A Christmas Affair

She smiled at the thoughts, wishing herself there, longing for that enveloping warmth, not aware of the moment when the thoughts became a hazy dream and carried her off to sleep …

‘Lunch, Cathy.’

Lunch? What did lunch have to do with the golden vision before her, all the family seated about the brightly lit Christmas tree? But even as the irritated question came to her Dominic appeared in the vision carrying a silver tray of food. And he looked so right there among her family and friends, so incredibly perfect, so——

‘I said it's time for lunch, Cathy,’ that intrusive voice persisted.

So he kept saying. But she wasn't in the least hungry, and——

‘Cathy, wake up.’ A firm hand shook her shoulder.

She frowned at the irritation, trying unsuccessfully to shake off the hand, only to have the action repeated, more vigorously this time. ‘Go away,’ she muttered impatiently.

‘You always were bad-tempered when you woke up.’ Dominic was amused now.

Cathy was frowning as she reluctantly opened her eyes, the wonderful dream having disappeared as if it had never been. As it hadn't. Dreams were an impossibility.

Dominic was sitting turned towards her in his seat, not the smiling, loving man in her dreams, but the cynic she was more used to.

‘You've been asleep almost two hours, and I need some lunch,’ he told her practically.

She moved stiffly, still frowning darkly as she straightened in her seat to look around them. Dominic had stopped at one of the roadside service areas, and outside the car the snow still fell softly, thick on the ground where there were no vehicles to churn it up and melt it into muddy slush. The sky was darker above them, too, as if the weight of the snow yet to come was hanging heavily above them.

‘Stop complaining, when it was your suggestion that I sleep,’ she snapped moodily, looking in the overhead mirror and doing her best to straighten her appearance before they got out.

Dominic smiled at her bad temper, shaking his head. ‘Let's go and get something to eat. Fussing over your appearance isn't going to do you a lot of good when you get outside in the wind.’

The coldness outside did a lot to revive her spirits; she had always loved the snow. Large flecks of it landed on her face and hair, and she was gazing up at the featherlight flakes when her footing suddenly seemed to go from under her and she felt herself falling.

‘Steady.’ Dominic's hand was instantly under her elbow as he kept her on her feet, easily supporting her weight beside him. ‘Perhaps you'd better hold on to me.’ He put her hand in the crook of his arm and held it there.

During the whole time she had worked for him, Dominic had rarely had a need to touch her, and having his hand against hers now made the cold completely disappear. Cathy suddenly felt too warm for comfort.

As was usual in these places, the service area was noisy and crowded, especially so as it was Christmas Eve, with everyone more than full of the joys of the season as they anticipated the holiday ahead.

The queue for food in the restaurant looked never-ending, and several people were so bored by the wait that they were indulging in horseplay that could only be described as juvenile, one teenage boy very free with his mistletoe as he moved among the queue looking for all the pretty young ladies.

Cathy winced as she glanced sideways at Dominic, knowing from experience that he hated anything resembling a fast-food restaurant at the best of times. And with the volume of people that passed through these service areas in a day they couldn't be classed as anything else!

But today Dominic didn't seem in the least concerned by their surroundings. Just as he seemed totally unaware of the fact that Cathy's hand was still tucked warmly inside his arm!

‘Wow, my luck's really in today,’ murmured an admiring voice.

During her preoccupation with Dominic Cathy had completely forgotten the young man with the mistletoe, but unfortunately he seemed to have reached their place in the queue.

He was a young man of about eighteen, with an untidy mop of blond hair and mischievous blue eyes, wearing the customary jeans and thick jacket.

And he looked as if he had every intention of kissing her.

‘I don't think so,’ Dominic drawled softly.

An irritated blue gaze was turned on the older man as he stood so commandingly at Cathy's side. The two gazes clashed challengingly but, whatever it was the younger man read in Dominic's eyes, he looked disappointed rather than rebellious when he turned back wistfully towards Cathy.

Then his expression brightened suddenly. ‘Well, there's no reason why the mistletoe shouldn't be put to good use.’ And he held the green sprig with its creamy berries over Cathy's and Dominic's heads, his intention obvious as he looked at them expectantly.

Cathy was too embarrassed by the action to even glance at Dominic.

How on earth were they going to get out of this one, and with everyone in the near vicinity turning to look at them curiously now? If Dominic tried to cry off by claiming she worked for him he was only likely to receive ribald comments from the over-enthusiastic crowd in here today.

But the idea of the two of them actually kissing each other was unthinkable too!

‘I——’

‘It is Christmas, Cathy,’ Dominic reminded her softly, the firmness of his lips softening into a smile as her mouth fell open in surprise at his remark.

The fact that her mouth had fallen open made the brief brushing together of lips that the kiss should have been virtually impossible, their mouths melding together in a kiss that took Cathy's breath away.

Dominic was actually kissing her, was standing in the middle of a crowded restaurant and kissing her! It was unreal. Incredible. Beautiful. Wonderful …

And over much too soon.

She swayed dizzily, her mouth still raised invitingly as Dominic straightened, looking as cool and in control as he usually did. And for all the world as if he hadn't just shattered Cathy's own control.

The young man with the mistletoe moved off down the queue in the search of more victims of his pranks, having no idea of the turmoil he had left behind him.

The focus was no longer on the two of them, and yet Cathy couldn't speak. Her lips still felt the touch of Dominic's, firm and oh, so sensual, not cold and unyielding as they had always appeared.

She was breathing hard, her fingernails digging into the sleeve of Dominic's jacket where she still clung to his arm, slowly forcing her grip to relax as Dominic looked down at her enquiringly.

‘I——’ She moistened dry lips. ‘I'm sorry about that.’

‘It doesn't matter,’ he dismissed shruggingly, turning to organise their food on to a tray. ‘It didn't hurt.’

It took a couple of minutes for Cathy to realise he was talking about her nails digging into his arm, and not the kiss!

How could he just carry on as if nothing unusual had happened, when to her it had been the single most breathtaking experience of her life? Because he wasn't in love, she acknowledged heavily.

But, whatever she had thought of the intimate side of his life during the past few years, the kiss he had given her had been that of an expert, practised and assured. And she was left wondering who he had done the practising with!

‘You didn't mind what happened just now, did you?’ Dominic had turned and seen her frowning expression. ‘I thought it would cause less embarrassment to all concerned if we just humoured the young man.’

Of course he had; he certainly hadn't wanted to kiss her.

‘I realised as much.’ She nodded abruptly. ‘The chicken looks nice,’ she murmured brightly, the slightly dry-looking poultry, despite the sauce that covered it, not really appealing to her at all. In fact, the thought of any food at all made her feel ill.