The Unexpected Holiday Gift

The Unexpected Holiday Gift
Sophie Pembroke

Reunited for Christmas?

When Jacob Foster walks back into Clara’s world, her heart races. She won’t, can’t, allow herself to hope it could lead to something more. But when her soon-to-be ex-husband hires her to create a perfect Christmas for his family, she simply can’t afford to refuse.

Yet Clara has a secretone she thought Jacob would never be ready to hear. Until snowbound with her husband, their bond is rekindled Dare she hope that Jacob could be there for her and their daughter not just for Christmas, but for ever?

Reunited for Christmas?

When Jacob Foster walks back into Clara’s world, her heart races. She won’t, can’t, allow herself to hope it could lead to something more. But when her soon-to-be ex-husband hires her to create a perfect Christmas for his family, she simply can’t afford to refuse.

Yet Clara has a secret...one she thought Jacob would never be ready to hear. Until she is snowbound with her husband, and their bond is rekindled... Dare she hope that Jacob could be there for her—and their daughter—not just for Christmas, but forever?

‘I remember.’

The heat in Jacob’s voice surprised her after all this time. Did he still feel that connection? The one that had drawn them together that night and seemed never to want to let them go.

She bit her lip. She had to know. ‘Do you? Do you remember how it was? How we were?’

‘I remember everything.’

Clara’s body tightened at his words.

‘I remember how I couldn’t look away from your eyes. They mesmerised me. I remember I was supposed to go home for Christmas the next day, but I couldn’t leave your bed. Couldn’t be apart from you no matter what day it was. I thought I might go insane if I couldn’t touch your skin…’

So he did remember. She’d thought she might have embellished the memory of that connection over the years, but he described it just the way she remembered it feeling. Like an addiction, a tie between them. Something she couldn’t escape and didn’t even want to.

The Unexpected Holiday Gift

Sophie Pembroke

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

SOPHIE PEMBROKE has been reading and writing romance ever since she read her first Mills & Boon romance at university, so getting to write them for a living is a dream come true! Sophie lives in a little Hertfordshire market town in the UK with her scientist husband and her incredibly imaginative six-year-old daughter. She writes stories about friends, family and falling in love—usually while drinking too much tea and eating homemade cakes. She also keeps a blog at www.sophiepembroke.com (http://www.sophiepembroke.com).

For Auntie Barbara and Uncle Viv, for so many perfect Christmas days!

Contents

Cover (#u5ecc1213-ff38-5210-8ffe-db5e73d0330b)

Back Cover Text (#u8b7574dd-0ae9-5b7d-8a2b-bd50f55c041c)

Introduction (#u35f87fdb-4889-52fa-a16b-2c8163cc3dab)

Title Page (#ua3a39ad9-855d-5fd2-a3d5-067ee34a81e4)

About the Author (#uac5293d5-fc15-582f-8a0f-563a63f2096e)

Dedication (#u0bf69b0f-c531-5416-b79a-67e98e328270)

CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_aed88152-3c3d-5ed4-99e0-2d3dc710bb5d)

CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_ce9895f2-da99-5284-8c73-c4fd1c457093)

CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_2460a14e-0623-5547-b70a-eeb4ed43d91d)

CHAPTER FOUR (#ulink_56681b2c-eaa0-5e69-bfd8-9c549b6024a9)

CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINETEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_2a61b78b-f4f3-5257-8439-c685fd3e6bf5)

CLARA TUGGED THE candy-striped ribbon just a millimetre farther out, then leaned back to admire the neatly wrapped present with beautifully tied bow. Really, it was a shame to give it away.

‘Are we done?’ Her business partner, Merry, added one last gift to the pile and looked hopefully at Clara. ‘That was definitely the last one, right?’