The Boss's Christmas Proposal. Allison Leigh

calls. But he didn’t, and she headed back to her desk. Tanya was on the telephone and looked to be taking copious notes, and Nigel was at the wide whiteboard that hung on one wall, writing entries in the calendar-style grid.

      Kimi had no messages waiting for her, and she scrawled a note that she was taking a lunch break and placed it in front of Tanya, who glanced at it before giving an absent wave.

      Kimi didn’t need lunch, however. She needed to finish her employee orientation. Namely, she needed to tour the entire facility. And now that she was point person on an actual event, it seemed even more important.

      She took the wedding file with her, just in case she needed to make notes for herself, and went back to Human Resources. Unfortunately, the girl who was supposed to conduct the tour had gone home sick. Instead, Kimi was handed a detailed map with instructions to visit all the highlighted areas and sent on her solitary way.

      With no better idea where to begin, Kimi decided to start from the ground floor and go up. Or, as the case was, two floors below ground level, where the soaring exhibition space sat hollow and silent except for the muted sound of power tools coming from somewhere nearby. She skipped the office floor since she had already seen most of it, as well as the main lobby level, and went up to the third floor where the first of the ballrooms were. There were two here, with a combined reception capacity of nearly six hundred. It was pleasing to see that the interiors looked fully completed.

      She was standing beneath the enormous crystal chandeliers that hung from the grand ballroom’s ceiling when she felt the back of her neck prickle.

      It was enough warning that she managed not to startle when Greg spoke. “They’re stunning. Ally Rogers had the chandeliers specially designed for the space. She was here last week overseeing their installation.”

      Kimi’s grip tightened on the project folder, afraid he just might yank it out of her grasp. “All of the interiors that have been completed are stunning,” she agreed. She had never personally met Ally Rogers, but knew that the interior designer had stepped in to finish the San Francisco site when there had been problems with the original designer. She caught the tip of her tongue between her teeth for half a second but still could not refrain from asking. “Are you following me?”

      He gave her a sideways glance. “Is that what it seems like?”

      “Do you ever answer a question directly?”

      “I’m in Kyoto now.” The corners of his mouth kicked up ever so slightly, but it was still enough to make Kimi’s breath catch. “Where all direct answers are often distinctly…indirect. But to answer your question, yes. I am following you. I heard you were here on your own.”

      Kimi waved the folded map. “Even I can follow a floor plan.”

      He let her acerbic tone pass. “Your…Mrs. Taka-Hanson called me while you were out with Grace.”

      “Checking up on me?” She might have expected that from her father but not necessarily Helen.

      “She does have business with me here that doesn’t concern you.” His voice was mild, but Kimi still felt a flush burn through her skin.

      She refrained, however, from asking why he had bothered to even tell Kimi about the call at all.

      “I assured her that we were all doing our best to assimilate you into the fold as quickly as possible.” His voice was inscrutably smooth.

      “I am sure she was greatly comforted.”

      “Are you always sarcastic?”

      She lowered her chin slightly. “My most humble apologies if you have found this to be true.”

      “I think I prefer the Kimiko Taka who stares me in the face when she has something to say.”

      She peered up at him through her lashes.

      He made a muffled sound she could not interpret, and then he did slide the thick project file right out from her grasp.

      Her lips parted, dismayed. “Please do not take it away from me, Greg—Mr. Sherman. I know the wedding budget is substantial and that I have no real experience with—”

      He lifted his hand. “It is up to Grace to distribute her projects. I trust she knows what she’s doing.” Even though he did not sound entirely confident of it. “I was merely intending to carry it for you.”

      “Oh.” Her lips slowly closed but suspicion quickly reared. “Like you would do for a guest?”

      His lips twisted slightly. “I’d like to think it’s just habit to carry a lady’s books.” He nodded at the map. “What else is on the agenda?”

      Bemused, she looked from him to the glossy page. “Um, the rest of the meeting rooms, I guess.”

      “Let’s go, then. You can lead the way since you’re such an experienced floor-plan reader.”

      “You’re coming with me?”