Page 14 of His Off-Limits Christmas Gift

I nodded. I wasn’t sure about what spirit Julie was suggesting I sign up for. A non-depressed and feeling-desirable spirit? I’d be on board with that. “I mean, why not? A holiday fling.”

“There you go.”

“A rebound?” Nate asked her, incredulous. “That’s your best advice for her?”

Julie grinned. “Sure. That’ll do it. Get right back out there. Get back in the game.” She tacked on a wink, making her seem less like a sassy office fairy godmother figure and more like a naughty devil’s advocate.

“I’ve never beeninthe game. The dating game.” I bit my lip and lowered my gaze, slightly embarrassed. “Kyle was my high school sweetheart. It’s just been him that I’ve known… like that.”And not even like that.“I’m clueless about how to date. Or flirt.” I gestured at the space where Eric had stood. “If that wasn’t already obvious. I’m clueless about it all.”

Stating that wasn’t shameful. Julie was a solid friend. I could count on her. Admitting this in front of Nate felt weird, but I knew he had to be a good guy at the core. Brandon wouldn’t have befriended him or stayed friends with him if he were a jerk.

Opening up about how naïve I felt was freeing.

And now that I’d experienced this slightly confusing thrill of a man asking me out, I latched on to the possibility that this could be how I’d move on. Like this could bemyChristmas miracle. If not a miracle coming true, then a holiday mission.

Screw going home and faking my happiness for my family. The hell with pretending my life was jolly and well.

I could focus on trying to feel loved and wanted for once. For being myself.

Eric wasn’t really my type. He couldn’t be if his name didn’t stick from the get-go, but that didn’t have to matter. If I wanted to worry about finding a man who was my type…

I dragged my gaze to Nate. He fit. He’d check my boxes. Smart, charming, funny. Dashing, even. He wasn’t overly ripped and bulky like Kyle was becoming. I doubted Nate shaved. He’d beallman, but not in a suffocatingly masculine or superior way.

If I had a say in moving on, even for a fling, with a man who appealed, my boss would be the candidate.

Oh, stop.

That was just nonsense. Hooking up with my boss? My brother’s best friend? That was just an old crush coming to the surface.

I knew better than to borrow trouble like that.

But then he turned, breaking his absent stare off to the side to lock his warm, brown gaze on me.

And it happened again. That little flicker of awareness deep in my belly. The faster pulse that dizzied me.

No. Not Nate.I couldn’t lust on him like this.

That would just be… wrong.

6

NATE

Rachel glanced at me and bit her lip again. It was torture, seeing her intimidated and aware of me.

She couldn’t know that she was sending me too many signals. That kittenish look of attraction. Then the furrowed-brow expression of indecision. Then another heated glance that suggested she wasn’t thinking of something pure. Back to a frown and shake of her head.

She wanted me. I felt it in the air, and it was impossible to ignore.

“Shoot. I gotta get this.” Julie held up her ringing cell phone and winced before she walked out of the room. “We’ll talk about this later, Rach,” she said in parting.

Being left with Rachel, alone, felt dangerous. It also felt too damned good to want it to stop.

I sighed, grabbing a chair and turning it around to straddle it. Facing the short blonde who still sported a fair bit of a blush, I cleared my throat and willed myself to find the right words to tell her.

I want you.

No, that didn’t sum it up fully.

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