Romancing the Holiday by Jaci Burton, Helenkay Dimon, Christi Barth Read Free Book Online

hotel.”
    “Don’t get too excited. It’s a family-owned inn. Clean but not fancy.”
    “No.”
    “You’d prefer to freeze to death outside tonight.”
    “There has to be another option other than death or poverty.”
    His eyebrow lifted. “You could stay at my house.”
    She didn’t even let that thought fester. “Definitely not.”
    “You fell back on that answer kind of fast. Feel free to take a second and think my proposal over.”
    She ignored his home reference because there was no way to address it without putting the bed possibility in both of their heads more than it already was, if that was even possible for her. “You know what it’s like to have a small business. You can’t afford extra costs, which means whatever inn you’re talking about is out.”
    “I offered my—”
    She waved a finger in his face. “The answer is still no on your house.”
    This time he backed up. “We’ll go have dinner and discuss this.”
    “Man, you don’t give up.” She had to respect that tenacity. It probably pointed to his success both in business and in getting her panties off so fast last time they met.
    “Austin will be there, so you’ll have a chaperone while we share a burger, or whatever you want.”
    As if on cue her stomach rumbled. “I could eat something.”
    Spence hitched his head in the direction of the bathroom. “Unless you want to stay and fight with whatever is living in there.”
    That fast her hunger evaporated. “Please be kidding.”
    “’Fraid not.”
    “Let’s go.”

Chapter Four
    Austin lounged in his usual seat in the corner booth, the one that provided a full view of Schmidt’s Diner. When the bell jingled over the door, he looked up. The smile hit his lips a second later.
    Spence almost groaned at the reaction. They were in for it now.
    He knew his brother would be on the phone to Carrie and Mitch, gossiping like old women the second after the dessert plates cleared the table. Spence put his hand against the small of Lila’s back to bring her inside next to him. The conversation had stopped at more than one table and a few of the less subtle turned around. A few old-timers sitting at the counter waved and one of the ladies who worked at the grocery store took out her cell phone and started typing.
    Fucking fabulous .
    “This town is big on staring.” Lila leaned in as she whispered the thought.
    The smell of almonds hit him a second later. Whatever she’d used to wash her hair made him want to rub his face in it. He tried to focus on the collective gaping around the room and forget about her scent, her legs, the thing she did with her mouth...
    He cleared his throat. “Yeah, no kidding.”
    Austin slid across the red vinyl and stood as they approached. Their father would be proud to know all those lessons he drummed into them as kids had actually produced some manners.
    Austin nodded to Lila. “Good evening, Ms. Payne.”
    The smile she shot him could light up the campground. “Please call me Lila.”
    Spence pointed at the side opposite from where Austin had been sitting. “Slide in.”
    She didn’t fight him, which was new. She’d spent the entire ride over outlining her reasons for staying at the campground tonight. By the end it sounded as if she’d almost convinced herself the garbage she spouted made sense. But she was a smart woman and Austin would side with him, so Spence doubted he’d have to hear much more about sleeping in her car. At least he hoped that was true.
    While she moved across the cheap red seat, Austin blocked Spence’s path. “I’m not sure if I won the bet or not. What do you think?”
    “That you should shut up.”
    Austin laughed as he finally took his seat across the table. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
    “You remember Austin. He frequently tells me he’s unforgettable to women or was until Carrie shoved that wedding band on his finger.” Spence sat down and immediately picked up the menu and pretended to read.
    He’d been