Falling in love with the boss is the ultimate clich , but before the ball drops this New Year's Eve, this tough as nails FBI agent is going to have to face her feelings.

All it took was one little kidnapping for her boss to bench her. When Michelle Lewis demands to be sent back out into the field, Supervisory Special Agent Gary Fencik agrees on one condition: she only works with him.

Gary's got a big plan to protect Michelle from danger. He's still reeling from realizing that he almost lost her on their last big case. But as they work together to prevent a New Year's Eve terrorist attack by a white nationalist group, it's Michelle who ends up protecting him - and taking care of him when he gets injured. A concussion watch ends up leading to a shared bed and other fun activities that definitely should not occur between a boss and his employee. Before they can come clean to their employer, Michelle gets cold feet. She's seen how hard their career is on relationships, and she's not willing to chance the heartbreak.

If she thinks Gary is going to give up that easily, she's got another thing coming.

"Dropping the Ball" is a standalone story in the "Loving the Holidays" midlife romance series. If you like forced proximity, witty banter, strong women, and alpha males with a soft gooey center, you'll love this story.