Married By Christmas

‘Yes...’ he answered slowly. ‘Although my sister always said I cheated when we played as children; I used to go up the snakes and down the ladders!’

Lilli laughed again. Either the man really was funny, or else the wine was taking effect; either way, this was the most fun she had had in a long time. ‘I used to do that too,’ she confided, lightly touching his arm, instantly feeling the steely strength beneath his jacket. ‘And there’s no way we can play if we both cheat!’

‘True,’ he agreed, suddenly very close, his face mere inches away from hers now. ‘You know, Just Lilli, there’s one game I have an idea we’re both good at—and at which neither of us cheats!’ His voice was mesmerisingly low now, his aftershave faintly elusive, but at the same time completely masculine. ‘What do you say to the two of us—?’

‘Patrick!’ A feminine voice, slightly raised with impatience, interrupted him. ‘Why aren’t you at the party?’

He held Lilli’s eyes for several seconds longer, a promise in his own, lightly squeezing her hand as it still rested on his arm, before turning to face the source of that feminine impatience. ‘Because I prefer to be here,’ he answered firmly. ‘And, luckily for me, so does Lilli.’

‘Lilli...?’ The woman sounded startled now.

So much so that Lilli finally turned to look at her too. Geraldine Simms! She looked far from pleased to see the two of them sitting so close together, Patrick’s hand still resting slightly possessively on Lilli’s.

Lilli looked coldly at the other woman. ‘Geraldine,’ she greeted her hardly.

‘I didn’t realise you were here,’ Geraldine said faintly.

She could easily have guessed that! ‘Sally Walker telephoned me earlier and persuaded me to come with her.’ Lilli finished abruptly, ‘Wonderful party,’ her sarcasm barely veiled.

‘So wonderful Lilli and I were just about to leave.’ Patrick stood up, lightly pulling Lilli to her feet beside him, his arm moving about the slenderness of her waist now. ‘Weren’t we,’ he prompted.

As far as Lilli was aware—no, but it did seem like an excellent idea.

She turned her head slightly to give Geraldine a triumphant look. ‘Yes, we were just about to leave,’ she agreed brightly.

‘But—’ Geraldine looked flustered, not at all her usually confident self. ‘Patrick, you can’t leave!’ She looked at him beseechingly, not at all certain of herself—or him.

His arm tightened about Lilli’s waist. ‘Watch me,’ he stated determinedly.

‘But—’ Geraldine wrung her hands together. ‘Patrick, I threw this party partly for you—’

‘I hate parties, you know that.’ There was a hard edge to his voice that hadn’t been there when he’d flirted with Lilli. ‘I’ll come back tomorrow when all of this is over. In the meantime, I intend booking into a hotel for the night. Unless Lilli has any other ideas?’ he added, looking at her with raised brows.

‘Just Lilli’ had realised, from the conversation between these two, that the original plan must have been for Patrick to spend the night here. And, considering Geraldine’s intimacy with the man she had been draped over in the other room, that was no mean feat in itself; what did this woman do, line them up in relays? Whatever, Patrick had obviously decided he would rather spend the night with her, though the house she shared in Mayfair with her father was not the place for her to take him; she felt hurt and betrayed, but not that hurt and betrayed!

‘A hotel sounds fine,’ she accepted with bravado, green eyes challenging as she looked across the room at Geraldine.

The other woman’s stare relaxed slightly as she met that challenge. ‘Lilli, don’t do something you’ll regret,’ she cautioned gently.

Geraldine knew she had seen the two of them together, knew why she was doing this! All the better; there was no satisfaction in revenge if the person targeted was unaware of it...!

Lilli turned slightly into Patrick’s body, resting her head against the hardness of his chest. ‘I’m sure Patrick will make sure I don’t regret a thing,’ she said huskily.

‘Lilli—’

‘Gerry, just butt out, will you?’ Patrick told her impatiently. ‘Go and find your ageing lover and leave Lilli and me to get on with our lives. I’m not a monster intent on seducing an innocent, and you aren’t the girl’s mother, for goodness’ sake,’ he added disgustedly.

Lilli looked at the other woman with pure venom in her eyes; she had never disliked anyone as much as she did Geraldine Simms at that moment. ‘Yes, Geraldine,’ she said flatly. ‘Please go back to your lover; I’m sure he must be wondering where you are.’

‘We’ll go out the back way,’ Patrick suggested lightly. ‘Unless you want to fight your way out through the chaos?’

‘No, the back way is fine.’ Her coat didn’t matter any more; no doubt it would be returned to her in time!

‘Patrick!’ Geraldine had crossed the room to stop them at the door, a restraining hand on Patrick’s arm now. ‘I realise you’re angry with me right now, but please don’t—’

‘I’m not angry with you, Gerry,’ he cut in contemptuously. ‘No one has any ties on you; they never had!’ His face was cold as he looked down at her.

‘This isn’t important just now,’ the beautiful redhead dismissed impatiently. ‘Anyone but Lilli, Patrick,’ she groaned.

So the woman did have a conscience, after all! Unless, of course, she just didn’t want Lilli, in particular, walking off with one of her men...? In the circumstances, that was probably closer to the truth.

‘Please don’t worry on my account, Geraldine.’ Lilli deliberately used the other woman’s full name. The two of them had never been particularly close in the past, although Lilli did usually call her Gerry; but after this evening she hoped they would never meet again. ‘I know exactly what I’m doing,’ she affirmed.

Geraldine looked at Lilli searchingly for several long seconds. ‘I don’t think you do.’ She shook her head slowly. ‘And I’m absolutely positive you don’t, Patrick,’ she added firmly. ‘Lilli is—’

‘Could we leave now, Patrick?’ Lilli turned to him, open flirtation in the dark green of her eyes. ‘Before I decide snakes and ladders is preferable!’

He looked at her admiringly. ‘We’re leaving, Gerry,’ he told the other woman decisively. ‘Now.’

‘But—’

‘Now, Gerry,’ he insisted, opening the back door for Lilli to precede him. ‘Enjoy your party,’ he called over his shoulder, his arm once more about Lilli’s waist as they stepped out into the cold December evening.

The blast of icy cold air was like a slap on the face, and Lilli could feel her head swimming from the amount of champagne and wine she had drunk during the evening. In fact, she suddenly felt decidedly light-headed.

‘Steady.’ Patrick’s arm tightened about her waist as he held her beside him. ‘My car is just over here. Don’t you have a coat?’ He frowned as she shivered from the cold while he unlocked the doors of his sleek black sports car.

She suddenly couldn’t remember whether she had a coat or not. In fact, she was having trouble putting two thoughts together inside her head!

She gave a laugh as he opened the car door for her to get in, showing a long expanse of shapely leg as she dropped down into the low passenger seat. ‘I’m sure you’ll help me to get warm once we reach the hotel,’ she told him seductively.

His mouth quirked. ‘I’ll do my best, Just Lilli,’ he assured her, the promise in his voice unmistakable.

Lilli leant her head back against the seat as he closed her door to move around the car and get in behind the wheel. What was she doing here...? Oh, yes, she was getting away from Geraldine and him!

‘Any preference on hotels?’ Patrick glanced at her as he turned on the ignition.

Hotels? Why were they going to a hotel...? Oh, yes...this man was going to make love to her.

She shook her head, instantly wishing she hadn’t as it began to spin once again. ‘You choose,’ she said weakly.

She wasn’t actually going to be sick, was she?

God, she hoped not. Although she had no idea where they were going as Patrick turned the car out onto the road. And at that moment she didn’t care either. Nothing mattered at the moment. Not her. Not him. Not Geraldine Simms!

‘All right?’ Patrick reached out to squeeze her hand reassuringly.

She didn’t think she would ever be ‘all right’ again. She had felt as if her world had shattered three months ago; tonight it felt as if it had ended completely.