Page 36 of The Christmas Trap

“May I?”

“Please.” His eyes narrow, then gleam. "It’s nice to meet someone who’s not afraid of me."

“Well, sir.” I smooth down the back of my skirt, then sit. “I’ve met scarier men. One of them signs my paychecks.”

He chortles.

I smile.

Brody glowers at both of us.

I realize, having fun at my boss’s expense is a lot of fun.

I sink into the couch, ensuring I sit straight. I know instinctively that getting too comfortable would be a mistake.

Arthur turns to Brody. "Finally, you made a hire who’s going to add value to the company."

"Wouldn’t want my brothers to hear you say that." Brody stalks over to the straight-backed chair between Arthur and the couch. He drops into it.

"Oh, your brothers know how much I appreciate their efforts in growing the company. They were also wise enough to take my advice when it came to getting married."

"You mean, they realized your machinations had worked out in their favor?" Brody smirks.

I draw in a sharp breath at the rudeness, but Arthur merely waves his hand. "The ends justify the means."

"I agree with you.” Brody stretches out his long legs. “But of late, I’ve begun to wonder if the journey is not as important as the goal?”

Arthur’s gaze sharpens.

Then he turns to me. “And you, Ms. Monroe, do you agree?”

I take my time forming my answer. For some reason, this philosophical debate seems to be one of importance to Arthur. “Moving from America to come here and study on my own made me resilient. I could only do it because I decided when I was very young to aim high. That way, wherever I land it’ll be better than where I started. But also, what kept me going in the darkest days, when everythingfelt so uphill, was that I had the ability to look around and appreciate how far I’ve come.”

“It gave you perspective.” Brody leans forward. There’s interest in his eyes.

“And that’s what kept me going. It meant, I was able to laugh at myself, and marvel at where I was, and appreciate all the positives in my life.”

“You get what you want the moment you stop needing it, but never stop showing up for it,” he murmurs.

Something warm squeezes my chest. “A poet, huh? Never would have guessed that.”

His gaze heats. Once more, our eyes meet, and everyone else in the room vanishes. There’s only Brody, and the way he looks at me like he wishes we were alone.

That inevitable chemistry between us surges to the surface. He only has to look at me, and all my defenses seem to melt. I seem to forget that I’m an engaged woman. That I’m getting married in a few weeks. I should look away, but I can’t. My body reacts despite myself.

I feel seen by Brody. The way I never have been by my fiancé. Brody makes me feel desirable. He’s sneered at me, challenged me, apologized to me… He’s never ignored me. And when he looks at me, it’s like he’s touching something deep inside. I feel his interest in me ignite in a deeper way. Damn. This is getting complicated. All I want is do my job and do it well, but this…connection with Brody is not something that’s going away anytime soon.

The silence in the room stretches.

It’s Brody who gathers his emotions first. A mask drops on his face. It’s as if he turned off whatever he was feeling. He wrenches his gaze away from mine and glances at Arthur. "Why is James here?"

Arthur’s features soften. He even nods at me. I can’t help but feel that Arthur tested me. And I passed it. I’m relieved.

But a part of me wonders about the real significance of it. For now, I relax back in my cushion, glad not to be under the scrutiny of both Davenports.

"He’s here as an observer." Arthur places his fingertips together.

"Observer?" Brody furrows his forehead. "For what?"