass in the air, of her moist folds peeking out at him? Tempting him. He could gaze at her curvaceous body all night and be a happy man. Well, maybe gaze at her after he’d satisfied both of them.

Leaning forward, he unhooked her bra, freeing her beautifully round breasts, perfectly proportioned to fit in his hands. Reaching around while the softness of her backside cradled his still-clothed arousal, he squeezed her nipples with expert pressure, making her cry out. When her nipples hardened beneath his touch, he so wanted to flip her around and take the luscious tips inside his mouth.

But he had plenty of time for that. He had all night long to make love to her. Right now he had to feel himself sliding against her core. Pulling back a few inches, he shed his pants, allowing his arousal to spring free, and then he gripped himself before pushing forward toward his goal. He wanted so desperately to sink deep inside her hot body, but he didn’t want this exquisite moment ever to end.

So he ran the tip of his manhood against her wet heat, and he pushed the head against her provocatively. She pushed back against him. Her moans were his primary clue to her desires, and the clue was an unmistakable yes.

Hawk had never received so much pleasure from teasing a woman in this way, but he was throbbing as he ran his erection along the outside of her folds. The more she moaned, the more he wanted to prolong everything that was happening and not happening between the two of them.

But she had other ideas. She wiggled her behind, and he felt his engorged tip sink inside her tight heat. And then he was lost. With a hard thrust, Hawk was finally buried inside her, and he felt his world spin as she gripped him like a vise and pulsed around his staff.