Page 8 of Hot Holiday Fling

She was mostly happy. For most of the year, she was content with being single and having a kick-ass career. But as December edged closer, the Christmas blues made their arrival and she routinely started to question what she wanted, what she needed.

Every year, the fight to stay the independent, strong woman she was became harder.

All she could do was distract herself, to run herself ragged in order not to think. Christmas was her busiest time so keeping up with her clients’ last-minute requests kept her to-do list full. For the past couple of years, she’d also fitted in as many hours as she could as a volunteer. Last year, she’d helped organize a London-wide food drive for homeless people. The year before, she was the stage manager for a local pantomime production.

This year her distraction of choice was trying to establish a new business in New York.

It was not giving in to more kisses from Hunter Sheridan.

“Kate, Adie.”

Adie felt the confused look Kate sent her way, but she couldn’t drop her eyes from Hunter’s compelling face. She’d kissed those lips, had her hands on the bare skin of his stomach, felt his erection pressing against her...

Please, world, open up a portal and drop me into it.

“Have you two met?” Kate demanded, throwing her bag onto the couch in the corner of Hunt’s office.

Hunt walked, gracefully for a man of his size, over to the couch, picked up Kate’s Birkin tote, and pushed it into her arms. “We need a minute, Kate. Maybe more than a minute. Go talk to Duncan, he needs someone right now.”

Kate frowned at him. “But we have a meeting...”

“Katherine. Go.”

Kate’s frown deepened at the command in Hunter’s voice and turned her eyes in Adie’s direction. Adie, convinced she was as red as a beetroot, gave her friend a quick nod. Kate didn’t need to be here while Adie sorted out this mess. She was embarrassed enough.

“Give us ten, Katie,” Adie said, finding her voice.

Kate threw up her hands, obviously exasperated. “Okay, then.”

Adie waited until the door closed behind Kate before making eye contact with Hunt again. “You’re Hunter Sheridan.”

Hunt’s mouth twitched at her pronouncement and Adie closed her eyes, cursing her stupid statement. Who else would he be?

Adie tried again. “So, this is awkward...”

Hunt folded his arms across his chest, revealing the face of his watch. Adie, because it was her job, instantly recognized the timepiece. It was one of only ten from a renowned Swiss maker who was so in demand there was a decade-long waiting list. If she’d seen that watch last night, she would’ve instantly placed him in her can-afford-anything-anywhere box. Him being a potential client might’ve made her act with more propriety but she couldn’t swear to it.

The wretched man was that compelling.

“Last night I thought you were someone else...” It was a weak explanation but the only one she had.

Amusement flashed in his eyes. “Who?”

“Well, notyou, obviously,” Adie crossly replied. “If I knew you were Hunt Sheridan, I would never have suggested...”

“Taking me upstairs?” Hunt lifted his thick eyebrows. “Really? How...novel. Normally, it’s the other way around.”

Adie looked at his mouth, remembered how skilled he was at kissing her and calculated the distance between them. A couple of steps and she’d be in his arms...

No, she wouldn’t allow him to be her Christmas distraction, her festive fling... She didn’t play those games anymore. He wasn’t the way to deal with her feelings of abandonment, of being unloved and neglected. He wouldn’t help her forget about cold Christmases spent with strangers who ignored her or her grandmother who detested her. That was when she was young. After she turned ten, it was normal for her to spend most of the festive season alone.

Christmas had never been a fun time of year.

Hunter couldn’t change that.

But hecouldmake or break her Manhattan business.

She had to keep him at arm’s length...

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