Kissing Under The Mistletoe: The Sullivans (Contemporary Romance) by Bella Andre Read Free Book Online

your
product, there’s something you need to know about me. I don’t mix
business with pleasure.”
    Jack looked surprised, and she got a sense
that women hadn’t turned him down very many times in his thirty-two
years. And why would they, she asked herself, when he was not only
extraordinarily gorgeous, but he had a smile that could instantly
make you feel as if you were the only woman in the world who
mattered.
    “So if you agree to represent my invention,”
he clarified, “you won’t let me ask you out?”
    Her stomach fluttered at the sheer thought of
a proper date with Jack. One that would likely end in a kiss.
    Or more…
    “It makes things too complicated.”
    She still remembered the pain of having to
continue working with a man she could barely stand to be in the
same room with, of having to listen to Romain’s endless critiques
and demands. She’d been too much of a professional to tell him
where he could stick it and had had to make do with the vivid
fantasies of what she’d wished she’d said to him.
    Jack studied her for a few moments. “In that
case, we’ll have to take care of business first.” But he reached
across the table for her hand again and brushed his thumb across
her palm. “And then we’ll move on to pleasure.”
    It took every ounce of self-control for Mary
to slide her hand away from his and to convince herself it was
better this way. Instead of jumping into a sizzling-hot affair that
could burn out just as quickly as it flared up, they’d get a chance
to know each other better by working together first. And then,
after they’d concluded their business affairs, if the sparks were
still there between them, perhaps they could see about starting
another kind of affair entirely.
    Only, as Jack showed her how the Pocket
Planner worked, instead of being able to keep her distance, she was
increasingly seduced not only by how gorgeous he was—and she’d seen
plenty of handsome men in her career—but also by his incredible
intelligence.
    And his passion.

Chapter Four
     
    “Thank you so much for agreeing to work with
us, Ms. Ferrer,” Larry said as he pumped Mary’s hand
enthusiastically in the lobby of Walter Industries the following
day.
    “You’re a lifesaver, Ms. Ferrer,” Howie said
as he reached for her hand the very second Larry let it go, nearly
pulling her arm loose from her shoulder socket in his excitement.
“My girlfriend wanted me to tell you that she’s your biggest
fan.”
    She smiled warmly at both of the men.
“Please, call me Mary.”
    Jack had done his research after putting Mary
into a cab in front of the diner last night. He’d quickly confirmed
that he’d been having pie and coffee—and fumbling through every
last second—with one of the most successful models in the world. No
doubt, she had men throwing themselves at her feet, men with a hell
of a lot more to their name than a dream.
    She’d been right to get up and start to walk
out on him last night at the diner. He’d deserved worse than that
for the way he’d gracelessly asked her to be the face of their
product, without making it clear that business wasn’t the only
reason he wanted to spend time with her. It was just that as soon
as they’d started talking about his invention, and she’d been
clearly interested in it, he’d automatically fallen back into
engineering mode, the same way he would have with Howie or
Larry.
    The hurt that had flashed across Mary’s face
when she’d thought he was only interested in her as a spokesmodel
for an advertising campaign had kept him up half the night.
    Jack had lived his life using intelligent
calculations and analysis. Not only did a model and an engineer not
make any sense as a couple, but a serious relationship had never
factored into his plans or his life. What’s more, it had been less
than twenty-four hours since he’d met Mary. He should have been up
all night planning for this meeting today with the board. If ever
he needed to have