Winter Kisses by A.C. Arthur Read Free Book Online Page A

barely knew each other and she wouldn’t even count the times they had met as getting to know one another. Then again, Monica didn’t spend a lot of time trying to get to know anyone. It just wasn’t worth it.
    Kissing him was quickly becoming addictive. And Monica definitely did not do addictions. What she did do was own up to whatever issues she had. So she took a deep breath, lifted her head and stared toward the door. Alex Bennett was going to be an issue.
    Finally tired of sitting in this strange bed, Monica stood, moving to one of the windows where she used her fingers to separate the blinds. They were roomdarkening, and she needed some light. There wasn’t much light outside, just the illumination coming from each cabin’s front-door lantern. And through that illumination she saw the huge snowflakes that had splashed against her face earlier were still falling.
    The mere thought of all that snow had her searching for her purse, digging through it to pull out her cell phone. That—her heart sank as she pushed the buttons—still did not work.
    â€œDammit!” she whispered and clenched her teeth. The minute she got back to New York she was going to the store to replace this stupid phone.
    Maybe she’d buy one from Alex. Funny how her thoughts circled right back to him.
    He seemed like a nice enough guy. A very shrewd businessman, which she’d already assessed from the way Sam talked about him. Besides, after their first meeting and the resulting connection between his family and the prince and princess of Pirata, which ultimately showed up at the gallery with a link to the stolen artwork, she’d researched his family and company.
    Bennett Industries had made its mark in the telecommunications industry in the early nineties with their advancements in personal computers. While they were no Bill Gates, they did hold the patent to several programs and PC accessories that were used nationwide, including in the Pentagon, which was a huge boost in their stocks. For the past few years they’d concentrated a lot of effort in mobile devices and security communication systems. They had steadily growing stock and were featured in this month’s Infinity magazine—a premiere publication owned by another branch of the Donovanclan—showcasing African-Americans on the move. The picture of Alexander Bennett sitting on the edge of his desk dressed in a black suit, white shirt and red tie was still fresh in her memory. Even from the glossy magazine page he’d touched her in that subtle yet potent way he always did. If she were really coming clean about everything she’d have to say she’d been attracted to him from day one.
    It wasn’t something she was proud of, physically wanting a man she didn’t even know, but there it was. And just because she had this physical desire didn’t mean she had to act on it. If they didn’t keep bumping into each other, she wouldn’t have to act on it, because she never intended to call him. But now, here they were. In a cabin, trapped in a snowstorm, ideal circumstances if she were thinking purely physical.
    But she wasn’t.
    Although Deena would say she should. The not-so-subtle hints from her sister that she needed to get laid did not always fall on deaf ears. And while Monica certainly remembered the days when sex was as important to her as eating, lately that just wasn’t the case. Until she’d met Alex.
    It wasn’t just his looks. Even though the dark, exotic look he had from his African-American and Brazilian heritage was reason enough for any woman to want him. For her it could never be just about looks. Alex was on her level. She could tell by the way he’d come the moment Sam had called him—family loyalty. Monica had that emblazoned in her brain. Good business sense and dedication to his job was another mark in his favor where she was concerned. It was important to take a job