“No one will believe that.”
“You wouldn’t stop?” She did her best not to sound disapproving. “You have to help people. It’s good karma.”
“Maybe I don’t believe in karma.”
“You don’t have to—it still happens. I think the universe keeps the score pretty even.”
“Doubtful. If that were true, I wouldn’t be a success.”
“Why not?”
“Haven’t you read anything about me? I’m a total bastard. I hired you to prove otherwise.”
“If you were a total bastard, you would have had Tim arrested the second you found out what he’d done. You were willing to let him pay back the money.”
“Only because I didn’t want the negative press.” He glanced at her. “Be careful, Annie. Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m nicer than I am. You’ll only get hurt.”
Maybe. But didn’t his warning her prove her point?
The hotel ballroom was large, elegant and extremely well-lit. Music from a suit-wearing combo drifted under the hum of conversation. Annie held on to her glass of club soda and lime and did her best not to look panicked. Well-dressed people chatted and laughed with each other. There were enough diamonds glittering to stretch from here to Montana. She had a feeling the cost of all the designer shoes would easily settle the national debt.
Duncan’s world was an interesting place and about as far from her classroom as it was possible to get while staying on this planet. Still, she was here to do a job, so she remained by his side, smiling at him adoringly, endlessly shaking hands with people whose names she would never remember.
“How long have you and Duncan been dating?” a well-dressed woman in her forties asked.
“Three months,” Annie said. “We met on Labor Day weekend.”
“That’s an eternity for our Duncan. You must be special.”
“He’s the special one,” Annie said.
“You’re not exactly his type.”
Duncan must have heard. He put his arm around Annie and pulled her against him. “My type has changed.”
“So I see.”
Annie leaned into him, finding the closeness less awkward than she would have expected. Duncan was tall and well muscled. She could feel the power of him, but instead of making her nervous, his strength made her feel protected and safe. As if nothing bad could happen while he was around.
An illusion, she reminded herself. But a nice one.
When the woman moved away, Duncan led Annie over to another group of people and performed more introductions. One of the men there worked for a business magazine.
“Mind if I ask you a few questions?” he asked.
“No,” she said. “As long as you don’t mind me being nervous.”
“Not into the press?”
“Not really.”
“You can’t date a guy like Duncan Patrick and expect to go unnoticed.”
“So I’ve been told.”
The man, slight and pale, in his mid-thirties asked, “How did you meet?”
She gave him the story about the Labor Day tire trouble. He didn’t look convinced.
“Someone said you teach?”
“Kindergarten. I love working with kids. They’re so excited about school. I know that it’s up to me to keep that excitement alive, to prepare them to be successful in the education system. If we can show young children the thrill of learning, we can keep them in school through graduation and make sure they get to college.”
The reporter blinked at her. “Okay. So why Duncan Patrick?”
She smiled. “Because he’s a terrific guy. Although I have to tell you, the first thing I noticed was his laugh. He has a great laugh.”
The reporter blinked again. “I’ve never heard him laugh.”
“Then I guess you’re going to have to be more funny.”
Duncan moved toward them. “Charles,” he said, shaking the other man’s hand. “Good to see you.”
“You, too.”
Duncan turned his attention to her. “Let’s dance,” he said, taking the glass from her and putting it on a tray by the wall. He grabbed her hand and led her from the reporter.
Annie waved at Charles, then tapped Duncan on the arm. “I don’t really dance.”
“It’s not hard. I’ll lead.”
She didn’t know if that would help. “Do you think we could convince everyone to play Duck, Duck, Goose instead? Because I’m really good at that.”
Duncan stopped, turned to her and started to laugh. She was pleased to realize she hadn’t lied about his laugh—it was great.
“You’ll be fine,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
“Okay, but I apologize in advance for stepping on your toes.”
Despite the fact that he was taller, she fit easily against him. He moved with a sureness that made him easy to follow, guiding her with his body and the hand on her waist. After a few steps, she managed to relax a little.
He smelled good, she thought absently. Clean but masculine. His suit was soft under her fingers as she rested her hand on his shoulder. Heat enveloped her. Heat and something else. The whisper of a tingle low in her belly.
Annie kept moving on the outside, but on the inside, everything went still. Tingles? There weren’t supposed to be any tingles. This was a job. She couldn’t have feelings for Duncan Patrick. She shouldn’t like him or be attracted to him. He was her boss and their time together was just for show.
Maybe it was just because she hadn’t been on a date in so long, she told herself. It was like being really hungry. Any kind of food would make her stomach growl, even something she didn’t really want. Duncan was a good-looking guy. Of course she would respond. But she was smart enough to be careful. This was kind of like a fairy tale. She was Cinderella and the ball would end at midnight. Or in her case, Christmas. Only, there wouldn’t be a shoe to leave behind and in the end, no handsome prince would come after her.
Annie held up better than he’d expected, Duncan thought two hours later. She’d managed to tell the story of his stopping to help her with her flat tire a dozen times. She was so enthused and sincere, even he was starting to believe her. The guests at the party seemed equally charmed and confused by Annie. He’d caught more than one questioning look, as if they were wondering what he was doing with someone so…nice.
Even Charles Patterson, a business reporter, had liked Annie. All Duncan needed was a couple of favorable articles to balance the negative ones.
He collected the drinks from the bartender and returned to Annie’s side. He handed her the club soda with lime she’d requested—so far she hadn’t had any alcohol—and bent toward her as she touched his arm.
“I was telling Charles that his information is wrong,” she said to Duncan. “You’re not closing a shipping facility in Indiana, are you?” Her eyes widened. “It’s practically Christmas. Not only wouldn’t you put people out of work for the holidays, but it’s your busiest season. You need all the workers you can get.”
She was half-right, Duncan thought grimly. This was his busy time, but he’d had every intention of closing the facility. The rural routes it served weren’t profitable.
Annie stared at him, waiting for his response. He had a feeling she wasn’t playing—that she actually believed he wouldn’t want to put people out of work at Christmas. Charles looked smug, no doubt assuming the worst, which had always worked for him in the past.
Duncan swore silently and reminded himself that currently his reputation was more important than the bottom line.
“Annie’s right,” he said easily. “The facility is staying open at least through the first.”
Charles raised his eyebrows. “Can I quote you on that?”
Duncan nodded.
“Interesting.” The reporter moved away.
“Why would he think that about you?” she asked when they were alone. “No one would be that mean. It’s Christmas.” She took a sip of her drink. “It’s my favorite time of year
. In my family, we’re big believers in more-is-more at the holidays.” She laughed. “We always buy a really huge tree and then can’t get it home, let alone in the house. Last year we had to cut off the top two feet, which is kind of sad. But they don’t look that big on the lot. Then there’s the decorating, the baking. I love Christmas carols. Jenny and Julie start to complain after a couple of days, but I keep playing them. Then we have Christmas movie-fest weekends when we watch all our favorites. What are some of your traditions?”
“I don’t have any.”
Her eyes widened. “Why not?”
“It’s just a day, Annie.”
“But it’s Christmas. That makes it more than a day. It’s about family and love and giving and imagining the best in the world.”
“You’re too naive. You need toughening up.”
“And you need to spend some quality time listening to Christmas carols. Don’t you decorate your house?”
He thought of his expensive condo and the look on his housekeeper’s face if he dragged in a live tree to shed on the bamboo flooring.
“I usually travel for Christmas. Skiing or maybe somewhere warm.”
“What about your family?”
“There’s only my uncle and he does just fine without me.”
She looked confused, as if he’d started speaking a foreign language. “Next you’re going to tell me you don’t exchange gifts.”
“We don’t.”
She winced. “Tradition is important. Being together. It’s special.”
“Have you been a hopeless romantic your whole life?”
“Apparently. How long have you been a complete cynic?”
“Decades.”
She surprised him by laughing. “At least you’ll admit it. They say that’s the first step in starting the healing process.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“Want to take a survey of ten random people? I’ll put my Christmas traditions up against your noncelebration and we’ll see who falls on the side of normal.”
“I don’t need anyone else’s opinion to tell me I’m right.”
She grinned. “You don’t have to go to the gym, do you? Carrying around that ego is enough of a workout.”
“It keeps me in shape.”
She laughed again. The sound made him smile. She was prettier than he’d first thought. Opinionated when she forgot to be shy. Loyal to the point of stupidity, at least when it came to her brother, but everyone had flaws. The answers she’d e-mailed earlier had given him facts about her life but hadn’t told him much about who Annie really was. In a practical sense, she was what he’d needed—a nice girl. But she was also appealing in a lot of ways.
Without thinking, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth against hers. She stiffened slightly before relaxing into the kiss. Her mouth was soft and yielding. Aware of the people around them, he drew back. As he straightened, he heard the sound of her breath catch and caught the flash of surprise in her eyes. Then she blinked and it was gone.
“You didn’t say anything about kissing,” she whispered, her voice a little husky. “I think we’re going to need a special clause to cover that.”
“The kissing clause?”
She nodded. “Set limits early and reinforce them.”
He chuckled. “I’m not one of your students.”
“That doesn’t mean you won’t be getting a time-out.”
Four
Duncan arrived on time for his weekly lunch with his uncle. A tradition, he thought as he walked into the restaurant. Annie would be proud.
Lawrence was already there, sitting at their usual table, a Scotch in front of him. The older man waved him over.
“I didn’t order you one,” Lawrence said as he stood and the two men shook hands. “I know you don’t drink during business hours.”
They sat down. Duncan didn’t bother with the menu. He had the same thing every week. The server brought him coffee, then left.
“Good job,” Lawrence said, tapping the folded newspaper next to his place setting. “The article is positive. You said you wouldn’t be closing the Indiana facility before Christmas. You can’t change your mind now.”
“I won’t.”
“The girl sounds interesting. What’s her name?”
“Annie McCoy.”
“Is she really a kindergarten teacher?”
“Yes. She’s exactly who you told me to find. Nice, connected to her family, pretty and articulate.”
“The reporter is smitten,” Lawrence said and picked up his glass. “How long are you going to see her?”
“Until Christmas.”
His uncle’s gray eyes sharpened. “It’s strictly business?”
Duncan thought about the brief kiss he and Annie had shared, then did his best to convince himself he’d only done it for show. “We’re not dating, if that’s what you’re asking. I’ve hired her to do a job, nothing more.”
“I’d like to meet her.”
“You’re too old for her.”
His uncle grinned. “We’ll let her be the judge of that.”
They ordered lunch and talked business through the meal. On the way to his car, his cell phone rang. He looked at the screen—the number was unfamiliar.
“Yes?”
“Hi. It’s Annie.”
They had a business dinner to attend tomorrow night. “Is there a scheduling problem?”
“No. We’re going to get our Christmas tree this afternoon and I thought you might want to come with us.”
He stared at the phone a second before putting it back against his ear. “Why?”
He heard the smile in her voice as she spoke. “Because it’s fun and you need a little Christmas in your life. No pressure. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
Which he didn’t. But instead of telling her that, he found himself asking, “What time?”
“Four. My house. I don’t suppose you have a truck we could borrow? The tree never fits well on the top of my car.”
“I have a fleet of trucks, Annie. That’s what I do.”
“Oh. Right. Could we borrow a little one? Nothing with more than four wheels.”
He shifted the phone to the other ear. “This isn’t about me at all, is it? You just wanted to borrow a truck.”
“No. Well, the truck is a part of it, but I would have wanted you to come even if you’d said no to the truck.”
“I’m not sure I believe that.”
The humor fled her voice. “I won’t lie to you, Duncan.”
“I’ll see you at four.”
He hung up.
Women had lied to him before. A lot of them. They lied to get what they wanted. He would swear sometimes they lied for sport. Valentina had been the biggest liar of them all. She had told him she loved him and then she had left.
Annie changed out of her dress and low heels. She usually put on jeans after she got home from school, so there wasn’t anything unusual about that. The difference was this time she wasn’t just going to be hanging out at home. She would be seeing Duncan again and as much as she told herself it wasn’t a big deal, she’d yet to be totally convinced.
To be honest, the man confused her. He’d bought her services as a pretend girlfriend to improve his reputation. Not exactly something that happened every day. She’d gone online and read several articles about him, which had proven he really was considered something of a bastard in the business world. But he’d also paid for an impressive party wardrobe, given Tim a second chance and he’d kissed her.
The kiss was actually the most startling event, but she didn’t like to think about it too much. It had probably been for show, so everyone would think they really were together. A meaningless, practically sexless gesture. Well, for him. For her…there had been tingles.
Not like the tingles when they’d danced. Those had been in her chest, more about feeling safe and content than anything else. But the kissing tingles were completely different. They’d zipped
and zinged all the way through her body, pausing in her breasts and between her legs. Those tingles had made her think about kissing him again and what Duncan would be like in bed.
Focus, she thought as she pulled on jeans. All the articles she’d read had talked about how he always got the details right. It was an excellent quality for a man to have in bed.
She didn’t usually daydream about making love with a guy after a single date. Especially not a date that wasn’t real. But something had happened when his mouth had briefly claimed hers. Something wonderful.
Now she reached for a red sweatshirt with Christmas geese marching across the front. Before putting it on, she wondered if she should wear something less boxy and more flattering. Something that would cause Duncan to see her as a…
What? A woman? He already did. An actual girlfriend? Not likely. They were only pretend dating. She couldn’t let herself forget that. Besides, two guys had already broken her heart. Was she going for a personal best by making it three?
She grabbed the sweatshirt and pulled it firmly over her head. She knew better, she reminded herself. The trick was going to be remembering that.
“We won’t be decorating the tree tonight,” Annie said as she sat next to Duncan in the cab of the truck he’d driven to her house. “The girls all have something they have to get to. A class or work. Besides, you’re supposed to let the tree sit out in the garage for a couple of days before bringing it in.”
“Why? It’s not a puppy. It doesn’t need to get used to being away from its mother.”
She laughed. “I think it’s about the branches settling. I have the tree stand set up in the garage, so we can put it in water as soon as we get it home.”
Duncan had arrived right on time. Based on the suit he wore, he’d come from work.
“Did I take you away from something important?” she asked.
“Nothing that can’t wait.” He smiled. “My assistant was surprised when I said I was leaving.”
“Imagine what she’d think if she knew where you were actually going.”
He chuckled.
She studied his profile. She liked the strength of his face, the chiseled jawline, the shape of his mouth. Her gaze lingered on the latter as she thought about him kissing her. Would he do it again? If he kissed her in a nonbusiness setting, then she would know for sure that he’d liked it as much as she had. Craziness, she told herself. She couldn’t think about Duncan as anything but her boss. The hard part was that she wanted a husband and a family to love, but all she had was a bruised heart and a fear that no man was going to think of her as more than a friend.
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