Her Christmas Romeo. Carole Mortimer

type.’

      ‘Doesn’t everyone?’ Lisa chuckled. ‘Besides, I didn’t mean what does he look like. I know what he looks like. And don’t tell me that you don’t like the tall, dark and handsome type, because I know for a fact that you do!’

      Of course she did, Juliette acknowledged ruefully; the two of them had been friends since they were eighteen years old. Lisa knew of all her disastrous romantic entanglements—and that, without exception, all of those men had been ‘tall, dark and handsome’!

      She gave a shrug. ‘Being stuck in a lift together isn’t particularly conducive to getting to know what a person is like.’ Except she knew that Roberto Romeo stayed calm in a crisis. That he was self-confident. Had a wicked sense of humour. And his kisses were bone-melting …

      Although she certainly had no intention of sharing that particular fact with Lisa. With anyone, in fact.

      Besides, she had spent a very tense morning waiting for someone—probably Graham—to tell her that her employment at Romeo’s was at an end. In fact, she had been so preoccupied as she’d waited for that summons that she hadn’t even been bothered by some of the more personal remarks made by her male customers. It was also the reason she was only having coffee for her lunch; her normally healthy appetite had completely deserted her.

      Lisa shook her head, still grinning. ‘It could only happen to you,’ she said affectionately.

      Yes, it could only happen to her! Her adult life so far seemed to have been one disaster after another, so why should she have thought her time working at Romeo’s would be any different? She hadn’t; not really.

      Although being stuck in a broken-down lift with the owner of the company was definitely a first!

      ‘It did happen to me.’ She grimaced, putting her head in her hands. ‘And I’m not sure Graham is going to forgive me for it.’ The man had been dogging her footsteps all morning, picking her up on every little thing she did wrong. And as for the replacement boots Roberto Romeo had requested for her—Graham hadn’t so much as mentioned the subject.

      Lisa wrinkled her nose. ‘What is that man’s problem?’ She shook her head, well aware of the manager’s sour nature. ‘He can hardly blame you for a malfunctioning lift.’

      Juliette had a feeling that the fourth-floor manager could—and did—do exactly what he pleased. And before the end of the day she was sure it would please him to show her the door!

      ‘He’ll find a way.’ She nodded, her mood lightening slightly in the face of Lisa’s good humour. ‘You and I both know that Graham is—’ She broke off as she became aware that Lisa was making faces at her across the table, her gaze moving pointedly to the left. What on earth—?

      ‘Graham is what, Juliette?’ an icy cold voice prompted from behind her.