Page 33 of The Naughty List

I take the ring from her, reaching for her hand and dropping to one knee. This time I’m doing it right.

“Kate Flowers, you’re it, baby. Will you marry me?” She nods her head enthusiastically as she jumps into my arms, knocking me over. We laugh on the floor as she peppers my face with kisses and I slide the ring onto her finger.

“It’s so beautiful,” she whispers as she admires the new setting I had it placed in.

“You are my one and only, Kate. Thank you,” I whisper, choking back tears.

“For what?”

“For believing in us and giving me a second chance. Thank you for letting me love you.”

This is exactly how I wanted to do it, just the two of us. I stand and pull her to her feet as we continue dancing, the soft glow of the Christmas lights surrounding us and the promise of forever filling us with joy and happiness.

“MAYBE WE CAN BE A LITTLE NAUGHTY. YOU WANT TO BE NAUGHTY FOR ME, RIGHT?”

The last thing I expected to get for Christmas was being dumped by my boyfriend—after all, I’m always on Santa’s good list.

But walking in on my naked boss and seeing hiscandy canewas an even BIGGER holiday surprise—one that has me headed straight for a lump of coal this year.

Alex Snow, the billionaire CEO of Snow Communications and the only living heir to his family's fortune, has a reputation for being intimidating.

Not in the "I'm an arrogant bosshole" kind of way, but more of a "I value my privacy above all else" kind of way.

So imagine his delight when I stumble into what I think is his home office with a contract in hand just as he emerges from the shower.

Only... it isn’t his office. It’s his bedroom, and the low-slung towel hanging off his hips slides down his muscular thighs, landing in a perfect pile at his ankles.

There's nothing like falling to your hands and knees in raging embarrassment after making direct eye contactto gather up the papers you dropped.

What I thought would certainly end my career at his company has suddenly catapulted us into an unlikely friendship.

One that has me spilling all my secrets one drunken night when we end up stuck in an elevator.

But the moment he pulls me into his arms at a mistletoe kissing contest, he awakens something in me I didn't know was there, something I want to explore more.

He pushes my limits, making demands of my body that have me begging to stay on the naughty list.

But when he comes home with me for the holidays asjust a friend, lines start to blur, confusion takes over, and my ex shows back up in my life, telling me all the things I've wanted to hear him say for so long.

Suddenly, my heart and my head are in an all-out war.

One that has me questioning if my broken heart still pines for my ex, if this is just a game of forbidden lust, or if I'm already in love with my boss, theDashing Mr. Snow.

PROLOGUE

ALEX-TWO YEARS EARLIER…

I adjust my tie in the reflection from the elevator doors as I ride it down to the conference room for the new-hire orientation.

I’ve been the CEO and owner of Snow Communications, a billion-dollar empire my grandfather started decades ago, for just over five years now. I hadn’t planned to take ownership of the company at the age of twenty-eight, let alone become the youngest billionaire CEO in the country; but after my father passed unexpectedly, I stepped up.

I love my job, and to complain about my privileged life would be pointless and terrible, considering there are people who struggle to put food on the table. But being rich, powerful, and young has left me more isolated and lonelier than I ever thought possible. When I was in my early twenties, all I cared about were the summers yachting through the Mediterranean with models and friends who were only there for the money and parties. I thought I’d have the time to settle down eventually, find a wife and start a family together; but when my dad—who was my only living relative—passed away, it forced me to grow up and put the rest of my life on hold while I took over the family business.

Now, gone are all the friends who were ready to go on extravagant vacations at the drop of a hat. Once the parties stopped and I started focusing on my job and wanting to settle down, they disappeared.

“Morning, Cheryl.” I tip my head toward my HR manager who is standing outside the conference room with a huge smile on her round face. Her bright red lipstick matches her shoes, which also coordinates with her polka dot dress.

“Good morning, Mr. Snow. Are you excited? I love new-hire day!” she says with genuine enthusiasm. Cheryl, like many others here, have worked for this company since I was just a teenager. My dad might have been a cold and oftentimes cruel man toward me and my mother who passed many years ago; but to his employees, he was kind, gracious, and always generous.

---