A Winter's Tale (The Shakespeare Sisters 2)

That was the end of that, then. Sighing, she watched him disappear back towards the cabin, snow shooting out from beneath the machine as he crossed the distance between the house and the trees.

Stupid, angry, sexy bastard. So what if he kissed better than anyone she’d ever met? As far as she was concerned he could disappear into the forest and never come back out.

Yeah. That’s exactly how she felt.

Adam was driving too fast, yet the need to feel danger, and let exhilaration wash away the anger he’d been feeling, was too compelling to ignore. He kept his foot firmly pressed down, manoeuvring the snowmobile around the ridge of trees, refusing to look back at the big house behind him, and the wet-eyed girl he knew was still standing in front of it.

Damn them all. Why the hell did Everett have to spend Christmas in West Virginia, complicating things with his family and his staff who seemed set on driving him crazy? How the hell did he end up kissing Everett’s nanny anyway? With her wide-eyed innocence and her perfectly pouty lips, she was everything he should be avoiding. She was…

His?

Adam sighed as he parked the snowmobile up in the shed at the back of the cabin. Of course she wasn’t his. If she belonged to anyone, she was Everett’s; after all, it was his brother who paid her wages. He was the one she owed her loyalty to. Once again a surge of irrational anger overtook him. Like a jealous kid, he wanted to steal Everett’s toy, and keep it for himself.

What the hell was he thinking, kissing her? He of all people knew what living in LA did to people. Kitty was no different to the rest of them, with her bronzed skin and easy laugh, not to mention her inability to dress appropriately for the season. Yet there was a part of him that knew it wasn’t true. She might have flown in from LAX, but she didn’t have the guile he’d seen in most people in his industry. He didn’t feel that sense of appraisal when she looked at him; that wondering who he was and how good he’d be for their career and whether he could help them climb up another rung of that greasy, slippery ladder.

In that respect, Kitty was as far from Hollywood as he was. Adam could tell from the gentle way she dealt with Jonas, not to mention her supreme patience when she was handling the dog, that she wasn’t working any angle while she was here. She was just being who she was supposed to be. Nanny, employee… friend.

That brought him full circle to feeling like a shit of the highest order. What kind of man practically made love to a woman with his lips and then refused even to smile at her, let alone acknowledge the fire burning between them? Maybe he should admit that Kitty was better off without him. What on earth could a girl her age see in an ass

hole like him anyway? He was broken, a mere shadow of a man since he’d come back from Colombia and LA. He could barely venture out of his cabin, let alone be the sort of man Kitty deserved. She was young, pretty, and admittedly a little bit naive, but clearly didn’t have a bad bone in her body.

That fact alone was exactly why he needed to keep away from her.

And precisely why it was impossible to do so.

Kitty and Jonas spent the afternoon in the kitchen with Annie, helping her with the holiday preparations and trying to keep her calm. The room was warm, the aroma of coffee filling the air, along with the jars of spices she had open.

‘All these last-minute changes,’ she huffed. ‘And now they tell me Mr Montgomery’s a vegetarian. What on earth am I going to cook for Christmas Day? He won’t eat turkey or ham. I’m going to have to get some of that tutu or something, otherwise he’s going to starve.’

‘You mean tofu.’ Kitty tried to block the image of Drake wearing a ballerina skirt from her mind with only limited success. ‘And I honestly wouldn’t worry about Drake, I don’t think he eats anything anyway.’

‘Oh, he’s one of those.’ Annie poured another spoonful of cinnamon into the mixing bowl. ‘All those people in Hollywood who never eat. I’m surprised there are many of them left. Of course, your mum’s no better, Jonas.’

The boy nodded happily and grabbed a handful of chocolate chips. ‘Yep, she hates food.’

Glancing down at her thighs, Kitty wished for a moment that she could hate food too. But then Annie pulled open the oven door, and the mouthwatering aroma of fresh cookies filled the kitchen. How could anybody hate food when it smelled so good?

Adam hadn’t seemed to mind her curves when he was kissing the life out of her in his little cabin. Her cheeks flushed as she recalled the way his mouth had moved against hers, and the teasing sensation of his palms as he slid his hands beneath her sweater. She’d never been kissed like that before, with an animal ferocity that took her breath away. But then he’d practically dismissed her after the lift he gave them in the snowmobile, leaving her with a lingering feeling of distaste.

Sadly, even Annie’s warm cookies couldn’t remove the nasty flavour from her mouth.

Why was it that everything reminded her of Adam? It was so frustrating the way he invaded every thought. The memory of his kiss lingered like the taste of good wine on her lips, and it was all she could do not to touch them again and again. Kitty couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like this – if she ever had – so consumed by somebody she had nothing in common with, except the chemistry that kept growing between them.

Maybe she’d watched one too many movies. She’d always assumed that passion was an invention, made up by writers in order to put bottoms on seats in the cinema. Now she’d experienced it for herself, she wasn’t so sure.

One thing she was certain of though, she needed to calm herself down. Whatever this thing between her and Adam was, it was sure to end in tears.

‘Can you take some cookies through to the library?’ Annie handed Kitty a china plate piled high with snickerdoodles. ‘They’ve set up shop in there, though goodness knows what on earth they’re doing so close to Christmas.’

Kitty slid the plate onto a tray and poured two steaming mugs of coffee out before balancing them all on the surface. Maybe a chat with Everett was just what she needed – it was the oral equivalent of a cold shower. ‘Are you coming, Jonas?’

The seven-year-old shook his head. ‘No way, Dad’s in a stinky mood. I’ve already been told off for messing with the equipment. I think I’ll just stay here with Annie.’

Annie gave Kitty a nod of agreement. ‘I’ll keep an eye on him.’

‘In that case wish me luck,’ Kitty said, making a dramatic face. ‘And if I’m not back in ten minutes, send out a search party.’

Jonas grinned, grabbing another cookie, while Annie rolled her eyes. From the looks of them, neither would be in a hurry to save her from an ear-bashing if she managed to upset Everett or Drake. So much for loyalty.