An Escort for Christmas

Several of the women shot me curious looks as Jameson ushered me into the fray. I wondered if any of them were some of his past companions. Not that I should care.

“There you are,” Julia exclaimed the moment she saw us.

She was a vision in an emerald green dress that was the very embodiment of class. I swallowed the lump in my throat while she took in my outfit.

“Harper, you look…”

Like a tramp? My subconscious supplied.

“Absolutely beautiful,” she finished. “Every woman in here is going to be envious of you tonight.”

Her words seemed to please Jameson for some reason, but they only made me more doubtful.

“Thanks,” I croaked.

“And you my son.” She squeezed Jameson’s cheeks and made them flame in embarrassment. “You look so handsome, doesn’t he Harper?”

“Indeed, he does,” I agreed. “He’s very dashing.”

He flashed me his dimples quickly before retraining his smile into the flat and unaffected expression he often wore.

“Oh.” Julia perked up. “Here comes Robert, Jameson. He’s been looking for you already.”

Jameson turned around and greeted another man around his age, slapping him on the shoulder with the most genuine smile I’d ever seen on him.

“How have you been man?” Robert asked. “It’s been way too long.”

“I know,” Jameson apologized. “I’ve been busy.”

“So Forbes tells me,” Robert chuckled.

His gaze fell on me, and he let his eyes wander unashamedly for a moment. I felt like a piece of meat being dangled in front of a lion, and Jameson’s expression hardened at his friends ogling, but he said nothing.

“Who’s the hottie?” Robert wiggled his eyebrows.

“Robert this is Harper. Harper, Robert.”

I reached for his hand to shake it, but he pulled it up to his lips for a kiss instead. “My, my Jameson. I’ve really got to get to New York one of these days and see where you keep finding all these honeys.”

I groaned inwardly and pulled my hand away the moment it was appropriate to do so.

“Speaking of honeys,” Robert whispered. “Here comes Katherine now.”

I glanced in the direction he was staring to see the woman I’d been wondering about all day. She was beautiful, as expected, with a perfect cast of Nordic features. Her hair was pale blonde, and her eyes looked like they’d been cut from the finest crystal. Her skin was porcelain and everything about her was dainty and beautiful. She was the complete opposite of me.

“Jameson,” she breathed his name like it had never tasted so good. “There you are.”

They exchanged double cheek kisses, which seemed absolutely ridiculous, before she pulled away with a feline smile. “Your mother told me you were coming home this year. I had to see it myself to believe it.”

I clenched my hands at my sides and took a deep breath. She had completely disregarded me standing beside him as if I were nothing. But to my surprise, Jameson tucked me against his side, wrapping a possessive arm around my waist as he introduced us.

“Katherine this is my girlfriend, Harper. I don’t believe you’ve met.”

Her lips flattened as her gaze finally swung to me out of necessity. Her crystal eyes travelled the length of my body, not even attempting to hide her distaste.

“Lovely to meet you,” she purred. “Jameson’s quite the catch.”

“He is.” I glanced up at him and allowed my eyes to wander over his face.

“I should know.” She laughed too loudly. “Since I had him first.”

Okay, so the claws were definitely coming out tonight.

“Well, you are right about one thing.” I gave her an icy smile. “He is quite a catch. And I’ve no intention of letting him go.”

Jameson appeared both surprised and pleased by my possessiveness, and I guessed I was doing something right.

Robert cut in with a boisterous laugh as he blatantly ogled Katherine right in front of Jameson. “You look magnificent, Kat. How many years has it been?”

I didn’t catch the tail end of their conversation, because the next moment, Jameson was leaning down to murmur in my ear. “Vixen.”