Sweet Cinderella (A Christmas Novella) (The Klaus Brothers Book 4) by Penny Watson Read Free Book Online Page A

nervous last night. I should have been here.” She refused to make eye contact with him.
    Gregor cupped her cheeks and forced her to look at him. “Hannah, I would have been happy to take you home. I understand about family coming first. But I didn’t like you running from me. Don’t do that again.”
    “Why? You know there is no way . . . anything is going to work out between us. This is crazy. I live in this crowded apartment. I’m sure you live in a luxury penthouse. I’m a single mom with a lot of responsibility. My life is not glamorous. Your life . . . I can’t even imagine. I don’t understand what you’re doing here.” Her eyes filled with tears.
    Gregor wanted to smash something. He hated to see her upset.
    “I’m here because there’s no other place I would rather be. No one else I would rather spend the day with. And if you think I care about the square footage of your apartment, you’re crazy. I care about spending time with
you
—the woman who loves eggnog and the Hallelujah Chorus and the candlelight service at the Church of St. Paul. The woman who helps an old lady hang an ornament on a tree, while everyone else in the room ignores her. The woman who drops everything to rush home to her son when he needs a hug.
You
.”
    She took a deep shuddering breath. “I’m—I’m sorry I ran away last night. That was rude. Please forgive me. I guess . . . I sort of panicked. You’re way out of my league, Gregor Klaus. I didn’t know what to do.”
    He kissed her gently on the forehead. “I have a suggestion. Why not just relax and try to have fun today?”
    She laughed. “You sound like Andi. That’s what she’s been telling me for the last year.” She pressed her hand over his heart.
    Gregor froze.
    He was close.
    So. Very. Close
.
    He could feel it.
    “Okay, you win. I’ll try to relax and enjoy the day. But I did warn you. The boys can be a real handful.”
    “Excellent. I need some on-the-job training since my family is starting to add babies into the mix.”
    He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. She swayed in his arms and then kissed him back. Hesitantly. Sweetly.
    Round One: Gregor Klaus.

 
    C hapter 6
    Hannah was shocked. She had never seen her boys so well-behaved. Something about Gregor’s authoritative demeanor was working like a charm with the twins. They’d spent two hours skating and falling and listening with rapt attention to instruction from Gregor. As they’d walked along the chilly sidewalks, they’d held on tight to his hands without a word of complaint. He had treated all of them to hot chocolate and sweets at a swanky café, and the boys had beamed the entire time. He’d even asked the waiter to bring extra bowls of whipped cream.
    Damn him. He was stealing her heart, and that was absolutely
not
a good idea.
    No matter how charming he was, she and Gregor were from two different worlds. And there was no way those worlds would ever overlap. She knew he was right about the chemistry between them, but he could have his choice of
anyone.
Supermodels. Celebrities. Why he would choose to spend the day in such an ordinary way, with an ordinary woman? She was stymied.
    The day had started off slowly. It had taken him a while to loosen up. Hannah was convinced he didn’t often indulge in mindless, fun activities. He probably spent all of his time working. That made her sad—his momentary look of vulnerability as he’d stared at the twins, unsure of himself. But eventually he’d shaken off his stiff, uncomfortable vibe and had started to genuinely have fun. He taught the twins how to dig in their blades for a quick stop and how to swing their arms for more momentum. He’d even twirled her like a figure skater, until she’d grabbed his arms in a panic. By the end of their skate, he and the boys were laughing and joking on the ice. Afterward, he’d ordered an extra large hot chocolate for
himself
, and polished off the entire thing.
    He’d held her hand the