A Mistletoe Kiss with the Boss

“If Mrs. Flannigan ponies up anything over five hundred grand, it will be a subtle indicator that she wants on that board.”

She stopped walking. “Five hundred thousand dollars?”

He shrugged. “As I said, she might be angling for a seat on that board. I’d give it to her.”

“You better believe I will.”

Her silly answer made him laugh and she slid her arm beneath his to nestle against him, whispering, “This is for authenticity.”

He glanced down at her. “Oh.”

Their gazes held. His dark orbs held a wisp of longing that tugged at her soul, but he said nothing. So she took that for agreement and stayed close as they made the few blocks’ walk to Rockefeller Center.

When she saw the enormous Christmas tree, she gasped. “It’s beautiful.”

Decorated with multicolored lights, the huge tree was festive and happy, and again filled Kristen with a longing for home. She knew she’d be back in Grennady for the holidays, but right now she was missing all the fun of prepping. All the cookie baking. All the decorating.

“This tree is why Rockefeller Center is a big tourist attraction.”

She saw people ice-skating in the huge sectioned-off center. Her longing for home doubled. “There’s skating!”

“That’s reason two that this is a tourist attraction.”

“Do you count everything?”

His head tilted in confusion. “Count?”

“Keep track.”

He laughed. “I suppose I do. I think it’s the way my brain files things.”

She said, “Interesting,” but her attention was again caught by the skaters. The snow picked up, but she didn’t feel cold. Having grown up in a Scandinavian country, she was more than accustomed to snow and temperatures much colder than what New York City offered. The swish, swish, swish of the skaters as they whirled by filled her with homesickness.

“I think we should skate.”

He blanched. “No way in hell.”

“Why not?” She glanced at him and the leather jacket over his warm sweater and jeans. “We’re both dressed for it. There’s a sign over there that says they rent skates.” She bumped his shoulder with her own. “It’ll be fun.”

“Not with three reporters following us. I do not want a bunch of guys with access to important media outlets to see me fall on my ass. I don’t want to look like an idiot.”

“You won’t look like an idiot. You’ll look like someone who likes me enough to try something new. Then speculation will go from ‘did he pay her?’ to ‘who is this woman who has him trying new things?’”

He shook his head. “You know they’re about to investigate you, right?”

She shrugged. “You did.”

He sighed.

“And what did you find? That I’m a nice, simple girl. Your search didn’t hurt me. Didn’t affect me. So I let it go.” She smiled. “Not everything has to be life-or-death. Let’s just have fun. The photographers following you will see that. They’ll investigate me and find nothing and poof they’ll disappear.”

“You’re such an optimist.”

She turned to him and studied his face. “You know, I’d say you’re a pessimist but I don’t think that’s true. I think so many crappy things happened to you that you’re just careful.”

“Careful enough not to break my ankle.”

“See? There you go. Deflecting again because that’s how you stay away from subjects that are too painful. But you don’t have to worry. I won’t ask you to talk about Nina anymore. I won’t ask about your childhood. But I do want to skate. I’m in a new country unexpectedly, for longer than I thought, and I’m just a little homesick.”

* * *

If she’d argued or tried to get her own way, Dean would have easily beaten her. But what kind of a Scrooge would he have to be to deny her the chance to get over her homesickness?

He sighed. “I’ll check out the skating schedule and see about skate rental.”

Her entire face brightened. “Really?”

“Yes. But don’t think I’m trying anything fancy. And no holding my hand.”