For Christmas, Forever: The Yuletide Engagement / The Doctor's Christmas Bride / Snowbound Reunion

‘You do it,’ Patrick encouraged huskily. ‘I can’t see what I’m doing,’ he reasoned before she protested.

She swallowed hard, willing her heart to stop pounding, her hand not to shake as she reached up to wipe the smears of lipstick that he now had on his mouth.

So engrossed was she in not betraying how shaken she felt that she didn’t even see the man walking past, a dark scowl on his handsome features as he stopped to stare at the two of them.

‘Ellie…?’ he questioned uncertainly—as if he couldn’t quite believe the woman in the red dress, a woman who had obviously just been very thoroughly kissed, was actually her.

She stiffened before looking at him. ‘Gareth,’ she greeted him distantly, feeling rather than seeing Patrick as he moved to stand beside her, his arm curving possessively about her waist. She glanced up at him, a shiver running down her spine as she saw the narroweyed look he was giving the younger man. ‘Patrick, this is a work colleague—Gareth Davies,’ she dismissed with deliberate lightness, glad of that lightness as she saw Gareth’s scowl deepen. ‘Gareth—Patrick McGrath,’ she added economically, still too shaken by that kiss to think how to describe him to the other man.

‘The Patrick McGrath?’ Gareth questioned abruptly as he looked frowningly at the other man.

Patrick smiled—a smile that didn’t reach the cold grey of his eyes. ‘I very much doubt there’s only one Patrick McGrath in the world,’ he answered the other man tauntingly.

‘We really should be going in, Patrick,’ Ellie put in determinedly as she saw the light of challenge that had now appeared in both men’s eyes. ‘If you’ll excuse us, Gareth?’ she added dismissively, not giving him a second glance as she turned and walked in the direction of the main restaurant, Patrick at her side, his arm still firmly about her waist.

Not quite the way she had envisaged the evening beginning!

But then she hadn’t expected Patrick to kiss her either…

Why on earth had he kissed her? Just for effect, as his words afterwards had seemed to imply? Well, he couldn’t even begin to imagine the effect his unexpected behaviour had had on her!

She could still feel the sensuous touch of his lips against hers, still feel the hardness of his body as she moulded perfectly against him, the warmth that had coursed through her, that totally not-knowing-where-she-was-and-not-caring-either feeling.

As for Gareth! Amazingly, she had felt absolutely nothing as she’d looked at him just now. Except perhaps a vague disbelief that she had ever been taken in by his overt good looks and charm…

What did it all mean…?

But as they walked into the restaurant and Patrick was greeted effusively by her boss, George Delacorte, Senior Partner at Delacorte, Delacorte and Delacorte, Ellie knew she would have to get back to that particularly puzzling question later!

Chapter Three

‘I HAD no idea you were going to be here with Ellie this evening, Patrick.’ The older man greeted him warmly and the two men shook hands. George Delacorte was a tall, distinguished-looking man with iron-grey hair and twinkling brown eyes that belied the shrewd trial lawyer he actually was. ‘You should have told me, Ellie,’ he chided teasingly.

Told him what? Until a few seconds ago she hadn’t even known that he and Patrick were acquainted! Patrick certainly hadn’t mentioned that he knew the older man.

‘How are Anne and Thomas?’ George smiled.

‘Very well, thank you, sir,’ Patrick replied smoothly, his arm still lightly about Ellie’s waist, almost as if he weren’t aware that she was staring up at him in amazement.

Why hadn’t he told her he knew George Delacorte? It was obvious from the easy way he was talking with the older man that Patrick had been perfectly well aware that he would be seeing the other man this evening! In fact, she knew that he had; she had told him herself that it was the Delacorte Christmas dinner!

‘And Teresa?’ the older man continued lightly. ‘Breaking hearts, as usual?’

Patrick shrugged. ‘I think she might finally have met “the one’,” he answered indulgently.

‘Good for her.’ George chuckled.

Who on earth were Anne and Thomas—let alone Teresa? Ellie realised she really should have asked Patrick for a few more personal details. And maybe she would have done if she had known they would be relevant to this evening!

‘I must just go and tell Mary you’re here; she’ll be so pleased to see you,’ George said happily. ‘Sarah is here too—somewhere.’ He frowned. ‘You’re coming to the family party tomorrow?’ he prompted abruptly.

‘Of course,’ Patrick assured him.

‘Bring Ellie, too,’ George went on with a smile in her direction. ‘If you would like to come, my dear?’ he added gently.

She had no idea what party either of these two men were talking about!

‘I’m not sure what Ellie’s plans are for tomorrow.’ Patrick was the one to answer smoothly. ‘We’ll let you know.’

‘Of course,’ George accepted briskly. ‘I’ll just go and find Mary.’ He gave them another smile before going off in search of his wife.

‘So that was the infamous Gareth,’ Patrick murmured thoughtfully once the two of them were alone. ‘I have to say, Ellie, I wasn’t very impressed.’ He shrugged.

‘Never mind Gareth for now—who are Anne, Thomas and Teresa?’ Ellie hissed explosively. ‘And how is it that you know George Delacorte?’

‘He’s my uncle,’ Patrick told her dismissively, at the same time looking interestedly at the forty or so other Delacorte staff in the room. ‘As for Anne, Thomas and—’

‘Your uncle?’ Ellie spluttered incredulously, gaping up at him unbelievingly.

‘By marriage.’ Patrick nodded. ‘Mary Delacorte is my father’s sister.’

‘Why on earth didn’t you tell me?’ she demanded indignantly.

Patrick turned to look at her, dark brows raised over slightly mocking grey eyes. ‘I didn’t think it was relevant.’

‘You-didn’t-think-it-was-relevant!’ she repeated disgustedly.

‘Ellie, why do you keep repeating everything I say?’ he taunted derisively.

‘Because I just can’t believe this!’ The colour was high in her cheeks, blue eyes sparkling. ‘Is Toby aware that my boss is your uncle?’ she asked suspiciously as that idea suddenly occurred to her.

‘I’m really not sure.’ Patrick shrugged. ‘But I would have thought so. Do you think we ought to mingle?’ he added consideringly. ‘Several of your work colleagues have looked curiously across at us in the last few minutes.’

She didn’t care who had looked at them in the last few minutes; she intended getting to the bottom of this if it took all night. If Toby knew that Patrick was related to George Delacorte, then he must also be aware—

‘Patrick!’

Ellie turned just in time to see Sarah Delacorte, George’s daughter and only child, throw herself into Patrick’s arms, kissing him enthusiastically.

Ellie felt her heart plummet as she looked at the beautiful young woman laughing up into Patrick’s face, her pleasure at his presence obvious.

Sarah Delacorte was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, with her tall, slender figure—shown off to advantage now in a slinky black knee-length dress—her long silky blonde hair and delicate child-like features.

Unfortunately she was also the woman Gareth had been dating for the last six weeks and was about to announce his engagement to!

And she was, Ellie realised with dismay, Patrick’s young cousin…

‘What are you doing here?’ Sarah demanded, still holding onto Patrick’s hands as she gazed up at him in obvious delight.