Jack looked down at her. He was so hot when he was firm. She’d always had a thing for confident guys, in charge and protective, and Jack had all that and devastatingly handsome good looks too. If ever a man was made to undo her, it was him.
Focus on the job!she yelled at herself. “How much–”
“No.” He cut her off before she could finish asking how much money he would want to make this happen.
There wasn’t much Natasha had to offer in exchange for the reindeer’s work. “What if we listed you as a producer on the film?”
“No.” he folded his arms, making his shoulders look broader.
She wracked her brain. “What if we feature your charity information on our website for an entire year?” The ranch was self-sufficient, but they took donations as part of being set up as a wildlife reserve.
“No.”
Feeling frustrated, Natasha looked behind her to Jennifer, who was talking quickly with Raelynn and her nanny. This was when she needed to show what kind of studio representative she could be. If she couldn’t even do this, what incentive would Jennifer have to hire her in this position full-time?
“There has to be something….” She looked up into Jack’s cobalt-colored eyes and batted her lashes, doing a poor impersonation of Sparkle. Bells on bobtails! She felt like a novice compared to the reindeer.
Jack leaned down, and she could see the silver flecks in his eyes. Like tinsel. She fell into them, like looking up during a snowstorm and watching the snowflakes float down.
He spoke low, his voice deep and inviting. “Sparkle being in the movie is as improbable as you waiting for me under the mistletoe.”
Natasha blinked once to get the image of wrapping herself around this hot and handsome wrangler with all the charm of a Hallmark Christmas card and the warmth of a chunky-yarn afghan and grinned. She knew an opportunity when she saw one. She stuck out her hand. “Done!”
“Wait. What?” Jack tipped his head to the side.
She grabbed his hand and shook it once. “We’ll see Sparkle on set.” She tried to turn away, but he held her hand tight. She whipped back around to face him.
“And I’ll see you under the mistletoe?” he asked dubiously.
Her mouth went dry. Words ran away from her, and she barely nodded before he released her hand.
She hurried to Jennifer before she could process what had just happened and focused on the job. “It looks like we have our reindeer star!”
Jennifer, Raelynn, and her nanny cheered.
“Thank you!” Raelynn danced as if she couldn’t contain her excitement. “I love my reindeer.”
Natasha smiled broadly. “Just doing my job as a studio representative.” She made eye contact with Jennifer, who kept her face passive. Expecting a job offer on the spot was probably expecting too much, even if Christmas was a time for miracles.
The click of the barn door shutting grabbed her attention, and her heart sank. Jack had ducked inside instead of staying for the celebration.
She bit her lip, feeling guilty for bustling him into putting his reindeer on camera. Was he mad at her? Her stomach twisted. She liked Jack more than she’d wanted any other guy since leaving her ex behind. He had all the best qualities—the kind that would impress her father and win over her mothers. She could take him home and parade him up and down Main Street. Heck, she’d stack him up against any of the cowboys she’d gone to high school with any day.
Jennifer tugged her arm. “What’s it going to cost us?”
Natasha’s brain clicked over to the budget, and she named an amount wanting to ensure that the studio adequately compensated the family. Jennifer nodded. “Totally worth it.” She motioned for Miguel, and the two of them hurried off together.
Natasha watched her walk away and let out a huff. “You’re welcome!” she called after them. Her words blew to the North; Santa would hear them before Jennifer.
Raelynn ran over and threw her arms around Natasha’s middle. “I’m so happy!”
Natasha stared down at the actress, who usually behaved like a miniature grown-up. She rarely showed her feelings so freely. Her chubby little cheeks were positively pinchable right now. She was so adorable. Natasha hugged her back, touched by her spontaneous affection and the light of Christmas joy shining on her face. “Me too.”
She was so happy that Sparkle would be in the movie and not at all worried about her mistletoe promise.
Liar.
She was extremely worried, like didn’t-have-a-gift-on-Christmas-Eve kind of worried. The kissing wasn’t a problem; she had the moves. It was the way her stomach slipped and sloshed like a cup of warm cider.
