His Holiday Bride. Elaine Overton

smile faded a little as she considered her belief that her beauty was her greatest asset. She had no special skills to speak of. She couldn’t sing like her sister Pearl, nor was she supersmart like her sisters Opal and Ruby. But she was beautiful. She knew this with certainty because she had been told so all of her life.

      She’d always felt awkward and out of place in her family of exceptional and dynamic women—until in her early teens, as a girl on the verge of womanhood, she smiled at a man and watched as his whole body reacted. There was a sense of power and euphoria that raced through her, and from that moment she was addicted. She knew being beautiful was her special skill. She didn’t kid herself into believing Dashuan would’ve ever noticed her had it not been for her pretty face and shapely form.

      Amber reached up and touched her flawless, bronze skin, looking at her reflection in the mirror. The only problem with her particular skill was that it was hers for a limited time only. As time passed she would grow old and her beauty would fade away.

      And so will I…

      Shaking off the melancholy mood that sometimes struck out of the blue, she pasted on a smile and prepared to get rid of Dashuan’s unwanted guests. From the sound of drunken revelry that became clearer and clearer, she knew it would not be an easy task.

      But like it or not, they had to go. She had a basketball player to seduce.

      As she rounded the corner leading into the living room, she heard something that sent a chill up her spine. It sounded like a woman moaning in sexual pleasure. Amber slowed her steps upon hearing the noise, which was followed by a deep, satisfied, masculine groan. She paused, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Every instinct in her was telling her to turn around and flee.

      Instead, Amber forced one foot in front of the other and continued until she was standing in plain view of the large living room. Then she felt the blood drain from her pretty face.

      Chapter 2

      With Paul’s connections, finding Amber Lockhart had been a matter of a couple of phone calls. Of course, the fact that she was staying in the penthouse of a five-star hotel with a famous athlete who was recognizable on sight didn’t hurt matters.

      Paul entered the lobby of the Mondrian Hotel and headed in the direction of the check-in counter. Although he had no desire to disappoint Luther, Paul was pretty sure he already knew how this was going to play out. After all, the girl was twenty-one and, from what Luther told him, something of a wild child. He doubted seriously if she would willingly leave Dashuan Kennedy’s penthouse.

      Paul’s plan was simple. He would find the guest phone, call the penthouse and ask Amber to come down and meet him. If she agreed, he would express the concerns of her family and friends. She would probably tell him to mind his own business and return to the penthouse suite.

      Then Paul could tell Luther she was okay but refused to leave, and that would be that. Paul sighed in exasperation, thinking that between Lacy Hill and Amber Lockhart he’d had his fill of spoiled brats for one night.

      After the desk clerk pointed him in the direction of the guest phones across from the elevators, he glanced at his watch, surprised to realize it was after midnight, not that that meant much in a town like L.A. He decided he would catch a late dinner once he finished up here and head home. He picked up the guest phone and dialed the extension the clerk had given him for the penthouse. He leaned against the counter and listened to the ringing.

      The elevator doors parted in front of him and there stood an angel. Paul tilted his head to the side as if considering what his eyes were seeing. She wiped at her nose with the balled-up tissue in her hand, and blew loudly into it. The uncouth gesture was enough to make her real.

      Paul watched as she stepped forward out of the elevator with slumped shoulders and fresh tears in her eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to drop the phone and take her into his arms. She looked around the large lobby as if surprised to find herself there.

      Her golden eyes settled on him and ran the length of his long body in quick assessment, before returning to his face and moving away. She sniffed again, and Paul frowned, wondering what kind of monster would make an angel cry.

      She just stood there holding shopping bags in each hand and looking so lost and forlorn, it touched his heart. The penthouse phone had rung several times. Paul was tempted to hang it up and go offer his assistance to the angel. But he’d promised Luther he would find Amber, and that had to come first.

      Seeming to finally get her bearings, she began moving away from the elevators. Just then, the doors on another elevator opened, and out stepped Dashuan Kennedy. Paul only recognized him from sports clips on ESPN and newspaper write-ups. Paul himself wasn’t exactly a Chargers fan.

      Dashuan raced across the lobby and headed straight for the angel. Paul twisted his mouth. Of course the angel would be with the pro athlete. He slammed the phone down on the receiver and followed Dashuan Kennedy. By the time he reached them, Dashuan had the woman’s arm in a vise grip and they were arguing loudly enough that people were beginning to stare.

      “Just come back upstairs and let’s talk about this!” Dashuan was hissing at her.

      The woman’s golden eyes were wide with anger and some other unreadable emotion. “Let me go! There is nothing to talk about. I saw what I saw!”

      “What do you think you saw, Amber? What are you going to tell people?” Dashuan was holding both her arms so tightly, he was slowly lifting her off the ground.

      “Let her go.” Paul’s deep baritone seemed to ripple on the air.

      Still holding Amber tight, Dashuan spun around to confront whoever would dare to get in his business. “Keep walking, man. This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

      Ignoring Dashuan, Paul looked directly into Amber’s startled eyes. “If that’s Amber Lockhart you’re holding, then I’m afraid you’re wrong.”

      Her thin sandy brown eyebrows crinkled and she tilted her head. Paul realized that a confused angel was as adorable as a sad one.

      “Do I know you?” she asked. Her soft voice cracked on the tears that continued to form no matter how she wiped them away.

      “I’m a friend of Luther Biggens.” Paul paused, realizing this was going to play out a lot differently than he had first assumed. “He sent me to get you. That is…if you are ready to leave.”

      She nodded her head frantically.

      It was all the authorization Paul needed. His attention swiveled back to Dashuan. “I’m only going to say this once more. Let her go.”

      “I don’t give a damn who sent you. This has nothing to do with you.” He turned his attention back to Amber. “We need to talk about this.”

      “There is nothing to talk about, Dashuan. It’s over! You’ve made your preference perfectly clear!” Her mouth twisted in disgust. “And to think…I thought you were the one.”

      Something like hope came into Dashuan’s light brown eyes. “Baby, don’t you see? Now that you know the truth, I can be the one. We can give each other just what we need. I’ll take care of you, Amber, I swear—”

      Dashuan’s oath was cut short when Paul karate-chopped him on the shoulder. He released Amber and turned on Paul.

      Paul stood in a battle stance, his muscular legs solidly placed. Even as his hand reached out for Amber, his eyes narrowed on Dashuan’s face.

      Amber saw the large hand being lifted toward her and apparently needed no further coaxing. She rushed past Dashuan right into the arms of the stranger.

      Paul’s strong arm closed around her waist as he pulled her close to his chest. He watched Dashuan Kennedy transform into some mad animal right before his eyes.

      Dashuan reached behind him and pulled out a small handgun from the waistband of his slacks.

      Paul huffed, looking at the small