Snowkissed: Christmas Kisses with Her Boss / Proposal at the Winter Ball / The Prince's Christmas Vow

‘I did talk to him.’ He had tried to tell him there were other ways—told him that there were consequences to actions.

‘That’s fab, Ethan. Maybe they can help each other. I hope they’ll all come back in September. Once they let their guard down they were all so full of potential—I mean, did you see them after surfing? They had a blast.’

So had he. All the teenagers had been stoked to be in the water and he’d watched them—some of them carbon copies of himself and Rafael. Tough...so tough...and always out to prove it. Because if they didn’t there was the fear of being taken down. All swagger, all bravado—but up against the waves, up against the spray and the sea salt, they had met an element stronger than themselves that they could challenge with impunity. And they’d loved it. Enough, he hoped, to incentivise them to keep out of trouble until September.

A soft sigh escaped her lips. ‘I wish... I wish I could help. Take them all in and house the lot of them.’ She placed her empty plate down with a thunk. ‘Maybe one day I will. No—not maybe. Definitely.’

‘How are you going to do that?’

Her chin tilted. ‘I’m going to adopt,’ she said. ‘That’s my single parenthood plan.’

Maybe it shouldn’t surprise him—after all, Ruby had been in care and he understood why she would want to help children like the child she had been. Hey, he wanted to do that. But adoption by herself...

Her eyes narrowed. ‘You don’t think it’s a good plan?’

‘I didn’t say that.’

‘Then what? You think I can’t hack it?’

‘I didn’t say that either.’

‘Then say something. What do you think?’

‘I think it’s a very, very big thing to take on.’ He raised a hand. ‘I’m not saying you couldn’t do it. I think you would be a fantastic person for any kid to have in their lives.’ And he meant that—he’d seen the way she’d interacted with all the kids, seen her capacity for care and love. ‘But taking on older children... It’s a huge commitment—especially on your own.’

‘I know that.’

There was no uncertainty in her voice and he couldn’t help but wonder at the depth of her need to do this even as he admired her confidence in herself. The idea of anybody—let alone a child...let alone a child who had already been through the system—being dependent on him for their well-being made his veins freeze over. To those kids Ruby would be their salvation, and he knew that saving wasn’t part of his make-up.

But concern still niggled. ‘You said you’d decided on single parenthood because you can’t pick good father material. Don’t you think you should rethink that strategy?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean why not open yourself up to the idea of a relationship? Find a man who will support you emotionally and be a great father to your family. You’re too young to give up on having love and a family.’

‘You have,’ she pointed out.

‘That’s because I don’t want love or a family. You can’t give up on something you’ve never wanted in the first place. You do want love—you’d never have been sucked in by Hugh or those other two losers otherwise.’

‘See?’ Tucking her legs beneath her, she jabbed her finger at him. ‘That’s exactly it. Three out of three losers. That’s a one hundred per cent miss rate. I can’t risk what is most important to me—having a family—by taking a side quest for love. Plus, if I pick wrong it could have a terrible effect on any children. I need to stay focused on my ultimate goal. I thought you of all people would get that. You want Caversham world domination and I want children. I won’t be sidelined by anything else.’

Well, what could he say to that?

‘I can see the “but” written all over your face, Ethan. I know it will be tough but it will be incredibly worthwhile.’ The finality in her tone suggested that any argument would be futile. ‘Like these past two days have been.’

‘Two days is one thing. A lifetime is another.’

He pressed his lips together. Ruby was right—she had her goal and he had his, and hers was none of his business. What did he know? It was not as if he thought love was a good idea, so why push Ruby towards it? He didn’t want the bright light of hope to be extinguished from those eyes by some idiot. But that wasn’t his problem or his decision to make—it was Ruby’s. So...

‘You’re right I think the past two days were a success—and a lot of that is thanks to you. The tree, the gifts, the food...and the karaoke carols were superb. You did a great job.’

Relief touched her face at the change of subject and he wondered if she regretted telling him of her plans.

‘So did you. Thanks muchly. And thanks for letting me be part of it.’ A glance at her watch and she straightened up in the chair. ‘Right. I’ll start the clear-up procedure and then I’ll be on my way. Leave you to your Christmas plans.’

Her voice was a smidge too breezy, and her eyes flicked away from his as she rose to her feet.

‘Don’t worry about clearing up,’ he said as he stood, his eyes fixed on her expression. ‘You’ve already spent so much time and effort on this—I want you to start your break as soon as possible.’

Deliberately casual, he stepped towards her.

‘Where did you say you were going, again?’

‘Um...’ For a heartbeat she twisted her finger into a stray curl, then met his gaze with cool aplomb. ‘I didn’t.’ As she moved towards the door she gave him a small smile. ‘Any more than you shared your plans.’

Her pace increased to escape speed and instantly he moved to bar her path.

‘That’s easily remedied. My plan is to stay here.’

Surprise skittered across her face. ‘Alone?’

‘Yup. My original plan was to host the teens over Christmas—when that changed I didn’t bother making different plans for Christmas Day. It’s just another day, after all. But I know you don’t agree with that. So what are your plans, Ruby?’

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she realised she’d walked straight into that. ‘I... Look, why does it matter to you?’

‘Because you have worked so hard, and made such a difference to those teenagers—I don’t want to think that doing that has ruined your plans.’

‘Oh. It hasn’t. Truly.’ A gust escaped her lips as he raised his eyebrows. ‘You aren’t going to let up, are you? Look, I haven’t got any specific plans. I never did.’

A slight look of surprise tilted her features.

‘It’s odd, actually. My original plan was to shut myself away with some weepie movies and a vat of ice cream. But now I don’t want to do that. In fact if I wanted to I could go out and paint the town red. Since your press release lots of people who had dropped me like the proverbial hot root vegetable are now keen to be my friend again. Or I could probably even rustle up an invite from a real friend. But I don’t really want to do any of that either. So I think I’ll just head home and use the time to relax. Read a book. Watch some sappy Christmas movies.’

Ever so slowly she started to edge around him for the door.

‘Not so fast.’ The idea flashed into his mind like a lightning bolt, zigzagged around and sparked a mad impulse. ‘I have a better idea.’

‘What?’

‘Let’s go away for Christmas.’

‘Who? You and me?’ Incredulity widened her eyes—clearly the idea was risible.

‘Yup. We’ve worked incredibly hard and we deserve a break. You said you wanted snow—how about the Alps?’

The realisation that he was making this up as he went along triggered a ring tone of alarm.

‘Are you serious?’

For a second excitement lit her blue eyes and Ethan ignored the warning blare of instinct—the reminder that mad impulses never ended well.

‘Of course I’m serious. Why wouldn’t I be?’

‘Because... Well... We can’t just up and leave.’

‘Last time I looked I was the boss and I say we can.’

The idea gave him a sudden surge of exhilaration—the kind he usually felt on a surfboard. It morphed into a mad desire to take her hands and twirl her round the room. Which was every kind of nutty—from peanuts to Brazil. Rein it in, Ethan. What exactly was he suggesting, here?

Welcome rationalisation kicked in. ‘I’d like to check out the Alps anyway—as a possible Caversham location.’

‘But you haven’t even opened the castle yet.’

Ethan shrugged. ‘Gotta keep on moving, Ruby. I told you I want to make it big, and momentum is key.’

Plus, it made sense—it would make this a business trip and not a mad impulse at all. With any luck he’d get there, feel the buzz of a new venture—and the odd, unwanted emotions that Ruby stirred within him would dissipate. Come to that, once the ball was over—which was a few scant days away—he wouldn’t need to spend as much time here. He’d see Ruby less, and his life would regain its status quo.

‘So what do you think? Shall we go and get a feel for the place?’

Ruby wasn’t sure she could think. Or at least think straight. His idea had conjured up cosy warm scenes. Snow, mountain peaks, magical Christmas card scenery... Ethan and Ruby walking hand in hand...

As if.

Ruby hauled in a breath and instructed her brain to think, to oust the temptation that had slunk to the table—a late and uninvited guest at negotiations. Ethan had probably never held hands with anyone in his life, and the very fact that the picture had formed in her mind meant she needed to be on her guard.

In fact... ‘It’s a crazy idea.’

‘Why? We both deserve a break. I have a good gut feeling about the Alps as a Caversham location, you’ve done a lot of research into the Caversham ethos, and I’d value a second opinion from you.’

It all sounded so reasonable. His words slipped into her consciousness like honey. From a professional viewpoint her boss had asked her to go on a business trip. It was a no-brainer.

Plus, if she said no would he take someone else? A sudden vision of gorgeous blondes and curvy brunettes paraded in her brain and her nails scored into her palm in instinctive recoil.

‘I think it sounds fabulous. Let’s do it.’

Temptation gave a smug smile of victory and panic assailed her nerves. Because all of a sudden thrills of anticipation shot through her veins. Chill, Ruby. Who wouldn’t look forward to Christmas in the Alps? Obviously those little pulse-buzzes had zilch to do with the prospect of one-on-one time with Ethan. Because that would be personal. To say nothing of certifiably stupid.

Ethan nodded, his expression inscrutable. ‘Okay. I’ll check flights and we’ll take the first available one.’

‘Fantastic.’

Though it occurred to Ruby that this whole idea could be better filed under ‘Terminally Stupid’.

CHAPTER TEN

RUBY GLANCED ACROSS at Ethan and tried to stop her tummy from a launch into cartwheels. Tried to tell herself that her stomach’s antics were a Braxton-Hicks-type reaction to non-existent air turbulence. Why on earth had she consented to this? Why in this universe had he suggested it?

Because it was work. That was why. Ethan wanted to scout out the French Alps and had decided that this was an ideal time. Plus he was a generous man, and this was his way of showing appreciation for all her hard work.

Work, Ruby. That was what this was and she had best remember that. After all it was Christmas Day, and apart from a perfunctory ‘Merry Christmas’ Ethan hadn’t so much as referred to the fact.

Though she could hardly blame him. Organising their departure had been his priority, and she could only admire the efficiency that had achieved a super-early trip to her London apartment to pick up her passport, followed by a trip to the airport that had given her sufficient time to pick up the extra cold-weather clothes she needed as well as time for a spirited argument over who would pay for said clothing.

Now here they were, on board a flight to Geneva, where they would pick up a car. So who could blame Ethan for not making a hue and cry about it being Christmas—he was taking her to a magical Christmas place after all.

On a business trip.

What else did she want it to be?

Yet as she studied the strength of his profile, the potent force of his jaw, an obscure yearning banded her chest—as if she were a girl with her nose pressed against the glass pane of a sweet shop. Gazing, coveting, but unable to touch.

As if he sensed her gaze he turned to look at her and the breath hitched in her throat. The man was so gorgeous—but it was more than that. The way he had been with those teenagers had filled her with admiration. He’d shown them respect and invited respect in return—the fact that he’d cared about them had shone through, and it had triggered this ridiculous gooeyness inside her.

Enough. Say something. Before you embarrass yourself.

To her relief panic mobilised her vocal cords and she burst into speech. ‘I was wondering—where are we staying?’

‘The travel agent managed to find us a chalet; there weren’t many options but she assured me that it would be perfect. And I’ve organised an itinerary.’

For a second his voice sounded almost gruff...even vulnerable...and she thought there was a hint of colour on the strong angles of his face.

‘What sort of an itinerary?’

‘The kind that will give us an idea of what other resorts offer.’ Now his tone had segued to brusque—she was an idiot. What had she thought? That he’d picked things out for her?

‘Great.’

The chalet was presumably part of a resort—which would be good. There would be hustle and bustle and other people, and they would be kept so busy with work that the two days would pass by in a flash.

‘Sure is.’ Ethan nodded a touch too enthusiastically. ‘I’ve got the address, so once we land we’ll pick up the hire car, put the location into the satnav and be on our way.’

* * *

This had to be a joke right? Ethan stared through the windscreen of the four-by-four that had negotiated the curving mountain roads and treacherous hairpin bends to bring them to the chalet that the satnav had announced was their destination. He’d swear the robotic voice had a gloat to it.

He was going to track down that travel agent and have serious words. She had described the chalet as ‘just the place’ and left Ethan with the impression that it was part of a busy resort, awash with people and activities. Though maybe he’d been so distracted by Ruby, so caught up in the mad impulse of the moment, that he’d heard what he’d wanted to hear.

Because it turned out that the chalet was a higgledy-piggledy structure nestled in the fold of a valley and it looked like it had come straight out of a fairy tale. Set in a circular grove of snow-heaped birches, the property was made completely of wood. It practically glowed. Quaint wooden shutters boxed in the windows and there wasn’t another person in sight.

It looked as if it had descended from the clouds especially for Christmas. It was a surprise that it wasn’t wrapped up in festive paper with a bow on top.

Ethan resisted the urge to thunk his forehead on the chunky steering wheel. Instead he glanced across at Ruby, who had fallen asleep on the motorway and slept like the proverbial infant for the entire drive. Perhaps if he started the car he could drive them to the nearest hotel and blag them two rooms. Or he could phone the travel agent and...

Too late.

Next to him Ruby stretched sleepily and opened her eyes; her sleep-creased face looked adorably kissable.

‘Can’t believe I fell asleep.’ Her blue eyes widened as she took in the scene. ‘Oh, my goodness me! We get to stay here?’

‘Looks like it.’

‘It’s as if we’ve been beamed into a fairy tale. Or a Christmas card.’

Or a nightmare.

‘It’s magical. I reckon it may even be made of gingerbread.’

‘Which wouldn’t exactly be very useful, would it?’

Chill, Ethan. Snapping wouldn’t change the setting.

‘Plus, I don’t much want to be trapped in a cage by a wicked witch and fattened up. In fact maybe we should go and find somewhere else to stay.’

Her gurgle of laughter indicated that she’d missed the fact he’d meant it as a genuine suggestion. ‘I didn’t have you down as a fairy tale expert.’

‘I’m not.’

For a second he remembered Tanya reading to him, his laughter at the funny voices she’d used for the different characters.

‘You should go on stage,’ he’d told her, and she’d shaken her head.

‘I’d be too shy, Thanny,’ she’d said in her soft voice. ‘But I love reading to you.’

He pushed the memory away and glared at the chalet. ‘I’m serious. Wouldn’t you rather stay somewhere busier? Less isolated? Less over-the-top?’

‘I...’ She gave her head a small shake. ‘Sorry, Ethan, I must still be half asleep. It just looks perfect for Christmas, but I guess it’s not a good idea to stay somewhere so...’ She trailed off.

So romantic, so small, so intimate.

Conversely the words challenged him—was he really saying that he was incapable of being in a romantic fairy tale chalet with Ruby? Talk about an overreaction. In truth the cutesy atmosphere should serve as a reminder that romance was anathema to him. Plus he could see from her expression that she had fallen for the place.

After the amount of work she’d put in these past weeks she deserved the chance to stay where she wanted to. With all she had been through in life she deserved a Christmas with some magic in it just as much as those teenagers had. Ethan might not believe in the magic of Christmas but Ruby Hampton did, and he would be a real-life Grinch if he denied her this.

‘Why don’t we go in and have a look round? Then decide what to do. The agent said the key would be outside, under a pot.’

Minutes later they crossed the threshold and irritation touched his brow as he realised he was holding his breath. What did he expect? A wolf dressed up as a grandma to jump out at them?

Instead he saw an open-plan area that brought the words cosy, intimate and snug to mind. Timber walls were decked with bright, vivid textiles and prints, there was a purple two-seater sofa, a fireplace piled with freshly chopped logs, a circular rustic pine table. Bright light flooded through the floor-to-ceiling window that looked out onto the crisp snow-covered garden. One corner of the room showcased an abundant Christmas tree decorated with beautifully crafted wooden decorations interspersed with red baubles.

‘This is...dreamy...’ Ruby said as she headed over to the table. ‘Hey! Look! It’s a hamper. Christmas coffee... Gingerbread... Nougat... Champagne...’ Picking up a card, she twirled to face him. ‘The larder and fridge are stocked with supplies as well.’

Okay, Ruby loved it, and for one disorientating second the look of wonder on her face made Ethan want to give her whatever she wanted.

A sudden sense that he was losing control sent an unfamiliar swirl of panic through his gut, caused him to strive for practicality. One swift glance took in the kitchen area, tiled and warm with pine and pottery, and another door through which he glimpsed a washing machine and a shower room. Which left...

‘Oh!’ Ruby gasped. ‘Look! The ladder must lead up to the next storey. It’s like a scene from Heidi.’

If there was a hayloft up there he would definitely sue the travel agent.

Ruby headed towards the ladder and started to climb, her long dark ponytail swinging a jaunty rhythm, her pert denim-clad bottom snagging his gaze.

Jeez. Get a grip, Ethan. They were in enough trouble.

* * *

Ruby stepped forward from the ladder-top and gazed around the cosy confines of the bedroom. The view from the window pulled her across the floor. Mountains sculpted the horizon, almost impossible in their precipitous snow-crested magnificence. A miracle of nature, of strata and formations that had resulted in a strength and enormity that dazzled—added to the swirl of emotions that pulsed through her. It was as if the chalet had indeed exerted some kind of Christmas spell over her.

Made her forget that this was a business trip, that any glimmer of attraction between them was impossible. Instead all that mattered to her was the fact that this place reeked of romance, oozed intimacy from every wooden beam and panel.

So much so that she couldn’t think straight: images waltzed and corkscrewed through her mind. Cast her as the princess and Ethan as the knight in spotless armour. Setting the scene as the place where they would...

Her gaze plunged to the snug double bed, with its patterned quilt and simple wooden headboard. More vivid pictures tangled in her imagination: herself snuggled up to Ethan, falling asleep in dappled moonlight, warm and safe from the bitter cold outside, seduced into wakefulness by the trail of his fingers on her skin...

‘On my way up.’

The sound of Ethan’s voice was like an ice bucket of reality. What was the matter with her? Panic knotted her tummy as she leapt across the room to an interconnecting door and wrenched it open.

She swung round as Ethan mounted the ladder, willed her heart-rate to slow down, ordered her brain to leave the mushy fantasy world it had stupidly decided to inhabit. She should never have fallen asleep in the car. Falling asleep on a motorway and waking up in fairyland had obviously decimated her brain cells.

‘The bedrooms...’ she said.

Talk about a statement of the obvious.

He crossed the mezzanine floor and poked his head into the second room, so close that she had to close her eyes to combat the urge to touch him, to inhale his clean sandalwood scent. Whatever influence this place exerted had to be shaken off.

Holding her tummy in, she sidled past him towards the ladder-top.

‘It’s tiny,’ Ethan said. ‘It’s for children. It’s only got a minuscule bunk bed in it. That decides it. We can’t stay here.’

A glitter of relief flecked his eyes and she clocked the almost imperceptible sag of those broad shoulders.

Ruby knew it was wrong, but the knowledge that Ethan Caversham was worried about staying here with her triggered a feminine satisfaction.

The fact that she had managed to breach the professional wall he’d built up since that near-kiss prompted her to step forward.

‘I wouldn’t mind sleeping in there. There’s no way you could manoeuvre your way into the room, let alone the bed. But I’ll be fine. I’m flexible.’

Unable to help herself, she gave a little shimmy to demonstrate the point and his jaw clenched again. Whoa. Probably best not to bite off more than she could nibble. But this chalet called to something deep inside her. It was a magical place, made for dreams, and even though she knew dreams were a fallacy surely there could be no harm in two days of magic? It was Christmas, for crying out loud.

‘I think we should stay here. I mean, it’s quirky—it’s different. Maybe you could build a resort with places like this. Plus, it’s a good place to work. No distractions.’

Bwa-ha-ha-ha! went her hormones as they rolled on the floor with mirth. As a small voice shrieked in the dark recesses of her brain, pointed out that all those diversions she’d dissed would have equalled an effective chaperon service.

‘I’d like to stay here, but if you think it’s too difficult...’

Too late it occurred to her that Ethan had never been able to resist a challenge. His eyebrows rose and suddenly the room seemed even smaller.

‘So you want to stay here?’

‘Yup.’

Determination solidified inside her—her ill-advised hormones would not govern her actions. This place was magical, and magical was what she wanted. Not just for herself, but for Ethan as well. Surely even his cynicism, his determination to treat Christmas as just another day, wouldn’t be proof against this chalet?

He gave so much—wanted to make a difference in the lives of Max and Tara and others teens like them. Maybe it was time someone tried to make a difference for Ethan. That darkness she’d sensed inside him a decade ago—the darkness that still remained despite the aura of success—she wanted to change that, to lighten him up with some magic. How could that be wrong?