The Mills & Boon Sparkling Christmas Collection. Kate Hardy

rude to the man who’d danced with her by cutting in like that, Mr Gold Mask was nowhere to be seen.

      The disappointment felt as if someone had just driven past her through a deep puddle, dousing her in cold water.

      Which was utterly ridiculous. The man was a complete stranger. No way should she be reacting this strongly to him—a man who’d danced with her once and whom she was unlikely to see again, because she certainly didn’t recognise him as one of the hospital staff she’d chivvied into getting a table together.

      Madison Gregory, you need to get a grip, she told herself silently, then went to check that everything was proceeding smoothly with the tombola.

      Here’s my girl.

      Well, of course a woman that attractive wouldn’t be single. Even though Theo had instinctively checked her left hand before asking her to dance and there had been no sign of a ring, he should’ve realised that she would have a boyfriend.

      And a dance was just a dance. It wasn’t going to lead to anything else.

      He pushed away the regret. It wasn’t as if he was looking for a relationship anyway. Wasn’t that half the reason why he’d left Greece, because his family was constantly trying to fix him up with an eligible woman and it was driving him crazy? And he was only here tonight because he was at a loose end the weekend before he started his new job. Buying a ticket for the hospital fundraiser had seemed like a good idea—a chance to meet some of his new colleagues socially, get to know people. He’d enjoyed chatting to people tonight.

      But all the same he needed some fresh air. A cool breeze to bring his common sense back and give him some immunity to the sweet, seductive tones of the singer. As she segued into ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’, he allowed himself the briefest of smiles. Theo Petrakis most definitely didn’t let himself get bewitched, bothered and bewildered by anyone.

      And that included a beautiful—and very much off-limits—woman by the name of Maddie. He’d go back in, buy a few tombola tickets to help swell the fundraising coffers…and then maybe he’d have an early night.

      Madison kept the smile on her face for the rest of the evening. And although she allowed herself to relax in between checking that all was well and danced with a dozen different men, none of her partners on the dance floor matched up to the man in the gold mask. They didn’t have his fluidity or his intuitiveness.

      It was pretty stupid even to be thinking about the man. She’d never met him before—or she would most definitely have remembered—and she probably wouldn’t meet him again.

      She didn’t even know his name.

      And you couldn’t fall for someone whose name you didn’t even know…could you?

      She shoved the thought to the back of her mind. Besides, tonight wasn’t about her. It was about raising money for the new and hugely expensive medical equipment that the hospital trust dearly wanted but just couldn’t afford. So she was going to schmooze and schmooze and talk people into buying more tombola tickets.

      When the evening was over and everyone had gone home, Madison stopped by the hotel kitchens to thank the staff for their hard work and deliver the chocolates she’d bought them to show her appreciation, then headed for the hospital. Right now, she was wide awake—and unless Katrina, as the on-call doctor, was in with a patient, the chances were she’d be free for a quick coffee-break.

      When the night sister let her into the paediatric department, Madison was delighted to discover that her cousin was in her office, catching up with paperwork.

      ‘You missed a great evening,’ she said, settling herself on the edge of Katrina’s desk. Even though Katrina, being deaf, wasn’t over-keen on dark, noisy, crowded environments, Madison knew that her cousin would have enjoyed the ball.

      ‘I wanted to be there, Maddie, you know that—but we’re so short-staffed right now I just couldn’t work it.’ She looked hopefully at Madison. ‘So, did you take my hamper back to your place before dropping in? Or have you scoffed half of it already?’

      Madison shook her head. ‘Sorry, hon. You didn’t win it. But you did get a full body massage and a manicure.’ She produced the vouchers from her handbag.

      Katrina smiled wryly. ‘Can you see me having a manicure?’

      ‘Well—no,’ Madison admitted. She enjoyed doing girly things, but her cousin most definitely didn’t. Katrina was practical. Too practical for her own good.

      ‘Then you have them. With my love.’

      Madison shook her head. ‘I can’t do that. You spent a fortune on tickets, Kat.’ And she hadn’t won a single thing—so Madison had told a teensy fib and given her cousin her own prizes. ‘Look, at least have the massage. You’d enjoy it. Really, you would. It’s really relaxing.’

      Katrina wrinkled her nose. ‘Thanks, but it’s not my style.’ And she clearly suspected Madison of having had a hand in the prizes—which she had, but not quite in the way Katrina thought. ‘Look, if you really don’t want them, I’ll raffle them off in the department and you can add the proceeds to the scanner fund.’ Katrina paused. ‘Did you meet Prince Charming tonight, then?’

      ‘Hey, are you calling me Cinderella?’ Madison teased.

      ‘You’ve gone red. Aha. So you did meet someone.’ Katrina gave her a wicked smile. ‘Come on. Details. All of them. Right now.’

      Madison shrugged. ‘There’s not a lot to tell. We danced. Once.’ She left out the fact that the man in the gold mask had kissed her inner wrist and she could still feel the touch of his mouth against her skin.

      ‘And?’ When Madison didn’t reply, Katrina asked, ‘What’s his name? Which ward is he on?’

      ‘No idea, to both.’ Madison forced herself to sound offhand. ‘Kat, it was just a dance.’ And a kiss. ‘And he was wearing a mask, so I didn’t even get to see his face.’

      But she had seen his eyes and his mouth. She’d class both as the sexiest she’d ever seen.

      ‘You didn’t even ask? Sounds like you missed a great opportunity,’ Katrina said. ‘He might have been really nice.’ She shook her head. ‘You’re so picky. How are you ever going to meet someone if you never give them a chance?’

      Madison grinned. ‘Says the woman who’s waiting for her prince to come and find her.’

      ‘I looked. I kissed some of them, even. And they turned into frogs.’ Katrina shrugged. ‘Anyway. I’m happy with my career.’

      ‘So am I,’ Madison said.

      Katrina raised an eyebrow. ‘Honey, you’ve been broody for the last five years.’

      ‘Which is why I made such a huge mistake with Harry. I know.’ Madison shrugged. ‘Next time, I’ll get it right. Find myself the perfect man—gorgeous body, gorgeous mind, gorgeous heart.’

      ‘In that order?’

      ‘Colour me shallow.’ Madison laughed and spread her hands. ‘Actually, the order doesn’t matter, as long as they’re all present.’ Though she knew which ones were the most important. The two Harry had turned out not to possess.

      ‘I think you’re going to have to compromise somewhere,’ Katrina said.

      Madison shook her head. ‘No compromising.’ Not any more. She’d compromised with Harry, and look where that had got her. Divorced and disillusioned at the age of twenty-six. Except now, at thirty, she had her bounce back again. ‘Look, our mums managed it, didn’t they?’

      ‘I’m not so sure our dads are perfect,’ Katrina said thoughtfully. ‘I love Dad and Uncle Bryan to bits, but they’re not perfect, Maddie. Nobody is. They’re only human.’

      Madison was saved from having to agree by a soft knock on the door. ‘Kat,