Catherine Spencer - Christmas Passions

by Christmas Passions

  He took her to places she’d never been before. To heights of ecstasy beyond anything she’d ever imagined. To depths of emotion so critically moving that she felt tears streaming down her face. And when he surrendered to the ruthless forces overpowering him, he held her secure in his arms until the tumult had passed and they’d arrived safely at a new, sublime level of closeness and understanding.

  She dared then to tell him what she’d known in her heart for days. “I love you, Leo.”

  “That’s good,” he said, sounding shaken. “Because I love you, more than I knew I could love anyone. You hold my heart in your hand, Ava. Treat it gently, please. It’s never experienced anything like this before.”

  “I promised your parents I’d have you home by tomorrow afternoon,” he said later, when they’d made themselves respectable enough to open the door to the busboy who brought the celebratory lobster and champagne Leo had insisted on ordering. “They’ve invited a few people over, to ring in the new year, including my parents and the duchess. I hope you’ll be able to weather her remarks when she sees us together.”

  “I’ll manage,” Ava said.

  “But we can spend the morning on the slopes before we head back. Start on that dating routine I mentioned earlier.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Of course,” he said, “we ought to make an early night of it and there are no rooms to be had at the lodge. Do you mind if I sleep here, on the sofa?”

  “Certainly I mind,” she said. “There’s a perfectly good king-size bed down the hall. It’s much too big for one person.”

  “Sounds perfect to me. The only snag is, you might not get much sleep.”

  She laughed, and oh, it felt wonderful! She hadn’t laughed in such a long time. “That’s what I’m counting on, Leo, so don’t disappoint me.”

  “Forward hussy!” he said, with an endearing leer. “Do you think you can contain yourself a bit longer? There are a couple of other things I’d like to take care of.”

  “I’ll try.”

  He reached for the black canvas tote again and withdrew the package he’d left with her on Christmas Eve. “Your mom gave this to me when I stopped by your house. Maybe now that I’ve made my intentions clear, you’ll accept it.”

  Her fingers shook as she pulled away the gold-embossed paper, then opened the white cardboard box inside and held in her hand a tiny, exquisite Victorian house encased in a crystal dome filled with liquid through which floated a hundred minute silvery snowflakes.

  “To remind you of home when you’re far away,” he said, tracing the outline of her cheek with his finger. “And to remind you that I’ll be here waiting when you come back again.”

  “Oh, thank you!” she breathed. “It’s beautiful—and reminds me of that gorgeous old house we looked at.”

  “Which brings me to the last item of business.” He pulled a legal-looking document from the bag and handed it to her.

  “What…?”

  “It’s a deed of sale. To that very same house.”

  “Someone bought it?”

  “I did, Ava. Because I want you to know how very serious I am about having you in my life. But I’ll put it back on the market if you don’t think you could be happy there, or if you’d rather—”

  “I can be happy anywhere, as long as I’m with you, Leo,” she told him, leaning against him. “But if you’re asking me if I’ll be satisfied with this particular house, I can promise you I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s perfect.”

  “Good. I was hoping you’d feel that way.” He tucked the deed down the front of her velour robe. “Merry Christmas all over again, angel, and happy New Year!”

  And it would be, she knew. It would be the first of many. With him.