Read Online Snowflake Kisses by Marianne Evans - Free Book Online

gained by intrusion. She was by no stretch entitled to the reaction of a jealous girlfriend, and she knew more than enough about this vixen to step back and retrace her steps with calm aplomb.
    Vanessa swept into an open lift. She punched the button for the fourth floor, moved to the rear wall, and folded her arms against her midsection while she pondered. None of this mattered. She knew Jackson’s feelings about Tamara, and an honest think-through on her way to the Penthouse left her possessed by a startling reaction and revelation.
    No envy or level of jealousy came to life. Instead, layers of sadness bloomed for Tamara and her desperate, misbegotten actions.
     
    ****
     
    Absorbed by network synchronization issues and a beta test designed to insure all system backups functioned properly, Jackson knew he was running behind. After a successful network deploy, he shut down his computer and rushed to meet Peter at the main entrance of the store.
    “Are we OK for time?” Jackson slid his arms into a long wool coat, bracing when they stepped outside into a brisk wind that smelled of coming snow.
    “No problems. We’ll hail a cab and meet Vannie at the pier. She’s with Father, the two of them are acting as a welcoming committee, so we’re fine.”
    Belvedere Road, which skirted Jubilee Gardens, led Jackson and Peter to the London Eye Pier. They took a black cab from headquarters to the giant Ferris wheel-style structure which featured enormous transport pods large enough to carry groups of passengers into the skies over London. The Eye provided superlative views, including stretches of the Thames, Victoria Embankment, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. A line of trees rimmed the park. Branches dark and barren, stretched toward a night shrouded by black velvet, illuminated on occasion by wrought iron street lamps and the milky beams of a three-quarter moon that drifted in a sky dusted with stars.
    Following check-in, their designated host led the way into a clear, oval capsule suspended from the wheel. Jackson caught sight of Vanessa but not long enough for any type of connection. He rounded the growing crowd, shaking hands with invited guests as they were introduced, joining in excited chatter and exclamations centered on the ride to come. As a celebratory atmosphere built, Jackson relaxed, even though he noticed Tamara stationed along the far reaches of the transport. She shared the view with John Kensington of Kensi-Corp. A whole new set of challenges and questions came alive in his mind, pulling him far away from the party at hand.
    “There’s something so appealing, and so classic, about a handsome man in a dark silk suit.” Vanessa tucked into place against his side, soft and warm.
    “Spoken like a true fashionista.” Her arrival was a Godsend. “May I return the compliment and tell you that dress you’re wearing is incredible.”
    “I thank you for noticing.” Smile on the bloom, she delivered a sly wink. “I chose it for you more so than me.”
    Allowing for a quick indulgence, Jackson fingered back a tempting wave of deep brown hair and tucked it behind her ear. He didn’t know much about couture, but he could certainly admire the end result. Vanessa was a vision in blue satin. The hemline swirled against her legs in a tempting shimmer. Supple motions quite naturally pulled his attention to long legs made all the longer by a pair of spiky black heels. Women and heels. He had given up long ago trying to figure out how they managed to walk in them.
    Vanessa slid her fingertips against his tie in a smoothing motion and then tweaked the knot at his throat. “I’m quite keen on your nod to the holidays with this dash of dark green. Very striking. You’re quite a feast for the eyes.”
    Jackson suppressed an urge to hook his hands against her waist. Business, he thought. This gathering is about cultivating business. “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”
    Surrendering quiet intimacy, they