New Year Kisses: His Cinderella Mistress

‘For not insulting my intelligence by denying there was a “he”,’ Max drawled. ‘That “he” was the hired help you had here last summer. I’m also guessing it’s the same “he” who hurt January. The same “he” who prompted your warning me off her on Sunday evening,’ he added ruefully.

‘What would be the point in my denying any of that?’ May shrugged. ‘I realized on Sunday evening that I had probably said more than I should have done.’ She sighed self-disgustedly. ‘You’re an intelligent man—’

‘Thank you again,’ he drawled dryly.

‘That doesn’t mean I like you!’ she snapped, green eyes flashing a warning.

‘That’s a pity…’ he smiled ruefully ‘…because I like you,’ he explained at her questioning glance. ‘Oh, not in that way,’ he assured her as her glance became sceptical. ‘One Calendar sister, I’ve discovered, is one too many!’

‘I’m glad about that,’ May drawled. ‘Max, what are you doing with my little sister?’

He sighed, that sigh quickly becoming a grimace. ‘How the hell should I know?’ he murmured heavily.

She laughed incredulously. ‘Well, if you don’t know I certainly don’t!’

What was he doing? January had made it more than clear when they’d parted on Sunday that she never intended seeing him again through choice, and he knew her well enough to believe she meant it.

So instead the mountain had come to Mohammed. Because he had feared for January’s safety after hearing about the latest attack.

But he could have picked up the telephone, called the farm, then any one of the sisters could have given him that information.

Instead he had chosen to drive out here in order to see for himself that January was safe and well.

Why?

‘Have you worked it out yet, Max?’

He looked sharply across at May, her too-innocent expression belied by the laughter gleaming in those intelligent green eyes. ‘Tell you what,’ she continued lightly. ‘Go back to your hotel for a few hours, give January chance to calm down,’ she added wryly. ‘And then come back here this evening and have dinner with us.’

Max’s gaze narrowed on her suspiciously. Why was May inviting him to dinner? She had no more reason to trust him than did her sisters…

May laughed softly at his obvious confusion. ‘Mark it down as a thank-you for preventing me from telling another lie earlier—when January was about to ask me about my dental appointment,’ she told him huskily.

So he had been right about that. He could also see that May wasn’t about to confide in him, of all people, exactly where she had been, or who she had really seen this morning.

He grimaced. ‘January isn’t going to thank you for inviting me to dinner.’

May shrugged. ‘If you hadn’t noticed, my youngest sister isn’t very happy with me at the moment, anyway.’ She sighed. ‘My consorting with the enemy isn’t going to make that any worse than it already is!’

Max winced. ‘The enemy? Is that really how you all see me?’

It wasn’t a very pleasant feeling, he had to admit. Oh, not all of the deals he had completed on Jude’s behalf over the years had been easy, or indeed amicable, but he had never actually seen himself as the enemy before!

It wasn’t a feeling he liked.

‘Come to dinner, Max,’ May dismissed laughingly. ‘I’m cooking roast chicken,’ she told him enticingly. ‘I’m sure a home-cooked meal isn’t something you have too often,’ she added ruefully.

This woman, Max was slowly realizing, saw altogether too much. God help the man who tried to make her his own!

CHAPTER EIGHT (#u2d3b7eea-309d-5661-a8ff-30b6e5e02cfa)

‘YOU’VE done what?’ January stared at her eldest sister incredulously.

‘I said you need to lay four places at the table for dinner because I’ve invited Max to eat with us this evening,’ May repeated calmly as she continued to stir the gravy. ‘In fact, he should be here any minute.’

That was what January had thought she’d said! ‘Have you gone completely mad, May?’ she gasped.

May grimaced. ‘Not as far as I’m aware, no. Look,’ her sister continued firmly as she could see January was about to disagree with her, ‘isn’t it better to—to, well, get to know Max a little, let him get to know us in return? It’s much harder to walk all over someone if you actually know them personally,’ she reasoned impatiently as January continued to look furious.

January gave a disgusted snort. ‘Max doesn’t seem to be having too much trouble with that so far!’

She really couldn’t believe May had invited Max to dinner. Or that Max had accepted the invitation…!

He had to know, couldn’t fail to appreciate, that he was as welcome here as a rampaging bull! That he actually proposed to be more destructive than that bull!

As for May…!

‘I think you’re wrong about that, January,’ her sister said consideringly. ‘In fact, I sense a distinct wavering in his resolve to get us out of here,’ she added happily.

January shook her head. ‘Then you can see more than I can! March is going to think you’ve gone completely off your trolley, too,’ she assured her with satisfaction.

Her eldest sister shrugged. ‘Let’s just wait and see, shall we?’ she murmured enigmatically.

‘You can, if you like,’ January snapped, pointedly laying three places at the table. ‘I would rather eat out!’

‘January—’

‘Whew, what a lousy evening!’ March complained as she swept into the kitchen, bringing a blast of cold air and falling snow in with her. ‘And talking of lousy evenings—look who I met outside!’ She stepped aside to reveal Max standing in the doorway behind her.

January stared at him, still unable to believe May seriously expected her to calmly sit down and eat dinner with him. Or that he should dare to sit down to dinner with them!

Was he so insensitive? Could he not see how unwelcome he was here? Could he not see how much she didn’t want him here?

‘Shut the door, for goodness’ sake,’ May advised briskly. ‘It looks as if it’s getting worse out there,’ she added frowningly after glancing out of the kitchen window.

‘It is,’ March confirmed ruefully. ‘I wouldn’t send a dog out there again tonight,’ she added dryly, raising mocking brows in Max’s direction. ‘Do you intend staying long, Mr Golding?’ she prompted pointedly.

Trust March to get straight to the heart of the matter, January acknowledged admiringly, at the same time shooting May a triumphant look.

‘Max is my guest, March,’ May reproved softly.

‘Really?’ March looked impressed.

Impressed wasn’t exactly the way January felt about this situation! Although March’s comment about the worsening weather pretty well put paid to her own idea of going out for the evening!

‘In that case, I had better go up and change before dinner,’ March taunted.

‘Don’t bother on my account.’ Max spoke for the first time since his arrival. ‘May assured me it would be an informal evening,’ he added with a glance down at his own casual trousers and what looked like a blue cashmere sweater beneath his thick outer jacket.