Free Cinderella's Christmas Affair by Katherine Garbera

was on his face and she knew he was as flustered as she was.
    “You make me forget everything I’ve learned in the last five years,” she said.
    “Like what?” he asked. There was an intensity in his gaze that made her shiver.
    “That men and work don’t mix.”
    “Same tune different verse, Cathy Jane. You’ve been saying that to me every time I get too close and I’m still not buying it.”
    “Do you want an account manager who is so easily distracted?” she said.
    “You’re right,” he said.
    His words cut her but then she didn’t really expect anything less. “I’ll ask Butch to assign someone else.”
    “I don’t want anyone but you. You’re very good at what you do,” Tad said with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
    He gestured for her to exit the elevator and she did, grateful to see that the hall was empty. She hurried to her office but then slowed as she realized it might seem to Tad that she was running from him. And she’d decided to take control of the attraction between them.
    She stopped in the kitchen area and selected a decaf cappuccino from the coffee machine. “So, what are you doing here?”
    “I’m here for you,” he said in his husky morning voice. She crossed her arms over her chest and scooted away from him. He was too tempting. She wanted to say yes to the vague innuendo in his voice and drag him down the hall to her office, close the door and finish what they’d started in the elevator.
    The crotch of her panties was damp, her heart was pounding, her nipples tight and only time or a quickie was going to give her a reprieve. And she didn’t want anything quick with Tad. She wanted long hours spent together on a comfortable mattress.
    “Don’t look at me like that or I’m going to kidnap you and say to hell with the contract negotiations.”
    “Contract negotiations?”
    “That’s why I’m here.”
    Dammit. She closed her eyes and tried to will her mind back to business.
    “Here’s your coffee,” Tad said, handing her the foam cup.
    Tad pushed a button to select his drink and she suddenly realized she didn’t care how cowardly it looked she had to get away from him. She wasn’t in any position to talk to him about terms this morning. She edged toward the exit.
    “Where are you going?”
    “I need some time to get myself together for this meeting.”
    “You aren’t prepared?” he asked.
    Great, on top of everything else, now he thought she was incompetent. “I am. It’s just you’ve rattled me.”
    “Only fair since you do the same to me.”
    “Tad, we have to work together. Let’s put that first, okay?”
    “We are but I thought we decided last night to test the waters.”
    “What did you have in mind?”
    “Pierce and I are having our annual rock climbing race at the store this afternoon. Why don’t you stop by for that and then we’ll go grab some dinner?”
    She watched him, afraid to be alone with him, but needing to more than she’d expected. “I’ll be there. But this morning let’s just concentrate on work.”
    “For now,” he said and started down the hall to the conference room. She watched him walk away and felt the pressure of his presence tightening in her gut. She needed to figure out what she wanted and take control of this thing with Tad before it destroyed her.

    The meeting with CJ’s group went well and afterward she’d rushed back to her office without saying a word. Satisfied with the agreement he’d gotten from her in the coffee room earlier, he’d let her escape and returned to his office in the flagship P.T. Xtreme Sports store on Michigan Avenue near Water Tower Place. His office was on the third floor of the building they leased and overlooked the busy retail floor.
    They had a rock-climbing wall that was busy with kids and other tourists taking a break from shopping to work out something other than their wallets. He and Pierce were scheduled for their annual rock climbing/light decorating competition.
    Despite the fact