Page 11 of One Night on the Naughty List

“Nonsense.”

“I can walk just fine.”

He looked down, his face so close I could see the ring of dark blue around his eyes. He quirked an eyebrow. “I know. I’ve seen you do it several times now.”

“Bain.”

“Samantha.” He kept walking, the smile in his eyes just about taking my breath away.

There was nothing to do but ride it out. Ride him out, I mentally corrected. I stayed as rigid as possible, but it did little good. My body pressed against his from shoulder to ankle, with all the soft bits in between meeting the hard, warm ridges of his arms and chest. I wanted to melt against him. To snuggle my face in his collar and take in his scent. Meanwhile, his body heat sank through my clothes, making a million little sparks fire against my skin.

As we neared the car, I tried to make my tone stern, but it came out prim and more than a little flustered. “You can put me down now.”

He set me on my feet but kept a light grip on my upper arms—as if he wanted to make sure I stayed upright.

Good thinking.Because my knees were weak. All I could do was stand there, my BAIN beanie slipping down my forehead, every nerve trembling like a plucked bowstring. We faced each other, our breaths little puffs of smoke that met and mingled. Everything—even the snowflakes—seemed to slow. The flurries drifted lazily around us, the air itself suspended.

Waiting.

He gazed down at me, his teasing expression gone. In its place was a look I’d never seen before—an intensity that made me feel both rooted and restless. Like something important was about to happen and I could no more stop it than hold back the wind. I was locked in place, a wild thought throbbing in my head like a heartbeat.

He’s going to kiss me.

He reached up and straightened my hat, tugging the pompom back. “There. Safe and sound.”

The world sped up, the hushed anticipation snatched from the air. Confusion and uncertainty swirled inside me, and it took me a second to realize he referred to carrying me across the snow.

I stepped back, jarred by the sudden shift between fantasy and reality. “Thanks.”

Silence stretched, nudging even more distance between us. Just as awkwardness started to grip me, he dug his keys from his pocket. He thumbed a button, and the SUV’s engine purred to life. “You stay here and get warm,” he said. “I’ll grab the log. Then we can be on our way.”

“Sounds good.” I smiled so he’d know everything was fine and normal. No big deal. I’d hidden my attraction to him for three years, and all that practice did me good now as I opened the door and got in. He shut the door after me and set off across the snow, gathering the Yule log and his axe.

I sat back in my seat and let out a shaky breath. What the hell just happened? Had I imagined the whole thing? Imagined the look he’d given me? The SUV’s heater blasted hot, dry air over my face, making my eyes water. I stripped off my gloves and stuffed them in my jacket pockets. Outside, Bain headed back to the car, the log under his arm.

I hadn’t imagined him sweeping me into his arms. God, I could still feel the hardness of his chest against my side. But he did it to keep me out of the snow. Because he was a gentleman. He would have done the same for Kara or Alexis. He was the kind of man who rescued kittens from trees and helped little old ladies put groceries in their car. The kind of guy who chopped a real Yule log for his Christmas-loving mother.

He was also my boss and about a million miles out of my league. I looked at the little clock on the instrument panel.

2:30 p.m.

Bain’s mother was expecting us by 3:00. How long could a Christmas party take? Four hours? Five? Somehow, I had to make it through the rest of the afternoon and evening without embarrassing myself. I checked off my game plan in my head.

I would go to Bain’s Christmas party.

I would smile and act polite.

I would mingle with his family and eat dinner without dropping gravy on my clothes.

(Probably better to avoid gravy altogether, actually.)

I would say goodnight and go home.

And I would never agree to a “marketing meeting” again. At least not one for the road. Clearly, all my cold showers and solo bedroom sessions weren’t enough. My body was lost for Bain, even if my head knew it was foolish to hope.

Still, the way he’d looked at me…

I shook my head, then yanked my BAIN beanie off. Big girls only landed the hot guy in books and movies. I worked in advertising. I knew better than anyone that make-believe only sold because reality sucked. In the real world, the chubby girl didn’t get invited to the dance, and she certainly didn’t date a sexy CEO with piercing blue eyes and a Gold’s Gym worth of muscles.

This was the real world. And I had a game plan.

Now I just had to stick to it without getting my heart broken.

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