Free A Mistletoe Kiss with the Boss by Susan Meier Page B

didn’t like him. Second, she hadn’t forgotten the way he knew things about her and dropped facts at the oddest times. And while part of her itched to ask him about that, her mission for her country was more important.
    â€œYou should move your people to Grennady for the next six weeks. Let them celebrate Christmas on our snow-covered ski slopes and get refreshed enough that they can finish your project.”
    â€œIt will take more than ski slopes to get my people moving. Winslow was being optimistic when he suggested that.”
    â€œOr maybe he’s right.”
    â€œYou just want me in your country for six weeks so you can give me a hard sell.”
    She should have realized he would see right through that and winced. “Would it be so bad?”
    â€œI already told you Alex hates me.”
    â€œWhy?”
    He caught her gaze and smiled. “Must be my sparkling personality.”
    He’d made another joke? She struggled not to gape at him.
    â€œYou’re a nice guy.” Even as the words came out of her mouth she knew she meant them. He was a nice guy. A good guy. A very, very smart guy. But a guy who was deep down, very nice. “Something happened between you and Alex.”
    When he didn’t answer, she sighed. “You have a best friend that you’ve kept the whole way since middle school. You must have looked me up on the internet because you know things about me, and you remember them enough to get them into the right places in the conversation. That’s not just smart, it’s considerate. I’m thinking your reputation for being mean is highly exaggerated.”
    He peeked over at her again. “Or maybe you bring out the best in me.”
    In the silence of the limo, their gazes locked. Her heart stumbled in her chest. The warmth of connection flowed through her. Even as it filled her with wonder, it scared her to death. They were using each other. He was buying her things she didn’t want. They were making friends under false pretenses. So why did they keep having these odd, intimate moments that felt honest?
    Dean quietly said, “You did really well at that lunch. I sometimes see your confidence dip, but it shouldn’t.”
    â€œAnd how would you know?”
    â€œFor starters, you have a natural poise. But I also talked to a few people. Everyone says you’re full of energy and dedication.” He frowned. “Though I have to admit I am curious about the cause you chose.”
    She said nothing, a little tired of the way he knew so much more about her than she knew about him.
    â€œYou’re not going to share?”
    â€œI’ll tell you that story, if you tell me a story about you.”
    â€œOkay. Go ahead.”
    â€œOh, no. I know this scam. I’ll tell you how I chose my charity and suddenly the limo will be at the hotel and you’ll stay Mr. Mysterious.”
    He laughed. “Mr. Mysterious?”
    She shrugged. “That’s how you look to me. If it isn’t in your bio, I don’t know it.”
    â€œAll right. I’ll go first. What do you want to know?”
    â€œI want to know what happened between you and Alex.”
    He winced. “Right for the jugular. You couldn’t settle for hearing the story of how I was a poor kid, raised by a grandmother who was too tired for another child, who got underwear for Christmas?”
    She knew he’d meant to be funny, but once again she could hear the sadness in his voice and picture him as a little boy, alone, quiet. She was suddenly very grateful Jason had come into his life, and wished with all her heart that he had other people in his life, so many that he’d never be alone again.
    â€œI can guess what you went through as a child.” Her gaze crawled over to meet his. “But it’s hard for me to understand how Prince Alex dislikes you when he loves everybody.”
    â€œI tried to steal his girlfriend.”
    Kristen