Mistletoe Brides: Italian Doctor, Sleigh-Bell Bride / Christmas Angel for the Billionaire / His Vienna Christmas Bride

The question was, would she dare to do anything about it?

By the middle of December the whole hospital was buzzing with excitement at the prospect of the Snowflake Ball. Those without tickets were hoping desperately for a sudden flurry of returns and those with tickets spent the day of the ball discussing how to look glamorous and stay warm at the same time.

‘Everyone has gone mad,’ Liv grumbled as she handed Anna a pile of notes. ‘It’s just a dance. With all the same people they work with every day.’

‘In case you hadn’t noticed, a dinner jacket is so much more attractive than a scrub suit.’

‘But once you’ve seen them in a scrub suit, there’s no going back.’ Liv said dryly. ‘I’m glad I gave my tickets to you. What are you wearing?’

‘Oh!’ Anna avoided her gaze. ‘I haven’t decided yet.’

Liv looked at her in amazement. ‘But it’s tonight.’

‘I know. But we finish at four. That gives me four hours to decide what to wear. That should just about be enough.’

‘You should have let me have Sam for the night.’

‘You don’t think that two little boys in Stefano’s flashy apartment would have been pushing things?’ Anna smiled. ‘Anyway, there’s no need. Dave’s mother has turned up for her annual Christmas take-over, so she might as well make herself useful. How’s Max doing? Is he sleeping in his own bed yet?’

‘Yes. He only slept with me for the first couple of nights. He seems to be fine, actually. And that’s because of Stefano. Max is so cocooned in this wonderful masculine world of football and Ferraris that I think he’s forgotten that his own home no longer exists.’

‘Sam told me all about Stefano turning up at school in the Ferrari to collect Max.’

‘Yes. That was probably the highlight of Max’s life so far.’

Anna looked at her closely. ‘And you’re not happy about that?’

Liv bit her lip. ‘I’m happy that he’s happy, of course I am. But I’m also worried about what is going to happen in the new year. At the moment Max is living in style. He’s made friends with the whole of the security team in Stefano’s apartment block and they play spy games with him all the time. He goes for rides in Stefano’s Ferrari. How is he going to adapt to returning to his own life?’

‘He’s just having fun. You’re the reality of his life, Liv. You’re the anchor. But that doesn’t mean he can’t have fun while it’s on offer.’ Anna touched her shoulder. ‘And you should do the same. Just enjoy it while it’s there. Life is a cold, hard thing as you well know. If there’s any warmth available, then take it and make the most of it.’

‘That’s what I’m doing.’ Liv thought of her new clothes and Stefano’s incredible apartment. ‘He has this balcony that wraps itself around the whole apartment. It’s fabulous. And it’s so, so peaceful.’ She took a deep breath. ‘And it feels safe. In the flat I always slept with one eye open in case someone tried to break in and there were often fights on the streets outside. Living in Knightsbridge is like moving to a different country.’

‘All right, I’ve heard enough.’ Laughing, Anna covered her ears with her hands. ‘Any moment now I’m going to thump you. Just don’t tell me that you’ve seen Stefano naked. That will really ruin my day.’

‘One of the advantages of an extremely large apartment is that it’s perfectly possible for two people not to see that much of each other.’

And that was a good thing, she told herself firmly. He’d been so generous that she was starting to imagine things she shouldn’t imagine.

Yes, he’d said that he wanted to have sex with her, but he was a man, wasn’t he? And she had no doubt at all that if Stefano ever caught a glimpse of her without the clothes he’d bought, he’d change his mind about finding her attractive.

Anna peered at her closely. ‘Is something going on I should know about?’

Liv felt her heart bump. ‘Nothing.’ She wasn’t going to mention that one incredible kiss in his office because since then he hadn’t laid a finger on her so obviously he’d changed his mind about finding her attractive.

‘Well you’ve been living with him for over a week so if there’s nothing going on then you’re a disgrace to the female race. You’re living with the sexiest man alive. If you haven’t used the opportunity to seduce him, you should be ashamed of yourself.’

Liv picked up another set of notes and went to call the patient. ‘Seduction usually involves undressing. And I don’t do undressing unless I’m by myself or I’m in the dark.’

Anna slid into Stefano’s office. ‘This is never going to work. You’re never going to get her into a balldress and you’re never going to persuade her to relax enough to dance with you.’

‘That is my problem.’ Stefano put his pen down. ‘Is everything else arranged?’

‘Yes, yes.’ Anna paced nervously across the room. ‘But she has no confidence, you know that, don’t you?’

Yes, he knew that.

Accustomed to women who were tediously preoccupied with their own appearance, he was finding Liv a revelation. ‘Stop worrying.’

Anna shot him a look. ‘The suspense is killing me.’ She folded her arms. ‘I don’t think I’ve actually ever kept a secret before. And how on earth has Max managed not to let it all spill out? Sam is the same age and he can’t keep a secret if you pay him.’

‘It helps to own a Ferrari,’ Stefano said dryly and Anna laughed.

‘You’re bribing him with your car? You Italians have no sense of decency.’

‘Max wants her to go to the ball. You’re sure you haven’t changed your mind?’