Page 8 of Big Mistletoe

I point toward the folder. “Do you want to go over the proposal before you have to leave?”

He holds his hand out. “Give it to me.”

I pick up the folder and place it in his hand. He opens it, flips through the pages, and goes straight to the contract in the back. He pulls it out and then reaches into his shirt pocket for a pen.

I stare at him. “What are you doing?”

He writes his name on the paper. “Signing it.”

I try to reach for it. “But you haven’t even read it.”

He shrugs one shoulder and then pockets the pen again.

I blow out a breath. “Nick, you should have at least read it.”

“I trust you.”

I shift in my seat. “You met me yesterday.”

He nods. “I know.”

I stare at him, waiting for more, but he only looks at me. I clear my throat. “We should probably set some ground rules.”

His eyebrows lift. “Ground rules?”

I nod. “Yeah. If I’m going to be working in your office, we need to keep a professional relationship when I’m there.” Instantly, I start to backtrack. “I mean, not to say that you want something unprofessional with me or anything⁠—”

He puts a finger on the folder he just closed and interrupts me. “Does it say that in the contract?”

I scrunch my nose up. “Does it say what in the contract?”

He gestures between the two of us. “That we can’t date.”

I shake my head. “No, of course not. I mean, I’ve never had a need to have that in the contract.”

I realize what I just admitted to by the way he smirks at me. “Okay, good.”

I lick my lips. “Good? What does that mean?”

He reaches across and puts a hand on my knee. “It means that as long as you give consent, I’m going to touch you, kiss you, and make sure you know that I want you. I’m not going to hide that because we’re at my office.”

Oh gosh, the images he just put in my head. I stutter, “Uh, okay.”

He smiles at me. “Okay?”

I bite my lip to keep from smiling even more. “Yeah, okay.”

He tilts his head and looks at me. The way he seems to always be watching me causes a pull in my lower belly. I’m not used to this.

I’ve dated before, but I’ve never had a man look at me like Nick does. I clear my throat and reach for the contract. “Well, since you’ve apparently decided you trust me with your entire Christmas budget, we need to figure out a schedule.”

He nods. “Tell me what you need.”

“I’ll probably come in for an hour or two in the mornings over the next few weeks. I still have other jobs scheduled, so I’ll have to work around those.”

He nods. “What time?”

I shrug. “It depends on the day. Probably seven or eight.”