The Mills & Boon Sparkling Christmas Collection. Kate Hardy

this lovely young lady?’

      ‘Professor, this is Eva. Eva, this is Professor Drummond.’

      In a theatrical gesture the Professor bent down to kiss her hand. ‘Lovely to meet you, Eva. Don’t you two make quite the handsome couple,’ he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. Knowing the Professor well, Ben threw him a warning smile.

      ‘Nice to meet you,’ Eva replied.

      ‘Did you know Ben was my best ever student? He left me for a while but I always knew he’d come back.’ The Professor patted Ben on the back, looking at him affectionately. ‘Now, I have to go and make speeches and thank people for their donations.’ He clasped Ben’s hand in two of his, shaking it. ‘You especially, Ben.’

      He turned his attention back to Eva, giving her a wink. ‘He’s a wee bittie special but I think you might know that already.’

      As the Professor wandered off to the next table Kat suddenly appeared, clinging on to Dan, one of the research assistants who fortunately didn’t look too unhappy about it.

      ‘Hi, Ben,’ she cooed.

      Sensing Eva bristle, Ben instinctively rested his hand on her waist, pulling her towards him. ‘Eva, these are my colleagues: Kat and Dan.’

      Kat looked Eva up and down, her eyes narrowing as she tried to place her. As recognition dawned, an unpleasant sneer crept onto her face. ‘Oh, you’re the decorator, aren’t you?’

      Ben didn’t like her condescending tone and opened his mouth to speak but Eva squeezed his hand, shooting Kat a charming smile.

      ‘That’s right. Do let me know if you have any painting or decorating you need done – my rates are very reasonable and I’m sure Ben would be happy to recommend me.’

      Kat stared at her for a moment then gave her a dismissive look, turning her attention to Ben. ‘I haven’t had a dance yet, Ben. Next one’s mine when the band starts up?’

      Ben felt his irritation rise again and he suddenly wanted to get out of the hall, wanted Eva to himself. ‘Actually, we were just thinking about leaving.’ He lifted an eyebrow at Eva for confirmation and was relieved to see her nod in agreement.

      After a few handshakes and farewells Ben guided Eva out, weaving their way through the throng of bodies and out of the hall. The world fell silent and the evening air was cool after the heat of the hall as they walked back the way they had come earlier.

      ‘You didn’t mind leaving, did you?’ he checked again with Eva.

      ‘Not at all. I don’t think my feet could have taken any more anyway. But didn’t you want to hear the speeches?’

      ‘I can live without them and I don’t think the Professor will mind.’

      ‘I liked him.’ She smiled. ‘So did you enjoy your first proper ceilidh then?’

      ‘How could I not? The dancing was fun and the music was great – plus I got to dance with the most beautiful woman there.’ He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. ‘Thank you for coming with me.’

      Eva glanced sideways at him from under her lashes, looking adorably shy before replying. ‘Thanks for asking for me – it was great fun.’

      Since the night of the storm Ben felt as if something had been unleashed in him. Not just his physical attraction to Eva but an emotional connection to her also. He had held himself back, worried that Eva had been on her own since losing her husband because she still loved him. He had been wary about treading on his memory but knowing Paul hadn’t been the love of her life filled him with hope and excitement.

      He could see that she had worked hard to get the life she had. He didn’t want to jeopardize her and Jamie’s stable world and he’d wrestled with his feelings but tonight, it felt like a physical impossibility to ignore those feelings.

      Ben kept hold of her hand and their bodies drew closer. The night was clear and Ben automatically looked up. There was a large pale moon and the sky was pinpricked with thousands of twinkling stars. ‘Did you know Scotland was one of the best places in the world to stargaze?’ he asked.

      ‘Is it something to do with long winter nights?’

      ‘That’s one of the reasons.’ He smiled. ‘It’s also because Scotland has a low population density so there’s less light pollution, which makes it easier to see.’

      Ben stopped walking and slipped his hand around Eva’s waist, pointing with his free hand to a particular point in the sky. ‘Can you see the big dipper?’

      Eva looked up, her eyes roaming the darkness before nodding after a few moments.

      ‘Now, focus in on the point where the handle of the big dipper meets the cup and draw an imaginary line from that point to the last star in the handle of the little dipper across from it.’

      ‘Ok-kay, think I got it.’

      ‘That line goes right through Cassiopeia – do you see? Those five bright stars making a W shape?’ He traced the shape with his finger, watching Eva as her eyes scanned the sky until suddenly her face burst into a delighted smile as she recognized the formation.

      ‘I see it!’

      ‘That’s Cassiopeia, a constellation in the northern sky.’

      ‘Wow. Why’s it called Cassiopeia?’

      ‘Traditionally constellations are named after a mythological figure. Cassiopeia was supposed to be a vain queen who boasted about her unrivalled beauty.’

      ‘Really?’

      Ben gazed at Eva, who didn’t seem to have a shred of vanity or to be aware of just how beautiful she was and it was driving him crazy. She was looking at him now, her green gaze intense and her lips slightly parted. He gently pulled her in towards him and tipped her chin with his finger, moving it towards his face so that their mouths were tantalizingly close.

      ‘I don’t think you have any idea how beautiful you are.’ He brushed his mouth against hers.

      ‘I don’t?’ she mumbled, her body moving in closer.

      Ben felt consumed by a need for the feel of her and knew it was impossible for him to ignore the rush of desire invading every inch of his body. His finger trailed along her collarbone, up her neck and then around the shape of her lips. Very slowly he cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes, needing to know if she felt the same. She stared back into his eyes and answered his unspoken question by bringing her lips up to meet his again, her hands sliding to the back of his neck.

      This time the kiss was long and deep. He heard her murmur his name and as she moved herself closer into him he felt the softness of her body against him and the feeling was so much more than he ever could have imagined.

       Chapter Eleven

      Eva’s world felt different. She was waking in the same bed, in the same house but instead of turning to check the time, she turned the other way to see Ben lying beside her. In the soft morning light still half asleep, Eva could almost believe it was all a dream. But the gentle fall and rise of his chest told her it was real. She could reach out and touch him if she wanted. But for now, she allowed herself a few moments to luxuriate in simply studying his sleeping form, content to watch him as memories from the previous evening flitted pleasurably through her mind.

      Last night, just for those few hours she had felt different. She had felt carefree in a way she hadn’t for years. She hadn’t been a mother, a widow, a business owner. Just herself, Eva. She had been transported to another world, a world of dancing and laughing and Ben. They had stumbled upstairs touching and teasing – Eva making Ben guess which door led to her bedroom. Then they had fallen silent, nervous to take the next step. She had felt madly self-conscious about her body, unsure she would know what to do.