CA 35 Christmas Past Read Free Page A

argued, tugging at her slipping towel with her free hand.
“This is my room.” She sent a narrowed glance at her purse on the floor. “Did
you touch any of my stuff?”
                There it came. “I did
not touch any of your stuff.” Except the panties. He
swallowed hard. But she didn’t have to know that.
                She reached behind her
for the phone. The towel slipped another inch. She quickly jerked the towel
back up the inch or so it had slipped and glared at him for daring to look.
                Still clutching the
bottle of wine by the neck, she swiped a damp tendril of dark hair from her
forehead. “I need a member of management in 403, please.” She sent a suspicious
glare back at him. “There’s an intruder in my room.”
                Hell. “I’m not an
intruder,” he growled. “I have a key. One the clerk gave to me.”
                She ignored him,
listened to whatever the front desk had to say. “Thank you.” She sent him a
triumphant look as she dropped the receiver back into its cradle. “The manager
will be right up. He’ll straighten this out, and then you’ll see that you’re in
the wrong room.”
                Jason shook his head.
“I’m in the room they assigned me. If—” he let his expression show the doubt he
felt that this would be the case “—I’m in the wrong room, the clerk made a
mistake. They’ll give one of us another room and everything will be fine.”
                “It won’t be me,” she
shot back. “I was here first. First come, first served, sir.”
                Jason removed his
sunglasses so he could look her directly in the eyes. “That’s fine. You stay.
I’ll take another room.” Not a problem! He wasn’t that hard to please.
                “Wait.” Those big brown
eyes narrowed again. “I know you.”
                Defeat dragged his
resolve all the way to the floor. Perfect. Now she would want to press whatever
charges she could trump up. Or would insist that his Peeping Tom activities had
permanently scarred her and generous compensation was essential.
                “You’re that kooky news
anchor guy from CNN who jets around the country. I thought I recognized you
even with the sunglasses. Maybe you need a teleprompter to understand this…”
                He didn’t argue, just let her think what she would.
                “…they can’t give you
another room.” She shifted the wine bottle to her other hand. “The place is
filled to capacity. There aren’t any other rooms. I guess you’re out of luck.”
               
                Dread sat like a big,
cold stone in his gut. She was right. He’d gotten the last room two weeks ago.
And this one had only been available because of a last-minute cancelation .
                Just
great. This whole expedition was off to a spectacular start.
               
                CHAPTER THREE
     
                THE LODGE MANAGER, the
concierge and the head reservation clerk were dumbfounded. The three gentlemen
and Fewell stared at Molly as if she should admit
defeat and forfeit possession of the room.
                Not going to happen.
                “Sorry.” She folded her
arms over her chest. To Fewell’s obvious relief,
she’d gotten dressed while they waited for the lodge powers-that-be to arrive.
“No can do. I was here first.”
                Fewell shook his head. “Fine. I’ll move to another lodge.” He
turned to the concierge. “Can you find me another room someplace else?”
                The three staff members
looked at each other.
                “What?” Fewell demanded, clearly beyond frustrated.
                “Sir,” the manager
confessed, “there are no other rooms.