Tempting Kate. Jennifer Snow

if I said I hope that your business here takes longer than you plan?”

      She swallowed hard as his gaze took in the length of her. Damn it, she should have allowed those hands to lift her out of the snow. “You just may get your wish if the guy I’m here to see is as much of a jerk as I think he is.”

      “Most men are,” he said with a laugh.

      The deep, rich sound made her stomach flutter. “But not you, of course.”

      “Not me. Nonjerk car rescuer extraordinaire Scott Dillon, at your service,” he said.

      Her mouth gaped. No way. The hottest guy she’d laid eyes on in forever, the guy who’d just saved her from a ditch, the guy she was already envisioning naked was Scott Dillon? And he was already lying to her. Typical jerk.

      He frowned. “What did I say wrong? If it was the reference to rescuing your car, that will totally be our secret. If anyone asks, you got yourself out of there.” His teasing grin was back, but there was a look of caution in his icy eyes.

      Sighing, she allowed any and all inappropriate thoughts about him to vanish, along with her hope for rebound sex with a stranger that evening. “I’m Kate Hartley. We spoke on the phone.”

      * * *

      NO SOONER HAD he shut his office door than his office intercom beeped. “Mr. Dillon, there’s a woman here at the front desk to see you,” Cameron said.

      Yes, the woman he’d been picturing naked in the backseat of his pickup truck, only to have the image shattered seconds later when she’d revealed her identity. So much for his hope of having literally stumbled upon a gorgeous tourist, one who wasn’t planning to stay in Big Bear for more than a night or two. His favorite kind of woman. “Tell her I’m not here.”

      “Um...she just heard me talking to you,” Cameron whispered.

      “So say it anyway,” he said. He scanned the mess of his office, knowing that regardless, in about a minute and a half, the determined, spirited, sexy-as-hell Kate Hartley would be barging in with or without his consent. She hadn’t driven all this way to be ignored. Too bad he couldn’t offer her the kind of attention he wanted to bestow.

      He stacked the pile of unpaid invoices in a drawer, tossed the empty coffee cups into the trash can in the corner of the room and quickly swept the visible dust from the top of the fine oak furniture around him with the palm of his hand. Housekeeping had been reduced, and he sure wasn’t keeping on top of it.

      Oh, well. If Ms. Wedding Planner didn’t like it, he’d be happy to watch her curvy ass leave.

      The knock on his door was loud and right on time, he mused, glancing at his watch. “Go away,” he yelled, picking up the phone receiver and bringing it to his ear.

      The door opened, and Kate walked in. “I just need a few moments of your time,” she said, forcibly polite.

      Gone was the flirtatious, easygoing smile. And contrary to what he would have expected, this meaner, more professional look was even sexier. The front of his pants grew even tighter—his previous hard-on for her in his truck had yet to disappear completely. Damn. He covered the receiver. “You already took up enough of my time, Ms. Hartley...and I’m on the phone.” He motioned for her to leave.

      Coming toward the desk, she hit the hang-up button on the phone.

      “Hey! I was on hold for an important guest...client...thing.”

      She cocked her head. “None of the lines were lit up.”

      Busted. He replaced the receiver and stood. “Look, I already told you when you called that I will not be hosting a wedding here, so unless you came in here to thank me again for saving your ass...” His face was just inches from hers. He could so easily reach out and kiss her...and probably frighten her out of his office and back down the mountainside.

      But she didn’t give any ground, remaining firmly on the spot. She was tall, almost eye level with him, and her dark eyes held a determined, heated expression. “I don’t understand. It’s your brother’s wedding.”

      “You don’t need to understand. What you do need to do is go buy yourself a set of chains and get back to sunny, warm LA before it gets too late.” He fought the insane sensation of disappointment at the thought. Sure, he’d envisioned lots of wine and hot tub sex before he knew who she was, but even entertaining the thought now was absurd. Now he needed her out of his resort as soon as possible.

      “I’m not leaving.” To his surprise, she sat on the edge of his desk.

      Huh, maybe he should have left the dust. “You’re not?”

      “No. Here’s the thing. I need this wedding to happen. Here. On Memorial Day weekend. So unless you can give me a really good reason why that can’t happen, I’m not leaving.” She folded her arms across her chest, a challenging look on her face.

      Oh, he could give her a reason. A really good one. In fact, it would be his pleasure. Moving closer, he placed a hand on either side of her on the desk. His legs touched hers, and the smell of her expensive, soft perfume tickled his nose as he lowered his face to her ear and whispered, “I had sex with the bride-to-be.”