Courting the Clown Read Online Free PDF

illicit. It smelled like him too, which didn’t help. She was pathetic. Not only pathetic, she was a pathetic clown. The man didn’t even have a clue as to what she looked like, and here she was, practically drooling over his damn coat.
    “Put your arms in the sleeves,” he commanded, and started rolling up the heavy sleeves in anticipation of her obeying him. “That costume is ridiculously thin. I can’t believe you played outside wearing this.”
    He caught her eye and dropped the sleeve, smiling embarrassed. “Sorry. I get carried away with the father role sometimes.”
    “No problem.” Right on cue, she sneezed, and Nick’s handsome face turned worried. “God, please, don’t get sick,” he muttered, and she was quite pleased with his concern until she realized he wanted her alive and well to entertain in his daughters party. Damn it all!
    The fast food place was crowded, but everybody was in a hurry so a table was free after only a few minute’s wait. Emily was quick to finish her burger and wriggled in her seat, staring with longing towards the playroom. Lana was less impressed, but when her little sister scuttled off, she followed.
    Sylvie took a bite of her burger, and noticed Nick’s mouth moving. The place was so loud, it was impossible to get heard without either shouting, or getting very very close.
    Nick chose the second option. He leaned towards her, and she got a close-up view of his eyes. Very blue. Very sexy. Filled with warmth and humor and sending tickling heat up her spine.
    Great. Just what she needed. The first man in years to wake up the butterflies in her stomach and she had to be dressed in a clown suit, and he had to be a widowed father of two. Not exactly a match made in heaven, and she viciously chewed on her French fry and swallowed with satisfaction. There. Let the cholesterol deal with the damn butterflies.
    “You’ve got to tell me,” he said close to her ear, and she got goose bumps all over. “How in the world did you end up a clown?”
    Sylvie speared a French fry with a plastic fork and dipped it in ketchup. Who cared about calories on a day like this? “It’s not an interesting story.”
    Nick shook his head, grinning. “I don’t believe that. It has to be fascinating. Was it a dare or something? Or did you just badly need a job.”
    She wiped her hands on a colorful napkin and pushed the plate with the remaining fries away. She looked up at him and grimaced. “Well, a bit of both, embarrassing as it is. I have this pact with two of my friends about doing things out of our comfort zone.” She took a long gulp of her soda. “And then I lost my job. Not nice, so close to Christmas. So, Susie tricked me into going with her. Of course, I didn’t realize it was a part of the plan.” She groaned. “God, I wished she’d dragged me to a karaoke bar. That was the kind of thing I was thinking with the out-of-comfort-zone thing. Embarrassing myself by singing disco songs off-key after a drink or three. Not this!”
    Nick chuckled. “I see.”
    Sylvie sighed. “Susie said I could make good money the holiday season if I did this. She made it sound so innocent and easy, and I was stupid enough to fall for it. And it was a big mistake. For her as well as for me,” she added darkly. Susie would rue the day...
    Nick was looking interested. “So you need a job?”
    “Well, yes, but I have my standards. I mean, I’d rather starve than wear this costume again.”
    Nick leaned towards her and there was a new sparkle of determination in his eyes. She leaned away in self-defense. Nick and determination were proving to be a dangerous mix. “If you come to Lana’s birthday party,” he said slowly. “I can get you a job. A good job. Temporary or permanent, whichever you want. You can start whenever you want, too. Tomorrow, if you’d like to earn some money before Christmas.”
    She peered at him suspiciously. “You don’t know anything about me. And, what’s even worse, I