Read A Hero Grinch for Christmas for Free Online

bad hmm?” she asked.
    “It’s good.” He speared another bite. All his favorites were here. She even brought pie. Apple pie. He hadn’t had a home-cooked meal in what seemed like forever.
    He peeked in her direction. She ate silently. So it took food to shut her up?
    Several minutes later as he swallowed his last bite, he decided he preferred her chatter. She stood and carried her plate to the kitchen. He shoved his chair back and picked up his plate. Before he grabbed his silverware, she was back.
    “You set the table and warmed the food. I’ll clean up.” She began to clear the table.
    “I can clean up my own . . .” The words died on his lips when she spun to face him and slapped a hand on her hip
    “You’d be amazed at the increase in temperature in here if you’d take that chip off your shoulder.”
    “I thought we were getting along. We just had an enjoyable meal.”
    “I could tell you enjoyed the food. And I guess you enjoyed the silence after you told me to shut up.”
    “I asked if you ever did. There’s a difference.”
    “You don’t like me.”
    “I never said I didn’t like you.” He felt like an idiot standing here holding a plate arguing with a woman.
    “You’re not only impolite, you’re cold to me.”
    He leaned toward her. “You want me to get all warm and cozy with you?”
    She seemed surprised at first. Then she smiled. “Well, now that you mention it . . .” She let her voice trail off.
    His gut stirred. All he had to do was reach out, grab her, and haul her to his chest. Stopping himself cost brutal effort. He stepped around her and walked to the kitchen sink. As he rinsed off his plate, he heard her whisper.
    “Chicken.”
    But he wasn’t sure if she was referring to him or herself.

Chapter Seven
    Talk about a pain in the ass. Dani closed the cabinet door and shook her head. Why in the world did she allow the man into her head? He was grumpy, testy, and rude.
    Even so, he attracted her. The hollowness in his eyes made him appear lost, lonely. She never could pass up a lost puppy. She just hoped his bark was worse than his bite. He didn’t want her here. Although, she couldn’t be sure. Sometimes, his body language didn’t match the words coming from his sexy mouth.
    She looked in the next cabinet. “Crap.”
    “What are you looking for?”
    The deep voice behind her made her jolt. Her cheeks heated as she wondered if he could read her thoughts. “Wine?”
    “Follow me.”
    Anywhere.
    He opened a door she thought was a broom closet, and switched on a light at the top of a stairway. As they descended, she noticed the air held a significant chill. At the bottom, she looked around, surprised.
    “A wine cellar,” she exclaimed in delight.
    He grabbed two bottles and handed them to her. She glanced at the labels. Merlot. A nice fruity taste. She wondered if this one had any chocolate flavor. And Zinfandel. Hunter swaggered down another row searching for something. “Here.” He lifted a bottle, read the label, and then picked up another. “This should do.”
    “Are we having a party?”
    “Why trot down the steps every time we want a glass of wine?”
    Sounded good to her. “Nice cellar. Your uncle has a lot of wine down here.”
    “Denny liked his wine, but most of what he drank came out of a box. A buddy of mine talked him into building this.”
    Hunter’s mood had relaxed somewhat. At least he hadn’t said anything else about her leaving. As for the tension between them, she felt most of that was sexual. But he kept his distance and he still acted like a bear caught in a trap. Maybe the wine would loosen him up.
    Once upstairs, he pulled two crystal glasses from a cabinet and the wine bottle opener from a drawer.
    “So which one are you going to open?” Dani asked.
    “I think I’ll save the Pinot Noir for tomorrow. This evening, we can be more daring.”
    More daring? Open that bottle.
    “What do you consider more daring?” She knew very little about