Page 267 of Santa Daddies

She’d been worried it was going to turn into something more and she didn’t have time for that.

Getting out of bed, she glanced around for her suitcase. Where was it?

Confused, she decided to go looking for Anson.

“Anson?” she asked as she walked into the kitchen to find him at the oven. What was that burning smell?

He turned with a tray in his hand.

“What are you doing? Are those cookies?” she asked, brushing her hair off her face.

She suddenly realized that she should have checked what she looked like in the mirror before coming out here.

Because he looked as gorgeous as always. He was dressed in a T-shirt, open flannel shirt, and dark jeans.

So sexy.

And she likely looked like a wreck.

“They were meant to be. I thought you might like to ice them if you were feeling up to it today. But I don’t know what happened. They spread out and then after ten minutes in the oven, I could smell them burning. They don’t look anything like reindeer.”

She just stared at him for a long moment before she took in the cookies, which just looked like blobs.

“That was . . . that was really sweet.”

He snorted. “Maybe if they’d turned out right. You said you liked to bake cookies with your mom before Christmas.”

“I did.” She was shocked he’d done this. “I can bake some, though. Maybe you could help ice them. If you wanted.”

“I don’t want you doing too much while you aren’t feeling well,” he told her, setting the tray down before he limped over to her. He grasped hold of her chin, tilting her head back so he could study her.

“I’m feeling fine this morning.”

“You don’t look fine.”

Oh great. Why can’t you get anything right, Alice?

“I look terrible, huh? I would have showered and gotten dressed, done my hair and makeup but I can’t find my stuff. I’m so?—”

He put his finger over her lips. “Gonna stop you there.”

Shoot.

“Good call,” she said as he moved his finger away. “Do you know where my stuff is?”

“I do. I unpacked it for you. But you don’t need to shower and dress. Definitely don’t need makeup on. In fact, I want you to go back to bed and rest.”

“What?”

“You can walk around all day like that if you want. I won’t complain.” His gaze ran over her and she felt herself growing warm.

“But don’t I look like a mess?”

He raised his eyebrows. “No, you look sexy. But back to bed.”

“I don’t want to go back to bed.”

“You woke up in the night not feeling well,” he pointed out.