Cinderella's New York Christmas

Chloe laughed as she straightened her uniform next to them. ‘Oh, no, none of that.’ Then she glanced sideways at Anissa and shrugged. ‘Or maybe two out of the three.’ She laughed. ‘But, hey, who doesn’t want to go to the chalet of the gorgeous billionaire Anissa snagged a few nights ago?’

Lucy’s eyes widened. ‘That was the guy?’ She laughed too and shook her head. ‘Oh, no way. I’m not swapping.’ She pointed at Anissa. ‘You’ve gotta go clean the hottie’s chalet.’ She swept up her equipment. ‘And who knows what might happen—again!’ she added with a wicked wink.

Anissa’s stomach turned over as her colleagues left. Darn it. She’d managed to get out of cleaning Leo’s chalet the last few days as she’d been working with other girls. But she’d made the mistake of telling Chloe all about her mystery encounter and great night before she’d realised Leo was actually staying in one of the chalets she was supposed to service.

She checked her watch. She had another chalet to clean too. Maybe she could time things just right and manage to avoid Leo. He was here for...business, wasn’t he? Chances were he would be out at some point during the day.

She gathered her equipment and headed out towards the chalets. There was a large red SUV outside the one that a family was staying in, and nothing outside Leo’s.

She licked her dry lips and headed towards his, turning the key carefully in the lock as her stomach did somersaults. ‘Housekeeping,’ she called. ‘Anyone home?’

Her voice echoed around her. She stayed frozen for a few seconds, wondering if there’d be any delayed response, but after a minute she breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door behind her, looking around carefully.

Chalet was a bit of a misnomer. It might suit the place in which she lived, but it didn’t suit these massive luxury houses halfway up the slopes. She grabbed some of her cleaning equipment. The people who stayed here were millionaires at a minimum. They expected impeccable service. And as the chalet had seventeen rooms, this wasn’t somewhere you could whip round with a brush and duster in half an hour.

Her heart started to race in her chest. She really needed to use this window of opportunity wisely. She had to get in, and out, as soon as possible. Her brain tried to think logically. There was no way Leo was using all these rooms. Chances were she would have the main room, a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen to clean. She could do that before he got back. At least she hoped she could.

She automatically plugged in a fresh scented atomiser. It was changed every day—probably just to let the guests know that the chalet had been serviced. She grabbed her mop and bucket and dashed up the stairs to do a quick check around. None of the rooms on the top floor looked as if they’d been touched—everything was still pristine.

She ran down to the next floor. Leo was using the master suite. No surprise there. But it felt a little strange, walking into a room and seeing his belongings scattered around. The white bed was rumpled and unmade. She walked over and touched it, then pulled her hand back. It was weird. She was used to making strangers’ beds, picking up their clothes and folding them, restocking their bathrooms and kitchens. But this wasn’t a stranger. This was Leo. The guy who’d made her forget a year of feeling unloved and unwanted. A guy who’d actually made her feel attractive and sexy again.

She could smell him in this room. That woody aftershave he’d been wearing when he’d been with her, the way his stubble had scraped along her jaw...

She took a breath and sat down for a second on the bed. She’d been here a year and she’d never behaved like this. What on earth was wrong with her? What had changed the other night?

Even this, sitting on one of guest’s beds, was something she would never do. She glanced around, almost expecting there to be hidden cameras taping this terrible misdemeanour. She ran her hand over the bed sheet. Leo had slept here last night. Had he thought about her? Had she even crossed his mind?

What if someone else had shared the bed with him? She jumped back up, annoyed that her thoughts had even gone there. It was enough to bring her back to her senses.

She started stripping off the sheets, remaking the bed with clean sheets in record time. She wiped around the room with a damp duster, picking up a discarded shirt and pair of trousers and hanging them up. The bathroom was messier. He’d managed to get toothpaste and shaving foam all over the sink. And all four towels were lying on the bathroom floor, indicating they should be replaced.

What was it with guys and towels?

Anissa worked as quickly as she could. Normally she would take longer, ensuring the glass shower door was smear free and the mirror completely spotless. But that would all take time she wasn’t sure she had. A quick wipe would have to do.

She hurried down to the kitchen and started to clean there, scrubbing a little harder than necessary in some places. Her eyes kept glancing at the door. She really wasn’t doing the job she normally did but she was willing to risk a complaint if it meant she could avoid coming face to face with Leo again.

Darn it. She picked up the discarded coffee pods. She’d forgotten the hamper to restock the kitchen.

There was noise outside and she turned in time to see a large black SUV pull up directly outside. Oh, no.

She gathered the towels and bed sheets in her arms, looking first one way then the other. Normally she would just put these in a black laundry bag and phone for them to be collected. But all of a sudden she thought about darting out the back door and taking them back to the service office herself. She looked at the back door again.

But it was too late. Her jumbled brain had waited too long.

Leo was at the door.

He’d met with Giovanni again. He’d called his own lawyers in New York, desperately trying to find any possible way to get out of looking after the family business for the next six months. But things were not looking good—and unless he wanted to ruin the Cattaneo family business, staying was beginning to look like a distinct possibility.

As Leo opened the door of the chalet he was struck by the fresh scent of pines and cinnamon. A hint of Christmas. A clear sign that the chalet service had visited.

Then he stopped. And blinked.

‘Anissa?’

She was standing near the kitchen, a white pile of something in her arms. Her cheeks flushed pink instantly. Something she’d said the night they’d met pricked in his brain.

‘You work here?’

‘I... I... I...’

She was clearly flustered.

‘I know you said you were a chalet maid, but I didn’t realise you worked in these chalets.’ He was surprised to see her. And even more surprised by the fact his heart was missing a few rapid beats.

He saw her swallow nervously. ‘You didn’t say where you were staying—’

‘I didn’t know,’ he cut in. He gave a laugh. ‘I hadn’t made it to my chalet before we met.’

A frown creased her brow and she stared at him for a few seconds with her pale blue eyes. ‘Of course,’ she said softly.

He moved towards her. ‘Hey, why don’t you dump that stuff and have a coffee with me?’

Something flitted across her eyes. ‘I can’t. I have another chalet to clean. And I haven’t really finished in here.’ She pulled a face as she glanced back at the kitchen. ‘You might not even have coffee. I haven’t replenished your supplies in the kitchen.’

He stepped even closer. As he breathed he felt a wave of familiarity. A scent. Her scent. The fruity one he’d smelt a few days ago. Orange blossom. The sensations from the other night flooded back. Her warmth. Her passion. The spark in her eye.

For the past few days he’d been buried beneath a mountain of legal stuff. Now, seeing Anissa again, it just made him regret the choice he’d made. He’d liked the way she’d distracted him. He’d more than liked it. And he kind of wished he could capture it all again.

He gave a smile. ‘Hey, what happened to my brilliant chalet maid, then? The one who stocks up the coffee varieties every day, along with all the fresh bread and chocolate-chip cookies.’

Anissa let out a little laugh. She shook her head. ‘Yeah. You’ve had Rena the last few days, but she’s off now.’ She shrugged. ‘And you got me. The poor excuse of chalet maid. Sorry.’

She moved to the side. ‘Give me a sec.’ She walked over and dumped the laundry in a black fabric sack and sat it outside the front door. She dialled a number on the phone and spoke for a few seconds before replacing the handset and turning back around to face him.

‘Okay, the restock hamper will be here in a few minutes. Don’t worry, you’ll have coffee.’

He gave a nod as his heart gave a little trip. ‘And will you join me?’

She glanced at her watch then gave a small smile. ‘Okay, a quick one. I do have a day job—no matter how much I don’t want one.’

He raised his eyebrows in interest. Perfect. Anissa Lang was going to distract him. Again.

Her stomach was in knots. For the first few seconds she’d just wanted to run. Talk about embarrassing. The guy she’d spent a red-hot night with had just found her changing his towels. Hardly a great moment.

But it was odd. Leo had made her feel instantly at ease. And there was definitely still...something. It didn’t matter that it had been a few days and she’d been deliberately avoiding him. It only took being in his presence again for a few seconds to feel that buzz, feel that attraction. And she wasn’t imagining the sparkle in his eyes. For some crazy reason she liked being around this guy. And—no matter what some people might think—it was nothing to do with his billionaire status.

A few minutes later the supplies arrived in a wicker hamper. She unpacked the coffee, the bread, the milk and the cookies. Leo was at her elbow the whole time, starting the coffee machine, putting in the pods and lifting out the cookies.