Stefan Steiner, a tall blond with big blue eyes, greeted her when she walked in. “Kristen! How can I help you?”
“The royal family has a visitor. An American.”
“Oh, sounds interesting.”
Dean was interesting, probably the most interesting guy Kristen had ever met. But he didn’t want anything to do with her except a professional relationship, and she didn’t want to push him into admitting he had feelings for her. Though he did. She knew he did. That kiss told her he did.
And she recognized that if he was avoiding whatever was happening between them it was because he’d gotten his heart broken by Nina. She’d cheated him, used him, then dumped him.
And died.
Was it any wonder he was so careful about his feelings?
There was absolutely nothing Kristen could say or do without stepping on incredibly private territory, and if she pushed him he probably wouldn’t talk anyway.
Realizing Stefan was waiting for an answer she said, “He’s a businessman, only in Grennady for a few weeks trying to get some work done.”
“Now? When we’re about to celebrate Christmas?”
“He’s American.”
Stefan laughed. “Last time I heard, they celebrate Christmas in America.”
She ambled toward a circle of parkas. “Not this guy. He’s all about the work.” Because his life had been difficult. Marred by tragedies that molded him into someone cool and precise with haunted eyes. But she couldn’t dwell on that, couldn’t wonder about the scar on his heart that might never really heal, or the days and nights of anguish he’d spent before he’d built his walls. Because when she let her mind go in that direction, she longed for him to talk to her, to get it out and see that he could be happy.
“So it’s my job to make sure he doesn’t have to worry about anything else.” She picked a sturdy navy blue coat. “I think this is what he needs. I’m just not sure of the size.”
Stefan joined her at the rack. “How tall is he?”
She glanced over. “About your height.”
Stefan nodded. “Shoulder width?”
She frowned.
“How broad is he?”
“Well, he’s...” She lifted her hands until she had them in a sort of circle the way they had been when she slid them to his nape when he kissed her. “This big.”
Stefan eyed the shape made by her arms and told her the size Dean probably wore.
She shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”
He helped her find warm gloves and a fur-lined bomber hat with flaps to cover his ears.
She nodded appreciatively. “He’s probably going to need boots too, but I won’t even venture to guess that size.”
“Yes, especially since you didn’t kiss his feet.”
Kristen felt her face color but she innocently said, “What?”
“You think I don’t recognize the arm placement of someone kissing a man?”
She grimaced. “I guess you do.”
He leaned across the counter. “Don’t worry. My lips are sealed.”
“Thanks. Because nothing’s going to happen between us. Like I said. He’s all about business.” And no matter how haunted his eyes, she absolutely had to respect his wishes.
She signed off on the purchases, charging them to the royal family. Stefan told her to have Dean phone him with his boot size, and he’d have a pair delivered to his hotel.
She lugged the enormous bag out of his shop, passing familiar bakeries, groceries and restaurants on snow-covered streets that wafted with the scents of cheese, breakfast meats and breads. The frosty air nipped her nose and turned her breaths to puffs of smoke as she wove through gaggles of happy, chattering tourists.
In the lobby of the hotel the princess had procured for Dean and his staff, she stomped snow off her boots. After a quick chat with the desk clerk, she took her big package down the hall to the first meeting room.
Much larger than a conference room, more the size of a classroom, the space had round tables scattered throughout. Covered in white tablecloths as if prepared for a banquet, they weren’t suitable for a bunch of computer geeks who would be working to find and fix the problems in software.
Given that it was light out and most of the Suminski Stuff staff were on the ski slopes with family, the hotel had plenty of time to put some workstations in there and maybe a sofa or recliner or two. She would remind them of that as soon as she gave Dean his coat, hat and gloves.