Cinderella's New York Christmas. Scarlet Wilson
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Название: Cinderella's New York Christmas
Автор: Scarlet Wilson
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
isbn: 9781474078184
isbn:
It hurt. Every memory about it still hurt. From the physical pain of crashing down a mountainside. To the psychological pain of realising her hopes of winning an international skiing championship gold medal had just been ripped from her grasp. Then there was the emotional trauma of her fiancé and coach, Alain, dumping her.
Leo reached out and grabbed her hand, the touch of his warm skin shooting an instant tingle up her arm. His voice was deep. His other hand reached over and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. It was a personal touch, an intimate touch, and the skin on her face was on fire with it. ‘How about, for one night only, we try and forget about the stuff that’s dragging us down?’
She blinked. Had he actually just said that?
The fire was flickering behind him, sending a warm glow around the room. Her heart missed a few beats.
No way. She wouldn’t. Not ever. She wasn’t that kind of girl.
But...
Somehow, tonight, she wanted to be.
She really, really wanted to be.
She prayed her voice wouldn’t shake as she uttered the words. ‘I could live with forgetting about everything dragging me down.’
He moved closer, his mouth only a few inches from hers, and she licked her lips in anticipation.
She paused for the briefest second. ‘Promise me you have no wife, no fiancée, no girlfriend.’
He gave a flicker of smile. ‘Promise. What about you?’
She smiled too as she leaned in. ‘Oh, I don’t have a wife, a fiancée or a girlfriend.’ This was reaching the teasing stage. Her favourite part.
He smiled back as he reached up and slid his fingers through her hair, anchoring his hand at the back of her head. ‘No significant other?’
She shook her head. ‘No significant other.’
His lips brushed against her ear. ‘Then how about we get ourselves distracted?’
She must be crazy. She must be losing her mind. But for the first time in a year all she could think about was how good it felt to be in the arms of this man she found wildly attractive and how in control she felt. She was making this decision. No one was doing it for her. Leo Baxter was hot.
And he was all hers.
This was one night. Everything else she could worry about tomorrow.
She smiled as she brushed her lips against his. ‘So...distract me.’
LEO BLINKED AS he heard the faint noise of someone shuffling around. There was only a tiny glimmer of light outside. The bed was uncomfortable and his mind took a few seconds to orientate itself.
Mont Coeur. The will. Sebastian. Noemi.
And then there was last night. Anissa.
He rolled over and leaned on one arm. Sure enough, Anissa was padding around the room, pulling on some kind of uniform.
She looked up. ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you. I have an early shift.’
He wasn’t one for overnight stays and awkward next mornings. Seemed like he’d had more firsts than he’d expected to. The jet lag and emotional trauma of last night had obviously just wiped him out.
He watched as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. He’d thought she’d looked good last night, but even early in the morning she looked good. Something twinged inside him and his gaze connected with hers.
This was where things got uncomfortable. This was where he had to make a hasty exit and try and find the luxury chalet he’d never made it to last night.
He glanced around the room, trying to find his clothes. Anissa pulled on her jacket and Leo instantly swung his legs from the bed. She had to leave. And she wouldn’t want to leave a stranger in her house.
‘Give me a second to grab my things and I’ll get out of your hair.’
Images of last night flashed through his brain as he pulled on his shirt and trousers. Good images. Great images. And a connection he’d never thought he’d feel.
Anissa was standing at the bedroom door, watching him a little awkwardly. She sucked in a breath. ‘Thanks for helping me last night.’
He pushed his feet into his shoes and moved closer. ‘You’re welcome. How’s your foot this morning?’
She gave it a little stamp. ‘A bit sore, but that’s it.’
Maybe she hadn’t realised it but she was blocking his exit to the door. He stopped in front of her. ‘Last night was...’ He let his voice tail off, unsure how exactly to end the sentence.
‘The best sex I’ve had in years.’
He blinked, then laughed. It seemed that Anissa had no problem finishing the sentence for him. ‘Okay, then...’ he gave his head a shake at her quick words ‘...I guess I’d have to agree with that.’
Her blue eyes were fixed on his. His stomach gave a twist. Please don’t let this be something it isn’t.
His brain was all over the place right now, as were his emotions. In the space of a few months he’d found his parents, lost his parents, met a brother and sister he’d never known and been blackmailed into taking an interest in the family business. He didn’t have room for anything else right now.
‘I’m not looking for romance.’ Anissa spoke quickly.
‘Neither am I.’ The answer came out automatically, with a sense of relief.
‘And I never usually do anything like this,’ she added. ‘So please don’t think this is normal for me. Last night was just...’ This time it was her that couldn’t find the words to complete the sentence.
‘A one-off,’ he finished for her.
She nodded in agreement. ‘A one-off.’
They were still close. Close enough that he could smell the fruity shampoo from her hair that she’d pulled into a ponytail high on her head.
It would be so easy to lean forward and kiss her. To capture those lips in his again and pull her back down onto the unmade bed.
The truth was Anissa hadn’t been wrong. Last night had unexpectedly been the best night of his life. But in reality he hardly knew her. And his timing was terrible.
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