Read Unexpected Gifts: (The Steamy Version) (A Castle Mountain Lodge Romance Series Book 1) for Free Online

her, a beer for him—they settled into their chairs and looked at each other.
    “Why does this feel like a first date?” Andi asked after a moment. She laughed, but Colin couldn’t help wishing it was a first date. Or any date at all.
    “You think so?”
    “Well,” she said with a smile. “I guess we’ve moved past the whole first date stage. Since we’re staying together and all.”
    She tried to look confident, but Colin noticed her look away and she wouldn’t meet his gaze. Could she be nervous about their arrangement? Or their shared history?
    Lord knows he was, but only because of the intense attraction he had for her from the moment he met her. He wanted to ask her about Blaine—there was a lot of history between them—and he didn’t know if it was a good idea to get involved with one of Blaine’s exes.
    Instead of asking what he really wanted to, he said, “Since we kind of skipped the first date, we should probably ask each other those awkward first date type questions. Don’t you think?”
    She looked up at him and Colin was rewarded with another smile. She relaxed into her chair and said, “Why not? Let me start.”
    “Absolutely, ladies first.”
    “I think the obvious question is, why are you here by yourself?”
    So, she wasn’t going to pull any punches, Colin thought.
    “I mean, it’s Christmas,” Andi continued. “Why would you come to the mountains alone? Don’t you have family?”
    “Don’t you?”
    She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. The smile faded. “It’s your turn,” she said. “Besides, we already talked about my family.”
    “Okay,” he said. “I came to Castle Mountain because I was told it the best place around to experience everything the holidays has to offer. I wanted it all. The whole Christmas experience.”
    “You haven’t had it?”
    “Not since I was a kid,” Colin said truthfully. “I’ve missed it.”
    “Well, I think the whole holiday thing is for kids anyway,” Andi said, her voice laced with bitterness. “I didn’t realize there would be so many families up here. Shouldn’t they all be at home wrapping gifts and decorating trees and all that?”
    Before Colin could ask her what she had against Christmas, or families for that matter, the waitress arrived with their drinks. She placed a large mug of hot chocolate topped with a mountain of whipped cream and a cherry in front of Andi and a bottle of beer in front of him. When she left, the tension in the air had dissipated a little.
    “You know I’m going to ask why you’re here,” he said.
    “I told you earlier, my party planning company was offered a promo invitation. We’ve been wanting to check out the Lodge for a while. It’s a great spot for weddings and large company functions and—“
    “You thought Christmas would be the best time to conduct your research?”
    “I did.” She pulled her mug toward her and plucked the cherry from the top of her drink.
    “You didn’t want to spend it with your family? Those step-brothers you mentioned earlier?” Or Blaine, he’d wanted to add.
    She sucked the cherry into her mouth, licking it clean while she considered the question. Colin had to look away.
    “More like they didn’t want to spend it with me,” she said. Her voice was so soft and vulnerable, Colin looked back. The air of confidence she’d worn earlier was gone, but she didn’t look sad either. “Eva, my business partner, didn’t need me at work, so here I am.”
    Her quiet acceptance of her situation drew him, but he knew there was more to it. Colin couldn’t remember the last time he’d met a woman as interesting as Andi. She was a mystery, one that he was looking forward to unraveling. He watched her for a minute while she sipped at her drink. When she looked up again, there was a thin line of whipped cream over her mouth.
    “Well, Andi. So far, I know that you don’t think much of Christmas,” he said and leaned forward in his chair. “I also know