Christmas Ever After. Sarah Morgan

Richard be there or had he already flown home?

      She stared at herself in the mirror, the question she’d been ignoring looming in her mind.

      If she hadn’t stepped back, would he have hit her?

      The question went round and round in her mind as she splashed cold water on her face.

      Then she tiptoed back into the bedroom intending to find her shoes. Instead, she walked straight into the solid wall of muscle that was Alec Hunter.

      His hands gripped her arms and there was a fierce frown on his handsome face. “Where are you going?”

      “Back to my hotel. Thank you for your hospitality.”

      His grip on her didn’t ease. “You can’t be on your own.”

      “I’m fine. I haven’t been sick again and I’ll take those instructions your doctor friend left. If I feel worse, I’ll take a cab to the hospital.”

      “It’s December and it’s snowing. Not easy to get a cab.”

      “I’ll find one.” Last night she’d been too ill to feel anything other than annoyance and embarrassment but now, in daylight, the whole incident felt sordid. “Look, I’m really grateful for everything you’ve done. I owe you, and part of my repayment is getting out of your way. You have a life to live, Alec. I heard you telling your friend that you were going home to your family.” She paused, distracted by the stack of gifts by the door. “Is there anything in those parcels?”

      “Of course. You think I wrapped up empty boxes?” His gaze was curious and she felt the slow burn of embarrassment stain her cheeks.

      He was probably wondering if her strange question was a symptom of her head injury.

      “Ignore me. Looks like you’re in for a few days of fun.”

      A normal Christmas.

      The sort she’d never experienced.

      “It’s an early family Christmas. We do this every year.” He dismissed it. “You can’t stay on your own, Sky.”

      “You’re forgetting I have a bottle of champagne waiting for me at the hotel. I’m going to take a ride on the London Eye at night and go skating at Somerset House. Or maybe I’ll try the rink at the Natural History Museum. What do you think?”

      “I think,” he said slowly, “that you’ve damaged yourself enough for one weekend.”

      “I’ll have you know I’m a very competent skater. You don’t need to worry about me.”

      “So you’re going to go skating by yourself and then drink all the champagne by yourself. That sounds like a lonely way to spend a weekend.”

      “I might also order up a ton of cookies and comfort eat while watching holiday movies back-to-back. I’ll be fine, Alec. Go do whatever it is you were planning on doing today before you peeled me off the floor.”

      “Will he be there?” He was blunt and direct and she sighed.

      “At my hotel? I doubt it, but if he is then I’m sure we’ll have a few things to say to each other.”

      “I’m not leaving you on your own with him.”

      She was caught in a swirling tide of emotion. Exasperation, frustration that this had happened and something else. Something softer and more dangerous. She was touched. Really touched that he’d helped her and was still helping her.

      “You don’t have to be all caveman around me.” Standing this close, she could see the masculine lines of his face and the stubble that shadowed his jaw. He was strikingly handsome and she now knew he was also strong and decent. For some reason she’d found it easier when she hadn’t known that about him. “I can handle Richard.”

      “The way you handled him last night?”

      “I handled him just fine until I fell.”

      “And if you hadn’t fallen?” He spoke softly. “What then?”

      She knew what he was asking because she’d been asking herself the same thing. “I don’t know,” she said finally. “And it doesn’t matter now. I appreciate your concern, but this is my problem and I’ll deal with it.”

      “You’re not in a fit state to deal with anything. If he walked into the room now, what would you do? You don’t have the strength to defend yourself from anyone. You’re vulnerable.”

      And yet hadn’t she been a thousand times more vulnerable the night before, with Alec?

      He’d seen her stripped down, bare, both literally and figuratively.

      And she’d seen him.

      Her brief glimpse of his powerful frame was welded into her brain.

      Heat poured over her and she tried to make a joke.

      “I could vomit on him. That would send him running, believe me.”

      He didn’t smile. Instead he crossed the room, picked up her purse and found her phone. “Check your messages. I want to know if he called.”

      “I forgot to switch it on. It’s an annoying habit of mine.” Hands shaking, she took the phone. “He won’t have called. I don’t think you know Richard very well. I damaged his ego.” But that was the least of her problems. She switched her phone on and saw four missed calls. “Two calls from Brittany, one from Emily and one message from my mother.” Even though she could guess what it would be about, a faint thread of hope made her press the button to listen. Because her fingers were shaky and she wasn’t concentrating she played it back on speaker.

      “Skylar? Richard landed at JFK a few hours ago and called to update us, which was good of him under the circumstances. I had hoped that the time had come when I could stop having to make excuses for you. That this once you’d make the right decision. But it seems not. I confess that of all the difficult conversations I’ve had in my life, that was one of the most awkward and embarrassing. You’d better call him back fast and hope he’ll reconsider.”

       Awkward and embarrassing was having played that back on speaker.

      Without looking at Alec she ended the call, digesting the fact that while she’d been bleeding and throwing up in Alec’s bathroom, Richard had been flying first-class across the Atlantic.

      Feeling as energetic as roadkill, she sank onto the sofa Alec had recently vacated.

      “Well, I guess you have the answer to your question. No one is looking for me, so you can safely leave me unprotected.”

      And alone.

      Totally alone.

      London no longer felt exciting and full of possibilities. It felt big and impersonal.

      “That was your mother?”

      Hearing the undercurrent of shock in his voice, Sky kept her head down and sent a quick text to Brittany. “Yeah, she’s always pretty formal on the phone. Of course it doesn’t help that she’s probably gone nuclear over this thing with Richard.” Without elaborating, she dropped the phone in her bag. “I have one more favor to ask. Could I borrow a shirt? I’ll return it next time I see you.”

      “I’m not leaving you alone in an impersonal hotel room when you’re vulnerable. You’re coming home with me.”

      It was the last thing she’d expected him to say and she glanced up at him, shocked. “You’re kidding. Alec, we’re not even friends.”

      “You need to stop being a drama queen. It’s too early in the morning.” A smile touched the corners of his mouth, distracting her.

      She was usually too busy being irritated to notice the detail of his features but this close she could see that his eyelashes were thick and dark. He hadn’t shaved and the line of his lower cheek