“It’s Noemi.”
“Noemi. That’s a beautiful name for a very beautiful woman.” He took a step closer to her, leaving little distance between them. She searched his face for any sign of recognition of who she was. There was nothing in his expression to suggest that he recognized her as an heiress to the infamous Cattaneo Jewels worn by the rich and famous worldwide. But there was something else reflected in his eyes.
Desire.
Their gazes locked. This gorgeous hunk of a man, who could have his pick of the eligible women and some not quite so eligible at this party, desired her. Her heart raced. It’d been such a long time since a man had turned her head. But there was something special about Max.
The thump thump of her heart was so loud that she could barely hear her own thoughts. And then he reached out to her. His thumb ever so gently traced down her jaw before his finger brushed over her bottom lip. It was such a simple gesture but it sent a bolt of heat ricocheting from her mouth down to her very core.
Before she could figure out how to react to these unexpected sensations, his gaze lowered to her lips. He was going to kiss her?
Her heart lodged in her throat. She should... She should do something. But her body betrayed her. Her feet refused to move and her chin lifted ever so slightly.
As though that was all the invitation he needed, Max lowered his head. Her eyes fluttered closed. She shouldn’t want this—want him. But she did, more than she thought possible.
His lips were smooth and warm. And a kiss had never felt so good. She didn’t make a habit of going around kissing strangers, but in the short time she’d spent with Max, she had this uncanny feeling that she could trust him.
She slipped her arms up over his muscled shoulders. As the kiss deepened, her hands wrapped around the back of his neck. She’d never been kissed quite so intently and with such unrestrained passion. She wasn’t even sure her feet were still on the ground.
Suddenly Max pulled back. It happened so quickly she had to wonder if she’d imagined it. But her lips still tingled where his mouth had touched hers. And he sent her a dazzling smile that promised more of the same.
If she were wise, she would end things right here, but her body hummed with unquenched desire. For once, she wanted to throw caution to the wind and enjoy herself. After all, her brother accused her of being impulsive. Why not live up to the accusation...just this once?
Max pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket.
“What are you doing?” The words slipped from her lips.
“I’m calling my driver.” And then he spoke into his phone. Seconds later, the conversation ended. He turned back to her. “The car will be waiting for us downstairs in a couple of minutes. Shall we?”
But she’d never said she would go anywhere with him. Was it that obvious in the way she looked at him? More than likely he was taking his cues from that kiss they’d shared. That short but arousing kiss.
“What are you thinking?” His eyes searched hers.
“I was thinking...um...that it would be nice to go somewhere a little quieter.”
He smiled again. “My thoughts exactly.”
He held his arm out to her. It took her a moment to figure out what he was doing. Did men even do that anymore? Wasn’t it just something she saw in the old black-and-white movies that her mother collected?
But Noemi found the gentlemanly gesture endearing, even if it was a little dated. There was something about this man that was so different from anyone she’d ever known and that appealed to her. She had a feeling this evening was going to be totally unforgettable.
Three months laterMont Coeur ski resort, the Swiss Alps
WHAT WAS SHE going to do?
Noemi paced back and forth in her luxurious bedroom in her family’s palatial chalet. A gentle fire flickered in the fireplace, keeping her suite cozy. She couldn’t sit still.
So much had happened in the last few months that it made her head spin. First, the pregnancy test had turned up positive. As she’d struggled to come to terms with what this meant to her future, she’d stumbled across the fact that she had a long-lost brother. The realization had jarred her entire world. How could her parents have kept Leo a secret all her life?
An ensuing row between her and her parents had her shouting out hurtful words—words she didn’t mean. And yet now she couldn’t take them back. She couldn’t tell her parents she was sorry and that she loved them.
They were dead.
The reading of their will had succeeded in driving home the fact that her parents wouldn’t be here at the chalet as was their Christmas tradition. But the three siblings intended to spend the holiday together.
It had been strange to meet her brother Leo for the first time, even stranger to hear the contents of her parents’ will. She never would have imagined that the terms of the will would be the way they were. Clearly Sebastian hadn’t either, because when he’d discovered that his parents had given Leo controlling shares in Cattaneo Jewels for six months, he’d been furious. And although Leo had been clearly reluctant, the terms stated that should Leo refuse, Cattaneo Jewels would cease trading and be liquidated. And none of them had wanted that.
But tempers and emotions had risen, and it was all Noemi had been able to do to convince her brothers to think on it and to return here to the chalet in Mont Coeur just before Christmas for the final decision.
Even now, she could only guess at what her parents had been thinking when they’d written the will and its unusual terms. She missed them dearly—most especially her mother. She needed her now more than ever.
Noemi swiped at her eyes as she thought of her mother. And though their last conversation had been heated and hurtful, Noemi didn’t doubt her parents had loved her—even if she had made mistakes along the way. But all the wishing in the world wasn’t going to erase the last angry words that they’d exchanged, nor would it bring them back to her.
Noemi moved to the French doors in her room and stared out at the cloudy afternoon sky as big lazy snowflakes drifted ever so slowly to the ground. It was a light snow. The kind that melted as soon as it touched the roads. And any other time she’d be caught up in the peaceful relaxing view. But not today.
She was running out of time to keep her secret to herself. Her hand pressed to her slightly rounded abdomen. No amount of baggy clothes was going to hide her pregnancy much longer.
And what was she supposed to say to people when they asked who the father was? His name is Max? He has the dreamiest eyes that appear to change colors to suit his mood? And his body is like a sculpture of defined muscles? Or when he laughs it is deep and rich? Even now, his memory brought a smile to her face.
After the most magical night, he’d insisted that it would be best not to exchange full names or phone numbers. She’d hesitantly agreed. Neither of them had been looking for a lasting relationship. And now that she really needed to speak to him,
