Page 2 of Holding Out For A Holiday Hero

Seriously, a Santa hat? They ran a bounty hunting office. They weren’t supposed to be cute. They were supposed to be scary.

“You, ah, you gonna help your old friend?” Perry’s expression clearly said they should help the woman in distress.

“Got her,” Jake growled.

True flinched.

Hell. Jake cleared his throat. He could do way better than this. He wasn’t some punk kid any longer. He’d traveled the whole world. He’d fought for his country. Seen and done things that would give most people nightmares.

A five-foot-five woman with bedroom eyes should not have him quivering in his sneakers.

I’m not quivering. I am turned on. Just like in the old days. He’d seen True, and, bam, instant arousal. “I’ll talk to my…friend.” Interesting word. Not one that he’d ever associated with her. “You go on home, Perry.”

But Perry lingered. “You sure, boss? I’m happy to help.” His brown eyes swept toward True and lingered a little too long.

“I’m sure.”

Perry jumped.

So maybe Jake’s words had held a bit of bite. That was just who he was. Jake waved toward his assistant. A wave—maybe a shooing motion. Whatever. “Turn off the Christmas lights on your way out, would you? And kill the damn music.”

Perry pouted.

Really? A pout? Assistants did not pout.

“Kill. It.” An order.

“Consider it killed.” Perry glanced adoringly at True. “Very nice to meet you.”

“You, too.” A weak smile. One that never reached her eyes. Now, that was odd. Because in the past, True had always been quick to flash a megawatt smile. Her bright smile had been the first thing he noticed about her. And why in the hell was he obsessing over her smile?

Get your shit together, man. You are not some idiot with a crush. Those days are long gone.

Perry exited.

True stepped fully into Jake’s office, she shut the door behind her, and the music died. Thankfully. Jake was so not in the mood for hearing about people dashing through the snow. He personally hated the white, fluffy crap, and unfortunately, the town of Rosewood, Georgia—about eighty miles north of Atlanta—had just gotten hit with a batch of snow.

Most people were thrilled. Chatting about having a white Christmas.

Jake just thought the snow was a pain in the ass.

True stood there, twisting her hands in front of her body, and biting her delectable lower lip. He waited for her to say something. To explain exactly why she was in his office. But the moments just ticked by in silence. Curious now, he moved to the front of his desk. He propped a hip on the wooden edge and motioned to the chair near him. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

Her black boots slid across the floor before she tentatively lowered into the chair. Her eyes never left his face.

Automatically, he rubbed a hand over his jaw and felt the scrape of stubble. Great. He probably looked like hell. He’d chased down two bounties that day—rough catches. His clothes were battered, his hair disheveled, and he might have still been sporting the remains of a black eye. Clearly, he was no Prince Charming. But she’d been the one to seek him out. Curiosity was about to kill him. “Why are you here?” he asked her.

“I…need to hire you.”

Jake laughed.

She didn’t. “You…do remember me? I mean, I know we didn’t exactly run in the same circles back in school.”

He snorted.

Her eyes narrowed. “Sorry I wasn’t cool enough for you.”

Wait. Hold up. The homecoming queen had just said that she wasn’t cool enough for him?

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