The Mills & Boon Sparkling Christmas Collection. Kate HardyЧитать онлайн книгу.
What was Xavier doing?
As if conjured up by her thoughts, he emerged from the barn, his arms full of logs. He looked as if he was preparing to stay for a long time. Did he not want to rush back to London? He paused briefly when he saw her. ‘Buon giorno, Natalie.’
How could he sound so...? She struggled for the right word. Unaffected? After last night she had no idea how to act with him. How did you greet a man when you had all but thrown yourself at him the night before?
‘Are you staying here longer?’ Puzzlement filled her voice as she stood back to let him past, trying to ignore the heat building in her cheeks.
He stacked the logs against the wall just inside the back door, adding to those he must have already brought in. He didn’t pause in his task, but the firmness of his voice warned her against disagreement. ‘We are staying longer.’
‘We?’ she gasped the word out in shock. ‘I can’t stay here. Not with you. Not after last night.’
He straightened, wiped his hands against each other and looked down at her, irritation plainly etched on his face. Suddenly the narrow passageway between the back door and the kitchen felt far too claustrophobic. He overpowered her completely. The scent of his aftershave nudged at memories of last night.
‘Unless you want to dig out your van and the mile or so of driveway then, yes, we are staying.’ There wasn’t a trace of the gentleness she’d heard in his voice last night. She should be glad of that, but it still hurt to think he could kiss her so tenderly then just hours later almost dismiss her. It had been nothing more than just a New Year kiss, as he’d told her. One already forgotten—by him at least.
‘But if I could get to the road...’ she began, then, as his lips formed a hard line and he shook his head, she went on, ‘The road is clear, isn’t it?’
‘It is no different from what you can see from the windows at the front of the house,’ he added grimly. Was he too finding it hard to deal with the knowledge they could be marooned here for another day? Or was it the thought of being with a woman who’d launched herself at him so blatantly when all he’d wanted had been an uncomplicated New Year kiss? Could any kiss be uncomplicated?
‘What about the main road?’ Hope lifted once more but was soon dashed by the quick shake of his head.
‘I didn’t get that far.’
‘You went out?’ She looked again at him, taking more notice of the boots he wore and the windproof jacket.
‘I walked to the gates, yes.’ He moved towards the kitchen and she let out a small breath of relief before following him. ‘I went to see if we could leave and get back to London before the storm hits.’
‘Storm? But I thought the snow we had overnight was the blizzard you mentioned yesterday.’ Every nerve in her body was on high alert and she tried to tell herself it was because of the word ‘storm’ and nothing at all to do with the man himself or the way his dark eyes watched her.
‘Last night was just snow. We are due to have blizzard conditions and the weather warnings have been upgraded.’ He pulled out his phone, accessing the weather app. ‘Blizzard conditions due to sweep across Britain today, causing massive disruption. Travel only if essential.’
‘But...’ she began, now at a total loss for words until finally her worst fears came out almost as a squeak. ‘What if we are here for days?’
‘Va bene.’ He shrugged casually and then leant back against the kitchen unit, folding his arms across his chest. The action gave him domination of the entire room, as well as her thoughts. ‘We have plenty of food. We are warm and safe. Better to stay here, no?’
No, she wanted to scream at him. It wasn’t okay. She had to get to Vanessa’s. She needed to be at that party. Vanessa had been there for her when her life had been turned upside down and now she had to be there for Vanessa, celebrating her friend’s engagement, even if it was the last thing she wanted to do. On top of that she didn’t want to be trapped in the countryside, snow all around, with a man who’d awakened something deep and unexpected within her. Especially as he was so unaffected by what had happened last night.
‘I have to go. I can’t stay here,’ she began, disbelief washing over her, making coherent thought difficult.
‘You do not have much choice, cara.’ He raised a self-assured brow, seeming almost amused by her reaction.
‘I can’t stay here—with you—after last night.’ She heard the words hiss from her lips and hated herself for the loss of control he’d provoked.
‘Because you kissed me?’
‘I did not kiss you.’ Indignation at his blatant comment made her words sharp.
‘You very definitely kissed me.’ The smoothness of his accented voice sparked on her nerves like flint against steel, then he laughed as she glared at him. ‘You have nothing to fear from me, Natalie.’
How could he say she had nothing to fear from him? Kissing him last night had changed everything—for her at least.
‘I was working for you. You hired me to cater for your New Year’s Eve dinner.’ Her firm voice couldn’t hide the confusion that raged inside her.
‘And that is what you did, yes?’ He was mocking her, making fun of her for reading anything into a kiss he’d clearly forgotten all about.
‘Yes,’ she snapped, heat infusing her cheeks.
‘Then I see no problem. I contracted you to cater for New Year’s Eve and your contract was completed even before the stroke of midnight.’
The outrage at his assumption sent her mind into turmoil, as did the knowledge he was right. She had completed her contract. She was no longer here in a professional capacity. ‘That doesn’t change anything.’
* * *
Xavier shrugged. He’d enjoyed the kiss last night, maybe even a little too much, but was he ready to get involved with another woman, especially one who wanted the full package, the happy-ever-after? Since the accident he’d only dated women, never going beyond dinner, unable to deal with their almost certain revulsion at his scarring.
He sensed Tilly was different and had tested the boundaries she’d set. She may have kissed him back, may have been tempted by the passion that burned like glowing embers between them, but the fact she’d fled last night had given him a very clear message. She was off limits, he should heed that, instead of taking it as a challenge. He wasn’t the man he used to be.
‘I still can’t stay here—alone with you, Xavier. People will talk.’ A hint of resignation lingered in those last words and he knew she was right. People would gossip and make assumptions.
‘Does it really matter what people say?’ He stepped towards her and saw her eyes widen, saw the doubt and anxiety in them.
‘I’m not forcing you to stay, Natalie. Go if that’s what you have to do.’ He stepped back. He wasn’t going to make her do anything. Stay or go. It was a decision she had to make for herself.
‘It doesn’t look as if I have any choice in the matter. I’m going to have to stay here.’ She snapped the words out, agitation in every step as she walked back towards the kitchen.
He turned in the doorway and looked at her, annoyed by the look of devastation on her face. Was spending time with him that bad? ‘Very well, cara. I will fetch more logs for the fire.’
‘That sounds like you expect us to be here for days.’ Her big blue eyes widened with incredulity.
‘At my home in the Italian mountains, if bad weather is forecast it is sensible to make such preparations.’ He opened the door, about to go back to the outbuildings, the chill from outside cooling the ardour that just thinking of her kiss infused through him.
‘We are not in the Italian mountains.’ Irritation rang out of every syllable