Hot Winter Nights

“You really think so?”

“I think I want that memory stick,” he said. “And a little chat with Janet.”

She nodded. “That’s my plan.”

“You mean our plan,” he said. “Partners, remember?”

It was getting hard to forget . . .

Lucas drove to the Christmas Village, doing his best to watch the road and not his partner as she once again managed a full costume change in his passenger seat. Only two wheels went off the road when she gave him an inadvertent peekaboo hint at a midnight blue silky thong. He was proud of himself for that.

“Whoa,” she said, sliding up against the door.

He grimaced and righted them, being more careful even though he got enough of a view of her breasts to know her bra was a matched set to the thong, one of those low-cut numbers that nearly revealed her nipples.

“You know it’s laundry day when I’ve reached the thong portion of my undie drawer,” Molly muttered, making adjustments. And then she leaned forward to shuck her socks and it happened—

Nipple-gate. Partial left nipple and full right nipple, both puckered tight, begging for his attention.

She was most definitely trying to kill him.

He must’ve made some inadvertent sound because she glanced over at him, followed his line of sight to her chest and rolled her eyes. “Keep your seats, ladies,” she murmured and tucked herself back into the bra. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’ve already seen it all.” Seen, tasted, licked, nibbled . . .

She slid around in her seat as if antsy. “That’s . . . different.”

He glanced over curiously. “How?”

“I don’t know,” she said, still squirming. “It just is.”

“You’re thinking about it.” He smiled. “And getting turned on.”

She looked down again, taking in the fact that her nipples were hard, pressing against the fabric of the dress. “Maybe I’m just cold,” she said.

“Are you?”

“No.”

He laughed softly and she blew out a breath. “It’s all your fault, you know,” she said. “You’ve turned me into some kind of a sex fiend.”

He opened his mouth to say something entirely inappropriate when her phone buzzed an incoming call.

“It’s Mrs. Berkowitz,” she said and answered on speaker. “Are you okay?”

“Why does Santa go down the chimney?”

Molly blinked. “What?”

“It’s a joke, dear. Why does Santa go down the chimney?”

“Uh . . .” Molly looked at Lucas and then shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Because Mrs. Claus said he could never go in the back door!” Mrs. Berkowitz yelled cheerfully.

Lucas choked out a laugh.

“Have you been drinking?” Molly asked Mrs. Berkowitz.

“Yes! There’s spiked wine.”

Molly looked pained. “Wine is already spiked.”

“Well this is the good stuff,” Mrs. Berkowitz said. “We were going to dance, but some of the elves are worried about their hip and knee replacements going out, so we’re just drinking.”

“Switch to water,” Molly ordered. “We’re nearly there. And don’t get on that bus!”

“I won’t,” she said happily. “Because I’m already on it!”

“Is it moving?” Molly asked.

“I’ll take another!” Mrs. Berkowitz yelled to someone. “Make it a double!”

“Mrs. Berkowitz,” Molly said. “Talk to me. Is Janet on the bus with you?”

“Told you, she blew us off. Gotta go, dear. The male elves are going to put on a striptease for us.” Then she disconnected.

Molly stared at her phone, looking worried. “If something happens to her—”

“We’ll make sure it doesn’t,” Lucas said grimly. “Hang tight.” He accelerated, and five minutes later he pulled them into the lot.

Molly was sitting forward, trying to peer through the dark, foggy night. “I don’t see a bus.”

Neither did Lucas. He parked and they got out and found the entire village seemingly deserted. Lights off. Dark. Quiet.

Not good.

Molly turned in a slow circle. “I’ve got a really bad feeling about this.” She stopped short. “Whoa, wha—”

“Shh.” Having already seen what she just saw, Lucas backed her up to the shadows.

The north end of the lot was completely filled with cars, all parked against the very back two rows in the darkest area.

Lucas turned to Molly. “What are the chances you’re going to go back to the car and lock yourself in and let me handle this?”

“Zero,” she said. “But since I’m not interested in getting either of us hurt, I promise that if it gets dangerous on top of fishy-as-hell, I’ll do whatever you say.”

He slid her a look. “For the entire night?”

“You know what I mean!”

Yeah, he did, but it was fun to watch her mind join his in the gutter. He took her hand and pulled her in closer to his side. “Stay close.”

They kept to the shadows, which wasn’t hard since the whole place was dark.

“It’s creepy,” she whispered.

She was definitely right about that. There was something horror-movie-waiting-to-happen about the village being shut down like this. No one was taking tickets and the gate was locked.

And the lot oddly full.

Lucas eyed Molly’s short little dress. “I can climb that gate, do what has to be done, and be back in here five minutes.”

“I don’t hear the ‘we’ in that statement,” she said.

Shit. He gave her a leg up and boosted her over the fence, absolutely taking a good long look at the midnight satin thong wedged up her world-class ass.

“Did you just peek up my costume?” she whispered, climbing down the other side of the fence so slowly that he vaulted it and landed before she did.

“Yes.” He put his hands on her waist and lifted her down. “You can yell at me later. I really like those panties. I’m going to take them off with my teeth later.”

She wobbled and he righted her. With a smile, he took her hand and headed toward the offices, suddenly distracted by a rhythmic sound of applause that didn’t fit in with the deserted grounds.

“What the—” she murmured and in unison they switched directions and headed toward the bingo hall. The shades on the windows were drawn, and from the outside looking in, it appeared to be as dark as the rest of the place.

Except for one of the five windows on the west wall where they stood showed the slightest sliver of light at the bottom where the shades weren’t quite lined up with the windowsill.

The applause had stopped, but a minute later it came again.

“Why are they doing bingo on the sly?” she asked.

Lucas shook his head and then stilled as he heard someone coming, footsteps light. Unafraid.

Two seconds later, an elf came down the path. She was at least seventy, and both smoking and coughing at the same time.

“Shirley,” Molly said. “Hey. You’re working tonight?”

Shirley stopped and blinked. “Yes. Why aren’t you on the bus with the others on your way to Reno?”

“I’m working tonight too,” Molly said easily.

“Oh,” Shirley said. “I didn’t realize. Only the . . . special elves are working tonight.”