Once Upon a Christmas

‘The ligamentum arteriosum,’ Bryony intervened, and he rolled his eyes.

‘If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a brainy blonde,’ he drawled, and she clucked sympathetically.

‘If I’m threatening your ego then just let me know.’

‘My ego is shivering,’ he assured her, his blue eyes twinkling as looked down at her. ‘What do you get when you give a blonde a penny for her thoughts?’

‘Change,’ Bryony said immediately, tilting her head to one side. ‘Why is a man like a vintage wine?’

Jack’s eyes narrowed and his mouth twitched. ‘Go on …’

‘Because they all start out like grapes,’ Bryony said cheerfully, ‘and it’s a woman’s job to tread all over them and keep them in the dark until they mature into something you’d like to have dinner with.’

Nicky gave a snort of amusement from the corner of the room and Jack grinned.

‘That’s shockingly sexist, Blondie.’

‘Just giving as good as I get.’

Jack’s smile faded. ‘And talking about having dinner, haven’t you got a date tomorrow night?’

‘Yes.’ Bryony frowned as she remembered that she had all of three weeks to find a man who might make a good father for Lizzie. By anyone’s standards it was a tall order.

But at least she had another date with David so he must be fairly keen.

And he was a really nice man. Her eyes slid to Jack’s face and then away again. She wasn’t going to compare him to Jack. All right, so Jack was staggeringly handsome and he was clever and he had a great sense of humour—She cut herself off before the list grew too long. Jack didn’t do commitment. And Jack didn’t notice her. Which ruled him out as a potential partner.

At least David noticed her.

And she was going to start noticing him, she told herself firmly, leaving the room so that she wouldn’t be tempted to continually look at Jack.

‘I’m really looking forward to tonight.’ Bryony slid into David’s car and gave him a smile. ‘The food is meant to be great and Lizzie is at my mother’s so we are guaranteed no interruptions.’

David waited while she fastened her seat belt and then pulled out of her drive. ‘Let’s hope not.’

They walked into the restaurant ten minutes later and Bryony gave a gasp of delight as she saw the Christmas tree sparkling by the log fire. ‘Oh—it’s lovely.’

And romantic.

How could she and David fail to further their relationship in this atmosphere? It was made for lovers.

She handed over her coat, feeling David’s eyes slide over her.

‘You look great,’ he said quietly, and she smiled shyly, pleased that she’d bought the red dress she’d seen on a shopping expedition a week earlier.

‘So do you.’

And he did. He was wearing a dark, well-cut suit and she saw several female heads turn towards him as they were shown to their table.

All right, so he didn’t make her knees wobble but that was a good thing surely. With Jack she actually felt physically sick every time he walked into a room, which was utterly ridiculous. She couldn’t concentrate and she couldn’t breathe. All she was aware of was him. And that wasn’t what she wanted in a stable, long-term relationship.

At least being with David didn’t make her feel sick with excitement.

They ordered their food and then David picked up his glass and raised it. ‘To an uninterrupted evening.’

She smiled and lifted her glass in response but before she could speak she gave a gasp of surprise. ‘Oh—it’s Jack!’

David’s jaw tightened and he put his glass carefully down on the table. ‘Jack?’

‘Jack Rothwell. He’s just walked in with some blonde.’

Bryony felt a flash of jealousy as she studied Jack’s companion. She was his usual type. Endless legs, silvery blonde hair and a skirt that barely covered her bottom. She wore a very low-cut top and Bryony glanced at Jack to see signs of disapproval, but he seemed perfectly relaxed, his eyes twinkling flirtatiously as he laughed at something the girl had said.

By contrast, David was glowering, his earlier good humour seemingly gone as he reached for his wine.

‘Well …’ Bryony made a determined effort not to look at Jack and not to mind that he didn’t appear to have noticed her anyway. ‘That’s a coincidence.’

‘Is it?’ David’s eyes glittered ominously and he sat back in his chair as the waiter poured more wine into his glass. ‘Aren’t you beginning to wonder why it is that Jack Rothwell would want to sabotage every date we have?’

‘Sabotage?’ Bryony looked at him in astonishment and gave a puzzled laugh. ‘Jack has nothing to do with the fact that our last two dates haven’t worked out that well.’

‘No?’

‘Well, he’s certainly not sabotaging tonight,’ Bryony said reasonably. ‘I mean, he hasn’t even noticed we’re here. He’s with a woman himself.’

She glanced across the restaurant again and immediately wished she hadn’t. Jack was leaning forward, his attention totally focused on his beautiful companion.

Bryony looked away quickly, trying not to mind. Knowing that she had no right to mind.

And, anyway, she was with David.

But he was looking at her with an odd expression on his face. ‘He knows you’re here,’ he said quietly, ‘and no man could fail to notice you, Bryony.’

She blushed at the compliment. ‘Well, that’s very kind of you, but I can assure you that Jack certainly doesn’t notice me in the way you’re suggesting.’

In fact, he didn’t seem to notice her as a woman at all. Until she wore something that he disapproved of, she thought gloomily. Goodness knew how he would have reacted had she been the one dressed like his date. He probably would have had her locked up. But evidently the girl staring into his eyes at that precise moment was allowed to dress however she pleased.

Realising that she was staring again, Bryony turned her attention back to David but the atmosphere had changed. She made a valiant attempt to keep up lively conversation but it seemed like hard work.

In the end they ate their starter in virtual silence and Bryony’s gaze flickered surreptitiously to Jack yet again.

Immediately their eyes locked and she swallowed hard, aware that he must have been looking at her.

His eyes held hers and everything and everyone else in the room gradually faded into the background. For Bryony there was just Jack and he seemed as reluctant to break the contact as she was.

Her heart banged against her ribs with rhythmic force and the sick feeling started in her stomach.

And still Jack’s eyes held hers.