A Puppy for Christmas: On the Secretary's Christmas List / The Patter of Paws at Christmas / The Soldier, the Puppy and Me

The muscles in Jackson’s jaw clenched. ‘And the two of you enjoyed a pleasant hour or so chatting, no doubt?’

‘More like half an hour, since we’re splitting hairs,’ she replied sharply.

‘Long enough, in any case, for the man to invite you out on a date!’ Jackson growled.

Bree stuck out her chin challengingly. ‘Is there some unwritten rule I’m not aware of that prevents your assistant from dating any of your clients?’

Jackson hesitated, frowning. ‘Not exactly, no …’

‘Then what exactly is your problem, Jackson?’ Bree demanded, hands on hips.

In spite of her earlier apprehension about the dinner date, Bree had actually enjoyed Roger Tyler’s company this evening. Besides his obvious good looks and confidence, he was amusing and fun to be with, and not at all the egomaniac she had expected him to be. He had been charming and attentive all evening: the ‘perfect gentleman’ Bree had claimed him to be, in fact.

The restaurant where they had eaten dinner was obviously an exclusive one—the fact that there had been no prices on the menu confirmed that!—and Bree had tried hard not to stare at any of the other diners, many of whom she’d recognised from either the big or the small screen. The food and wine had been delicious, the service unobtrusive, and the company more pleasant and entertaining than Bree could ever have imagined. All in all it had been a surprisingly relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the evening.

Until her return to Beaumont House and this awful scene with Jackson. Well … the first part of it hadn’t been awful at all, but the aftermath was certainly far from pleasant!

She would never admit as much to Jackson, but she was still reeling from her response to him just now. It had been an out-of-control response that was totally at odds with her usual reserve. An out-of-control response that Bree had never felt in the arms of the man she had planned to marry a year ago …

‘Do you intend to see Tyler again?’ Jackson enquired coldly.

‘I don’t believe—’

‘And don’t even think about telling me it’s none of my business who you go out with!’ he growled warningly. ‘You’re my assistant and Roger Tyler is my client—of course it’s my business if the two of you are now dating!’

Was it? Bree wondered. Or was Jackson just being difficult?

Bree had only brought Roger Tyler into the conversation at all because she’d thought attack might be the best form of defence in what had become a very awkward situation. But perhaps in retrospect she would have been wiser not to mention that Roger Tyler had been her date this evening!

She grimaced, frustrated. ‘We aren’t dating. We’ve just been out to dinner together.’

‘And I asked if you intend to see him again,’ Jackson repeated evenly.

Bree sighed heavily before answering. ‘He said he would call me tomorrow.’

‘And?’

Bree was so annoyed by the interrogation she almost stamped her foot. ‘And if he does call tomorrow and wants to see me again I’ll decide then and there whether or not I want to see him!’

Jackson barely managed to bite back his frustration.

Just why the hell should it matter to him if Bree had finally decided to come out of her shell and start dating?

It shouldn’t. As he had told himself earlier today, Bree was as entitled to a private life as he was.

Except Jackson had just kissed her.

He had acted against every self-imposed rule he’d ever had concerning his assistants. Against every instinct telling him not to ruin a good thing when he found it: namely, the best damn assistant he had ever had!

Damn, damn, damn!

He rubbed his temples, trying to rein in his anger. ‘Do you actually like Tyler?’

Bree raised cool brows. ‘Well, obviously—seeing as I’ve just spent the evening with him.’

Jackson paused to let his irritation subside. The woman could be so infuriating!

‘No. I meant do you really like him?’

She shook her head impatiently. ‘I know what you meant, Jackson—and, again, I don’t consider that to be any of your business. I certainly don’t need some big brother figure breathing down my neck, checking up on every man I choose to go out with!’

Big brother? Jackson had just almost made love to her, damn it! He could still see the damp patch on Bree’s dress where his mouth had been exploring only moments earlier!

The memory instantly reawakened the aching throb in Jackson’s jeans—and the fact that he was sitting down made it all the more painful!

He stood up abruptly, in the hope of easing that burning ache, and realised immediately how obvious his arousal was against his denims.

‘Perhaps it’s time you returned to your apartment?’ he suggested abruptly, his tone clipped. ‘We can talk about this again in the morning.’

‘I don’t think so, Jackson,’ Bree replied firmly.

He rolled his eyes. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean that I am your employee, Jackson—that’s where my responsibilities begin and end. As such, I don’t believe I have to answer to you for anything I might choose to do in my private life!’

Jackson tightened his jaw in an effort to stop himself from giving Bree the reply she deserved: what the hell had just happened between the two of them if Bree was just an employee?

Damned if he knew.

And it was probably best if it remained that way. Kissing Bree in the first place had been a mistake on Jackson’s part. Almost making love to her had been an even bigger one. It would be better all round if they both tried to forget it had ever happened.

If either of them could forget.

‘You’re right: it is time I went to my apartment,’ Bree agreed suddenly, still totally unsettled by their argument over Roger Tyler—not to mention the fact that she and Jackson had almost made love just now!

A fact that would definitely make it difficult for the two of them to work together in future.

Was that the only thing worrying her about this evening? Whether or not she and Jackson would be able to continue working together?

Bree didn’t dare to think about the reasons why she and Jackson had almost made love.

‘Fine. I’ll see you in the morning.’ Jackson nodded curtly and looked away, a frown darkening his brow.

A similar frown remained on Bree’s brow long after she had returned to her apartment.

CHAPTER SIX

‘GOOD morning, Bree! And how are you on this—?’