Page 86 of One Midnight Kiss

“Just a couple more hands to shake,” she said. “You’ll survive without me for a few minutes?”

I grinned. “You’ve kept me waiting long enough, don’t you think?”

Her lips twitched, and she glanced over my shoulder. “Try not to start any fights, okay? I know that look.”

I held up my hands, feigning innocence. “I’m just here to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Ho ho ho.”

She smirked. “Sure, you are. Be good.”

“I’m an angel,” I said.

“Well, hold on to your halo for a couple more minutes,” she said with a laugh.

I watched as she walked away, greeting more of her colleagues with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. I had other plans. My eyes scanned the room until I spotted him. I made my way toward Aaron. He was leaning against the bar, looking smug.

I stepped in front of him, blocking his escape. “Aaron.”

He glanced up. I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes before he forced a smirk. “Fox. Enjoying the party?”

I was about to lay into him when I heard Natalia call my name. She was making her way toward me.

“Good talk, champ,” I said, slapping a hand on his shoulder and squeezing, probably harder than necessary. I plastered on a smile when Natalia approached, her eyes darting between Aaron and me.

“Ready to go?” she asked, sensing the tension.

I nodded, slipping my arm around her waist. “More than ready.”

We left the party without another word, stepping out into the chilly Seattle night. She shivered as we walked down the sidewalk. I shrugged out of my jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Sure, I did,” I said. “What kind of fiancé would I be if I didn’t?”

She looked away, her smile faltering. The word fiancé still seemed to throw her off. Maybe it was the reminder that this was all a game, a ruse I had started. Not even intentionally. It just kind of happened after all that nudging from Christa. But it didn’t feel like a game to me anymore.

“My place?” I asked as I raised my hand to hail a cab.

She smiled. “Sure.”

I liked that she didn’t hesitate. I wasn’t going to make a big deal about it. Things were going well between us. I didn’t want to disrupt the harmony we had established just because I was catching feelings.

The cab pulled up, and we slid into the back seat. Her hand found mine, fingers intertwining as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I squeezed softly. She leaned her head on my shoulder, both of us at ease.

At my apartment, I poured us both a drink. Natalia kicked off her heels, sinking into the couch with a sigh. I watched her, my heart pounding in my chest, the words I needed to say lodged in my throat. I was so afraid to ruin this. I knew I could be blunt, and I didn’t know how to use flowery language that could soothe any situation.

“Why do you stay at that place?” I asked finally, settling down next to her.

She raised an eyebrow. “You mean my job?”

“Yeah. You don’t need it. You could do anything, work anywhere.”

She took a sip of her wine, staring into the glass like it held the answers. “I like the challenge. The pace. It’s fast, it’s demanding. I thrive in that environment.”

I nodded slowly, mulling it over. “You could work for me.”

She laughed, and the sweet music of it made my heart stutter. “You don’t have a head of marketing. That’s why you hired my firm.”

“I could create the job,” I said, dead serious. “Just for you. When you think about it, it makes sense. We’ll be rolling out more products and we can never stop advertising. It would save money having in-house talent. We’ve considered it before, but it’s a good idea. You would be paid very, very well. Not to mention the extra perks, just for you.”