Page 28 of The Christmas Wife

I shuffle my feet. "Well…" I blink rapidly.It seems too good to be true. Is there a catch? There has to be a catch. An egomaniac like this wouldn’t suggest this unless there was something in it to trip me up. But the money, OMG, what I couldn’t do with it.

"You’ll stick to your part of the bargain?" I scowl.

His eyes gleam. He holds out his hand, "You have my word."

I glance down at his palm, then back at his face, "Hmm."

"Go on," he cajoles, "I promise, I'll keep my end of the agreement."

"Will you?"

"Try me." His lips curl. Bastard. He's challenging me. Bet he thinks I'll turn tail and run out screaming about now. Which I should, but I won't. Because... Yeah I'm stubborn that way. I haven't come this far by backing down at the first sign of trouble, and no dominant, macho, sexy as fuck, obnoxious prat is going to deprive me of my much-needed holiday, not to mention the opportunity to get a head start on my career...my life. My bloody future beckons. All I have to do is embrace it.

"Fine." I place my hand in his.

His wide palm engulfs mine, warmth from his skin sizzles up my arm. Electricity zings up my spine.Whoa. The hell was that?I try to pull back my hand, he holds on.

"You good, Princess?"

No.

No.

"Of course," I stutter. "Why would you think otherwise?"

He surveys my features, "You seem pale."

My guts twist.Bloody hell, this is happening. This is really, really happening.My stomach flips and my heart thumps in my chest.Damn… What the hell am I doing?

"You not going to faint or anything, are you?" he asks.

I stiffen; my head instantly clears. "Of course not," I huff.

He nods, "Also…you’re welcome."

I blink.No, no, don’t react. Don’t say anything to this obnoxious bonehead.He pauses a few inches from me. Sweat breaks out on my forehand. "For what?" I force out the words, knowing I shouldn’t, but wanting to know what twisted notion his very clever mind has thought up.

"For accepting my invitation to the most exclusive private New Year’s Eve party in London."

I open my mouth to refuse, but he shakes his head, "Think before you say anything. Trust me, you want to be there. The kind of contacts you’ll make there will give you a lead over your nearest competitor."

I firm my lips together, mind racing.

"The list of guests is a who’s who of the well-connected from around the world. It’s perfect to build contacts, invaluable for a fledgling business like yours."

I peer into his face. Is he making fun of me? Trying to undermine my efforts as a business person? But his features take on a sincere expression. Hmph. Not that I am buying it, but he has a point. It won’t hurt to be there. Invitations to those kinds of events…are like gold dust. Of course, I could work hard…but being at the right place, at the right time… Well, that’s when things get interesting.

"I…guess…that makes sense," I venture.

He nods. "If we last until then." He smirks.

"Is that a challenge?"

"No, it’s a fact. Do you think you can get through our time together without walking out in a huff?

8

5 mins later

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