Cinderella's Christmas Secret - Sharon Kendrick Page 0,25

the room didn’t come close to it. Was that to be his only reference to the fact that she was pregnant? Because if so she was just going to have to deal with it. From somewhere she managed to produce a smile. ‘I’m fine, thanks,’ she said. ‘The doctor seems very pleased with my progress so far.’

There was a pause. ‘Look, I’m aware that my reaction to your news wasn’t great and I apologise for that.’

His words were grudging rather than heartfelt, but Hollie told herself she must be generous in her response. ‘No, it was hardly the stuff of dreams,’ she said drily. ‘But that’s okay. It must have come as a terrible shock and at least you were being honest. And I’m over it now.’

‘My lawyers tell me you haven’t made contact yet.’

‘No. I thought I’d wait until after Christmas now.’

He inclined his head. ‘As you wish.’

As you wish?

Hollie had a whole catalogue of wishes, most of which were never going to come true. She wished he had a heart instead of a lump of cold steel lodged somewhere deep in his chest. She wished...

No. Only a fool would ever wish for love from such an unsuitable candidate.

They had reached the hall and he was opening the door and all Hollie wanted was to get away from him and the way he was making her feel, when his terse exclamation startled her.

‘Es imposible!’

Hollie followed his gaze and looked outside. Her Spanish was limited to about three words which involved asking for a beer, but even she understood that what he’d just said wasn’t true, because it wasn’t impossible at all. She felt the jump of her heart. She’d been so busy with her thoughts that she’d barely noticed the time passing, or the increased snowfall. But from here she was aware of how quickly the weather had closed in, and now they seemed to be in a complete white-out.

The landscape had been utterly transformed. Trees, grass and bushes were coated with a mantle of white, which sparkled like diamonds in the fading violet light. The thick fall had turned the place into a winter fairy tale—but one with an underlying threat because, outwardly, everything had changed. No footsteps up the lane. It was as if she’d never been there.

Hollie had only ever thought of snow as a positive thing—as pretty, white and fluffy—but now she saw it as an obstacle, barring her way out of there. And there was no sign of it stopping. She stared up into the darkening sky and uttered a soft curse beneath her breath. All she wanted was to get back to her little cottage because, although it might not amount to very much, at least it was home.

‘Where’s your taxi?’ he demanded.

She shrugged. ‘I got a lift here and I was planning to walk back.’

He made a soft curse beneath his breath. ‘I would take you myself except that I’ve dismissed the chauffeur for the holidays and he’s taken the car.’

‘It’s fine,’ she said, between gritted teeth, thinking that she’d rather walk home barefoot than be driven home by him. ‘I’ve been cooped up in the office all morning, and a bit of snow won’t kill me.’ With a grimace of stark realisation, Hollie stared down at her feet. ‘These boots weren’t exactly made for walking, but I guess they’ll have to do.’

‘Are you out of your mind?’ he snapped. ‘You can’t possibly walk home in this.’

‘Watch me.’

‘I don’t think so. You’re pregnant, remember?’

‘I’m hardly likely to forget, am I?’

‘Do you make a habit of being rescued from bad weather, Hollie?’ he demanded. ‘Don’t you think it’s time you invested in one of those clever phone apps?’

‘Oh, go to hell!’ she snapped back, taking a defiant step forward and immediately sinking into a deep white drift which came almost to the top of her boots. And suddenly Maximo’s hands were on her waist and he was lifting her clean out of the snow, and she was staring up into the hard glitter of his black eyes. And wasn’t it crazy that, in the midst of all her complicated emotions, her overriding feeling was the hungry throb of her blood in response to his touch? ‘Go to hell,’ she repeated weakly.

His velvety voice filtered over her skin. ‘Even hell would reject a man like me.’

‘Please put me down,’ she said. ‘I want to go home.’

‘Well, you can’t. You’re not going anywhere right now. Not when it’s like this. You’re going to have to