Cinderella's New York Christmas. Scarlet Wilson
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Right now her stomach thought she was a gymnast.
‘But you were watching tonight?’
He nodded. ‘I’ve only been here a few hours. I haven’t even reached my...’ he put his fingers in the air ‘...“luxury cabin” yet.’
Anissa’s stomach gave a little twist. Please don’t let him be staying in one of the cabins I’m cleaning.
‘So, is it business or pleasure?’ She licked her lips, a little nervous at asking the question. For all she knew, he could actually be here with a wife or fiancée, and really only was being gentlemanly by helping her home. She unintentionally held her breath as she waited for the answer.
‘I imagine some people would expect me to say a bit of both.’ He gave another sigh. ‘But the honest answer is neither. In a lot of ways, I wish I’d never come. There’s nothing I’d like more than to jump back on the soonest flight to New York.’
Her stomach gave a little pang. The first interesting guy she’d met in a long time couldn’t wait to get out of Dodge. Typical.
But it was the way he’d said the words that mattered. As if they made him sad. ‘Then why don’t you?’ she asked quietly.
He met her gaze with his blue eyes. ‘Because I’m a bit in limbo. What I do next could affect other people—whether I like it or not.’
Empathy swelled within her. Connection. Because those words were so familiar to her. What she did wouldn’t affect anyone other than herself. But being in limbo? She raised her glass to him. ‘Limbo. I see your few days’ worth of limbo and raise you a whole year’s worth.’
He turned closer towards her, leaning in and letting her see the shadow on his jawline and the tiny lines around his eyes. That tiny movement made her catch her breath at what might lie ahead. The woody scent of his aftershave filled her senses. She liked it. It had a hint of spice mixed with earthy tones.
He leaned his head on one hand and gave her a sexy kind of smile. ‘How did a gorgeous girl like you end up in limbo in Mont Coeur? Have you always lived here?’
Gorgeous. He’d just called her gorgeous. She could almost hear the echoing voices of approval of her fellow chalet maids at her rapidly rising heart rate. For months they’d been telling her to pay more attention to the guys around her. For months she’d told them she had other priorities and that no one had captured her attention. And they hadn’t. Until now.
She shook her head and tried her best to play it cool. ‘I’m Austrian. But I’ve spent most of my life on skis, no matter where I’ve lived.’ She lifted one hand. ‘This last year? Let’s just say it hasn’t been my best—hasn’t been my favourite. Limbo is exactly the right word to describe the last twelve months of my life.’
It hurt. Every memory about it still hurt. From the physical pain of crashing down a mountainside. To the psychological pain of realising her hopes of winning an international skiing championship gold medal had just been ripped from her grasp. Then there was the emotional trauma of her fiancé and coach, Alain, dumping her.
Leo reached out and grabbed her hand, the touch of his warm skin shooting an instant tingle up her arm. His voice was deep. His other hand reached over and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. It was a personal touch, an intimate touch, and the skin on her face was on fire with it. ‘How about, for one night only, we try and forget about the stuff that’s dragging us down?’
She blinked. Had he actually just said that?
The fire was flickering behind him, sending a warm glow around the room. Her heart missed a few beats.
No way. She wouldn’t. Not ever. She wasn’t that kind of girl.
But...
Somehow, tonight, she wanted to be.
She really, really wanted to be.
She prayed her voice wouldn’t shake as she uttered the words. ‘I could live with forgetting about everything dragging me down.’
He moved closer, his mouth only a few inches from hers, and she licked her lips in anticipation.
She paused for the briefest second. ‘Promise me you have no wife, no fiancée, no girlfriend.’
He gave a flicker of smile. ‘Promise. What about you?’
She smiled too as she leaned in. ‘Oh, I don’t have a wife, a fiancée or a girlfriend.’ This was reaching the teasing stage. Her favourite part.
He smiled back as he reached up and slid his fingers through her hair, anchoring his hand at the back of her head. ‘No significant other?’
She shook her head. ‘No significant other.’
His lips brushed against her ear. ‘Then how about we get ourselves distracted?’
She must be crazy. She must be losing her mind. But for the first time in a year all she could think about was how good it felt to be in the arms of this man she found wildly attractive and how in control she felt. She was making this decision. No one was doing it for her. Leo Baxter was hot.
And he was all hers.
This was one night. Everything else she could worry about tomorrow.
She smiled as she brushed her lips against his. ‘So...distract me.’
LEO BLINKED AS he heard the faint noise of someone shuffling around. There was only a tiny glimmer of light outside. The bed was uncomfortable and his mind took a few seconds to orientate itself.
Mont Coeur. The will. Sebastian. Noemi.
And then there was last night. Anissa.
He rolled over and leaned on one arm. Sure enough, Anissa was padding around the room, pulling on some kind of uniform.
She looked up. ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you. I have an early shift.’
He wasn’t one for overnight stays and awkward next mornings. Seemed like he’d had more firsts than he’d expected to. The jet lag and emotional trauma of last night had obviously just wiped him out.
He watched as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. He’d thought she’d looked good last night, but even early in the morning she looked good. Something twinged inside him and his gaze connected with hers.
This was where things got uncomfortable. This was where he had to make a hasty exit and try and find the luxury chalet he’d never made it to last night.
He glanced around the room, trying to find his clothes. Anissa pulled on her jacket and Leo instantly swung his legs from the bed. She had to leave. And she wouldn’t want to leave a stranger in her house.
‘Give me a second to grab my things and I’ll get out of your hair.’
Images of last night flashed through his brain as he pulled on his shirt and trousers. Good images. Great images. And a connection he’d never thought he’d feel.
Anissa was standing at the bedroom door, watching him a little awkwardly. She sucked in a breath. ‘Thanks for helping me last night.’
He pushed his feet into his shoes and moved closer. ‘You’re welcome. How’s your foot this morning?’
She gave it a little stamp. ‘A bit sore, but that’s it.’
Maybe she hadn’t realised it but she was blocking his exit to the door. He stopped in front of her. ‘Last night was...’ He let his voice tail off, unsure how exactly to end the sentence.
‘The best sex I’ve had in years.’
He blinked, then laughed. It seemed that Anissa had no problem finishing the sentence for him.