Christmas Eve Marriage. Jessica Hart

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СКАЧАТЬ said Thea. ‘We’ll get some when we replace everything we’ve eaten now.’

      ‘Don’t worry about it,’ said Rhys, resigned. ‘I bought most of it for Sophie, anyway. I thought it would be good to have a real Greek breakfast, but she won’t touch it, will you?’ he added to his daughter.

      Sophie’s lower lip stuck out. ‘Mum doesn’t eat dairy products, so why should I have to?’

      ‘No dairy products?’ Thea stared at her, appalled. ‘No cheese? No milk? No butter?’

      ‘Or red meat or potatoes or bread or salt…’ Rhys said, sounding tired.

      That was Thea’s entire diet out of the window then. ‘Chocolate? Biscuits?’ She didn’t even think it was worth mentioning alcohol.

      His smile twisted. ‘You’re kidding, aren’t you? Lynda’s permanently on some faddy diet or another. She’s obsessive about every mouthful.’

      No wonder Sophie had looked so surprised when she saw them guzzling breakfast. Imagine having that kind of self-control.

      ‘She must have a lovely figure,’ said Thea, wishing she hadn’t had quite such a large bowl of yoghurt.

      Sophie nodded. ‘She does.’

      ‘I think she’s too thin,’ said Rhys.

      Thea tried to imagine anyone saying that about her. The thing about Thea is she’s just too thin. No, it just didn’t sound right. Totally unconvincing, in fact. A bit like saying, The thing about George Clooney is he’s just too ugly.

      On the other hand, it sounded as if Rhys might actually prefer his women to have a few more curves than a stick insect. That was good.

      Whoops, where had that thought come from? Thea caught herself up guiltily. She wasn’t the slightest bit interested in how he liked his women.

      ‘I wish I had that kind of self-discipline,’ she said with a sigh. ‘I’m always trying to diet, but I’m lucky if I make it to lunch without devouring a packet of Hob Nobs to make up for just a grapefruit for breakfast.’

      ‘You don’t need to diet,’ Clara leapt in loyally. ‘Mum says you’re silly to worry about your weight. She says you’ve got a sexy figure and men much prefer that to thin girls.’

      ‘Clara!’ Mortified, Thea tried to kick her under the table.

      ‘Well, she does,’ insisted Clara, and then made things a million times worse by turning to Rhys. ‘It’s true, isn’t it?’

      ‘Clara…’

      Unperturbed by the directness of the question, Rhys had turned and was studying Thea. ‘I think your mother’s right,’ he said, straight-faced, and Clara sat back, satisfied.

      ‘See?’ she said to Thea, who was blushing furiously.

      ‘If you’ve finished your breakfast, maybe you’d like to go and have a swim?’ she suggested through her teeth.

      ‘Cool!’ Clara leapt to her feet. ‘Come on, Sophie.’

      Sophie looked warily at her father. ‘Can I go?’

      ‘Of course,’ he said, and she slid off her chair and ran after Clara.

      Thea buried her burning face in her coffee cup, but when she risked a glance at him saw that the disconcerting eyes were green and light with amusement.

      ‘Is she always that direct?’

      ‘If I didn’t love her so much, I could kill her sometimes!’ Thea gave in and laughed. ‘She can be disastrously honest, and if she likes you she’ll stop at nothing to get you what you want—or what she thinks you need!’

      She shook her head ruefully. ‘Clara’s like her mother that way. They’re both so determined, it’s often easiest just to give in and do as they say!’

      A smile twitched at the corner of Rhys’s mouth. ‘What if they don’t like you? Does it work the other way?’

      ‘Unfortunately, yes.’ Thea’s own smile faded as she remembered how much Nell and Clara had disliked Harry. She had never been able to understand that. Harry was so good-looking and charming. How could anyone not like him?

      ‘I’d keep on her good side if I were you,’ she said to Rhys, and the intriguing dent at the corner of his mouth deepened in amusement.

      ‘I’ll remember that. Now, how about some fresh coffee?’ He picked up the cafetière and waved it tantalisingly.

      ‘Well…’ She didn’t want to seem too greedy.

      ‘Go on, fulfil those fantasies! You know you want it,’ he tempted her, and smiled at her, a swift and totally unexpected smile that illuminated his face and left Thea with the peculiar sensation of having missed a step as her breath stumbled.

      She swallowed. ‘That would be lovely.’

      The coffee smelt just as good as before when he came back, but this time Thea was less easily distracted by it. She found herself studying him under her lashes instead as he sat back in his chair, hands curled around his cup, watching the girls in the pool.

      He wasn’t that attractive, not really. He was compactly-built and obviously fit, and he had that air of toughness and confidence she associated with men who spent most of their life outdoors. He had mentioned working in the desert, and Thea could imagine him in a wild setting like that, unfazed by the heat and the emptiness of the elements as he narrowed his eyes at the far horizon.

      Of course, it might just be the tan that made her think that.

      Her gaze dropped to his hands, and the memory of how his palm had felt touching hers was enough to send a tiny shiver down her spine. Yes, nice hands, nice eyes.

      Nice mouth, too, now she came to think of it. Cool and firm looking, with just a hint of sensuousness about the bottom lip. It was a shame it seemed normally set in such a stern line, but the effect when he smiled was literally breathtaking.

      Hmm.

      Thea was uneasily aware that her hormones, long fixated on Harry, were definitely stirring and taking an interest. Odd. She frowned slightly. Rhys wasn’t her type at all. He couldn’t have been more different from Harry.

      She shifted in her chair, trying to shake the feeling off. Maybe it was the sleepless night catching up on her, she thought hopefully, although she was definitely feeling better after that breakfast.

      ‘Listen!’ Rhys sat forward suddenly, startling Thea out of her thoughts.

      ‘What?’

      ‘Sophie’s laughing.’

      CHAPTER TWO

      THERE was such an odd note in his voice that Thea looked to where the two little girls were running around the pool and dive-bombing with much shrieking СКАЧАТЬ