Page 16 of Miss Christmas

“If I’m not sleeping my way to winning, then why did you bring it up? You’re ruining everything, you know?” She plopped back down and put her head in her hands.

He was up and out of his chair and around the desk without thinking. Without hesitation, he had his arms around her, his hands caressing her long wavy hair and her back.

“What is it, Scarlet? I swear to you I meant nothing by it. I would never accuse you of—”

She looked up at him, eyes sparkling with wariness and too gorgeous to turn away from.

“Yes, you would. You’ve done it twice. If not directly, by implication. You’re so quick to tell me you have no influence on the decision because you assume that’s what I’m after.”

“No, I don’t. That doesn’t even make sense. When you called me the other night you had no idea I was judging the pageant.” He bit his tongue to stop himself from saying, Did you? And damn his rotting conscience and his maniacal dick, he didn’t care one single bit if the answer was yes. He was out of his goddamn mind.

“Well I want you to know that there’s nothing between us,” she said. “I meant it when I said I wasn’t interested in your money or looking for a relationship. I’m definitely not bait for a sugar daddy, in case that’s what you had in mind. I’m focused on my career. I have ambitions—real honest ambitions—to act on Broadway. I have—”

“I believe you, Scarlet. I predict you’ll be a big success. And that you’ll achieve it all on your own merit.”

She looked up at him, one of those intense stares of hers, and a slow smile spread across her face like chocolate melting over his soul.

“You know that’s the best thing a man has ever said to me.” She frowned. “How pathetic is that?”

“You’ve been hanging around with some pathetic men.” He stood.

“Tell me about it.” She snorted and rolled her eyes. He laughed out loud. He wanted to continue laughing, but the quiet knock on his door stopped him.

Fran opened it a crack and poked her face in. “Your next appointment is here. Do you want me to move the schedule up?”

“Yes. Rearrange my schedule. Make all the appointments for tomorrow. Give everyone an hour. This takes more time than I’d originally planned.”

Fran gave him an eyebrow raise, then closed the door.

“What’s that supposed to mean? What exactly are you hoping to accomplish with this interview?”

“Besides letting you know all about your obligations as a finalist and afterward, should you become Miss Christmas. I’m supposed to make sure you don’t have any dark secrets in your past.”

“I suppose I should be insulted again, but I’m fresh out of self-righteous indignation. At least where it concerns you. Now that we have our relationship cleared up, I feel better about this.” She waved her hand.

Puzzled and disconcerted were not his usual feelings when confronted with beautiful women, but that’s probably because he usually managed to avoid women like Scarlet—wild and bold and untamed. There were a lot of less flattering adjectives other men he knew might use, but none of them seemed to apply here.

“Exactly what, how, about our relationship?” He leaned against his desk. He didn’t want to go back around and sit in his seat, which seemed too far away from her. He had no idea what their relationship was at this point, aside from the category that his dick insisted on. And he wasn’t at all sure she would allow a continuation of their affair, sex only or not. She’d given him one day and here he was, as conflicted as ever. Painfully so.

She laughed. “I thought that would get you. I have you exactly where I want you, Will. I’ll dictate the terms of our relationship. You should never allow yourself to get into these situations. Another less conscionable woman might take advantage of you.”

His mouth hung open, he was sure of it. Then he snapped it shut and laughed when he ought to be running the other way.

“Let’s go, lady. You have depths that need exploring.”

He stood, then she stood. A look passed between them that spoke of an understanding. And just like that it was decided. He was about to fling himself into the volcano pit of a hot affair with Scarlet Jones, poor, would-be actress, hopeful beauty pageant contestant for Regal’s, and singularly independent, proud and ambitious. In short, the most inappropriate woman on the planet. At least for the purposes of finding a serious relationship. His dick told him she was perfect otherwise. His conscience shouted at him that he’d be sorry he listened to his dick.

Chapter 5

She stepped into his arms as soon as they walked out the door onto the street. He hailed a cab. Her nerves jumped around like they were being prodded with an electric needle. The erratic beating of her heart had her worried. Doing her best to be cool and calm because she knew when and when not to play for drama, she let Will put her into yet another cab, knowing this time the ride would end differently.

This time they would ignite the cinders of passion that had been smoldering and driving her crazy—him too. There would be no backing out today, no more worrying about compromising her principles about men with money, about whether their tryst would compromise her chance to win the pageant. Or worse, she needed to clamp down on her worry that having sex with Will might directly lead to winning the pageant. In spite of everything he’d said, his promise and swears to the contrary, she still felt like deep down it had to matter, that she could very well be selling her soul—or at least her body—for the ten-thousand-dollar prize.

And it didn’t feel good. But she had to squelch her damn conscience so the rest of her could enjoy this prize hunk of a man fate had presented to her exactly at the moment when she needed it. When she was feeling lonely and vulnerable—and not just because she’d trashed her sorry boyfriend.

It was getting to that time of year where melancholy always threatened, when she needed her family, to feel close to and be with people who loved her and who she could share her fears and deep grief for her lost sister with, and to get past that paralyzing sense of loss that loomed, ready to engulf her. She craved connection and she’d felt a mind-boggling connection to Will. That could be good or bad, but she was giving her practical, cautionary signal the day off. Starting now.

He slid in next to her, overpowering in his presence, not only because of his size but because of his heady smell, his energy, that powerful lustful desire she could feel taking hold of her even when he wasn’t touching her.