The Mills & Boon Sparkling Christmas Collection. Kate Hardy

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СКАЧАТЬ head swivelled around. ‘Why were you doing that?’

      Eva’s shoulders slumped. ‘All right, I admit it. I have been having thoughts … feelings if you will, about Ben.’

      ‘I knew it! Oh this is so exciting.’

      ‘I’m so out of the whole dating thing, I only wanted to know what kind of questions they asked. See if I could work out if we were compatible, if our personalities matched.’

      ‘So what questions did they ask?’ Heather sounded interested.

      ‘Well, you had to choose words to describe yourself – like shy, affectionate, outgoing, intelligent. Then tick things you like doing – cinema, theatre, reading, shopping, dining, and so on.’

      ‘And?’

      ‘From the little I know about him, I’d say we have nothing in common.’

      Heather chuckled, shaking her head. ‘Nonsense – you two are made for each other, I can just tell.’

      ‘How much of that wine have you had? Think about it. He reads science journals; I read trashy magazines. He’s probably a member of Mensa and I have trouble finishing the easy crossword.’

      ‘I wouldn’t pay too much attention to all that stuff. It’s all about the chemistry,’ Heather professed selecting various jars and tubes, which she had laid out on the table. ‘It’s time to do your make-up.’

      ‘All right but I don’t want to wear too much,’ Eva protested taking the foundation from Heather. She applied some eye shadow, a little eye liner, mascara, and finished with a touch of pink lipstick. ‘There. Will I do?’ she turned to ask Heather.

      ‘My work here is done.’ Heather grinned.

      Later, when they discovered Heather had managed to drink almost the whole bottle of wine by herself, Douglas was called upon to take her home. After they’d gone, Eva was left on her own waiting for Ben to arrive, feeling madly nervous. She kept checking her phone for no reason.

      She almost jumped out of her skin when the doorbell sounded and she made her way to the door on wobbly legs. She almost gasped at how breathtakingly handsome Ben looked. His hair had been neatly swept back and he wore a pale blue shirt under a smart jacket with black jeans. She saw his eyes skim over her before he smiled.

      ‘Wow,’ he said in a low voice. ‘You look lovely.’

      ‘Thanks,’ she replied, snatching her coat and bag and trying to breathe normally. She closed the front door behind her, reminding herself this wasn’t a date even though it was the closest she’d come to one in a very long time. The evening was cool but pleasant for walking and they strolled a short distance before coming to a little pub on the corner. Its windows glowed invitingly with light and they seemed to have the same idea.

      ‘Do you fancy a quick drink?’

      ‘Just what I was thinking.’ Eva smiled.

      The pub was busy with the sound of lively chat and had an end-of-week feel to it. Eva made her way to a small table she had spotted in the corner and took a seat while Ben went to the bar. Looking round Eva noticed how relaxed everyone seemed but she felt distinctly jittery. It wasn’t just being out on a Friday night but being with a man, almost as if she was in someone else’s body.

      Eva certainly wasn’t in the habit of eyeing up men in pubs, but as her eyes settled on Ben standing at the bar ordering their drinks she realized that’s exactly what she doing now. It wasn’t just that he was tall and handsome – that much was obvious. There was something else about him, a quality that drew her to him and made her conscious of his every move. Eva sat up with a jolt as it dawned on her she was lusting after Ben. She glanced to a group of men standing at the bar. All perfectly healthy-looking male specimens … nope, nothing. Her gaze slid back to Ben and there it was again, her body pulsing with desire.

      Feeling a little light-headed she grabbed the drink when Ben placed it in front of her and gulped a mouthful too fast. Ben looked at her with concern as she spluttered.

      ‘You all right?’

      ‘Fine,’ she replied with a little cough.

      ‘So did Jamie set off this morning?’ Ben asked raising his beer to his mouth.

      Eva nodded. ‘The boys weren’t allowed to take mobile phones – part of the ethos of the trip. But the group leader sent a text letting us know they’d arrived safely and were settling in.’

      ‘And how are you coping?’

      ‘Okay so far – I’m trying not to think about it too much, keeping my mind on other things.’ In fact, she should probably be thanking Ben for the first-class job he was doing distracting her. The sound of sudden loud laughter made their heads turn to a rowdy group sitting near them.

      ‘So, is this place a regular of yours?’ Ben asked with a small smile.

      ‘Hardly.’ Eva chuckled thinking of her social life. ‘I don’t go out that much. I actually consider parents’ evening at Jamie’s school a major event in my social diary.’

      Ben gave a little laugh and Eva adored the way his eyes crinkled at the edges.

      ‘My friend Heather likes to drag me to various places now and again. She thinks I should go out more, try and meet someone …’ Eva blushed, not sure why she had said that.

      ‘And have you – ever gone out and met someone?’

      ‘Nope.’ She paused, aware she was about to admit something she’d never said out loud before. ‘I suppose I haven’t wanted to risk being hurt.’ She lifted her eyes to find Ben watching her, with an expression she couldn’t read.

      ‘Any man who hurt you would have to be an idiot,’ he said simply.

      Eva picked up her glass, not sure how to respond although her insides were close to melting. She let out an awkward little laugh, trying to sound normal.

      ‘What about you? This must be quite different after the bright lights of London.’

      He looked around. ‘Yeah, this is very different but nice. I like it.’

      ‘Did you go out much – socializing?’

      He rubbed a hand across his jaw. ‘Working in finance in the city you kind of had to. It was almost part of the culture. The company where I worked, most of us were members of a private club. Plush and pricey – not somewhere I ever felt comfortable but after finishing a long manic day it was difficult just to go home and switch off. It was easier to go and unwind, talk shop.’ He shook his head at the memory. ‘That was where I met Samantha.’

      ‘Did she work for the same company as you?’

      ‘No, she worked in IT for another company. We kept meeting there with the same crowd after work and eventually just wound up together.’

      ‘Doesn’t sound very romantic.’

      ‘Romantic?’ The observation seemed to surprise him and he rubbed a hand around his neck before looking at her. ‘No, I don’t suppose it was. СКАЧАТЬ