Maureen Child - Under the Millionaire's Mistletoe

2010

Dear Reader,

Holiday parties, snowball fights, kisses under the mistletoeChristmas really is the most wonderful time of the year, just as the song promises! This month, USA TODAY bestselling authors Maureen Child and Sandra Hyatt reveal what happens Under the Millionaires Mistletoe in two novellas.

Enjoy this powerful, passionate and provocative read!

Krista Stroever

Senior Editor

Anna Cameron ducked behind a tinsel-draped potted plant and peeked through the lacy fronds at the mingling crowd. The Cameron Leather company Christmas party was in high gear. People shed known most of her life were here, laughing, talking, drinking. She wished she were out there in the middle of them enjoying herself.

Instead, she was hiding from her stepmother. Not that Clarissa Cameron was an evil woman or anything. But shed had a little too much to drink and now all she wanted to do was corner Anna and try to convince her to win back her former boyfriend, Garret Hale.

As if Id take him back, Anna muttered, pulling aside a tinsel-decorated frond to scan the crowd in front of her.

Theyd gone out only a few times when Garrets older brother Samuel told him to drop her. Hed actually had the nerve to suggest that Anna was doing exactly what Clarissa now wanted her to do. Using Garret to help her fathers company. Okay, fine, a merger with Hale Luxury Autos would probably save Cameron Leather, but she wasnt a bargaining chip. And even if she had been, it wouldnt have worked.

Because Garret had backed away from her so fast that hed left sparks in his wake. He hadnt stood up for her to his snooty, suspicious older brother. Hed called Anna to tell her they couldnt see each other anymore because the Great Sam Hale had decreed it. Hed threatened to cut Garret off financially if he hadnt stopped seeing Anna.

No loss, Anna reassured herself. So despite what Clarissa wanted, Anna wouldnt have Garret back on a platter. She hadnt even been that interested in the man in the first place. One kiss had told her everything she needed to know about him. She hadnt felt the slightest tingle of expectation when he kissed her. Hadnt seen a single star. She had known then that he was not the man for her.

She wanted the magic.

Of course, the fact that hed wimped out for the sake of his big brother and his wallet didnt exactly endear him to her either. And her life might have been easier if she could just admit to Clarissa what had happened. But she had a little pride after all.

Clarissa kept urging her to do exactly what Garrets brother had assumed she was up to in the first place-marry the man and bring a nice merger to the family business.

Anna, honey, is that you in there?

She jerked, startled and turned to look guiltily into her fathers eyes. Um, hi, Dad.

Whatre you doing behind a plant, sweetie? Dave Camerons green eyes were smiling, but Anna couldnt help but notice that there was a glimmer of worry there, too.

How to explain that she was hiding from his wife? Nope, couldnt do it. It wasnt anyones fault, but Clarissa and Anna had never been as close as her dad wanted them to be. Until ten years ago, it had been just her and her father. Her own mother had died when Anna was two, so all she really had were photographs and her dads stories.

When Clarissa came into their lives, Anna was seventeen. She hadnt been interested in acquiring a new mother, and at the time had really resented having to share her fathers affections. She and Clarissa had finally gotten to the point where they could be friends, if not mother and daughter, but Anna knew her father still worried about their relationship.

So, instead of blurting out the truth, Anna ran her fingertips across the top of the big blue ceramic pot. Just checking to make sure everythings tidy. Yep, no dust.

He laughed and took her arm, drawing her out from behind the palm. Housekeeping has never been one of your interests, so whats really going on?

The music was too loud for any deep conversation and Anna wasnt interested in having one anyway. So she simply smiled, kissed her fathers cheek and said, Nothing, Dad. Everythings great. The partys wonderful.

So wonderful youre hiding in the shrubbery?

Honestly? she said, mentally crossing her fingers for the tiny lie she was about to tell, Darren Shivers has had one beer too many and wanted to tell me all about how he won the high school football game back in the seventies.

Oh, hes not telling that story again, is he?

You know Darren, she said, telling herself that really, it wasnt much of a lie. Any time the man had more than three beers, he cornered someone and forced him or her to relive his glory days with him. Still, couldnt hurt to change the subject. Looks like everyones having fun.

Seem to be, he mused, swiftly scanning the crowd that was even now dancing to the music and gathering in knots to try to talk. Your stepmothers done a fine job.

Yes, Clarissas very good at this sort of thing, she said, meaning it. She and her stepmother did have common ground after all. They both loved Annas dad.

Her dad sent her a sidelong glance. Is there something going on between you two?

Absolutely not, she said, unwilling to put her father in the middle of all this. Besides, Anna knew that Clarissas tipsy attempt at matchmaking was only because she was worried about her husband.

Hard to fault her for that when Anna was worried, too.

Cameron Leather company was in trouble and despite this wonderful party, the truth was, if something great didnt happen soon, her dad was going to lose the company hed built up from nothing. But Dave Cameron was an old school kind of man. He treated the women in his life like princesses and didnt want them fretting about company concerns. Her dad was sweet and old-fashioned and she loved him fiercely.

She forced a smile on to her face and said, Dont worry about Clarissa and me. Were fine. And its a great party, Dad. Why dont you go enjoy it?

Good idea. He took a step, stopped and asked, Youre not going back behind that plant are you? Youre too beautiful to hide away.

She held up one hand. I swear. I will have a good time. Now go, dance with your wife.

And keep her off my trail, she added silently.

By the time her father had slipped back into the crowd, greeting old friends with a forced holiday cheer, Anna had disappeared from the ballroom. As a child, shed explored every inch of the big house, so she knew all the nooks and crannies to disappear into.

She was stopped a dozen times to talk to someone or answer a question from the catering staff. The music jumped into a wild dance beat with a tune from the forties and the drumbeats seemed to echo in the headache behind her eyes.

Clarissas looking for you, someone said and Anna smiled and kept moving. Just nod, she told herself. Smile and keep walking.

She was almost at the long hallway leading to the front door when she heard, Anna!

She stopped again with a barely restrained sigh. Not an easy thing to do at all, she thought, slipping out of a party where she knew everyone. She turned to chat yet again with one of her fathers employees.

Eddie Hanover was short, round and sported a wispy gray comb-over. He was one of the guys Anna had grown up around and she loved him like a second father. Hi, Eddie. Hows it going?