Home for Christmas: New Adult Holiday Dark Suspense Romance by Emme Rollins Read Free Book Online Page B

drawings. “Do you have anything else? Anything original?”
    “Well...” Many of her paintings had been far too big to carry with her and she’d left them back at Brody’s. But she did have one thing. “These are mine.”
    She took out another sketch book from her backpack. The coiled end caught on a pair of her panties and they went flying, hitting Nick square in the chest. Ginny had never been so mortified in her life. They fell to the floor at his feet and he bent to retrieve them. Thankfully, Chloe hadn’t seemed to notice. She was already flipping through the sketch book Ginny handed to her.
    Nick didn’t say anything, he just handed Ginny’s panties back. She shoved them down deep into her bag, trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks as she stood, watching Chloe peruse drawings Ginny had never shown anyone. Not even her art teacher in high school. Chloe didn’t say anything as she slowly flipped the pages. She lingered on some, flipped past others. Ginny couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
    Interested, Nick peered over the woman’s shoulder, watching her turn the pages. Ginny still couldn’t get over the fact that the man had been fingering a pair of her panties just moments before. She also couldn’t quite grasp that she was not only standing before Chloe Clay, and the woman had given her not only her autograph, but was looking through her own personal version of a graphic novel. She’d been working on it for a few years, so the earlier drawings were more rudimentary. Ginny noticed Chloe slowing down as she turned the pages.
    “Hey, I didn’t finish,” Nick protested when the author closed the book halfway through.
    “That’s the sign of talent, girl.” Chloe winked as she handed Ginny back her pad. “He wants to keep reading.”
    “Thank you.” Ginny shoved it into her backpack, not quite sure how to take the compliment.
    “How old are you?” Chloe asked, eyes narrowing at her, speculative.
    “Almost nineteen,” Ginny replied.
    “Going to school?”
    “I want to go to art school.”
    “Well let me know if you want to skip the debt.” Chloe rolled her eyes, reaching into a bag beside her and pulling out a card. “Seriously. If you’re ever in New York, look me up. I’ll introduce you to some people. Bring that with you.”
    “I... okay.” Ginny wasn’t quite sure what to say. The truth was, she was going in the opposite direction. California was as far from New York as she could get—in this country anyway.
    “Can I have a word, Ms. Clay?” The “employee’s only” door swung open and Ginny recognized the manager of the store. She tried to avoid him as much as possible, worried he would think she was always loitering in his store. He didn’t even seem to notice her, although she did her best to hide her presence behind Nick’s solid bulk.
    “Sure.” Chloe stood up, brushing off her pant suit. “Nice to meet you, Virginia.”
    “You too,” Ginny replied. She had to say it. “Thank you so much.”
    Chloe and the manager were already talking, and Ginny followed Nick out into the store.

Chapter Five
    “Thank you,” Ginny said as they weaved their way toward the front of the store. “For introducing me. For the book.”
    “Want to get some lunch? I mean, some real lunch, not the cookie and banana in your pocket.” He dropped her a wink as they reached the café up front.
    “Oh, you can have them back...” She flushed, reaching into her pocket.
    “Keep them, Ginny.” He laughed. “Do you want a sandwich to go with them?”
    Of course she did—but she wasn’t sure spending more time with him was such a good idea. She still wasn’t quite sure of the man’s motives, even if she was starting to doubt her original theory.
    “I am a little hungry,” she confessed.
    “All right, now we’re talking.” A family was getting up from one of the tables and Nick grabbed it, nodding at the opposite chair. “You stay here. What do you want? Tuna? Chicken