Kissing Santa, A Clover Park Novella (Clover Park, Book 4) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) Read Online Free

but she wanted to. Badly.
    “The usual way,” she said. “I had no choice in the matter.”
    He barked out a laugh. Flustered, she stared at her menu, debated just walking out, and thought better of it with the fallout she was sure she’d get from her mother upon her early arrival home.
    The waiter came to take their orders. She chose a salad so it would be a quick meal.
    Things went downhill from there. He spent the entire evening giving her all these super fake compliments about her glossy hair, her deeply thoughtful eyes, her devastating smile, her dainty wrists, even her graceful fingers. Seriously, she knew she wasn’t model beautiful. Obviously these lines worked on some women, but to her they just sounded like the worst kind of phony talk.
    They lapsed into awkward silence. He must’ve sensed his phony lines weren’t going to get him anywhere. Finally she couldn’t take the silence anymore.
    “I need to use the ladies’ room,” she said, excusing herself.
    She stood in the ladies’ room, wondering how she got to such a sucky place in her life. Single, living at home, letting her mother direct her love life. After she felt she’d waited long enough for him to finish his meal, she touched up her lipstick and returned to their table.
    “You want dessert?” he asked.
    “I want to go home.”
    He signaled for the check and turned to her. “Let me ask you this, if you had met me any other way, would you be interested?”
    She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Interested in what?”
    He gestured up and down his body.
    Argh! Samantha threw down her napkin, grabbed her coat and purse, and stood. “Take me home. Now.”
    He pulled out his wallet, left some bills on the table, and they headed out the door.
    Samantha jammed her arms into the sleeves of her coat. She couldn’t spend one more minute sitting across from that big phony. As if that wasn’t enough, she had to endure uncomfortable silence followed by him propositioning her. He probably wanted to make out in his truck in front of her parents’ house.
    They walked in silence to his truck.
    “We’re not kissing good night,” she informed him.
    He stopped walking. “You really don’t like me, do you?”
    He actually looked hurt, and she was swamped with sympathy. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you’re a very nice person in some ways. I mean, you do love your mother or you wouldn’t be here with me, right? I’m just not liking this whole deal. Let’s leave it as friends and go on with our lives.”
    They continued on in silence. He opened her door for her. That was nice. He was rather gallant.
    “I don’t have women friends,” he said before shutting her door.
    She waited for him to get in. “Why not?”
    He put the truck into gear. “What’s the point?”
    “What do you mean what’s the point?”
    “Never mind,” he said quickly. They headed back toward her parents’ house.
    “No, I really want to know. Why is there no point in having a woman friend?”
    He kept his mouth shut.
    I know your type all too well.
    “You use women for sex and that’s it,” she said.
    “I don’t use women. We use each other.” He looked over at her lecherously. “And everyone comes out happy, I assure you.”
    “You’re a sexist pig.”
    “How is that sexist? I said we use each other. Believe me, the women I sleep with are very satisfied. Haven’t heard any complaints.”
    “Because you’re already outta there. You’ve probably broken hearts without a backward glance.” Her throat got tight. “Just know that when two people sleep together, the woman’s heart is involved big time .”
    He glanced at her curiously. “Is your heart broken?”
    She’d said too much. “I’m just speaking in general.” She crossed her arms, hugging herself. “On behalf of my gender.”
    “I really do like that dress,” he said with a leer at her now pushed-up cleavage.
    She dropped her arms. “Shut up.”
    He shook his head. “I have no idea why our