Snowbound: Miracle Marriage (Lakeside Mountain Rescue 8)

‘That’s none of your business.’

‘I’m just worried about you, that’s all.’

‘You don’t need to worry. I’m not your problem Daniel.’ Unsettled by her own feelings as much as the look in his eyes, Stella ducked under his arm and walked towards the door, her legs shaking so badly she could hardly walk. ‘Neither am I your responsibility. If I choose to meet a stranger in a pub, that’s my decision.’

‘It’s a lousy decision.’ His blue eyes glittered dangerously as he watched her retreat. ‘Why are you meeting men over the internet?’

‘Why not?’ She held his gaze and for a moment they just looked at each other.

‘It isn’t safe to meet strangers,’ he said roughly. ‘You could get hurt.’

‘You hurt me, Daniel. You hurt me.’ Stella turned away, confused and frustrated. Was he asking her not to meet anyone? Was he suggesting that they resurrect their relationship? Part of her was appalled at the thought, but another tiny part of her was desperately hopeful and she hated the fact that she could still feel that way.

‘I know I hurt you.’ His voice was low and impossibly sexy. ‘I know I can’t be what you want me to be.’ He broke off and muttered something under his breath, his shoulders visibly tense. ‘Just be careful, that’s all I ask. If you want to meet a man, go to the Christmas party. At least it’s a safe environment. You know lots of the people and you’re less likely to get hurt.’

Her fantasies shattered like glass on concrete.

He was encouraging her to meet someone else.

‘You can just as easily get hurt by the people you love as by strangers,’ Stella said pointedly, turning and looking him in the eye. ‘And when I need your help or advice to meet a man, I’ll ask.’ Without giving him time to reply, she stalked out of the room and let the door swing shut behind her, wishing for the first time in her life that she’d never met Daniel Buchannan.

Stretched out in a chair in his office, exhausted after eleven hours with no break, Daniel stared blankly at the computer screen, his mind full of the night before.

He never should have kissed her.

What had possessed him to do such an utterly stupid thing?

As if things hadn’t been hard enough before that.

He still didn’t understand exactly why he’d lost control.

One moment he’d been furiously angry, the next he’d been kissing her. Usually with women he choreographed every move—he was always in control. He made sure of it. He knew when he was going to ask them out, he knew where he was going to take them—control was part of the way he protected himself.

Only with Stella there was no control. And there never had been.

Sliding his hand over his face, he muttered a black oath.

Nothing had changed between them. Except that they were no longer together.

Dwelling on that uncomfortable truth, Daniel glanced up to see his brother standing in the doorway. ‘What are you doing here? Is someone giving birth in my department?’

‘No. I have some news. And I need a favour.’ Patrick frowned at him. ‘You look as though you’re in a filthy mood. What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing.’ Somehow Daniel couldn’t bring himself to confess his thoughts about Stella. He waited while his brother sprawled in the only armchair in his office. ‘You don’t look so good yourself.’

‘Tired.’ Patrick closed his eyes and Daniel frowned slightly.

‘Is it the job or the kids?’ Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel surveyed his desk, barely visible beneath the piles of files and papers that people wanted him to read. For a brief moment he wondered what would happen if he just tipped the lot into the bin. Would anyone notice? He didn’t have time to deal with any of it all anyway, so it may as well be in the bin. His computer was telling him that he had seventy-two new messages in his inbox and he stifled the temptation to just switch the thing off at the mains. ‘What’s the problem?’ Apart from the fact your wife left you with two little kids.

‘I’m knackered.’ His brother opened his eyes briefly. ‘If the labour ward rings, you haven’t seen me.’

‘That bad, huh?’ Daniel gave a sympathetic grin and transferred the files on his desk to the floor. ‘Busy night?’

‘Not particularly.’ His brother’s eyes drifted shut again. ‘But I didn’t get any sleep, thanks to a certain woman in my life.’

Daniel gave a slow smile of masculine approval. ‘Now, that is good news. I’ve been telling you for months that it’s time for you to get out there again. Tell me that she was incredible in bed, cooks like an angel and is dying to take on a single dad with two small children who spends most of his waking hours working.’

Patrick opened his eyes. ‘What are you talking about?’