“You doubt I can?” he asked in a challenging tone.
“Can’t really see you getting your hands dirty, no.” I was only half teasing.
But as Winston’s mouth curled up into a seductive smile and he rested his hand on the roof of the car, just next to my arm, I realized I’d pegged him all wrong.
“I can get very dirty if the situation requires it.”
Oh yeah, very, very wrong. I’d thought he was cold and distant. Tonight, I’d seen this other side of him. He was passionate, possibly hot-headed too, he just kept it all under a tight leash. But right now, it was simmering at the surface. Holy hell. It was right there, in the glint in his eyes and the unmistakable double entendre in his words.
“I doubt Trevor will show up again. He’s not used to working for anything, just likes... easy prey. I’m guessing he thought I’d fall at his feet. Thanks for tonight.”
“No problem.”
“You’re heading back to the office?” I asked, pointing to his take-out bag.
“Yeah. Just bought something to eat.”
“Doing overtime already, boss?” I grinned, even though he cocked a brow.
“Told you I’m on a tight schedule.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll leave you to it.” I was still grinning when I got in my car. I might have just fallen a little for Winston and his gruff ways. He’d stood up for me. The man was getting a huge-ass Christmas present, whether he wanted it or not.
Damn. I didn’t want to be attracted to my boss, no matter how good-looking he was. Or how smart. His brain was fascinating to me. Yes, that was a weird thing to say, probably, but for me, smart was sexy. I liked working for him while we were elbow-deep in presentations and brainstorming sessions.
I was still reeling from tonight’s events, and so, so happy that I was meeting Pippa. She was one of my favorite people in the world. My sisters, Chloe and Victoria, were supposed to join us on our shopping trip this evening, but Chloe’s school had called a parent-teacher conference at the last minute, and they were both stuck there. They were joining us later for dinner.
I had a huge family. Victoria was twelve years older than me, Chloe thirteen years younger. We also had a brother, Lucas. He was seventeen and currently doing an exchange year in London. I missed him like crazy.
We’d lost our parents when I was seventeen, and Victoria had become our guardian. The huge age difference between all of us was because my parents had adopted Lucas and Chloe. After Victoria married Christopher Bennett, the term huge family took on a whole new meaning.
I was meeting Pippa—Christopher’s sister—at Union Square, and then we’d scour the boutiques in the area together. On the way there, I reviewed the list of gifts I’d made on my phone.
There were a dozen kids to buy gifts for, and even more adults. There were nine Bennett siblings, and their parents, Richard and Jenna. All the siblings had married, and most had kids. Some of the spouses also had extended family.
Buying Christmas gifts was honestly a project in and of itself. Pippa was spearheading the effort. We had a spreadsheet with shopping days, and she’d divided all the adults into six teams. I loved buying gifts, especially for the kids. It was a lot of work because I had to keep up with the latest entertainment trends for children between three and seventeen. Last year I made the mistake of buying DVDs of a movie I’d liked as a kid. I was still scarred by the looks of disappointment on their little faces.
I was determined not to repeat the mistake.
There was a light mist in the air tonight. Just barely visible, but enough to make me wrap my jacket tighter around me. I loved San Francisco, even though it was a bit colder than other parts of California at this time of the year. But living here had its perks, and sometimes I visited touristy spots for no reason other than to soak in the energy of the city. Pier 39 was among my favorites. On lazy, sunny days, I loved watching the sea lions there.
When I arrived at Union Square, Pippa was already there, eating a donut. She had another one for me.
“You’ve read my mind,” I said.
“Carbs and sugar. We need both for the shopping session.”
“Hear, hear,” I mumbled through mouthfuls of the sweet treat.
We were both silent until we finished eating, watching the palm trees adorned with twinkling lights in the square.
Pippa usually wore stilettos and either a dress or a pencil skirt and a shirt. Today, she was dressed in shopping attire: sneakers, jeans, and a brown jacket over her white sweater. Her blond hair was pulled back in an elegant ponytail.
She was overall the most fashionable person I knew. She was warm and feminine, and I just loved her.
She was also a successful matchmaker. So successful, in fact, that I hoped Pippa would turn her focus on me any day now. Any day now. I was happy with my life, but I wouldn’t mind having a man to go home to. Someone who gave good foot rubs and excellent bear hugs. Someone who could make my panties catch fire with a single look (Winston did that in spades, but I quickly dismissed that thought). Most of all, I wanted someone to take care of and love.
“How is work?” Pippa asked as we headed to the first shop on our itinerary.