“I plan to.” She waited while Cole helped her sister in. Instead of standing there, she could’ve climbed up on her own, but accepting a gallant gesture from a sexy guy in a Stetson was more fun.
He took care to make sure no part of her fringed skirt was in danger before gifting her with a smile and closing the door.
The little girl in her felt like a princess on her way to a ball where she’d dance with the prince. The woman in her savored the reality of heading to a party at a country-western bar where she’d dance with a dashing cowboy. And at the end of the night, she and the cowboy would make sweet love.
Whoever said you can’t have it all hadn’t met Cole Sterling.
Chapter Fifteen
When Cole walked into his first ever Christmas party with his fiddle case in hand and Mila by his side, he took heart. The noise level and general merriment stood a good chance of buffering the crappy memories that had haunted him all his life.
Sticking with Mila would help, too. He was glad that she’d chosen a dress that was Christmas-adjacent rather than on the nose. No embroidered candy canes, reindeer, Santa or decorated trees. Just a slinky white dress on a woman with the curves to make the most of it.
A quick glance at the hair clip holding her lustrous hair behind her right ear had indicated it was a jeweled wreath. He chose not to look closely. He’d rather focus on her mouth, anyway.
Dealing with her intense sensual appeal distracted him from all the holiday outfits everyone else had on, including the members of the Rooty Toots. With a little imagination, he could see this as just another night out at a country-western bar.
Luckily there hadn’t been much Christmas music in his parents’ house, just plenty of fighting as they blamed each other for their poverty. They fought about it all year but the arguments turned vicious at Christmas, the season of giving.
Soon after he parked his fiddle case on the bandstand and got settled with Mila at one of the Bridger tables, the Rooty Toots launched into a brisk version of Deck the Halls. Inviting Mila to dance, he plunged into the fray, taking Mila out on the floor for a fast two-step. Might as well jump into the deep end and find out if he could swim.
She laughed as he spun her under his arm and the fringe on her sleeve tickled his cheek. “Getting right into it, are we?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He pulled her close for a tantalizing second and then twirled her around again. “Like it?”
“Love it.” Happiness gleamed in her dark eyes.
Just what he was going for. He’d keep his demons at bay no matter what it took. For Mila.
He’d never danced to a Christmas carol before. The uniqueness of it added another layer of protection against those fudging ghouls that stalked him this time of year.
Her dress had fringe down the side seams as well as on the sleeves. Watching her hips as she made that fringe shimmy filled his head with thoughts so hot they banished the ghosts of Christmas past. He could do this.
Rooty Toot was clearly on fire. They followed up with another fast one, a rocking version of God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen. He tugged Mila back on the floor. Adrenaline was his friend tonight.
She was panting by the time they finished the number. “Enough. I need to?—”
As if the band had heard her plea, they switched to Silent Night played as a waltz.
He slid his hand behind her back. “Will this do?”
“Yes.” Holding his gaze, she fell into step with the slow, gliding pace. “Waltzing makes me feel like a princess.”
“You look like one in that dress.”
“I bought it in October. Tia Kat talked me into it.”
“I’m glad she did. Was that before or after the wedding?”
“After. She told me if I wanted to catch a certain cowboy, this was the dress that would do the trick.”
“A certain cowboy?”
“You, of course.”
Mila’s Auntie Kat had been on his side since October? Nice to know. “The dress looks great on you, but you didn’t need to put in extra effort. I was hooked a long time ago.”
She grinned. “Then let’s call it icing on the cake.”
