Mistress Christmas: Wild West Boys Read Online Free PDF Page A

change of holiday scenery.” She didn’t lift her eyes any higher than Nick’s muscular arm. “Excuse us.”
    For the next ten minutes the computer techie named Bart shifted from foot to foot, blathering on about nothing. Holly nodded in all the right places and moved on to the next paying customer. Through it all she felt the weight of Nick’s stare. Or was it his disappointment?
    When the last stripper stormed the stage, Holly took her leave. She hung up the costume, removed the heavy makeup and dressed in her clothes. Ivy was nowhere to be seen and Holly was grateful for the chance to sneak out the back door and get back to her real life.
    Boring as that life might be.
     
    Nick parked at the rear door, facing the employee entrance, close enough to catch Holly no matter which vehicle was hers, no matter what time she left.
    Dammit. He wanted to kick his own ass for playing it wrong tonight.
    No you don’t. You went exactly by the book and she didn’t take the bait.
    Why hadn’t she? Something definitely didn’t fit. As his mind raced through a couple of scenarios, a bundled up figure exited and paused under the sodium lights.
    Nick’s breath stalled. The woman took two steps, slipped and fell right on her ass.
    Yep. Had to be Holly.
    He bailed out of his truck and barely kept himself from landing on top of her as he skidded to a stop on the icy pavement. He crouched down and those bright green eyes looked up at him. “You okay?”
    “Nothing hurt but my pride, especially since that’s the second spill you’ve witnessed tonight.”
    Nick held out his hand to help her. Soon as she was upright, she backed away from him, a hint of fear in her eyes. “What are you doing out here?”
    “If I admit I was waiting for you will you think I’m a stalker?”
    “Probably. So I’ll warn you I have pepper spray and I know how to use it.”
    As a cop, Nick appreciated her caution. “Duly noted. I’m here to apologize for being an ass earlier. I’m sure you deal with a lot of jerks on a nightly basis and I’d hate for you to lump me in with them. I’m really not such a bad guy.”
    “Neither was Ted Bundy, or so he claimed.”
    He smiled. “So does that mean there’s nothin’ I can do to convince you to have a cup of coffee with me?”
    A long, cold pause settled between them.
    “What?”
    “Why would you want to have coffee with me? I’m not really—” Holly snapped her mouth shut.
    “You’re not really what? Not really thirsty?”
    She shook her head.
    “Not single? Please tell me you’re not married or involved with someone?”
    Another head shake.
    “Then what?”
    “It’s umm…probably against the company rules for me to meet customers outside of club business hours.”
    Probably? This woman confused the hell out of him. How could she not know company policy? “That spectacular lap dance you performed last night was probably against company policy too, but you don’t see me tattling on you for that, do you?”
    “No. But…” Holly squared her shoulders and got right in his face. “Why are you interested in me? As you can plainly see, I’m pretty plain without the sexy costume and hoochie-mama makeup.”
    Hoochie-mama? Lord, where did she dig up such terms? “Holly, the last thing you are is plain.” Nick let his gaze encompass her entire face. “You have beautiful eyes, a beautiful smile and there’s this…glow about you that doesn’t have a damn thing to do with the stage lights.”
    “Are all Wyoming cowboys such sweet talkers?”
    “From birth, darlin’. And we’re honest as the day is long, too.”
    That comment brought a genuine smile to her face and he was completely captivated.
    “Fine. One cup of coffee after you tell me your entire name.”
    “You want my rank and serial number too?”
    “Have a nice life.” She turned away.
    Laughing at her cheekiness, he caught her forearm. “Sorry. It caught me off guard. My entire name is Nick Lander West.”
    Holly frowned.