Snowy Christmas by Helen Scott Taylor Read Free Book Online

this." She waved a duster.
    "Well, Cinderella, you will go to the ball
later then."
    When he grinned, a burst of shivery pleasure
passed through her, making her knees weak. She'd told herself not
to fall for Marcus, but her heart had a bad track record when it
came to listening to her head. After only a week, she was halfway
in love with him already. She'd never met a man like him before. On
first acquaintance, he'd seemed a little aloof, but now that she
knew him, he was kind and friendly.
    She caught his fragrance, the spicy smell
mixed with fresh air, and had to stifle her sigh of
appreciation.
    "So do I look presentable?" He smoothed his
hands down the front of his jacket and checked his cuffs.
    "Very stylish." And absolutely
gorgeous . To distract herself, she tried to be practical. "Your
hair is sticking up a little, Marcus."
    He patted down the wrong side, so Emily
stepped closer to him, reached up, and smoothed the short wayward
strands with her fingertips. She met his deep brown gaze. They were
so close, if she'd risen a little higher on her toes, she could
have kissed him.
    A hot pulse of awareness flashed in his eyes
and warmed her body. For a moment she thought he would kiss her,
but he stepped back and cleared his throat. "I'd better be going.
All right if I leave Peggy with you this time?"
    Emily struggled to breathe as tingly longing
ran along her limbs and fogged her brain. She couldn't believe the
effect Marcus had on her. She'd never experienced it before.
    "I'd love to look after Peggy, if you think
she'll want to stay with me."
    "Of course she will. As far as Peggy's
concerned, you and Snowy are part of our pack now." He checked his
watch and ran a hand along his dog's back to stroke her ears. "You
be a good girl, Pegs. I'll see you soon, darling."
    Then he raised a hand to Emily and went out
the door.
    Emily stared at the door after he'd gone,
stunned, the whole situation feeling unreal. Marcus Bramwell had
just told her she was part of his pack. Not the most romantic thing
a man had ever said to her, but it still made her heart
flutter.
    • • •
    Marcus climbed in his car and drove to the church in
a daze, his thoughts and feelings swirling like a whirlpool. When
he arrived, he parked in the road a little distance from the
church, gripping his steering wheel, his gaze fixed unseeing in the
distance. Half of him wanted to drive right back to the hall and
kiss Emily. He'd had a chance. Why hadn't he taken it?
    He rubbed a hand over his mouth, reliving the
moment Emily had smoothed down his hair. She'd risen to her toes
and he'd frozen, transfixed by her proximity, yearning to take her
in his arms but lacking the confidence to do so.
    If he started something with Emily, what
would happen if it went wrong? He couldn't stand going through the
trauma of another breakup like the one with Gabriella, although he
was sure Emily would never behave like his ex-wife. Not in a
million years. Yet could he trust his judgment? He'd made a huge
mistake once.
    The problem was, as the owner of Rosemoor
Estate, when he made bad relationship decisions it had the
potential to impact his whole family, as well as those whose
livelihoods depended on the estate. He was responsible for too many
people to act rashly. He had to think this thing with Emily through
before he acted. He must be absolutely sure it was right.
    Someone drummed their fingers on his car
window, making him jump. His niece, Chloe, pressed her nose against
the glass. "Come on, Uncle Marcus. Get out. We're waiting for
you."
    He smiled at Chloe and nodded, noticing his
cousin Owen raise a hand in greeting as he came closer, his arm
around his wife.
    Owen and Jennifer's relationship had been
rocky, yet they'd worked that out and were happy now. Surely it was
possible for Marcus to be happy, if he had the confidence to try.
It wasn't as if he was about to propose marriage to Emily. He would
take things one slow step at a time.
    • • •
    During Emily's second