Ask Her at Christmas Read Online Free

teeth are chattering, or if she falls down and twists her ankle.” He clomped off the ice and set her on a bench directly beneath a heat lamp. “I’ll grab you a hot chocolate. Be right back.” Maybe half-freezing to death would distract her from the marriage issue.
    As Kyle stood in line at the coffee stand, he compiled a list of possible new topics. Next week they were going to a comedy show at Second City. Their latest alum had come back after a few successful months on SNL , and he and Caitlin were both looking forward to it. Or he could tell her about the new security protocol he’d been testing at LTS. Caitlin always urged him to discuss his work projects. Although she claimed to never understand a word, her comments and questions were a nice sounding board. And even when he bored her silly, she’d wrap things up with some kind of encouragement. Caitlin made one hell of a personal cheerleader.
    He trudged back through dirty slush piles. Thanks to the heat lamps, the ground around Caitlin was a miniature lake. “Here you go. One mocha chocolate swirl with extra chocolate syrup on top.”
    Caitlin whipped off her wet mittens and cradled the steaming cup between her hands. “I knew you weren’t in love with that woman. Why are you going along with something as archaic as an arranged marriage?”
    “Hey, I paid for that cocoa. Don’t I get a thank you?”
    “If I give you the slightest opening, you’ll change the topic.”
    Damn straight he would. Kyle sighed and sat down next to her. “Any chance you’ll let this drop?”
    “Sure.”
    That was easy. But why look a gift horse in the mouth? “Terrific.”
    “Just as soon as we discuss it to death right here, right now.”
    Pretty much what he’d expected her to say. If he wanted Caitlin to continue helping—and quit harassing—he’d have to suck it up and tell her everything. “You know that the hotel chain Monica’s family created has tripled in size over the past few years. People like to feel special, so they’re flocking to upscale boutique hotels instead of interchangeable mega hotels.”
    “Yes, but LTS Industries is an airplane and security conglomerate. Since when does your family company care about hotels?”
    Kyle blew across the top of his triple shot espresso. “We provide private jets to a select clientele. In addition, we provide a wide range of security services to the same subsection of the upper echelons of society. Those are the same clientele who stay in the Selford Chambers all across the country. Merging with them is a logical fit.”
    “The upper echelons of society?” Caitlin snorted and shook her head so hard her fuzzy cap slipped over one ear. “You don’t talk like that. Your father made this speech to you, didn’t he?”
    At least now she sounded worked up about business, instead of his love life. “Since I usually avoid the board meetings, yes, I got a private rehash from Dad of the new direction LTS is taking.”
    “What does this have to do with Monica?”
    What a one-track mind . Too bad Caitlin loved art so much. That sort of laser sharp focus would fit in great on his team. “Negotiations have been tough. We’re not the only one courting the Selfords. So my dad thinks the best way to finalize the merger is by cementing it with a marriage.”
    “This isn’t feudal Europe. So I’m going to keep repeating myself and ask again, why are you going along with this scheme?”
    He stalled for a minute, sipping his drink. The loudspeaker behind their heads blared out carols by the latest teen sensation. With Christmas only a few weeks away, he needed to carve out a weekday morning for shopping. It helped him avoid the hordes of overexcited children who took over the mall on weekends. Was it possible candy canes were laced with uppers? He couldn’t think of any other explanation for twenty-four straight days of manic behavior.
    Crap. Now he was mind-babbling. Caitlin would support him, because she always did. Just