New Year at the Boss's Bidding(14)

With another stream of curses muttered under his breath he turned and  strode towards his room. Whatever had happened tonight could not be  repeated.





CHAPTER FIVE

TILLY WOKE WITH a start the next morning. At first she couldn't work  out where she was. Then everything came flooding back. Had she really  kissed Xavier last night? Or had it been a dream? Surely she hadn't done  anything so stupid? She scanned the dim room, looking for anything that  would remind her and help her clarify reality from dreams.

Her gaze rested on the black silk dress she'd draped over the chair  last night and she closed her eyes in resignation as her memory cleared.  She had kissed him. She'd thought he would be her fling, but she'd been  unable to do it.

Her cheeks burned as the scene played out again in her mind. She could  hear his deep sexy voice as they'd stood in the lounge, telling her that  her contract was almost over. He'd used a celebratory New Year kiss to  get past her guard. But celebration had definitely not been on her mind  as she'd very daringly responded to him. After making it clear she was  here in a professional capacity, she had been the one who'd taken it too  far.

With her mind in turmoil, she slipped from the bed and pulled aside the  heavy curtains, the cold from the leaded windows making her shiver, but  at least it wasn't snowing. Hopefully she could try and get to  Vanessa's house today. She had to be at the engagement party. There was  no way she wanted to upset her friend, make her feel guilty for finding  love and happiness, even if it did nudge at her own failings. More  importantly she had to get away from the man who'd opened up the door to  thoughts she should never have had.

She took clean jeans and a jumper from the case, wishing she'd had the  forethought to put them to warm on the radiator last night. Almost  haphazardly, she tossed everything else back into the case before  closing it and turned her attention to the dress. Whatever had made her  dash out and choose such a garment? As she'd put it on last night she'd  really wanted Xavier to notice her and now she blushed at that idea.

Leaving the case and her dress, packed into its garment cover, on her  bed, ready for a quick getaway, she left the room. A heavy silence  filled the house as she walked along the corridor to the stairs, each  window she passed offering a gorgeous view of the snowy parkland, but  she didn't have time for that. She needed to pack her catering things  and load the van-getting to Vanessa's engagement party was her priority.                       
       
           



       

She looked at the Christmas tree as she came to the bottom of the  stairs, its bright decorations mocking her. For the second year in a row  New Year's Eve had been a disaster. Both times it had been her fault.  Either passion, or lack of it, had completely messed things up.

Walking down the corridor to the kitchen, she felt a blast of icy air  and seeing the back door wide open went to close it, but not before  she'd surveyed the depth of the snow and ascertained if there was any  hope of getting her van out.

It looked unlikely. Snow had been driven by the wind, banking up  against the wall of the courtyard and almost along one entire side of  her van. Xavier's sporty number, so covered in snow it was  unrecognisable, would most definitely not be going anywhere.

Large footprints trailed through the white blanket of snow, towards one  of the stone outbuildings on the opposite side of the courtyard. What  was Xavier doing?

As if conjured up by her thoughts, he emerged from the barn, his arms  full of logs. He looked as if he was preparing to stay for a long time.  Did he not want to rush back to London? He paused briefly when he saw  her. 'Buon giorno, Natalie.'

How could he sound so...? She struggled for the right word. Unaffected?  After last night she had no idea how to act with him. How did you greet  a man when you had all but thrown yourself at him the night before?

'Are you staying here longer?' Puzzlement filled her voice as she stood  back to let him past, trying to ignore the heat building in her cheeks.

He stacked the logs against the wall just inside the back door, adding  to those he must have already brought in. He didn't pause in his task,  but the firmness of his voice warned her against disagreement. 'We are  staying longer.'

'We?' she gasped the word out in shock. 'I can't stay here. Not with you. Not after last night.'

He straightened, wiped his hands against each other and looked down at  her, irritation plainly etched on his face. Suddenly the narrow  passageway between the back door and the kitchen felt far too  claustrophobic. He overpowered her completely. The scent of his  aftershave nudged at memories of last night.

'Unless you want to dig out your van and the mile or so of driveway  then, yes, we are staying.' There wasn't a trace of the gentleness she'd  heard in his voice last night. She should be glad of that, but it still  hurt to think he could kiss her so tenderly then just hours later  almost dismiss her. It had been nothing more than just a New Year kiss,  as he'd told her. One already forgotten-by him at least.

'But if I could get to the road...' she began, then, as his lips formed  a hard line and he shook his head, she went on, 'The road is clear,  isn't it?'

'It is no different from what you can see from the windows at the front  of the house,' he added grimly. Was he too finding it hard to deal with  the knowledge they could be marooned here for another day? Or was it  the thought of being with a woman who'd launched herself at him so  blatantly when all he'd wanted had been an uncomplicated New Year kiss?  Could any kiss be uncomplicated?

'What about the main road?' Hope lifted once more but was soon dashed by the quick shake of his head.

'I didn't get that far.'

'You went out?' She looked again at him, taking more notice of the boots he wore and the windproof jacket.

'I walked to the gates, yes.' He moved towards the kitchen and she let  out a small breath of relief before following him. 'I went to see if we  could leave and get back to London before the storm hits.'

'Storm? But I thought the snow we had overnight was the blizzard you  mentioned yesterday.' Every nerve in her body was on high alert and she  tried to tell herself it was because of the word 'storm' and nothing at  all to do with the man himself or the way his dark eyes watched her.

'Last night was just snow. We are due to have blizzard conditions and  the weather warnings have been upgraded.' He pulled out his phone,  accessing the weather app. 'Blizzard conditions due to sweep across  Britain today, causing massive disruption. Travel only if essential.'

'But...' she began, now at a total loss for words until finally her  worst fears came out almost as a squeak. 'What if we are here for days?'

'Va bene.' He shrugged casually and then leant back against the kitchen  unit, folding his arms across his chest. The action gave him domination  of the entire room, as well as her thoughts. 'We have plenty of food.  We are warm and safe. Better to stay here, no?'

No, she wanted to scream at him. It wasn't okay. She had to get to  Vanessa's. She needed to be at that party. Vanessa had been there for  her when her life had been turned upside down and now she had to be  there for Vanessa, celebrating her friend's engagement, even if it was  the last thing she wanted to do. On top of that she didn't want to be  trapped in the countryside, snow all around, with a man who'd awakened  something deep and unexpected within her. Especially as he was so  unaffected by what had happened last night.                       
       
           



       

'I have to go. I can't stay here,' she began, disbelief washing over her, making coherent thought difficult.

'You do not have much choice, cara.' He raised a self-assured brow, seeming almost amused by her reaction.

'I can't stay here-with you-after last night.' She heard the words hiss  from her lips and hated herself for the loss of control he'd provoked.

'Because you kissed me?'

'I did not kiss you.' Indignation at his blatant comment made her words sharp.

'You very definitely kissed me.' The smoothness of his accented voice  sparked on her nerves like flint against steel, then he laughed as she  glared at him. 'You have nothing to fear from me, Natalie.'

How could he say she had nothing to fear from him? Kissing him last night had changed everything-for her at least.

'I was working for you. You hired me to cater for your New Year's Eve  dinner.' Her firm voice couldn't hide the confusion that raged inside  her.

'And that is what you did, yes?' He was mocking her, making fun of her  for reading anything into a kiss he'd clearly forgotten all about.

'Yes,' she snapped, heat infusing her cheeks.

'Then I see no problem. I contracted you to cater for New Year's Eve  and your contract was completed even before the stroke of midnight.'