Christmas Dinner (Crimson Romance) by Robyn Neeley Read Free Book Online Page B

anything about me?”
    There was silence in the stall. “Okay, what was the name of the first girl you kissed?” she asked.
    “Melanie Clearwater. Summer camp.” He chuckled, but crossed his fingers behind his back. Melanie wasn’t technically his first kiss.
    The door swung open. She was smirking. “Figures.”
    “What?”
    “With a name like that . . . let me guess . . . cute, blonde, and perky. Cheerleader, right?”
    “Actually, she had long red hair and the biggest b—”
    “Stop.” She reached up and put her hand in front of his lips. “I don’t want to hear any more.”
    “What? Her eyes were blue.”
    Amanda turned to leave the dressing room. “It really doesn’t matter. I’ve already told you what your interests are. Remember? Golf, tennis, cooking . . .”
    “Oh, right.” He nodded. “I forgot. I’m a version of you.”
    “Tate, if this is going to work, you’ve got to stop trying to make this into more than it is.”
    “What exactly is this to you?”
    “Should I remind you that coming home with me for the holidays was your brilliant idea? Amanda gave Tate a puzzled look. “What I don’t quite understand is what exactly you’re getting out of this deal?”
    He shrugged. “Just helping out my co-anchor .”
    “Right. It’s all about helping me.” Amanda cocked her eyebrow skeptically. “Just like your on-air stunt yesterday. You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” She turned and headed to the register.
    “No, no. I just thought you might want to learn
something
about the man you’re in love with.” He followed closely behind.
    She turned around, flashing a devilish grin. He watched as she pulled a pine green men’s scarf from a mannequin and wrapped it around his neck.
    “
Pretending
to be in love with,” she corrected. “And I do know something about you. You’re allergic to cats.”
    After they finished shopping, they headed to the food court. While Amanda found an empty table, Tate pushed the cola dispenser, filling their cups.
    What had just happened? The way she’d wrapped the scarf around his neck.
    As far as flirting went, he realized it wasn’t nearly what he was used to—other women he encountered in Wilmington were much more aggressive. However, this was Amanda—his hot and cold co-anchor who was currently still miffed at him for yesterday’s debacle.
    She’d get over it. Since he’d joined the news team, even his breathing seemed to irritate her. Still, every once in a while he’d catch her stealing a glance his way. He was determined to prove his attraction to her wasn’t one-sided.
    “Okay, I get it.” He took a seat across from her. “I’m playing a part. But shouldn’t I learn a little bit about your family?” he asked.
    “That’s probably a good idea.” Amanda pumped ketchup onto her plate and then opened a mayonnaise packet. She appeared to be mixing a dip for her fries.
    “That’s disgusting.” He pointed to her red and white concoction.
    “No it’s not,” she said. “Here, try it.” She dipped a fry and handed it to him.
    He hesitated before taking a bite. “Not bad. I stand corrected.”
    She shot him a smug smile. “All right. My family. There’s not too much to tell. I guess we’re an average American family. I’m the middle child of three. My dad’s name is Jack, and my mother’s is Diane.”
    Tate burst out laughing. “That’s funny.” He dipped another fry into Amanda’s mixture and popped it into his mouth.
    “What’s so funny?” she asked.
    “Jack and Diane. Like the John Cougar Mellencamp song.
    Amanda had a blank expression on her face. “What are you talking about?”
    “Come on. Don’t tell me you don’t know the lyrics. Everyone our age does.” He started to sing the song.
    “I’m not as old as you,” she shot back and shoved another fry in her mouth. “As you know, my sister, Quinn, is having a baby at any moment. Quinn’s husband’s name is Mark and Alex’s girlfriend is Brenda.