The Magic of Christmas Read online

  ‘I could never be a model.’ While she couldn’t credit he’d even suggest it, she could tell he was serious and she held his kindness close to her heart. ‘Even if I was good-looking enough for the modelling world, there’s nothing about the lifestyle I’d find appealing.’

  ‘It’s a great income and could set you up for life.’

  ‘Money’s not everything. I’d rather be doing what I’m doing. I’m happy enough and I’m making ends meet. The modelling lifestyle would be way too superficial for me.’

  There was a new light in his eyes. If she wasn’t mistaken it was respect and it added to the warm buzz in her brain.

  ‘Besides,’ she added, ‘I’d never be able to gamble on a career shift when I’m just managing to keep my head above water and keeping Dan at university.’

  ‘Your business is struggling?’

  ‘No, but I made a bad decision after Gran died and now the house she left to Dan and me is mortgaged.’

  ‘Maybe I could look at your financial situation and help? I’m good at helping troubled businesses.’

  She laughed. ‘Yes, Jack, by buying them. My business isn’t one you’d be interested in.’

  ‘I’m interested because—’

  ‘It’s a cleaning business—very different from the world of technology Mancini IT dominates—and it isn’t for sale.’

  ‘I’m interested,’ he repeated, ‘because I’m interested in you.’

  Her swift intake of air abraded her throat as she tried to absorb his words.

  What exactly did he mean?

  On what level was he interested in her?

  There you go again trying to change fact into fantasy.

  His was an ambiguous, harmless enough statement, and he obviously meant no more than he was a man who cared about people. She’d stayed with him and tried to help him through his migraine. Now, he was trying to help her. But still, Grace’s pulse kicked up and the blood whooshed through her at such a pace she felt light-headed and decidedly off balance.

  ‘Tell me about your financial difficulties and I might be able to give you a suggestion to help.’

  Should she? If she did, he’d realise just how pathetic she was. Worse, he might think she was asking him for money. The expression he wore, however, reminded her he was a powerful, determined man who wasn’t used to accepting ‘no’ as an answer when he wanted to hear ‘yes’.

  Walking over to the window, she stared down at the quiet street below. ‘I was eighteen. Gran signed the business over to me and suggested I use a management consultant to help with the administration. She wasn’t well by then and I was trying to learn, but still couldn’t read very well.

  ‘I signed a contract with a guy who’d been recommended to Gran. Unfortunately, he was a crook. Gran died when I was twenty.’ She was distracted for a moment as she watched a police officer walking along the footpath making his rounds on his beat.

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘Soon after Gran’s death, Mark—the consultant—started showing an interest in me. We had a relationship. I trusted him. He took advantage of my trust, my inability to read and the fact I was pretty much an emotional mess. I signed papers for the first time without having Gran there to look through them. I thought they were insurance papers for the property.’ She turned away from the window, her hands gripped tightly together in front of her. ‘He mortgaged Gran’s house straight out from under me. Within six months he’d fleeced me and a couple of other clients and fled to the Dominican Republic, where the UK doesn’t have an extradition treaty.’

  Jack’s jaw was so tight a muscle ticked in his cheek. She realised he was furious on her behalf and it was one more reason she adored him.

  ‘When I realised I’d signed papers that jeopardised both Daniel’s and my inheritance, I swore it would never happen again. I really increased my commitment to the adult literacy classes I attended and was totally focused upon mastering my learning difficulties.’

  ‘The bastard got off scott free?’

  She nodded. ‘I haven’t told my brother anything because I don’t want my bad decisions weighing him down while he’s trying to get through his law degree.’ Unclasping her hands, she raised one to sweep a strand of hair away from her cheek. ‘I’d like to have the whole thing paid back by the time he graduates and I never want him to find out about it.’

  ‘Just promise me you’ll never go through a loan shark.’

  ‘Oh no. I’m well aware those guys skirt between legal and extra-legal activity and they often enforce repayment by threats of violence.’ She wasn’t entirely stupid.

  He looked as though he weighed up his words before he spoke. ‘A loan shark killed my mother.’

  ‘Oh my God. That’s shocking.’ Words were simply not enough. Taking a step forward, she placed her hand on his arm. ‘I’m so sorry.’

  ‘She wasn’t the primary earner—her partner was. She was dispensable and they murdered her to send him a warning to pay what he owed or end up facing the same fate.’

  Should she ask? ‘Is that how you ended up living on the street?’

  He released an audible breath. ‘It was the start of my experience in foster homes. I eventually ran away from that cycle of living and opted for the streets in preference.’

  His experiences in foster homes must’ve brought their own trauma if he thought living on the street was preferable.

  ‘Would you let some people from my accounts department and management team take a look at your books?’ The subject of his childhood was obviously closed. ‘They may be able to help you with your business.’

  ‘That’d be fabulous.’ She had no doubt she could trust Jack. He wasn’t another Mark. ‘I can’t believe you’re offering to help me this way. It’s like you’ve swept into my life and are providing me with the answers to all my dreams and problems.’

  ‘Don’t put me on a pedestal, Grace. If it hadn’t been for Amadeo Mancini adopting me, I can almost guarantee I wouldn’t have succeeded in any aspect of my life. I know I’ve been very lucky and where I can, I help others who are less fortunate.’

  He was as gallant as any knight in shining armour and was intent on coming to her rescue. If she could do anything for him in return, she would. ‘I’ll pose as your girlfriend.’

  He frowned and she wondered if he’d forgotten his suggestion.

  ‘Offering to have some of my team look at your business wasn’t meant to be a form of coercion. I’m going to help you out regardless of whether or not you agree to pose as my lover. One has nothing to do with the other.’

  She’d used the word ‘girlfriend’ and he’d used the word ‘lover’. ‘Lover’ spoke of far more intimacy and Grace felt little shivers of excitement feather over the skin of her arms and all the way up across her shoulders.

  ‘It wouldn’t be coercion.’ She lifted her hands up to rub at her arms. ‘If you’re absolutely certain you can pass me off in the role, I’d like to think I’m doing something to help you too.’ And, even though she knew it wasn’t real, wouldn’t it be exciting to pretend to be Jack’s lover?

  He cleared his throat. ‘There’d be a certain degree of familiarity required between us when we’re with others to make it look convincing. Would it make you uncomfortable?’

  ‘You mean people would expect us to be touchy-feely?’

  He smiled. ‘Yes.’

  Oh, man, bring it on! She bit down on her lip to stop herself from breaking into a wide grin. ‘My answer is yes to pretending to be your girlfriend, Jack.’ And, if you ever decide you really want me as your girlfriend, the answer is yes to that, too.

  ‘Then, this Friday night we’ll set the ball in motion at the engagement party.’

  More likely they’d set the cat among the pigeons and let butterflies loose in her stomach.

  ‘I’ll be there.’

  Chapter 12

  ‘Jack, it’s lovely to see you.’ Vanessa leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

  ‘You must be Grace.’ Amadeo
extended his hand. ‘It’s wonderful to meet you.’

  The arm Jack placed around Grace’s waist was intended to demonstrate possessiveness but damn it felt right to anchor her there to his side.

  Imogene stalked across the room to join them. She was less than subtle in her hostility towards Grace. ‘You!’

  To her absolute credit, Grace’s smile was friendly. ‘Hello, Imogene.’

  ‘You can’t be here. That’s impossible! You’ve already had your one night with Jack. He never sees anyone twice.’

  ‘Imogene!’ Vanessa was clearly shocked at her daughter’s rude outburst. ‘Please forgive my daughter, Grace.’

  ‘But it’s true!’ Imogene whined.

  After sending Imogene a disapproving look, Amadeo’s eyes turned to Grace and lit with interest. ‘You’re obviously an exceptional young woman.’

  ‘You haven’t listed a plus one, Jack,’ Imogene argued. ‘You can’t expect to bring someone along at the last minute and have the caterers cope.’

  ‘I’m sure the caterers won’t have any problem.’ Amadeo looked from Imogen to Vanessa and back again.

  ‘Grace has been included in the numbers,’ Jack told them all. ‘Not only is she here as my partner, but she also happens to be our extremely talented pianist for the evening.’

  ‘How delightful!’ Vanessa chimed.

  ‘Allow me to show you to your place at the piano.’ Each of Imogene’s words dripped with venom. It was evident her intent was to show Grace to the piano and make sure she stayed there all night.

  ‘That won’t be necessary, Imogene. I’ll introduce Grace to the rest of the family before she starts her first set of pieces.’ Jack leaned forward and kissed Vanessa once more on the cheek. ‘Congratulations again on your engagement.’

  ‘I’m looking forward to speaking with you in between your musical sets,’ Amadeo told Grace as Vanessa took Imogene by the elbow and led her firmly away.

  ‘Oh my God,’ Grace said under her breath as she and Jack walked towards the piano. ‘The hell-cat has claws and she’s not afraid to use them. I’ve never met anyone so rude. I think she’s about to get a dressing down from her mother.’

  He stopped and used the arm that was around Grace’s waist to turn her to face him. Then, he placed both hands securely at her waist. ‘Now do you understand why I want her to stop her pursuit of me?’

  She nodded vehemently.

  Lowering his head, Jack brushed his lips against the spot just below her ear. He wished he could tell himself the act was purely for show, but the truth was that he battled to keep from kissing her lips. His need was acute. Nothing seemed more important than discovering the texture of those lips with his own and exploring the taste of her.

  ‘Forget about her now,’ he said abruptly. ‘Let’s go and introduce you to some of the other guests, and then you can start entertaining us all and securing lots of future bookings.’

  ‘Sounds good.’

  Grace’s words replayed in his head. ‘You don’t need me to act as your girlfriend.’

  It was true. He didn’t need Grace. He wanted her.

  Nothing could ever come of his desire. It was part agony and part ecstasy to wrap her firmly to his side and splay his fingers over the narrowness of her waist or the firmness of her hip when he knew he could never have all of her. He’d simply have to enjoy tonight.

  As the night progressed, he took every opportunity during her breaks to brush his lips against her cheek or press them to the bare skin where her neck joined her shoulders. He held her close and looked deeply into her eyes as they spoke.

  He knew Grace believed it was all an act. He’d asked her to pose as his lover, and that was exactly the impression they were delivering by seeking each other’s company during her breaks and exchanging what would appear to be hushed intimacies.

  His actions, however, weren’t contrived. He couldn’t be near her and not want to make physical contact with her.

  Grace was certainly keeping up her end of the bargain and playing along convincingly.

  As the night wore on, Jack didn’t venture very far away from the piano. He wouldn’t put it past Imogene to walk by and slam the lid down on Grace’s fingers. Even as he spoke to others, he became more disquieted by the daggers Imogene kept shooting Grace’s way.

  The woman in question sashayed up to him. ‘Where did you meet her?’

  ‘My relationship with Grace is none of your business.’

  ‘Relationship? You don’t have relationships, Jack.’

  ‘I do now.’

  She glared at him. ‘Who the hell is she? Where did she come from?’

  ‘Stay away from her, and stay away from me.’ The tone of his warning was laced with steel.

  ‘I’ll find out, you know.’ It sounded like a threat.

  ‘I won’t caution you again.’

  ‘My God! You’re really serious about her, aren’t you?’

  ‘Yes.’ He realised that although it was futile, he’d never been more serious about anyone in his life.

  Imogene held his eye contact for a few long moments. He saw a hot flash of fury before her features relaxed and she laughed cynically. ‘Then I guess the latest bet in Britain is going to be how many nights she’ll last in your bed.’

  ‘Move on, Imogene. Accept that you and I were never going to be together.’

  She tossed her head, but her hair had been sprayed with so much lacquer not a single strand moved with the action. ‘Clearly you’ve lost all good taste since we spent the night together.’

  It hadn’t even been a night—just one bout in the bedroom in the hotel where they’d met at a charity fundraiser. Nothing memorable, and if she hadn’t turned out to be his future stepsister, he wouldn’t even have remembered her name.

  When he thought about his short liaisons with women a twinge of something uncomfortable crept into his heart. It wasn’t easy to identify. It wasn’t shame. It couldn’t be shame. As a thirty-year-old single male, he wasn’t ashamed for having consensual sex with women who were happy to jump into bed knowing it would only be for one night.

  No. He wouldn’t be ashamed. His lovers had left just as physically satisfied as he’d been. Yet, for the first time in his life he thought about his pattern of behaviour. While regret was probably too strong a word to put on his feelings, he felt hollow as he looked back on all his meaningless sexual encounters.

  ‘Screw you and your little pianist, Jack.’

  Imogene’s words surprised him. He’d forgotten she was still standing there.

  ‘Jealousy’s an ugly emotion, Imogene.’

  ‘Me? Jealous?’ Her laugh was as brittle as broken glass. ‘I have no reason to be. You’ll come to your senses eventually.’

  Oh shit.

  As she flounced off, he knew he needed to get Vanessa to have a serious discussion with Imogene.

  Jack hadn’t survived for almost a year of his life on the streets and not developed a finely-honed skill of being able to read people. Imogene was a loose cannon and there was no way of telling what she’d do next.

  Deep in thought, he didn’t register that Grace had stopped playing. Now, she was at his side, raising one hand up to his suit lapel and using the other at the back of his head to urge his head down so she could whisper in his ear.

  ‘Catwoman just stalked away. Is she buying it?’

  ‘I’m not sure.’ He breathed in deeply to inhale the exquisite scent of Grace’s perfume. Not the lemon scented cleaning agent this time but something light and floral. Her touch, and the warmth of her breath on his ear as she’d spoken, broke through his strained control and made him hard with need. ‘I think we may need to be a little more convincing.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Like this.’

  The chains of his restraint fell away. He lowered his head and claimed her lips as he’d been longing to do from the first moment he’d seen her. His senses reeled as time and place were forgotten. There was only a sense of rightness as he moved his
mouth against the lushness of hers, driving his tongue to explore the interior of her mouth and savouring the taste of strawberries and champagne on her tongue.

  One hand loved the feel of her silky hair as he cradled her head, the other moved over her back, caressing her and shaping her to him.

  Grace kissed him back with eager desperation, pressing her soft, pliant body against his. Giving as only Grace, with her warm generosity and caring nature, could give.

  Shit!

  Where the hell was his self-control?

  Ending the kiss and pulling back from her ranked right up alongside the hardest things he’d ever needed to do. All he wanted was to rip off her clothes and hoist her up against him so her legs were wrapped around his waist. He wanted her to open for him so he could plunge into her and end this maddening frustration.

  Her pupils were dilated, her breathing shallow as she looked up at him. ‘Jack, if you keep that up, I’m afraid I’ll start believing this isn’t just an act.’

  She deserved the truth. ‘It’s no act, Grace. I’m very attracted to you.’

  Her eyes widened. ‘But—’

  ‘But, I’m not going to act on my attraction no matter how much I’d like to.’

  A furrow formed between her perfectly arched eyebrows. ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because you’re beautiful inside and out, sweetheart, and I don’t want to take advantage of you. You deserve someone far better than I am.’

  ‘I don’t know anyone better than you.’ She continued to hold on to the lapels of his suit.

  As compliments went, it wasn’t a very good one because he doubted she knew many men socially.

  ‘You don’t know me, Grace. Believe me, there are men far better for you.’

  ‘I thought you wouldn’t want me to play this role when you knew I had learning difficulties, and you proved me wrong. Whatever it is you think I mightn’t like, I doubt it’ll make any difference to me.’ She raised her hand and ran it down his cheek in a soft caress that reignited the fire trail streaking to his groin.

  Why had he kissed her? It was going to be even harder now to resist her because the kiss had been even more arousing than he’d expected and he couldn’t begin to imagine the magnitude of earth-shattering release he could find with her if they made love. ‘I can’t.’