Christmas Ever After (Puffin Island 3)

“Nothing is wrong.” He knew he was being irritable and irrational but he couldn’t help it. He poured the coffee and handed it to her. “There isn’t a lot in the way of entertainment round here, as you can see, so—”

“I’m going to ask you again, Alec. What’s wrong?” She slid her hands round the mug to warm them. “Did my hair strangle you in the night? Did I leave my wet towel on the floor? Did I sleepwalk? Sometimes I sleepwalk.”

“No.” He didn’t want to think about the silk of her hair sliding over his skin. The way it felt or the scent of it. “Nothing like that.”

“Well, something has freaked you out. Did I propose to you in my sleep? Sometimes I talk in my sleep, too.”

“It’s not you.”

She glanced around. “Well, unless you’re hiding someone in the attic, I’m the only person here.”

“You’re my guest. I’m trying to be a good host and find out what you want to do, that’s all.”

And whenever he looked at her there was only one thing on his mind.

Even dressed in sweats and layers of wool, she was stunning.

Her cheeks were pink from the cold and her eyes were a deeper blue than usual. “What would you be doing if I wasn’t here?”

“That’s irrelevant because you are here.”

“And I’m sensing that you wish I wasn’t. You’ve changed your mind about this.” She put her coffee down. “That’s fine, Alec. There’s no commitment between us. No promises, just the truth, remember? You’re allowed to change your mind.” She walked to the kitchen door.

“Where are you going?”

“To pack my things. I’ll stay with Em for a few days. Not a problem. We can meet up at the Ocean Club for a drink at some point.”

“No!” A few moments earlier he would have been willing to pay her to do just that, but now he discovered he didn’t want her to. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“But a moment ago—”

“I don’t want you to leave.”

“I don’t understand.”

He didn’t understand, either. He knew he was behaving like a jerk. “I have a deadline, that’s all. I need to work.”

“So what are you doing talking to me? Go and work.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?” She shook her head, confused. “Writer’s block? Jet lag?”

“I need to entertain you.”

Her brows rose. “That’s what this is about? Alec, I’m not a six-year-old on a playdate. You’re not a performing clown and I don’t need anyone to ‘entertain’ me. I can entertain myself. If you need to work, work. I’ll see you when you’re done, whenever that might be.”

His mouth was dry. It couldn’t be that easy. “I don’t want you to be bored.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m never bored.” She paused. “This isn’t about me, is it? It’s about your ex-wife. You’re standing there wondering what you’ve done, inviting someone into your space. Well, today’s news flash, Alec, is that I won’t be bored. I don’t need anyone else to occupy me, so you go do whatever it is you need to do and I’ll see you for steaming hot sex later. Or not.”

If the words hadn’t done it, the look in her eyes would have.

He was swamped with desire, dizzy with it. “What will you do?”

He knew what he wanted to do now and it had nothing to do with the books waiting for him upstairs in his study.

“I don’t know. I might do some work myself—I have a commission from the Ferraras so I’ll need to do some designs. Or I might read, or go for a walk. I haven’t decided yet, but you don’t need to be part of it.” She strolled across the kitchen, rose on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “You’re grouchy because you think I have a hidden agenda—I don’t. Also because you worked half the night. Drink more coffee.”