Cole For Christmas

Cole For Christmas
Darlene Gardner

Anna Wesley can't bear anyone to be alone on Christmas Eve, not even her new marketing assistant Cole Mansfield– the man who's after her job. Still, she invites him to dinner with her family.Big mistake. Anna's never brought a man home before, so Cole is treated like a future son-in-law. Worse, Cole acts the part, touching her every chance he gets…and she's enjoying it far too much! So much so that she's sure she's getting Cole for Christmas!Romancing the boss is out of the question for Cole–not with the secret he's hiding. But around Anna's family, her touch-me-not attitude turns warm…hot, then blazes out of control. This Anna isn't his boss, she's all woman–and it's no secret she's all Cole wants. With the family's invitation to join them on their ski holiday, he knows the time is right to make Anna his–forget socks, sweaters and a toothbrush…the only thing Cole's packing is mistletoe!

“I admit it. You’re hot.” Anna sighed

“But you’re not just any hot guy,” she continued. “You’re the hot guy I work with. I can’t sleep with you.”

Cole was silent for no more than a second. Then he shrugged. “Okay. I accept that.” Without warning, he pulled his thick sweater over his head and tossed it on the bed.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Anna asked, her voice cracking.

“Undressing.”

“But I thought you were sleeping on the sofa?” Anna meant her voice to sound harsh, but it came out soft.

“No reason we can’t sleep in the same room now.” Cole cocked an eyebrow at the twin beds.

Anna sat on one and started bouncing.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Cole repeated her earlier question.

“Testing out which bed is firmer. I love a hard…”

But she had made the mistake of looking at him, and what she’d been about to say died on her lips. He no longer had on his jeans—just a pair of red silk boxer shorts and the biggest…er, smile she’d ever seen.

Dear Reader,

Anybody who’s ever made it to adulthood single has probably run into a family member way too interested in their love life. You know the type. Full of questions about why you’re not dating, how seriously you are dating or who you should be dating.

In Cole for Christmas, Anna Wesley has a houseful of relatives exactly like that. They’re so thrilled when she finally brings a man home to dinner that they refuse to believe she and the sexy Cole Mansfield aren’t romantically involved.

I hope I’ve infused this story with the magic of the Christmas season, where love is in the air and anything is possible. Even a sizzling romance between a man who must lie to keep his word and a woman afraid to trust. And, of course, relatives who just might be right about who is Mr. Right.

Happy holidays!

Darlene Gardner

P.S. Online readers can visit me at www.darlenegardner.com.

Books by Darlene Gardner

HARLEQUIN TEMPTATION

926—ONE HOT CHANCE

HARLEQUIN DUETS

39—FORGET ME? NOT

51—THE CUPID CAPER

68—THE HUSBAND HOTEL

77—ANYTHING YOU CAN DO…!

101—ONCE SMITTEN TWICE SHY

Cole for Christmas

Darlene Gardner

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

To my large, loving Polish-American family

Contents

Chapter 1 (#uad6d713b-94bc-5a17-a2b4-6e4c91947e2c)

Chapter 2 (#u911c31e3-5828-550b-a91b-b62f4918844e)

Chapter 3 (#u57ccfabb-1414-5c91-b61d-0f4b2ab5962d)

Chapter 4 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

1

IF IT WEREN’T FOR Bobblehead Santa, Anna Wesley wouldn’t be in this predicament.

She stood next to her desk in the not-quite-deserted marketing offices of Skillington Ski Shops, clutching the eight-inch plastic doll in her right hand, for once not amused by the way its white-haired head danced.

With her left hand, she absently worried the tassel on the Santa Claus hat the family expected her to wear to Christmas Eve dinner that night.