Christmas Romance (Best Christmas Romances of 2013) by Sharon Kleve, Jennifer Conner, Danica Winters, Casey Dawes Page A
Ads: Link
Her wide-eyed look must’ve given him a hint that something could be wrong because he easily moved back into the elevator. The door closed and she moved away from him and slumped against the wall. The drummers were still having a party in her head.
“Halo, are you okay? What’s going on?”
Halo needed to pull herself together and get the files back to Green Hornet Investigations. And her head could use a couple ibuprofens to kill the pain, which she had in the old medal ashtray in her Bug.
“Halo, talk to me,” Rich insisted.
“I’m fine… everything’s fine.” She tried to sound convincing.
“You don’t look fine. You look rattled.”
“What are you doing here?” The pizza box in his hand told her everything she needed to know, but she didn’t want to explain what happened.
“I took a chance you’d still be here, and brought you dinner.”
“That was nice of you, but I’ve got to get going.” Halo pushed the lobby button a few more times—not that it would make the box go any faster, but it felt good.
“You don’t have time for dinner?” he asked.
“No. Sorry. How’s Cleo? Did she have her pups?” She chose a safe topic.
“No, another false alarm. I’ll probably take her to work with me tomorrow. I have a large staff that adores her and can watch over her for me while I work.”
Halo had never ridden in an elevator that took this long to motor up and down. Finally, they arrived at the lobby.
“Thank you for thinking of me, but I can’t stay.” She maneuvered around his large body and smelled pepperoni and cheese. Her stomach protested her leaving with a loud gurgle.
“Are you sure? This is the best pizza ever; you’ll be missing out,” he said, and flaunted the box in front of her nose.
“Rich, I need to concentrate on my career right now. What I wish for and what I can have are two different things. I’m sorry.”
He chuckled, but looked disappointed. She left him in the lobby, hitched her bag up over her shoulder, and walked the two blocks to the garage.
****
Rich couldn’t believe his luck. The one girl that intrigued him wasn’t interested in a relationship. Helen, his ex-wife had said she wanted a family, but after two years it became clear she preferred her fourteen-hour days at the office over coming home to their ten acres. When she insisted they sell the acreage and move to the city, he resisted and she divorced him.
Halo seemed sweet, kind, and passionate. Being a tenacious guy, he’d come back with food, but she’d blown him off. Seriously, who could resist a pepperoni pizza from Josh’s Pub?
When he heard the elevator ding and he didn’t turn to see who got off. The guy walked by him with his shoulders slumped then turned, and stopped.
“Hey, I know you. You’re the guy that called for the paramedics,” Pemsky said.
He didn’t want to talk to the guy—especially after the way he’d spoken to Halo.
“Yes, that was me.” Pemsky looked worse now than he did earlier. His hands shook and sweat dripped down the side of his face.
“Did you see where that conniving receptionist went?”
“Excuse me, your receptionist saved your life,” Rich reminded him.
“She didn’t save my life. I had indigestion is all. So, where’d that girly go?” Pemsky demanded.
“I believe she went home, after a very long day at the office. Are you sure indigestion is your only health problem? Do you want me to call someone for you?” Rich asked.
“No. Mind your own business.”
Pemsky leaned back against the wall and wiped his brow with his sleeve.
“Why do you need to find her?” Rich asked.
“I want to talk to her about something, not that’s it any of your business,” he replied, with a sneer on his face.
“Whatever you need, I’m sure that it can wait until tomorrow.” Rich turned to leave.
“She quit, dammit! She walked out on me without notice,” he huffed.
Spittle formed in the corners of his mouth.
“Well, goodbye and take care.”
“Halo, are you okay? What’s going on?”
Halo needed to pull herself together and get the files back to Green Hornet Investigations. And her head could use a couple ibuprofens to kill the pain, which she had in the old medal ashtray in her Bug.
“Halo, talk to me,” Rich insisted.
“I’m fine… everything’s fine.” She tried to sound convincing.
“You don’t look fine. You look rattled.”
“What are you doing here?” The pizza box in his hand told her everything she needed to know, but she didn’t want to explain what happened.
“I took a chance you’d still be here, and brought you dinner.”
“That was nice of you, but I’ve got to get going.” Halo pushed the lobby button a few more times—not that it would make the box go any faster, but it felt good.
“You don’t have time for dinner?” he asked.
“No. Sorry. How’s Cleo? Did she have her pups?” She chose a safe topic.
“No, another false alarm. I’ll probably take her to work with me tomorrow. I have a large staff that adores her and can watch over her for me while I work.”
Halo had never ridden in an elevator that took this long to motor up and down. Finally, they arrived at the lobby.
“Thank you for thinking of me, but I can’t stay.” She maneuvered around his large body and smelled pepperoni and cheese. Her stomach protested her leaving with a loud gurgle.
“Are you sure? This is the best pizza ever; you’ll be missing out,” he said, and flaunted the box in front of her nose.
“Rich, I need to concentrate on my career right now. What I wish for and what I can have are two different things. I’m sorry.”
He chuckled, but looked disappointed. She left him in the lobby, hitched her bag up over her shoulder, and walked the two blocks to the garage.
****
Rich couldn’t believe his luck. The one girl that intrigued him wasn’t interested in a relationship. Helen, his ex-wife had said she wanted a family, but after two years it became clear she preferred her fourteen-hour days at the office over coming home to their ten acres. When she insisted they sell the acreage and move to the city, he resisted and she divorced him.
Halo seemed sweet, kind, and passionate. Being a tenacious guy, he’d come back with food, but she’d blown him off. Seriously, who could resist a pepperoni pizza from Josh’s Pub?
When he heard the elevator ding and he didn’t turn to see who got off. The guy walked by him with his shoulders slumped then turned, and stopped.
“Hey, I know you. You’re the guy that called for the paramedics,” Pemsky said.
He didn’t want to talk to the guy—especially after the way he’d spoken to Halo.
“Yes, that was me.” Pemsky looked worse now than he did earlier. His hands shook and sweat dripped down the side of his face.
“Did you see where that conniving receptionist went?”
“Excuse me, your receptionist saved your life,” Rich reminded him.
“She didn’t save my life. I had indigestion is all. So, where’d that girly go?” Pemsky demanded.
“I believe she went home, after a very long day at the office. Are you sure indigestion is your only health problem? Do you want me to call someone for you?” Rich asked.
“No. Mind your own business.”
Pemsky leaned back against the wall and wiped his brow with his sleeve.
“Why do you need to find her?” Rich asked.
“I want to talk to her about something, not that’s it any of your business,” he replied, with a sneer on his face.
“Whatever you need, I’m sure that it can wait until tomorrow.” Rich turned to leave.
“She quit, dammit! She walked out on me without notice,” he huffed.
Spittle formed in the corners of his mouth.
“Well, goodbye and take care.”
Similar Books
