by Linda Engman
April wrung her hands, waiting for him to tell her to get out. She wouldn’t blame him if he did. She’d done nothing to stop him and in fact had jumped all over the guy the minute he started kissing her.
Without warning he grabbed her left hand and brought it up in front of them both, looking from her ring-less finger to the shocked blush that covered her face. “Where the hell is your engagement ring?”
Speechless, she shrugged. “I…I took it off.”
“But why?”
She pulled her hand out of his larger one and took a step back, putting some much needed distance between them. “That’s for me to know and well, frankly, for you not to.”
He laughed coldly and placed his hands on his lean, towel-clad hips. “Now that’s the Miss Sutton I know. Welcome back.”
She sighed heavily as her temper flared. “All right, if you must know—my fiancé decided to marry some Swedish model while in Paris, and somehow forgot he was already engaged to me. Now that I think of it, you two seem to have a lot in common.” She couldn’t believe the weird turn of events her evening was suddenly taking.
Ignoring her barb, he instead looked very satisfied at her explanation, even having the audacity to break out into a heart-stopping smile. “Good—then you can marry me.”
Praise for Linda Engman
and I’VE GOT YOU…
“The writing is fantastic. I absolutely loved the characters. Enjoyed every single minute of it. Romance enthusiasts will fall in love with I’VE GOT YOU. Be sure not to miss out on this must-read story.”
~Long and Short Reviews
~*~
“Her major talent is bringing a story to life. Definitely a book that warmed my heart and can’t wait for more by Linda Engman.”
~Night Owl Reviews
~*~
“This is a wonderful book to get lost in…I highly recommend you read this book…cannot wait to read more by this author.”
~The Romance Studio
~*~
and FALLING FOR YOU…
“Really enjoyed this story…you are blown away. Highly recommend.”
~Single Title Reviews
~*~
“Impressed me! Loved the ending.”
~Sizzling Hot Reviews
Manhattan
Holiday
by
Linda Engman
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Manhattan Holiday
COPYRIGHT Ó 2011 by Linda S. Engman
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by Rae Monet, Inc. Design
The Wild Rose Press
PO Box 706
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706
Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com
Publishing History
First Champagne Rose Edition, 2011
Print ISBN 1-60154-984-9
Published in the United States of America
Dedication
To all the romance readers,
including my mom and myself,
who love fun, romantic big-city stories.
Enjoy.
Linda
Chapter One
Roman Vasquez.
The name made April grimace as she looked at her daily schedule. The man was slotted for two o’clock, and there was nothing she could do about it.
“April, do you have the updated list of appointments?”
She looked up from her computer and replaced her frown with a smile of complacency.
“Yes, of course,” she answered, noticing how closely her boss, Henry Bressler, was scrutinizing her from the doorway of his office as seasonal music played overhead. To one corner, the office Christmas tree twinkled; the modern, silver version appropriate for a prestigious Manhattan law firm.
“Is there a problem, April?”
“No, not at all,” she lied, not wanting to reveal there was indeed a problem, and it wasn’t the fake tree. Instead her quandary came in a six-foot-two muscled package with dark gleaming hair and sexy brown eyes. “Here’s the revised list for the rest of the day. I moved Mr. Fields to nine o’clock tomorrow morning. That way you can leave early tonight and not be late for your dinner date with your very understanding wife.”
April reached across her desk and handed her boss the list, wishing the day could be over.
Henry Bressler scanned the appointments, nodding as he gave her a quick grin. “Thank you, April. You’re a lifesaver. If I forget another dinner date with Elle, she’ll have my head. Plus we’re scheduled to attend some holiday party afterward. One of those swanky get-together things with someone playing a baby grand, lots of candles, and little food things on trays.” He made a typical disgruntled male expression and glanced over his appointments again. “Hey, great—Roman Vasquez is next. Send him in right away when he gets here. Oh, and bring in some coffee after he arrives. He said the last time he was here how great your coffee was.”
April nodded. Her smile melted away as her boss went back into his office and closed the door. Coffee, she fumed. Of course Roman Vasquez liked her coffee.
She had a business degree from Northwestern University, graduating at the top of her class, plus a postgraduate degree in legal studies from Columbia. Not to mention she’d secured the position of head legal assistant at Bressler and Bressler, and all Roman Vasquez could acknowledge her for—was her coffee.
This didn’t surprise her one bit.
Arrogant and self-assured, Roman Vasquez was everything she detested in a man. Too good-looking, cocky, unbelievably smart and wealthy, the man walked through life like he owned it. Every time he visited the law offices of Bressler and Bressler, it was like having a tropical storm blow through.
And she despised the way she felt around him. Each time she encountered him her body would tingle, her heart racing with a beat of betrayal, and her mind refused to function at all, which never failed to make her feel like some dorky small-town girl with a crush.
But the most unforgivable part was the man acted as if she’d personally done him some horrible wrong. To others he was warm and friendly, with an over-the-top personality that demanded attention. With her he was the complete opposite. Time and again he seemed ill at ease, giving her narrowed looks from his dark eyes and nothing but firm grimaces from his already hard mouth.
It was almost as if he knew what she thought of him.
“Having a bad day, Miss Sutton? You look a little strung out.”
April glanced up from her computer, directly into the fathomless depths of Roman Vasquez’s eyes. Immediately she felt her face blush as if she had been caught doing something underhanded. “Of course not,” she snapped, gentling her attitude with a forced smile. “I mean, nice to see you, Mr. Vasquez. Happy Holidays.”
“Yeah, guess it’s that time of year again.”
Ugh. Typical man. Not into the holidays. “Yes, it seems that way.” To fill the void in their dismal conversation, she pushed the crystal candy dish that rested on her desk toward him. “Care for a chocolate?”
He shrugged and grabbed a large handful, emptying half of the contents in one swoop. Aghast at the man’s audacity, she watched him unwrap the gold foil from one of the pricey chocolates and pop it into his mouth. “Thanks…these are good,” he mumbled, chewing and unwrapping yet another piece.
>
She bit back a nasty retort, feeling flustered now as he continued to stare down at her while he did nothing but loiter at her desk, consuming one Godiva chocolate after another, apparently content to empty the bowl in one visit. She made a mental note to supply it with tooth-busting rock candy next time. “Uh, well…you seem to be early, but I’m sure Mr. Bressler is ready for you. You may go in if you like.”
“Cool,” was all he mumbled, seemingly not in a hurry.
He pilfered yet another handful of candy and jammed the chocolates into his jacket pocket, then gave her another long, unreadable look before moving to knock on her boss’s door. She held her breath—and her temper—in check. As soon as the door closed, she let out a long sigh of relief. She hadn’t heard him approach her desk and wondered how long he had been watching her as she stared mindlessly like an idiot at her computer screen.
The man was a menace.
If he hadn’t been one of Bressler and Bressler’s top clients, she would have loved to tell him off months ago.
Six months, to be exact. That was when she first laid eyes on him and all his incredible assets. Her thoughts easily retraced back to that fateful day. She’d been late getting to work because of a dental appointment and was promptly called into the conference room by Henry to meet B&B’s new client. Her boss had already informed her that the firm would be handling all contracts, acquisitions, mergers, and developments for Vasquez Engineer and Building. When she entered the conference room, she expected the usual fifty-something older man with a balding head—what she encountered was Roman Vasquez.
Henry had spotted her hovering by the doorway and motioned for her to join him. With the room filled with lawyers and associates, she observed Roman Vasquez for only a brief moment before being introduced. In that minute she saw the most magnificent, confident, and overpowering human being she’d ever laid eyes on. Lethally smooth and polished in an expensive suit, he had everyone under his spell. Even old Henry Senior had a grin on his weathered face as he conversed with the firm’s new client.
Her heart pounded uncontrollably and her mouth went dry as she approached. Meeting the man was like nothing she had ever experienced before. To April it was like facing a big, smoldering volcano; you knew it was dangerous territory but couldn’t help but be fascinated. Under that calm outer surface lay a fiery interior lethal to anyone who ventured too close. Trying to act natural, she willed herself to behave professionally. She put her best legal assistant smile on her face and reached out her hand in greeting.
What she got from Roman Vasquez was confusing to say the least. His dark eyes narrowed, and the secretive, cocky grin disappeared into a tight firm line. His tall, well-built body straightened and tensed. His firm handshake was awkward, stiff, and indisputably brief.
Weird.
April mentally shook herself back to the present situation and tore her eyes way from her boss’s closed office door, deciding to make a refreshment tray as instructed. After all, Henry hadn’t meant to offend when he mentioned her coffee; she knew how much he appreciated her hard work and how far she’d come to achieve what she had. And she loved him for it. They worked well together, and she didn’t for one minute think he would ever abuse their working relationship. Over the past four years they’d formed a tight working friendship, despite her initial misgivings. She’d been suspicious of his warm smiles and friendly demeanor at first, especially coming from an athletic, handsome thirty-something—until he announced he was getting married and settling down. Ever since, they’d been a great working team, with her trusting him completely.
In the small kitchenette of the law office she set to work on grinding fresh coffee beans, waiting patiently for the coffeemaker to finish brewing, all the while fuming about the man in the other room. For some reason, Roman Vasquez seemed to push all her buttons the wrong way. The guy was too everything with his high-powered construction company, fast-paced private life, and all that lean, muscled body and devilish smile. He was even a decorated military vet with a perfect record. She also knew he stayed in top shape by rock climbing and surfing.
The man surfs, for goodness’ sake.
Peevishly, she folded her arms across her breasts, trying not to think of what he would look like in nothing but a pair of board shorts. Or how his jet-black hair would look gleaming wet, his muscled chest matted with dark hair, his long legs carrying him out of the foaming sea—
“So, girlfriend, have you thought about coming to Miami for New Year’s?”
April jumped guiltily. “Oh…Emily,” she sputtered, undoubtedly warm under her clothes.
“Florida? Remember?” Emily questioned again, a wry smile on her face.
“Yes, I remember and I appreciate the invitation to your family’s home, but I don’t think I should impose on your holiday,” she replied, wavering over the decision to go somewhere tropical and balmy for the New Year’s holiday.
Emily Langford frowned back, tossing her sleek black hair over one shoulder as her brownish-topaz eyes danced with fire. “Why in the world would you want to stay in snowy Manhattan with the howling winds instead of coming with Jake and me to Florida?”
A jazzed-up version of “White Christmas” played overhead as April grinned back at her friend, loving how she could argue a point as if in court. Friends for the past half-year, ever since Emily joined the exclusive firm as a lawyer, the two seemed like complete opposites, yet in the previous months they’d found much in common.
April took a tray from the shelf and added two china saucers and cups to it. “I’d feel like a third wheel—that’s why.”
“No, you won’t. My mother will be there. Plus we always have tons of friends and family coming over. Mom has the house all decorated for the holidays with three gorgeous Christmas trees, the food is amazing, there’s twinkle lights everywhere—you know how you love twinkle lights—we can shop, lay by the pool, sip cocktails with umbrellas. And the best part of the weekend is that we can ring in the New Year dancing at some hot club all night in sequined mini-dresses and get totally trashed on expensive champagne. You’ll have fun, trust me,” Emily pleaded.
April added bakery Christmas cookies to a doily-covered plate. “Sexy sequined mini-dresses? Trashed on champagne? My councilor, but you paint such a pretty picture of the holidays.”
Emily ignored her. “Seriously, April, you need to get away from this city and from the memories of Todd. Oh, my gosh! Don’t tell me you’re still wearing that jerk’s ring?”
April looked down at her left hand to the overly large, gaudy pink diamond that still rode on her finger. “I meant to take it off for good this morning, but I couldn’t yet. Henry knows all about what Todd did, but I’m really not looking forward to explaining to everyone else in the office that my loving fiancé totally lost his mind and up and married a big-breasted, blonde-haired model while on business in Paris.”
Her heart sunk again like a doomed ship at the thought of what happened eight weeks ago. Todd, her trusted, loving fiancé, had turned into nothing more than a lusting, mindless…man. He’d gone off and impulsively married some twenty-year-old Swedish model who was nothing but breasts and legs. Okay, so what’s your point?
“Trust me, you’re so much better off without him,” Emily offered, sounding relieved. “Now about that ring?”
“I know, I know. I’ll take it off tonight after work,” April promised, noticing the satisfied look on her friend’s exquisite features.
“Please do. I don’t want to see that thing when we go out to dinner tonight. And can you please let me know by this evening what your holiday plans are. I need to phone my mother tomorrow and let her know if you’re coming or not. But really, think about it. Fun, sun, cute tanned hunks on the beach…” Emily tempted, adding a saucy wink.
“You are impossible.” April smirked and nodded as she finished pouring two coffees. “Yes, I will think about it. Now if you’ll excuse me, Roman Vasquez is in with Henry—and apparently my coffee is in big demand this afte
rnoon,” she stated dryly, adding a mocking smile before carrying the tray down the hall.
At her boss’s door, she awkwardly shifted the tray in one hand and somehow managed to open the door. The minute she entered the room, she felt the sting of Roman Vasquez’s gaze on her. Surprised, she watched him leap to his feet and come forward, looming over her as he took the tray from her shaking hands. With his handsome Latin features inscrutable, he watched her closely, their eyes locking together in an odd heated exchange.
“Thank you,” she murmured, wishing she could stop blushing. For some reason he always managed to make her hot all over. Ugh. Junior high all over again.
“Uh…yeah, don’t mention it.”
“Great. Thank you, April,” Henry spoke, continuing the conversation as Roman Vasquez placed the tray on Henry’s desk.
April exited discreetly. She was glad her boss hadn’t needed her for anything else, whether it be note-taking or reading over a contract.
At least for the rest of her day, she was spared any more contact with Roman Vasquez.
****
Roman watched as April Sutton quietly disappeared from the room. Medium height and curved in all the right places, with pretty caramel-blonde hair, violet eyes, and creamy satin skin, she had the ability to make him speechless like no other woman had ever done before.
It was that way every time he saw her, and it was getting worse. She wasn’t even his so-called type. When he had the time to date, he went out with women who were a little wild and carefree; the type who knew how to cut loose in their lives, and if they happened to be tall with long legs—that didn’t hurt either. He never really got into the serious types who could, with determined scorn, look down their noses at him.
That was what really got him in the gut. Granted he’d been tongue tied around her at their first meeting and couldn’t stop staring at her like a complete moron, besides feeling a little sick to his stomach, but did she really have look at him like he was some kind of loser? Ever since that day, he bore the brunt of her displeasure every time he glanced in her direction. On the other hand, when she blushed from one of his lame remarks, it was obvious proof the woman wasn’t immune to him—at least not as much she wanted him to believe.
