Rebound by Nikki Mathis Thompson Page B

finding out what else is on that list of yours.” After that he turned and walked back into his office. She found the whole exchange very bizarre and she was curious as to why he was attempting to be charming all of the sudden . 
    Bi-polar anyone…
    Tears sometimes had a funny affect on men. Despite her confusion, she liked this side of him. He was relaxed and almost sweet. She thought she might need to move him out of the raging a-hole category, but she wasn’t sure what category to move him into. Was he really interested in getting to know her? It seemed like it, but you never knew. It was too soon to tell. Or was he just used to flirting with women? That was more like it.  He probably had it down to an art form. She suspected he was quite the ladies man. 
    She was glad they were being friendly, it might make this job much more enjoyable. Enjoyable, or totally torturous and confusing, the jury was still out on that one... 
     

Chapter 14
    That night she was laying on her bed in a t-shirt and boxer shorts, once again watching the ceiling fan make its hypnotic rotations. She had already eaten and had her nightly conversation with Teddy, so she had plenty of time to overanalyze the interactions she and Xander had that day. His personality shift from one extreme to the other had been disorienting. She knew the shift was mostly, if not all due to her epic monetary save. She had graduated from random fill-in to someone to be taken seriously. Now that he didn’t see her as some subordinate temp, he felt he could condescend to have actual conversations with her. 
      Doesn’t that make him a prick ?
    And why am I still thinking about it?
    He probably hadn’t even had a second thought about it, and here Katrine was spending her whole night going over a few nothings. It didn’t help that she had come to an unnerving conclusion. She liked him. The least she could do was be honest with herself. He seemed like a cool guy, once he dropped the attitude. And that made her feel like a complete idiot. Just last week she despised him, and now? Women are fickle creatures sometimes. 
    How easily she was won over with a few kind words and a baseball for Teddy. Was she that easily manipulated or was she just as naive as the characters in her books after all?  He did rescue her from an impending disaster. He could have sat there and relished in her public humiliation. If he was the masochist she had originally perceived him to be, he wouldn’t have helped her. She needed to give him credit for that. But which part was an act, the prick or the charming savior? 
    Maybe she needed to look at this a different way. Her friends did say a rebound fling was a good way of putting the ghost of relationships past to rest. He was definitely hot, rebound sex material. He was gorgeous, charming and he was leaving in two months. But it was a big move from cantankerous oppressor to potential bedmate in less than a week. She wouldn’t dwell on that tidbit. It was almost too good to be true. 
    You know what they say about things that seem too good to be true... And am I the love 'em and leave 'em type?
    She wasn’t sure, but she could try.
    What about Ian?
    She thought he was as good as he seemed. You did not use guys like Ian. 
    Ian was not rebound material. He was keeper material and he had feelings for her. 
    Did she have feelings for him? She thought that maybe she could. She was attracted to him and enjoyed his company. When she thought about their kiss she got warm all over. So that qualified as feelings in her book. Katrine was not ready for that, not ready to be in love again. That might be possible with Ian.  She had to put him on the back burner until she was ready. She just hoped he would wait.
    Now the real issue at hand: How to seduce her boss? She knew Xander Abbot was most likely the playboy type, a model on each arm. Stereotype yes, but probably spot on nonetheless. He was very rich and handsome. Beautiful women probably threw