Mistletoe Cinderella by Michaels Tanya

Author:Michaels Tanya
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2009-06-11T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Chloe waited until she was clear of the Atlanta freeways before reaching for her cell phone at a red light. She punched in the first number programmed in her speed dial. “I’m a terrible human being! You shouldn’t even be friends with me.”

Her unorthodox greeting was met with a slight pause. “Chloe, is that you? I know a lot of terrible human beings, so you’ll have to be more specific.”

“This is serious, Nat. I’m out of control! You won’t believe what happened at Dylan’s place.”

Natalie gasped. “Don’t tell me you had sex with him. On second thought, do tell me. I want all the details.”

“What? No, of course I didn’t sleep with him! Although I was in his bedroom. And we did kiss again.”

He was such a great kisser. He was a great listener. He was a great guy…which made her feel like slime. Today was supposed to have been the end of it. She was supposed to have freaked him out with girlie suggestions of angel figurines and crystal balls in every room, putting to rest the possibility of his wanting to hire her. But everything had gone wrong.

Paradoxically it had felt right.

He had a way of looking at her that made her feel sexy and whole and…herself. Even though she was pretending to be someone else, he seemed to see more of the real Chloe than her Web site customers, parents and friends. More than anyone except Natalie. In fact, Chloe thought, recalling the way they’d joked with each other, spending time with him was a lot like being with Natalie. Except that Nat knew Chloe’s actual name and profession, and Chloe never fantasized about kissing her friend.

“Who kissed who?” Natalie asked, sounding ecstatic instead of outraged.

“It was sort of a mutual thing.” Which she’d instigated, scooting closer to him on the couch. She didn’t even want to think about how she must have been looking at him to encourage him. “That’s not the point, anyway. I took his money!”

“You stole from him?”

“I might as well have! I let him write me a check for services rendered. Or to be rendered.” She’d thrown out the lowest number that was still halfway credible, adding at his disbelieving expression that he got a discount because he was someone she knew. But you live in a very small town, he’d argued. Don’t you know about sixty percent of your clients? How do you stay in business if you give everyone that rate?

It was difficult to lie to an astute man. Witness how he’d described seeing her at the inn, how he’d described her body language this afternoon—

“Hello? Did I lose you?” Natalie prompted. “Are you going through a bad reception area?”

“I’m going through a midlife crisis! And I’m not even thirty. I should have been racked with remorse all afternoon, but you know what the most shameful part is? I enjoyed myself.” Especially the kissing. “I’m sick and twisted enough that most of me is glad he’s coming to Mistletoe next week.

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