Under the Millionaire's Mistletoe by Maureen Child Read Free Book Online Page A

said.
    â€œRight,” she agreed, lifting her face to his. “Shutting up now.”
    Then he took her mouth with his, felt the hard punch of desire and knew that Anna Cameron was going to be way more trouble than he’d first believed.

Six
    T he next few days settled into a routine. Anna worked in the office, Sam worked on his cars and they met in the middle for lunch provided by his housekeeper. By silent agreement, neither of them referred to the blisteringly hot kiss they’d shared in his office.
    But the memory was there. Haunting them. Keeping each of them so tightly wound that just being close to each other sent up sparks.
    Anna didn’t know what to do. She hadn’t wanted or expected to like Sam, but he was getting to her. Slipping beneath her radar, worming his way into her thoughts. Heaven knew he had already breached her body’s defenses. Anytime he came near, her heartbeat sped up and every square inch of her jolted into electric life.
    But it wasn’t just the desire, the passion; it was more. Over the last few days, they’d talked and even laughed. He’d told her about some of his more “eccentric” customers and she’d shared a few of the truly hideous murals some of her clients had asked for. She actually liked working in the office, listening to the sound of power tools as he refurbished one of his cars.
    At the bottom of it, though, she had to keep in mind that he didn’t trust her. He thought she’d been willing to seduce his brother to save her father’s company and what did that say about him? But he’d also given her free rein to paint whatever she wanted in his office. That was trust of a sort, wasn’t it?
    Yet, she remembered all the things Garret had told her the night he broke things off with her. Along with the whole out-to-get-my-money speech, Sam had also told Garret that he considered artists to be flaky and emotionally unstable. So what was she supposed to make of that?
    â€œNone of this makes sense,” she told herself, glad that the day was almost over. Sam had gone up to the main house half an hour ago and she’d heard Mrs. Soren leave shortly after. As soon as Anna finished this one section of the mural, she’d be leaving, too. Christmas was getting closer and she still had shopping to do. Besides, one of her own traditions was to wander through Crystal Bay at night to enjoy all of the Christmas decorations. She hadn’t had a chance to do that yet and she figured tonight was as good a time as any.
    She reached up and with her fingertips, quickly brushed the line of paint she’d just laid down, softening the edge and blending the paint into the other background colors so that it became a pale wash of blue and gray that would, eventually, be the sky in her mural. Stepping back, she nodded to herself, and wiped her fingers on the rag stuffed into her pocket. Then she stretched heraching shoulder muscles and swiveled her neck, trying to ease the tension there as well.
    Satisfied she’d done all she could, she quickly cleaned her brushes and closed up her paints. The sudden roar of a powerful engine splintered the quiet and Anna stepped outside to follow the sound.
    A cold wind slapped at her as she spotted Sam, astride a huge, gleaming black motorcycle. He grinned at her approach and revved the engine again, making the bike sound like a hungry lion.
    He wore a battered, brown leather jacket and balanced two helmets and another leather jacket across his lap. He looked way too good, Anna thought, feeling that rush of heat swamp her again. There might as well have been a Danger sign flashing over his head. But she still couldn’t seem to stop herself from walking toward him, like a moth headed directly for the tantalizing flame.
    She shouted over the rumble of the engine, “What’s going on?”
    â€œWe need a break,” he said, his voice deep and loud enough to carry. “Put this