Was there more to Hugo Harrington than a guy driven to succeed? When she added their night together to his emotion when he’d seen the decorations in the attic, she knew that deep down he was a normal guy. And she wondered if she’d only seen his harder, secretive side because that’s all he showed his employees.
“Good morning.”
His words tiptoed across the pillows to her.
Here it was. The moment of truth. She wished he would be sexy, sweet Hugo. But the night before he basically told her there would only be one night—
He raised himself up and onto his side, then ran his lips across hers in a soft kiss that melted her heart. But he quickly pulled back, turned away from her and grabbed his phone from the bedside table.
“Roads are cleared.”
Her heart sambaed. Sweet, sexy Hugo was gone.
A wish that things could be different tried to form but she stopped it. He’d spelled things out after the first time they’d made love. But she’d wanted her fantasy lover. And she’d gotten him. The fact that he’d been better in reality than he had in her daydreams didn’t change who he was: cool, aloof Hugo Harrington, keeping the nice guy side of himself hidden, probably because he was a man with secrets.
Still.
He hadn’t told her one personal thing the night before.
“You can go home and change, if you want.” He didn’t look up from his phone. “I won’t tell your boss.”
A thousand emotions sparred in her brain. Everything about the guy he’d been the night before had been perfect. But she also knew she’d never get involved with another man with secrets, another man who didn’t understand intimacy. A man who only let the nice guy out when he needed or wanted something.
She swallowed. “I think I’ll be okay in my clothes from yesterday, after I get a shower.”
Damn her voice for stuttering with confusion.
He set his phone down with a sigh. “Sorry if I seem grouchy to you. I’m not in the habit of sleeping with women I like.”
The fact that he liked her revved her heart, but it also didn’t make sense.
“You only sleep with women you don’t like?”
“I only sleep with women who know I’m not the kind of guy to make a commitment.”
His voice was so casual, so confident that her spine stiffened. “Are you accusing me of falling in love with you overnight?”
He had the good graces to look sheepish. “No.” He paused and combed his fingers through his tousled hair, turning back into her Hugo from the night before. “I’m saying you’re special. Nice. A good person. And the last thing I want to do is hurt you.”
The admission hadn’t been easy for him and her soul melted. The sense that spending more time together might turn him into her Hugo forever raced through her brain, but she stopped it. He was a workaholic who had secrets—
Maybe lots of them.
Plus, his project was at stake. She hadn’t been hired to keep him sane, but in a way that’s what event planners did. They took care of details so the people who hired them could relax. She’d realized the day before that he had memories that haunted him. She’d been grateful for getting stranded together because it was an opportunity to get to know him well enough to make sure he didn’t have a meltdown. Even though he really hadn’t told her any secrets—
But maybe he didn’t have to? He might not have shared a specific secret, but spending time with him had shown her he had some soft spots. The chink in his armor wasn’t one thing—one memory about his past—that she had to keep him away from. It was him. The nice guy inside him who appeared when he thought of his past.
In a way, that made things easier. She didn’t have to probe and ponder, trying to figure out one big secret. All she had to do was make sure he didn’t linger too long thinking about his past.
He glanced over. “Want to call room service for breakfast?”
She frowned. “We could have had room service last night?”
He laughed. “Probably not. I’m guessing the kitchen staff that’s been experimenting with recipes had already gone for the day. But we could have found something to eat. Still, because you provided dinner, I’d like to repay you with breakfast.”
She peered around. She didn’t really want the chef and/or waitstaff to come up to the penthouse and find her with Hugo. More than that, though, she’d figured out what she had to do to protect his project. There was no point hanging out too long, getting attached, hoping for something that wouldn’t happen.
Saddened by that, but realizing the truth of it, she turned toward the shower again. “I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
He smiled. “Okay.” But he rose from the bed. Before she reached the bathroom door, he did. Gloriously naked, he made her heart pitter-patter and some of the better parts of their night together played in her head. Then he caught her upper arms and kissed her gently, and everything inside her told her to forget about work. They only needed more time together for sweet Hugo to come out of hiding and stay out—
But a picture of life with him, another man with secrets, popped into her head, along with the feelings of inadequacy because Josh hadn’t confided in her. It might be years before Hugo got comfortable enough that he’d let all of his guard down.
She remembered all the lonely days of living with a guy who had a secret and the horrible pain when she’d realized he had confided in someone else.
No.
She didn’t want that. Not any of it.
When she finally was ready to date, she’d be looking for someone who treated her like an equal. Someone who trusted her. Someone she could trust.
Sexy—gorgeous—as Hugo Harrington was, he was not the guy for her, and thinking she could change him was foolish.
She eased away and entered the bathroom, ending their one-night stand.
* * *
When the penthouse elevator dinged to take Erin downstairs, Hugo headed to the shower.
That had gone well. Not only had he and Erin enjoyed the evening, but her departure made him believe she was on his wavelength. No pouting. No flirting to extend their time. A nice, clean break.
He frowned. Why did that give him an empty feeling in his chest?
Just as she hadn’t fallen in love with him overnight, he hadn’t fallen for her.
Had he?
Of course not. He wasn’t accusing himself of falling in love, but maybe entering those initial stages of liking someone—
No. He’d liked her before last night. And he knew making love added to those feelings, but he was a smart guy. Not about protecting himself but protecting her.
He’d stay in line to protect her.
He stepped into the shower. After a quick scrubbing, he got out and redressed in the clothes from the day before, but when he picked up his shirt a memory slid through him. The lightness of joy that had filled him when she hadn’t protested him yanking her T-shirt over her head or when he’d reached for the buttons on this very white shirt.
The memory shivered through him and he shook his head. He had to stop that. He wasn’t the kind of guy to dwell on a one-night stand. Especially not one that had gone exactly as it should have. They’d enjoyed each other. But they both knew this shouldn’t go any further.
The empty feeling filled his chest again.
Confused, he stopped those crazy thoughts, called the kitchen to order breakfast, texted Ronnie telling him he wouldn’t be leaving for the Manhattan team office for another hour, then scrolled through the news on his phone. An hour and a half later, he was with his New York staff, working.
But he couldn’t get past the never-before-experienced regret that he really could only have that one night with Erin. His brain edged toward trying to come up with ways or reasons they could spend another night together, and when he realized he was thinking about her again, he stopped it
.
Because it was wrong. She was a mum. She had responsibilities. And he was a lone wolf. His own brother and sister were wary of him because he had left them. Even his mother had let him go. Proving some people weren’t made to be loved. Some people were born to be successful, so strong they were off-putting.
Not in a horrible, villainous way. But simply in a way that didn’t give them enough time for relationships, enough mental energy.
And Erin absolutely deserved someone who would love her completely.
The thought dinged his heart again, but he ignored it. He was not the guy she needed.
CHAPTER FOUR
ERIN WORKED HARD all morning, happy when her mom brought Noah to her office a little after noon with lunch and a change of clothes.
“Thanks. Not only do I need to get into something clean, but I was starving!”
“No breakfast, I’m guessing,” her mom said as she handed Erin her lunch bag full of goodies.
Erin’s face reddened. “No. Got right to work.”
Her mom glanced around. “Where’d you sleep?”
“There are some finished rooms on the top floor. Hugo took one. I took the other.” She blanched internally at the fact that she hadn’t mentioned they were part of a penthouse suite. But, really, her no-lying rule was getting ridiculous. Surely there had to be a middle ground.
“I showered, but putting the same clothes back on was icky.”
Marge laughed. “You should be glad you had a shower. Not everybody is so lucky to be stranded in a hotel.”
“Right.” She bit into her sandwich and groaned with pleasure. “So good.”
“You really are starving.”
“Yes. I’m guessing the roads are clear if the buses are running.”
“London road crews might have needed a little time, but they got the job done.”
“Or the snow on the streets melted,” Hugo said, entering the office.
His beautiful gray eyes met Erin’s and damned if she didn’t blush again.
“London weather is odd.” He faced Marge. “I see you brought lunch for Erin.”
Her mom all but swooned. She’d probably be thrilled if Erin told her they’d spent the night together. “Yes. And lucky thing too since she was starving.”
“She shouldn’t be. The kitchen is filled with chefs and helpers trying out recipes for the grand opening. They could probably feed her for a week.”
He turned to Erin. “When you’re through, I’d like to see you in my office.”
She nodded and he left.
Marge watched him go. “Have you at least tried flirting with him?”
Erin squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn’t embarrassed that she’d slept with Hugo. But most grown women didn’t tell their mom about their lovers.
“Mom! Seriously! The guy is devoted to work. Even if I fell madly in love with him, he’s not the kind to settle down.”
“Yeah but think of the fun you could have—and practice for when you are ready for a relationship.”
Why did having a no-strings-attached affair suddenly sound like the perfect plan?
Erin shook her head to clear it of the ridiculous thought. She had to get herself back on neutral ground with him so she could watch for those memories that hit him the hardest and steer him away from them.
Plus, no matter what the situation, she would not discuss her sex life with her mother. “Please stop.”
Noah toddled up to her and she pulled him onto her lap. They talked about snow and the story his grandmother had read to him the night before. Then Erin told them she really had to get back to work. But she’d be home that night at the regular time.
When they were gone, she raced to a restroom to change into her clean clothes, sighing with relief when she finally felt normal.
But her “normal” quickly disappeared when she reached Hugo’s office and hesitated by the door. She really could have some fun times with him—
No. She knew herself. She wasn’t the kind of woman who became someone’s lover. She’d always been a romantic looking for true love. Even more now that Josh’s betrayals had almost pushed her to believe love didn’t exist. It did. It had to. She had friends who had found it. And now that she was actually letting herself think about this, she wanted what they had. Though an affair sounded appealing and logical, eventually she’d fall in love and he wouldn’t.
Then she’d be hurt…and he wouldn’t.
Her resolve in place, she knocked on his door.
“Come in, Erin.”
“Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t interrupting.”
“I told you to come to my office. That’s the definition of not interrupting.”
She took the few steps to the chair in front of his desk, looking at his glossy hair, his broad shoulders, and suppressed a sigh. Fantasy Hugo had definitely disappeared some time during the night and Real Hugo was back.
But that was good. They needed to return to the place where he saw her as he had the day before. Someone he employed, but also someone he could trust. Someone he could talk to.
She sat on the chair and opened her notebook. He got right to the ideas he’d come up with the night before.
The night before?
Seriously?
While she was sleeping, sated and happy, nestled against him, he’d gotten out his phone and made notes?
Maybe she’d inspired him?
Maybe she was his muse?
It was such a romantic notion. Being his muse, she’d be like the other half of him. Yin to his yang—
“Erin? Did you get that?”
She snapped to attention, embarrassed to have been caught daydreaming about something she’d already dismissed. “I’m sorry. I got the part about oranges but didn’t hear the other thing.”
The tips of his ears turned red.
Let him ignore the reason for her lapse in concentration and get them back to work. Please do not let him ask what had her distracted.
“I said my brother remembered the name of the shop where our mum bought stockings that were stuffed for all the kids in attendance.”
She sat up. “You talked to your brother?”
“Briefly.”
Forgetting all about being his muse, she looked for signs of distress. Anger. Sadness. Anything that might throw him off his game. “This morning?”
His eyes met hers. “Yes.”
Her soul forgot to breathe. Those eyes were so rich with emotion and whether it was a good idea, she and Hugo had connected the day before. First getting cocoa, then sleeping together. She knew the significance of him speaking with someone from his family. Family he was having trouble getting along with—
Was that his big worry? Not that a sad memory would spoil his Christmas Eve celebration, but that his family might?
She sucked in a deep draft of air. He might not out and out admit it. But she saw it now. So clearly it amazed her that it took her so long.
He’d mentioned hanging ornaments with his brother and sister. Even asked if she thought they’d come to the Christmas Eve celebration—
“Oh, my gosh. You’re worried your brother and sister won’t show up.”
* * *
Hugo gaped at her. She looked cute and huggable in her jeans and sweatshirt and his heart had done a somersault when she’d entered his office, but her words sucked all the air out of his lungs.
“Do you think I shouldn’t be?”
“I don’t know.” She caught his gaze. “It could be a real embarrassment if you have Ornament Hanging Ceremony in the program for your Christmas Eve event but your brother and sister don’t attend.”
He tapped his pencil on the desk. It was a problem he knew existed but not something he let himself think about too much because he hoped they’d see his dedication to the hotel and show up.
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Yet she’d homed in on it.
“You know, you could just hang an ornament yourself.”
He frowned. “And leave the other two sitting on the table? For everybody to see? An obvious reminder that my brother and sister didn’t come?”
“If they decide not to attend, you can gloss right over it by making a big deal out of choosing one of the three ornaments as if it’s a last-minute decision, part of the ceremony. Not that all three ornaments need to be hung. Then once you walk away, I’ll swoop in and scoop up the other two and whisk them away.”
He took a breath, thinking that through. It was perfect and it solved one of his worst worries.
Some of the tightness in his spine loosened. “Okay. That’ll work.”
“Now, back to the stockings. I can call your brother for the store’s name, but I’m going to need at least an estimate of how many I’ll need.”
Weirdness settled over him. She’d relieved one of his biggest fears and moved on to the next item on her to-do list as if nothing had happened?
He cleared his throat. “You’ll need to check with the reservations crew to get the number of kids who will be attending, and that will give you an accurate count for the stockings.”
She scribbled some notes. “I might also poke around upstairs a bit, dig around for either an actual stocking or pictures of the stockings.”
She looked up and caught his gaze. A bubble of something formed in his chest. She was a pro. So good at what she did, she didn’t even realize how fast and how easily she’d helped him.
Joy skipped along his skin, sensitizing it. And he suddenly knew why he kept thinking about her, about their one-night stand. Their time together had been perfect. Spontaneous. Open. Immensely enjoyable.
His aggressive self, the one that always went after what he wanted, wanted her. Again. And maybe again and again.
Maybe every night she was here, in London.
Erin said, “I’m thinking we should get ten or twelve extra stockings in case there are walk-ins on Christmas Eve.”
Harlequin Romance December 2020 Box Set Page 6
