Sweet Holiday Surprise

Rule Number One: Never date the boss.

Given Alexa’s crash and burn history with office romances, it should be an easy rule to follow.

Then again, her rules have never gone up against Cash Campbell.

Her charming CEO boss has a way of looking at her that makes her feel as though she’s the center of his universe, and their constant flirting increases the heat whenever their eyes meet. His attention makes for an addictive, yet tricky situation.

But Cash likes to keep things light and simple.

He doesn’t make promises he can’t keep, and maintains enough space to move fast in the boardroom—as well as in his love life.

However, there’s something captivating about his assistant’s direct honesty that has monopolized his attention for almost a year. The problem is, he knows she’ll never date the boss…and he really needs this job. Even if he could date her, she likes things orderly and his life and problems are anything but.

When the two attend a wedding in the dreamy ocean town of Indigo Bay, they begin to wonder why they ever bothered following the rules.

Because sometimes breaking the rules is the best way to discover the love of your life.

This is a short, sweet holiday romance set in the Indigo Bay world and can be read as a standalone.

“Alexa?” Cash froze in the doorway. His assistant, who was supposed to be home sick, according to his uncle Des, looked rather healthy in her snug Western-style shirt, which fitted her in a way her blouses at work never seemed to. Her mouth, which had dropped open, snapped shut, and she was now giving him her patented no-nonsense sidelong gaze he had months ago dubbed as the Montana One-Two.

He could tell she felt as duped by his presence as he did by hers.

Duped by an eighty-seven-year-old uncle who evidently thought he was a smarmy little good-deed-doing Cupid.
Cash didn’t know whether to call up the man to chew him out or to thank him.

Then again, Uncle Des was quite a decent matchmaker, which meant…what?

Alexa didn’t need a man, and if she did, she certainly didn’t need one with money problems. Their undeniable attraction—which had slipped under his skin on more than one occasion—had almost caused him to break the no-getting-involved-with-our-valuable-assistant promise he’d made to his cousin Luke when he’d accepted the position of interim CEO of Cohen’s.

“What are you doing here?” Alexa demanded, snapping him from his thoughts.

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” he replied mildly.

“It’s not Christmas. Not yet.”

She seemed uncharacteristically flustered, her eyes flicking to his bare chest before she’d catch herself and train her gaze elsewhere, her cheeks an endearing pink.

“Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve,” he said slowly, struggling with the urge to strut and flex. He almost wished he hadn’t taken the time to don jeans after his shower.

He noted the leather bucket bag slung over her shoulder. He’d caught her drooling over the purse a few times on her work computer and had relinquished his man card and ordered it as his Christmas gift to her.

“You like the bag?”

She instinctively pulled it closer. “Yes, I love it, thank you. Is Desmond okay?”

“He said you were sick.”

“I’m supposed to be staying here. With him. Helping him. Taking care of everything.” Cash could see her anger and frustration building, like a train picking up speed as it made its way down the tracks.

She preferred order and things going according to plan. Duplicity and anything that wasn’t straight down the pipe didn’t sit well with her. It made her a fantastic assistant because she cut through the bull with a determined politeness and direct honesty Cash knew he’d never find in another employee—at least not a friendly one who didn’t put him in his place for being a flirt. But right now, her attitude and the situation might put him within target range of her turquoise cowboy boots.

“You’re supposed to be in Thailand.” Her canvas overnight duffel was at her feet and her party dress was bunched up over her arm as she rested her hands on her hips. She dropped one shoulder, head to the side. “And wearing a shirt. Do you have a shirt?” When he didn’t reply straight off, she added impatiently, “Well?”

He fought a satisfied smile. “I didn’t realize I couldn’t answer the door without a shirt. I’m not wearing shoes, either. Will I be denied service?”

No shirt, no shoes, no service.

“Not funny, Cash.” But he spied a spark of amusement in her hazel eyes despite her stern tone.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Then stop smiling.”

“I can’t.”

Because he had a feeling that his new Christmas roommate was the one woman he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.