Christmas with a SEAL

Curious, and just a little bit fascinated, Phillip let her drag him to his feet. Her tiny hand wrapped around his, she pulled him through the dancers. She was so small he felt as though he should be the one in front, protecting her. But she moved like a friendly bulldozer, her smile parting the crowd all the way to the sliding glass door that led to the patio. And, he knew from his initial inspection, a private elevator.

Escape.

“I’m staying until cake.” He grimaced, remembering Landon’s orders.

She grabbed a bottle of champagne from a passing waiter and handed it to him before taking two empty glasses with a murmured thanks.

“Cake isn’t for another half hour,” she said with a wink, pushing the door open and leading him through. It silently slid shut behind them and then—blessed quiet.

Phillip closed his eyes for a second, letting the lack of wailing guitars wash over him. It wasn’t until his ears stopped ringing that he realized there actually was music out here, too. Softer music. A medley of strings.

“Dance?” Frankie asked, setting the glasses on an empty table.

Phillip hesitated.

Not because he didn’t want to dance with her.

But because he did.

This was the wrong time to be attracted to a woman.

His head was all kinds of messed up. He was on a personal mission for vengeance.

He didn’t do relationships. And despite her party-girl appearance, there was something about her freckles that told him Frankie was a relationship girl at heart.

Which made her off-limits.

Relationships and a career as a Navy SEAL? Despite the celebrating going on in the other room, Phillip knew relationships were a bad idea. He didn’t believe in splitting his focus, and had long ago vowed that his only commitment would be to his career.

He’d be better off making his excuses and returning to the noisy assault and painful visuals. Ready to do just that, he gave Frankie a polite smile.

And wished those huge brown eyes weren’t so appealing. Or that body so temptingly hot.

But those huge brown eyes were so appealing, and that body was temptingly hot. Her personality was so damned engaging that, for the first time since he’d been taken captive, he didn’t feel lost. The vicious fury that had become his constant companion, and that no therapy could erase, was shoved aside.

Instead, lust took over.

2 (#ulink_c0761bd2-74f4-5a1c-9002-cf07c6499990)

FRANKIE HELD HER BREATH, her heart beating so hard she was surprised her dress wasn’t shaking. Eyes wide, she waited to see what he’d do. After a second he glanced at the door leading back to the party. She tried not to pout, sure he was about to refuse.

Then, with a small frown, he set down the champagne bottle and held out a hand.

Look at how he made that look as if it was his idea. She grinned as she placed her hand in his and let him lead her out of view of the door. Of course, Phillip Banks of the Maryland Bankses was high society through and through.

Kinda like a prince.

Which, given her status in that same state, made her a pauper.

She wiggled her toes in her beribboned Lucite heels, figuring she could rock the role of Cinderella for just one night.

They reached the far side of the patio, a bronze fire pit casting a magical glow over them as Phillip faced her, his hand curling around her waist.

Amusement fled.

So did thought.

All Frankie could do was feel.

Staring into Phillip’s brilliant green eyes, she gave over to delight, loving everything that was going on in her body as they began to sway to the music.

Excitement.

Curiosity.

And a sexual rush that was doing wild things to her insides.

Tingling things. Wet, hot things.

Things that made her wonder what it would be like to strip naked and see what other moves he had.

The music picked up and Phillip’s arched brow was her only warning before he twirled her out and then pulled her back into his arms.

Oh, baby.

“I’m impressed. You have to have a special kind of rhythm to move like this,” she said with a breathless laugh. “I guess dance lessons do pay off.”

“You say that as if you know me,” he noted quietly, his gaze intent.

She opened her mouth to tell him she did before closing it again. Just because she knew him didn’t mean he knew her. She wasn’t sure they’d ever actually said more than hello to each other before tonight.

Admitting how she knew him would mean telling him she was little Francesca Silvera, the housekeeper’s granddaughter. The tomboy who’d had a secret crush on him all the way through school. Who’d endured haystack hair for a year after dying her red curls blonde to try to look more like his prom queen girlfriend. She’d been the laughingstock of the sixth grade.

Hey, a girl needed some secrets, right? It wasn’t as if he was ever going to come back to the Banks estate and find out who she really was. So why shouldn’t she enjoy the encounter for what it was—two people, practically strangers, who were very attracted to each other. At least, she was very attracted to him.

Phillip was hard to read.

“Frankie?” he prompted, his voice a little huskier than before.

“You’ve got a polish that most guys only have if they’ve taken lessons,” she lied, giving him a saucy look. “On top of that, you definitely move like a man who knows what to do with his body.”

“Are you flirting with me?” he asked, sounding baffled.

Delighted, she laughed. Poor guy. He clearly hadn’t been flirted with enough in his privileged lifetime if he had to ask.

“Do you mind if I do?”

A tiny frown creased his brow. Before he could resolve whether he minded or not, Frankie decided to tilt the odds in her favor. She moved a little closer, her fingers sliding from his shoulder to skim along the back of his neck.