A Cotswold Christmas Bride. Joanna Neil

       ‘Ah, there you are. That was quick. I didn’t expect you to get here quite so fast.’

      A strangely familiar male voice reached Sophie from across the room. She turned to see who was speaking, and immediately the breath caught in her lungs. All at once her throat was unexpectedly tight.

      ‘Lucas,’ she said, her blue eyes widening. A prickle of awareness ran down the length of her spine. He was the devil incarnate, as fiendishly good-looking as ever, with glittering grey eyes that held her fast and right now were registering every bit as much surprise as her own. ‘I didn’t realise—I mean, I hadn’t expected to see you here,’ she added under her breath.

      Her voice must have had a salutary effect on him, because he seemed to snap out of his stunned reverie and his mouth curved faintly in acknowledgement. ‘That goes for me, too, Sophie,’ he responded huskily.

       Dear Reader

      Christmas … It’s that wonderful time of year when families get together to celebrate a very special day. With any luck there might be snow on the ground outside, and children will be playing on their sledges or throwing snowballs at one another, while inside there is a warming fire, and people are making the most of a joyful family gathering.

      All those good things are what I wanted for Sophie in this book, A COTSWOLD CHRISTMAS BRIDE.

      Things are not going smoothly for her, though, and Christmas promises to be a bleak and lonely time at Woodvale Farm.

      Until Lucas comes along, that is. He doesn’t know how he’s going to do it, but it’s up to him to turn things around and help her see that they can have that fabulous Christmas and share a glorious future together.

      Happy Christmas to all of you!

      Love

       Joanna

      About the Author

      When JOANNA NEIL discovered Mills & Boon^®, her lifelong addiction to reading crystallised into an exciting new career writing Medical^™ Romance. Her characters are probably the outcome of her varied lifestyle, which includes working as a clerk, typist, nurse and infant teacher. She enjoys dressmaking and cooking at her Leicestershire home. Her family includes a husband, son and daughter, an exuberant yellow Labrador and two slightly crazed cockatiels. She currently works with a team of tutors at her local education centre to provide creative writing workshops for people interested in exploring their own writing ambitions.

       Recent titles by the same author:

      THE TAMING OF DR ALEX DRAYCOTT

       BECOMING DR BELLINI’S BRIDE PLAYBOY UNDER THE MISTLETOE THE SECRET DOCTOR

      A Cotswold

      Christmas

      Bride

      Joanna Neil

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      CHAPTER ONE

      ‘SOPHIE … just listen to me for a minute, please … that’s all I’m asking. At least give me a chance to explain …’ Nathan’s hazel eyes pleaded with her, his hand swooping to grasp her bare arm lightly, and for a second or two, swayed by his obvious suffering, Sophie almost wavered. Almost, but not quite.

      She closed her eyes briefly. It was hot in the hotel’s ballroom and her head was aching. She couldn’t think straight.

      In the background the band was playing a heavy rock number, and the noise drummed inside her head. She could feel the vibrations coming up from the polished wooden floorboards, reverberating throughout her body and adding to the tension that was building up in her. At the centre of the dance floor, the happy bride and groom were living it up, surrounded by friends and family.

      It was an autumn wedding, but the weather had served them well, with golden bursts of sunshine throughout the day. Now, in the evening, disco lights replaced the sun’s rays and cast vivid splashes of colour over the throng. For a fleeting moment as she watched the couple, Sophie longed for just a taste of that sweet, unfettered contentment.

      But it wasn’t going to happen, was it? Not for her.

      Not now. She looked at Nathan, her expression strained. It had turned out he wasn’t the quite the man she had thought him to be. She’d thought they’d had so much going for them, but in the end all her dreams had come crashing down.

      She shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, Nathan, I think we’ve said all we need to say. It’s over between us. You have to learn to accept it.’

      ‘I can’t do that.’ He tugged on her arm, drawing her towards him, and she resisted, trying to pull away.

      ‘Let go of me.’ The words came out on a sharp breath of air, and she frowned as his grip tightened on her arm. All evening she’d been trying to avoid him, afraid that this might happen.

      She tried to pull herself free once more, but he was more determined than ever, and Sophie began to feel uneasy, not knowing what to do.

      ‘I believe she asked you to let her go.’ The man’s voice intruded on them, deep and compelling, laced with an inherent thread of authority. It took Sophie unawares, and she turned her head to see who had come to her rescue.

      The stranger’s grey eyes were focussed directly on Nathan, a warning glint flickering in their steely depths, and as Sophie studied his perfectly etched features, she realised that she’d seen him before, earlier in the day, carrying out his duties as best man at the wedding. Lucas, that was his name. He had jet-black hair and a strong jawline, and he wasn’t a man that you would forget easily. He’d made a speech that was full of good humour and positive vibes towards the two young doctors who had just been married. Now, as then, he stood tall and lean, his muscular frame enhanced by the immaculate, expensively tailored suit he wore.

      Nathan’s fingers remained securely on her arm. ‘This is a private matter,’ he said, his manner terse and dismissive. ‘We don’t need any input from you.’

      ‘It seems to me that the young lady doesn’t share your view.’ Her rescuer kept his voice neutral, but there was a definite threat underlying his words. ‘I hope for your sake that you don’t want to argue the point with me.’ He looked Nathan up and down. ‘If you don’t release her and walk away from here, I’ll be forced to remove you myself. Do you really want to cause a scene?’

      Nathan finally appeared to be having second thoughts. Perhaps he took on board the unyielding purpose in his opponent’s glittering gaze, or maybe it was the breadth of those shoulders that gave him pause, along with the hint of controlled strength that no amount of trappings could disguise … whatever the reason, Nathan suddenly didn’t seem quite so sure of himself. Cautiously, he released his grip on her, and took a step backwards.

      ‘Good,’ Lucas said. ‘I’m glad you managed to see sense.’ He turned his back on Nathan and laid a hand gently beneath Sophie’s elbow, leading her away from the edge of the crowded dance floor towards the buffet table. ‘It’s Sophie isn’t it? I’m Lucas. I hope you didn’t mind my interruption but you seemed to need a way out of that situation. Now, can I get you something to eat?’ he asked.

      Sophie shook her head. Right now she couldn’t manage to eat a morsel. It was as though her throat was clogged and there was a tight band of pressure around her head. ‘No, thanks.’

      ‘Maybe a drink, then?’

      ‘Yes, that would be good.’

      ‘It looks as though pink champagne is the order of the day.’ He smiled. ‘Would you like a glass?’

      She nodded, and waited as he gave the bartender their order. For himself,