“I wouldn’t bet on it.”
He reached inside her jacket and ran his finger along the waistband of her jeans, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. “I’m not the one running around town with no panties.”
“Too bad.”
They watched a few more musical acts before Santa finally made an appearance. Led by his eight reindeer, and riding in the trademark gold and emerald green sleigh, he arrived to the tune of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” He waved cheerfully, shaking his belly and delighting the children, and apparently Cole, who grabbed her hand and pulled her from the edge of the crowd. Santa’s float passed the landing zone in front of Macy’s, a sure sign the three hour parade was drawing to a close. The crowd clapped and cheered as the jolly old elf did something completely unexpected and descended from his float.
He scanned the crowd, his gaze landing on Olivia.
When he started walking toward her, she had a moment of panic. Surely Cole wouldn’t ask Santa about the naughty list, would he? Or about how good her ass looked in Banana Republic jeans? She was pretty sure he wouldn’t mention the fact that she wasn’t wearing underwear. Then again, she’d learned long ago not to underestimate him. Oh, God. She was going to die of embarrassment. Stealing a look at him, she saw he looked as surprised as she felt.
“Ho, ho, ho,” Santa chortled, spreading his arms wide as if he meant to hug her. If she didn’t know any better, she’d have thought he was the real deal with his rich velvet suit and snowy white beard. She tucked her hands in her pockets, resisting the urge to give his beard a tug Miracle on 34th Street style. “Merry Christmas, Olivia!”
How the hell did he know her name?
“Um. Hi, Santa.” Because, yeah, what else could she say? She glanced around, seeing a number of envious children staring at her. Shouldn’t he be talking to the kids? Getting their wish lists or handing out candy canes? It had been a while since she’d sat on Santa’s lap, but she was pretty sure things hadn’t changed that much in the last twenty years.
“And what would you like for Christmas this year?” he asked, hooking his thumbs in the brown leather belt that wrapped around his massive mid-section. The bells on it tinkled, creating a melody that only Santa could pull off.
What did he expect her to ask for? Everything she needed was right next to her. She glanced at Cole. He shrugged, a mischievous grin lighting his face. No help there.
“Think you can manage world peace?” she asked, drawing on her pageant days. You could never go wrong with world peace.
“I’ll see what I can do.” He winked at her conspiratorially and reached into his pocket. “It’s a bit early, but I have a very special gift for you today.”
He pulled a small box out of his jacket. A robin’s egg blue box. Tiffany blue, with a white satin bow, to be exact.
Olivia froze.
With gloved fingers, he pressed the tiny box into her hand. “Go ahead, dear. Open it.”
Her eyes drifted to Cole, finding his gaze riveted on her. Was this what she thought it was? Hope blossomed in her chest, her heart slamming against her rib cage double-time. There was every possibility she was going to have a heart attack.
Surely not. It couldn’t be. Could it? With shaking hands, she pulled the bow loose, letting it drop to the ground and forgetting all about New York’s strict littering laws. She flipped the box open, revealing the most stunning diamond ring she’d ever seen. Cushion cut, it was surrounded by a row of tiny diamonds that stretched down the band. It was totally classic and totally her.
Cole dropped to his knee, bringing tears to her eyes. This was really happening. She couldn’t believe it, hadn’t dared let herself imagine this day.
“Olivia, I love you more than life itself, and if you do me the honor of becoming my wife, I will spend every day for the rest of my life proving it to you. Will you marry me?”
Unable to suppress her emotions, she felt tears of happiness leaking down her cheeks. “Yes!” she cried, laughing through her tears and trying to commit the feeling to memory. Words couldn’t describe the joy that was pouring from her heart. She was overwhelmed by it, knowing that she’d found her soul mate in Cole, knowing he’d be there with her each day for the rest of her life. Her equal, her partner. “Yes, yes, yes.”
He leapt to his feet, swept her up in his arms, and pressed her to his solid chest. As he spun her around, the floats and the crowd dissolved into nothing more than a distant blur. Then and there, he claimed her as his own for all the world to see. And secure in the knowledge Cole Bennett would be the last man she’d ever kiss, she crushed her lips to his, claiming him right back.
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