An Unexpected Christmas by Lori Jennings Read Free Book Online Page B

usual. I watched as my words sunk in and
his smile widened.
    'You're a little mischievous
aren't you?' He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms but didn't take
his blue eyes off mine, and his smile never wavered.
    I had no idea how to respond to
that. I had never been naughty and I had never done anything bad, but I did
have a tendency to think, and occasionally say, inappropriate things. I just
smiled back and was grateful, and a little disappointed, that Ella's voice came
from the doorway.
    'Dinner is almost ready,' she
said, looking from Nate to me, then at the book in my lap and she rolled her
eyes. 'Are you two going to talk about books all through dinner too, as I don't
think I could handle that much literature conversation I might fall asleep in
my chicken.' She stuck her tongue out at me then winked.
    'No, we will discuss the weather
and the state of the country like regular people.' I poked my tongue out back
at her then giggled. She shook her head then disappeared back into the kitchen.
I looked back over at Nate.
    'The weather and the state of the
country?' He stretched his arms up and let out a fake yawn but I was distracted
for a moment at the sight of the strip of slightly tanned skin that was revealed
by his movement. I quickly moved my eyes back up to his face. 'Dinner is going
to be awfully boring.' As he dropped his arms his top fell back into place.
    'Well, what do you suggest we
talk about?' I tilted my head slightly to one side in anticipation of his
answer.  He stood and walked over to the door, giving me a perfect view of his
broad shoulders and amazing backside.
    He looked back over his shoulder
and said, ‘Maybe we should continue our conversation about your book.' Then
grinning, walked through the doorway.
    My mouth dropped open. I took a
deep breath to steady myself; I was flirting with Nate Hamilton, and if
I was not mistaken, unbelievably, he was flirting back. Or was he? I was
seriously confused and I really needed to stop thinking about him as Nathaniel
James Hamilton; movie star, and start thinking of him as Nate; my friend's
brother. He may play a bad boy on the big screen but he had such a good guy
reputation in real life. I had read an article where he had given a fan his
umbrella because she had been waiting in the rain for three hours just to get
his autograph, and he was always joking around in interviews then apologising
profusely for being rude. I was almost painfully attracted to him and wanted
him to think the best of me and the flirting was unexpected and amazing. A huge
smile crept across my face and I bit down on my bottom lip. Nothing was going
to happen between Nate and me but a girl could dream. I stood and dropped my
book to the table.
    I walked to the kitchen doorway
and stopped to take in the sight before me; Maggie and Ella were moving pots
and pans around, dishing things out onto plates, and Nate had seated himself at
the kitchen table, turned slightly in his chair to chat to his mother and
sister.
    ‘So
there he was,’ Nate was saying as I walked in, ‘standing on the bar in front of
about one hundred people reciting whatever Shakespeare that came to mind, he
takes a step back and falls behind the bar. There is a huge gasp from the crowd
until he pops up, unhurt, and asks if anyone wants a cocktail.’ Ella and Maggie
laughed and I realised that it didn't seem to matter what he was saying, he put
so much passion and enthusiasm into his words that everything sounded right.
    'How
was your afternoon?' Ella had spotted me in the doorway and smiled as I moved a
little further towards her.
    'Good
thanks, managed to get some reading done. How about you? Where did you
disappear to?' I could have been mistaken but I could have sworn that her
cheeks flushed slightly.
    'Oh,
I just had to pop out for some things.' She didn't look right at me so I knew
she was hiding something, but if there was anything I had learnt about Ella in
the past few months was that if she wanted