The Holiday Hoax Read Free

You’d be impressed.”
    “I am already.”
    The words hung in the air between them. The sounds and sights of the party faded away under the golden gleam in his eyes. She cleared her throat. “I never got your name.”
    “Aidan. Aidan Hunter. And you?”
    “Isabella Summers.”
    “Nice to meet you Isabella Summers.” With that, he reached out and interlaced his fingers with hers. The shock of skin on skin skittered through her. His hands were warm and strong. She imagined his touch on her naked body, over her tight nipples and lower. Heat tinged her cheeks. What was wrong with her? She based attraction to a man on his personality and kindness. Suddenly, the thought of ripping off his clothes took precedence over sparkling conversation.
    As if he knew, Aidan leaned forward. His warm breath struck her lips. “Now that must have been an interesting thought,” he murmured.
    She shifted as an achy heat settled between her thighs. Her blush deepened. Slowly, he reached out and ran one finger down her flaming cheek. The connection lit and burned like an electric fuse underwater. Her body jumped to life and demanded attention. His eyes darkened. She opened her mouth and—
    “Isabella.” Her name cut through the fog like a razor. Liz stood beside her with a very good-looking man, her face evidently shocked at having to interrupt with her date. Aidan dropped his hand and stepped back. His face closed up and he looked distantly polite. Isabella’s tummy clenched, but she forced herself to turn with a welcoming smile to the man beside Liz.
    Liz made the introductions and quickly exited, staring curiously at Aidan who nodded at the new man, Robert, and politely made his excuses, disappearing into the crowd. Isabella turned to her date and forced herself to initiate a conversation while her thoughts remained on Aidan Hunter.
    ****
    Aidan moodily watched the couple converse while he sipped his drink. Evidently, it was a blind date set up from her friend’s introductions. Still, Aidan didn’t like it. Fate had stepped in and allowed him to find her. He certainly didn’t want to lose her to another man this early in the game.
    She was more riveting than he remembered. Those eyes burned with blue fire, but with her knit cap and coat off, Aidan admitted she was a knockout. Honey strands of hair fell in artful disarray around her face, setting off high arched brows, and full, pouty lips. Her Christmasy red sweater accentuated high lush breasts. Long legs were clad in black pants, emphasized by thigh high leather boots that were all the rage and sexy as hell.
    He dated beautiful women all the time. Isabella seemed different from them. Her face reflected an open honesty and strength of character he rarely spotted anymore, evident in her rescuing a tree that was ugly on the outside. She glimpsed more underneath the surface and took the precious time to look. The people Aidan knew rarely wasted effort to investigate. They craved bigger, better, shinier, and demanded it yesterday. Isabella’s loyalty toward something ugly intrigued him, until he followed his instinct to make the deal difficult for her. No one would pay money for something that didn’t fit. Something that wasn’t beautiful.
    Isabella proved him wrong.
    When she refused to walk away from her tree, Aidan knew he needed to know this woman.
    He tried not to let his impatience show as the hour slipped by. The party could have been his opportunity to know her better. He heard her blind date was a dentist. His gut twisted. Was she a woman who’d never involve herself with a man who worked on a tree farm? Perhaps, the idea of dating a stable, moneymaking dentist would trump their attraction? The thought depressed him.
    The crowd began oohing and aahing and made their way out to the large deck. The snow had begun and a storm threatened. Aidan watched the couple finish their plates from the buffet, and then Robert disappeared.
    Aidan hadn’t made his fortune by standing