Mistress Christmas: Wild West Boys Read Online Free PDF

“Lander? That’s weird.”
    “Evidently I was conceived in Lander, Wyoming, and my parents thought it’d be funny as a middle name. I figure it could’ve been worse, considering my brother Blake’s middle name is Thermopolis.”
    “You’re joking.”
    “Yes, I am.” He grinned at her. “And fair’s fair, darlin’. What’s your whole name?”
    She said, “Holly Jolly Christmas,” without batting an eyelash.
    Which caused Nick to roll his eyes. “Everyone’s a comedian. I deserved that, I guess. Since it’s getting colder, I’ll allow the sleight of name until we’re at the restaurant. How about if we meet—”
    “Huh-uh, cowboy. I get to pick the place we meet.”
    Bossy little thing. “Deal. Where?”
    Holly gave him a considering look. “IHOP on the north end of Spear Boulevard.”
    “Sounds good to me.”
    Neither one budged as they stared at each other amidst the swirling snow and flashing neon lights from the club.
    “Aren’t you gonna get goin’?” he prompted.
    “Not until you leave.”
    “Why? Are you planning to stand me up?”
    “No. But since I have your full name I also want to write down your license plate number so if something hinky happens to me the cops know who to look for and what vehicle you drive.”
    Nick laughed. Hard. If she only knew. On the back of his truck was the discreet sticker that allowed him to park in the police department’s private garage. “To show you I’m trustworthy, I’ll oblige you. But be warned, if you stand me up, I’ll chase you down, ’cause, darlin’, I know where you work.”
    He thought he heard her mutter, “Don’t be so sure,” but it was probably a trick of the wind.
     
    True to her word Holly did jot down Nick’s license number. When she reached the IHOP parking lot she also peeked inside the window. If she saw rope, handcuffs, or duct tape, she was outta here.
    But in all honestly, she wouldn’t have agreed to meet him if she hadn’t felt some semblance of trust when it came to Nick West. She wasn’t naïve. Maybe she was a fool to fall for his “aw-shucks” Wyoming cowboy routine. She’d suffered through plenty of blind dates with less personal information and less chemistry.
    Plus, she’d already had an orgasm with him, fully clothed, in public. How mind blowing would sex be completely naked in private?
    Talk about coming unhinged. One minute she scoped his truck for signs of kidnapping supplies and the next she patted her pockets for condoms? She really needed to get out more.
    Nick had chosen a booth against the windows in the middle of the restaurant. He stood when he saw her and helped her take off her coat.
    “Thank you.”
    “No problem. I didn’t order coffee because I wasn’t sure whether you liked it.”
    “I live on it in my line of work.”
    “Me too,” he admitted and signaled for the waiter.
    After the coffee was poured, Holly leaned back against the fake leather booth. She steered the conversation away from her supposed job at the strip club and went on the offensive. “So, what do you do for a living?”
    “Paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork.” Nick sipped his coffee. “You gonna tell me your real name?”
    “My first name really is Holly. My middle name is Anne. My last name is North, which is ironic considering yours is West.”
    “That is ironic. You from around here originally?”
    “No. I’m from Connecticut.”
    “Wow. That’s a ways away. You have family there?”
    “Yeah. I hardly ever see them.” It’d be safe to assume Nick attributed the estrangement to her occupation. Which in a way was exactly right, as she had nothing in common with her family any longer. “What about you?”
    “Most of my family lives in Wyoming. My dad and mybrother Blake raise sheep and my mom’s job is to keep them from killing each other. Blake isn’t married, although an epidemic of weddings has broken out in the last few years amongst my McKay cousins.” He cocked his head. “What about