The Complete #LoveLondon Collection. Nikki Moore

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СКАЧАТЬ and trophies.'

      'I- ' she gazed at Noel over the boy's head. Oh, help. 'I'm sure you can manage without me. I'm due a break but-'

      'Please join us.' Noel said, to her bewilderment. 'If you can.' I'm exhausted, he mouthed, rolling his eyes. 'The drink is on me.' Please, his brown eyes begged, in much the same way Jasper had pleaded with him a moment before. He obviously wasn't used to looking after kids, and needed a break from Jasper's steady stream of random chatter and demands. 'I'll be nice,' he promised.

      She decided to take pity on him. But only to make his godson happy. 'Okay.' It's at a price, her eyes sparkled back. 'They do a nice hot chocolate or cream tea in the Fortnum's Lodge.'

      'Yay!' Jasper hopped up and down, 'Yay, yay, yay.'

      She noticed Noel swallow at the brand, and could almost see a cash register in his brain ringing up the bill, but to his credit he simply nodded. 'Sounds good to me. The lodge is in the West Wing right, just behind us?'

      Nodding, 'Have you been here before?'

      'No, I looked up the floor-plan online.'

      'You're a guy who likes to be prepared.'

      'I don't like the unexpected.' He said, looking serious. 'I like to know where I am, where I'm going, what's happening.'

      Holly stared at him. 'Sounds like you're talking about more than maps of Somerset House. But surely you can't always know where you are, where you're going or what's going to happen.'

      'I don't see why not.'

      'Life isn't like that,' she shook her head, 'it's messy and complicated. You can never know what's around the corner.'

      'I can't think like that. I couldn't think of anything worse.'

      'But,' she drifted closer to him, 'the unexpected things are the best parts.'

      'They are? Why?'

      'Because they usually end up being the fun or exciting bits, or the times you learn the most about yourself, or your friends or family.'

      'That's very idealistic,' he replied, his dark gaze fluttering over her mouth before returning to her eyes, 'but an interesting way of looking at it.'

      Feeling her cheeks warm, she grinned to hide how flustered she felt. 'You know I'm right, despite that lukewarm reply. Now let's get going, I can't be too long.'

      Signalling to a fellow Ice Marshall colleague that she was taking a break, Holly tapped on the face of her sports watch and held both hands up twice. He nodded in reply and waved back at her, grey hair catching the bluey-purple spotlights spanning the rink.

      Spinning around, she got off the ice and took a seat in the Skate Entrance building, Noel and Jasper following close behind. Rapidly unlacing her skates, she encouraged Jasper to do the same. 'Come on, the quicker we get our shoes on, the quicker you can have a hot chocolate. Race you.'

      'While you two do that, I think I'll get rid of a few layers.' Noel said above her. 'I'm sure it'll be a lot warmer inside the main building.'

      Holly heard rustling and when she straightened up, skates in hand, her eyes widened. Who'd have known he'd have such gorgeous broad shoulders in that clinging green jumper and amazingly taut, muscular thighs in snug black jeans?

      'If you come back tomorrow,' she muttered, 'you might want to try wearing trousers that aren't so…' she got her breathing under control with a effort, 'tight.'

      Huh. It was obviously too long since she'd pulled if she was finding the Grinch of Christmas Present so damn attractive.

      A few minutes later, Holly lead Jasper over to grey double doors with a red sign hanging above it, Fortnum's Lodge at the Christmas Arcade in bold white lettering. Noel was trailing a few feet behind. He loved Jay, but his boundless energy could be challenging. At least Jasper was practically attached to Holly's hip, giving Noel a break.

      'Thank you for saying I'm pretty, Jasper,' Holly pulled the door open for the boy, motioning him ahead of her, 'it was very nice of you.'

      Swivelling his head, Jasper gave her a toothy smile. 'S'okay. You are. Melody's pretty too, but she has darker hair. You look a bit like Rapunzel out of Aimee's book but I don't think your hair is long enough.'

      Holly ran a hand down over her pale blonde ponytail, which reached the middle of her back. 'My hair is long, but I agree a prince couldn't use it to climb the side of a tower. Who's Aimee?'

      Scrunching up his face like he'd eaten something icky, 'My big sister.'

      'Oh,' she bit her lip, 'I see. Right, go and pick a table.' She gestured around the wooden floored room they'd stepped into with its high square tables and bronze effect metal stools with rectangular backs. It was connected to another space that was meant to be a pop-up version of the Fortnum and Mason store in Piccadilly, fresh nuts and fruit arranged next to neat rows of green and teal boxes of tea and other dried goods.

      'Cool.' Jasper raced over to the corner of the room and clambered up onto a stool.

      'What a charmer.' Holly smiled at Noel. 'Sure to be a heart-breaker.'

      'Yeah, he's much better with the ladies than I am,' he joked, but knew there was an edge to his voice, 'takes after his dad and uncle.' Matt and Stephen were usually the ones who got the girls. He was the wingman, the quiet afterthought. Matt had told him to try smiling more, engage in conversation. Stephen, younger and brasher, had taken a different tack. 'If you stopped scowling and looking so flipping miserable, you might get more action.' Thanks so much, mate.

      He did all right if he wanted to. He just wasn't that bothered most of the time. He liked being alone. Avoid the complication, minimise the risks.

      'So.' Holly said as they threaded their way through the tables. 'Pretty ironic that someone who hates Christmas is named after it.'

      'Hilarious.' Noel dead-panned, sliding onto the stool next to Jasper, trying to work out how to avoid the questions she was sure to ask. The air smelt of cinnamon, and the steam rising from jugs of hot milk staff members were heating up and pouring into mugs. The clatter of cutlery and conversations created a lively din.

      'So, one of your parents must have liked Christmas?' Holly prompted, sitting down opposite him.

      Yep, just as he'd expected. He shifted in his chair and picked up a menu. 'What's good in here?'

      Holly blinked at his deflection, then shrugged. 'You can make it merry; they do a mean tipsy hot chocolate, or there's mulled cider, and you can get champagne and truffles or cream tea as part of Skate Extra,' at his blank look she explained, 'packages you can book. And their signature drink is the Fortnum's Bees Knees cocktail I think…but seeing as it's only half past three it's probably a bit early for that.'

      'Yeah, and you're also showing what you spend your evenings doing,' he replied cheekily, 'but what else is good?'

      'Everything really. The standard hot chocolates are nice; you can add whipped cream, chocolate shavings and marshmallows.'

      Jasper started humming noisily and swinging his legs, attracting attention from the family at the next table who were feasting on a delicious looking chocolate fondue.

      'What СКАЧАТЬ