Christmas Eve: Doorstep Delivery (Lakeside Mountain Rescue 7)

‘Hayley—’

‘And I don’t think a rampant sex drive is an excuse, and the worse thing is you’re a liar because you didn’t once mention your children or the fact that you’re married, and—’

‘Hayley, I’m divorced.’

‘If you really didn’t—’ She broke off and stared at him. ‘What did you say?’

‘I’m divorced.’ Patrick spoke the words quietly. ‘My wife and I separated two years ago. I haven’t seen her since then. And you need to breathe before you pass out.’

‘You—I…’ Her voice cracked. ‘You’re divorced?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, why didn’t you say so? Why didn’t you tell me that night?’

‘It didn’t seem relevant.’

Hayley rolled her eyes. ‘Only a man would think that wasn’t relevant. Of course it’s relevant! What about your children? Did you forget about them, or were they irrelevant too?’

‘My children had nothing to do with the night we spent together.’

Her mouth fell open. ‘You see? That’s what I mean. You come across as this really caring guy—a bit macho perhaps, but basically caring—and then you go and deny your children!’

‘I’m not denying my children,’ Patrick said patiently. ‘I’m saying they had no relevance to the night we spent together.’

‘You mean you conveniently forgot them.’ Her breathing rapid, she stroked her hair away from her face. ‘Well, at least you’re divorced. That’s one thing to be grateful for.’ Realising what she’d said, she blushed scarlet and shrank slightly. ‘Sorry, sorry. That came out wrong. What I meant to say was—obviously it’s not good that you’re divorced, but I’m relieved to know you’re not married.’

Patrick stilled, his radar on full alert and screaming a warning. ‘Why would you be relieved?’ His tone was several shades cooler as he contemplated the gulf between her expectations and his. ‘Because now you know I’m available?’

She looked at him as though he was mentally incapacitated. ‘No. Because I don’t have affairs with married men, of course.’

‘Right. Of course.’ She sounded so affronted that he wanted to smile, and it occurred to him that this woman continually surprised him. He was trying to adjust his expectations when he realised that she was glaring at him.

‘Are you laughing at me?’

‘Absolutely not.’

‘Good, because I don’t see anything to laugh about.’

‘Me neither.’ Reminded of the reason she was here, Patrick’s desire to smile faded instantly. ‘Can I talk now?’

She stood stiffly. ‘Of course. Go ahead.’

Patrick rested his hips against the kitchen table, wishing he could switch off the urge to take her straight to bed. ‘First—I’m sorry if I was insensitive. It was a shock to see you on the doorstep and I accept that I probably didn’t handle that as well as I could have done.’

‘If you’d—’

He leaned forwards and pressed his fingers against her lips. ‘It’s my turn to talk, Hayley,’ he drawled softly, watching as her eyes widened. Her lips softened and parted against his fingers and he removed his hand, wishing he’d found some other less erotic way of silencing her. ‘Let me finish.’

The tip of her tongue traced her lips where his fingers had been a moment before and it took Patrick a moment to remember what he’d been planning to say.

‘I’m not a hypocrite. I try and be a good father, although I’m sure I fall short of that ambition fairly frequently, and, despite the evidence to the contrary, which I admit in your case is incontrovertible, I am not sleeping with every woman who crosses my path. And while I’m flattered that you think I’m good-looking and you like my body—’

‘I didn’t exactly mean to say that bit out loud,’ she muttered, and Patrick gave a faint smile and continued.

‘I can assure you that I have not abandoned morals and common decency.’ He watched as her smooth cheeks turned a delicious shade of pink. ‘Neither have I ever lied to you.’

‘Maybe not directly. But you didn’t mention your children.’ She looked tired, disillusioned and younger than he remembered, and for some reason