LITMIR.BIZ

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wasn’t lost on Chase that he’d have an opportunity to kiss that fascinating mouth of hers at midnight. It was tradition, right? And he wanted to taste her in a way he found most distracting. So he figured getting that taste out of the way as soon as possible would be beneficial for his plans for the rest of the week. He’d satisfy his curiosity and then get on with the more important task of cementing integral business relationships for another year.

      But it also wasn’t lost on him that the locking of lips wouldn’t happen unless he got her more comfortable around him.

      His mother had arranged for a pianist to play on the grand piano in the great hall after dinner. Muted TVs in other rooms were tuned to the big countdown shows, but most people opted for getting another drink from the bar and enjoying the live music. The musician played a classy selection of tunes: Gershwin to Billy Joel, Sinatra standards to Broadway songs.

      When a handful of couples took to the dance floor while the man played “New York State of Mind,” Chase looked for Ashley. She stood alone by the windows, sipping sparkling water as she stared out at the view toward the lake. Fairy lights had been strung through the trees and wrapped the rail surrounding the deck. The light snow on the ground glittered. A winter wonderland.

      “Pretty, huh?” he asked, coming up behind her.

      She started, glancing around. “Sorry, I was woolgathering.”

      “The beginning of a new year is conducive to deep thought,” he said, aware that she edged away to put more inches between them. “Were you working on world peace or a solution to global hunger?”

      “You’re giving me much more credit than I deserve.”

      “So, what were you thinking about?”

      Her pretty mouth pursed. “What I’m going to have to do to make up my absence to my best friend, Suze. It was her party I was going to tonight.”

      “Think she’ll understand?”

      Ashley shrugged. She’d taken off that robe thing before the guests arrived. Underneath it was a ladylike party dress that still made him sweat because it was so damn proper. It revealed slender, bare arms, and combined the creamy flesh of them with her lace-covered legs... “You should dance with me,” he said.

      She appeared not to hear him. “It’s worse because of Moose.”

      “She has a moose?”

      “Moose is a man. She asked him to be my date tonight.”

      “You’d date a man named Moose?”

      “I’d do just about anything for Suze. She...she’s gotten me through tough times.”

      At her now-worried expression, Chase could tell she didn’t want to elaborate on the “tough times.” So he found her hand and pulled her toward the music. “Dance with me.”

      She made some sounds of protest, but he ignored them. The pianist had segued into “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and when he drew her against him to lightly sway to the music, her body was stiff in his arms. “I wanted to talk to you about the coming week. Your duties,” he lied.

      “Oh.” Ashley relaxed a fraction.

      Chase wished she’d look at him like a man, not an employer, but clearly that wasn’t to be just yet. “So far, you’ve done a great job.”

      “Thank you.”

      “If you’d continue in this same vein for the rest of the week I’ll give you a bonus.”

      “Chase...”

      Now it was his turn to ignore her. “Just continue being yourself and seeing to the comfort of the guests.”

      “I can do that.”

      “Each day has a theme that my mother settled upon and an activity or two to support that theme.”

      The corners of Ashley’s lips quirked upward. “Your mom.”

      “Yeah.” He smiled back, moving his feet so it was more like dancing and not just shifting. “Her imagination is a little offbeat, but everyone ends up enjoying her ideas.”

      Ashley was following along, letting him lead. “So what do I need to do?”

      “Like I said. Be yourself. Be relaxed.” With his palm at the small of her back, he nudged her closer to him. Once he’d been at a wedding where the guests were given fresh rose petals to throw at the bride and groom. His handful had been slightly bruised, and that was what she smelled of—crushed, clean sweetness.

      “I can do that.” But wariness had overtaken her expression again, and she pulled back to put more room between their bodies.

      So, not ready for a kiss, Chase thought, and decided to change tactics. “Hey, I want you to meet a couple of people. They slipped in during the second course, and I don’t think you’ve had the opportunity to speak with them.”

      Stepping away from the other dancers, he took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow. He scanned the room and found the Sargeants just turning from the bar, each of them with a glass of ruby wine. With a smile, he drew her in their direction.

      “Arch.” He moved from Ashley to give his old friend a back-thumping half hug. “June, beautiful as ever.” She got a kiss on the cheek.

      “We’re so sorry we were late,” June said, her curious glance sliding to Ashley and then back to his face.

      “She had to go back to her parents’ house twice in order to say more goodbyes to the twins,” Arch said.

      His wife bumped her elbow against his ribs. “If I recall correctly, it was you who needed to make sure that my dad knew how to install the car seats in his SUV.”

      Grinning, Arch rubbed his side. “We’re disgustingly besotted with our offspring,” he confessed, his eyes bright with good humor and fixed on Ashley’s face. “I’m Arch Sargeant,” he said, holding out his hand.

      “Ashley Walker. And anything I can do to make your stay more pleasant, please let me know.”

      His friend’s wife looked ready to burst with curiosity. “I’m June.” Her glance shifted to Chase. “So...I thought Brianna was going to be here. Glad to see she isn’t.”

      Arch groaned. “So much for subtle, sweetheart.”

      “Brianna had to leave unexpectedly,” Ashley put in smoothly. “Chase hired me to take over as hostess.”

      “Hired you?” Her eyebrows climbed high on her forehead, and her gaze darted between Chase and Ashley.

      “I work for a local florist,” Ashley explained. “And I happened to be at the right place at the right time—meaning here at the house—when Chase found a need for someone to help out.”

      “Found a need,” Arch echoed.

      At the smirk in his voice, Chase sent him a quelling look. “Ashley, Arch is my former college roommate. And June—”

      “Has this sudden need for some girl talk.”

      Ashley looked alarmed. “Oh, I—”

      “Actually, I need help pinning a strap,” June said, plucking at the silk of her slinky red dress. Her smile beamed wide and guileless. “You’ll help, won’t you?”

      And with that, Chase saw his hostess head off into the metaphorical sunset with his best friend’s wife. Frowning, he glanced over at Arch. “I don’t want her scaring Ashley away.”

      “She’ll just pump her for all her personal information,” Arch said in a cheery tone.

      Chase groaned. “That’s what I mean.”

      “What else do you mean?” his friend asked. “Brianna takes off and an hour later you’ve got Ashley moved in?”

      In

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