Mark Cantwell has a life most men can only dream of—he’s rich, respected, and ripped. There’s only one thing he wants—to regain control of his grandfather’s company. When the chance finally pops up, he jumps at it even though it means ruining Christmas for his executive assistant, Jess Stone.
Jess Stone will do anything for her handsome boss. He’s everything she wants in a man so when he needs her during her family’s annual Colorado Christmas celebration, she doesn’t hesitate to adjust her plans.
What should have been a simple flight and a quick meeting turns into a road trip from hell, leaving the pair stranded in a motel room together in the middle of a snowstorm.
Will Mark take the first chance he can to just get on with his business, or will he realize all he wants for Christmas is Jess?
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EXCERPT:
He lifted his head for the briefest of moments and gave me a slip of a smile. I loved this little power exchange we had going. He’d demand, and I’d push back. Not a lot, just enough to get him to smile.
“Is this a hostile takeover?” It was a valid question since the man gobbled up companies like I did chocolate candies.
Mark laughed. “No, it’s something new.” He brought a pen to his mouth and chewed on the end, then laid it on the desk‐ top. “It’s a partnership.”
I was tempted to snatch the pen he’d been chewing on but let that thought go. Instead, I leaned in like I would if I were to tell him a secret.
“Can I be candid with you?”
He leaned in like every word I uttered was important. “I always want you to be honest with me, Jess.”
I lifted my head so we were eye to eye. “Forgive me for saying, but you don’t come across as the kind of man who plays nicely with others.”
He looked up at me with eyes the same color as a smog-free California sky. “Oh, I’m really quite good at playing, Ms. Stone.”
He only used my last name when he was making a point he didn’t want me to forget, but what was his point? His words seemed naughty in nature. Combined with his sly smile, and I was certain he was teasing me.
“I’d love to see that, Mr. Cantwell.” I made a note to get him the report within the hour. “But in all honesty, you don’t seem the type of man who likes to share, and a partnership implies sharing.”
He sat back and folded his arms across his broad chest. The smooth fabric of his custom suit gripped his muscles. “We’re talking about two different things. I can play all day and never have to share.” He took the last bite of his muffin and watched me for a second. “I never share. Once something is mine, it’s mine forever.”
A shiver ran down my spine. He was probably talking about money or possessions, but when he looked at me and said those words, my heart beat wildly. What would it be like to be Mark Cantwell’s woman for a minute—a day—forever?
Author Bio:
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International bestselling author of more than thirty novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.
Kelly has sold more than a quarter of a million books worldwide, and in 2021 she was awarded a Readers' Favorite Award Gold Medal in the Contemporary Romance category for A Tablespoon of Temptation.
You can learn more about Kelly at www.authorkellycollins.com.
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