hip. “My jokes aren’t corny!”
He smirks. “Yesterday, Iris sneezed in the development meeting, and you turned to me and said, ‘What does a nut say when it sneezes?’ ”
I drop my shoulders and lift my eyes to the ceiling. “Cashew.”
Hunter arches forward, casually amused. “Corny yet adorable.”
“I don’t want to be adorable.” I pout. “I want to be”—I push my hand against my thigh and sit up, staring into the air above me, thinking of the kind of woman I want to be—“a Christmas vixen!”
“A vixen?” His brows curve in confusion. Even he knows it’s a crazy notion.
I slump forward and sigh. “You’re right. You said it before. Branson is so far out of my league. I’m a pushover. A dreamer. Crazy for thinking I had a chance.”
“You heard wrong—”
“Teach me,” I declare rather animatedly, throwing my arms up and landing them on his thighs. “Show me how to be like the women you take home on a Friday night. I want to rock his sleigh bed and jingle his balls.”
“Did you really just say jingle his balls?” He narrows an eye and then glances down at where my hands are on his thighs.
I hastily move them away, now realizing how hard he felt under my palms. “Sorry. I got carried away.”
“While I’m sure Branson would love a good manhandling, you’re not a slut, and the endgame is not a one-night stand.”
“I’m twenty-five, and I have the virtue of a saint. It’s time I broke out of this”—I motion toward my prim and proper look—“shell.”
Hunter lets out a cough. “Are you a virgin?”
“That’s none of your business,” I scold him with a deep scowl and then add, “For the record, no.”
He lets out a hard breath and shakes his head. After swigging his whiskey, he puts his glass down heavily. “There’s nothing I can teach you that will make him fall in love with you.”
“Not up for the challenge?” I taunt him, knowing he’s not one to back down.
“I don’t believe in romance the way you do.”
“Hunter Johnstone, do you not believe in love?” I ask, aghast.
“Of course I do. I fall in love every weekend.” He grins with a wink. “What you’re talking about is fairy-tale stuff.”
“Jeez, who stole the presents from under your tree?”
He doesn’t answer my question. “I believe in a strong drink, clever conversation, an excellent first kiss, and a good fuck.” My eyes widen at his vulgarity, and a smirk covers his sexy face. “Did I make you blush?” he asks.
“Kind of,” I grunt out my annoyance. “That’s what’s wrong with me!” I turn to the bar and grab my drink. “I’ll always be cute, corny Katie, who blushes at the mention of the word fuck.” I take a rather large gulp and flinch at the aftertaste.
“You forgot sexy as hell,” he says, catching me off guard. “He’s a fool not to want you.”
I clear my throat—not so ladylike, I might add—before I choke on my whiskey.
A woman with a beautiful red cocktail dress walks past us. She has long legs and a tiny waist. She’s all I can stare at because I want to be just like her—vivacious and seductive. To my surprise, Hunter doesn’t notice her. His focus is only on me.
The bartender comes over, and he refills Hunter’s drink and tops off mine before walking away.
“Do you really think I’m sexy?” I ask.
His eyes widen for a moment as he looks down with a slight upturn to his lips. When he glances up, I notice a glimmer in his eye and a grin that is mischievous yet daring. “Honestly?”
“Yes.” I swallow, waiting for his response.
His chest rises as he licks his lips, and those caramel eyes turn molten as they widen. With a lift of his chin, he looks to the side and then shakes his head, as if whatever he was just thinking was a crazy thought.
His posture shifts, and his legs close as he rests his elbows on the bar and lifts his glass to his lips. “The sweet-secretary thing works for a lot of guys,” he says before taking a drink.
I blow out a sigh that makes my lips vibrate. “If only Branson thought so.”
Hunter raises his glass. “To wanting people you can’t have.”
I lift mine but don’t clink. “To wanting people you can have if you just make changes.”
He tilts his head at my arched brow. I’m daring him, begging him for his expertise.
He shakes his head. “I already said, I won’t teach you. It’s not something to