Under the Mistletoe by Anita Mills

Author:Anita Mills
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-62681-558-2
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2014-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

Joanna sat in the recessed nursery window, her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them, her head leaning against the windowpane. The moon, nearly full and hanging bright in the night sky, cast its light over the nursery, but she hardly noticed.

Although the clock had already chimed eleven, she wasn’t able to sleep, her thoughts preoccupied with the conversation she’d had with Guy over dinner.

She buried her face against her arms, utterly miserable. Although Guy had behaved in the exact fashion she had hoped for, making no objections to her plans, she secretly wished he might have shown a little more reaction.

Perhaps she’d been harboring the foolish hope somewhere deep in her equally foolish heart that he would fling himself to his knees and beg her to stay.

Hardly likely, she thought with a heavy sigh. He probably felt relieved at her announcement but was too much of a gentleman to show it.

Fine. She had said what she had set out to say and would now quickly and efficiently proceed according to plan.

Lifting her head, she rubbed her hands over her face, trying to force her thoughts into some kind of order. First thing in the morning she would write that letter to Bunch, then another to her man of business, requesting him to arrange for passage and funds. She’d write a third letter to her steward, alerting him that she planned to be home by early summer.

Bunch had taught her well—practicality would carry one through any situation, no matter how painful, no matter how badly one’s heart ached, no matter how every nerve felt rubbed raw.

She stared out at the moon, the exact same moon that hung over her villa just now, the moon she took pleasure from watching from her veranda as she sat outside, enjoying the cool of the summer night. Alone.

No—enjoying the scent of the night, she thought with determination, squeezing her eyes tightly shut and trying to conjure up the fragrance. Jasmine. Jasmine and … and roses—

“Joanna?”

Her head shot up in shock, her heart thudding to a stop. Guy stood in the doorway, wearing only trousers and a shirt open at the neck.

Moonlight streamed over him, giving him an unworldly appearance, silver catching in a halo around his dark hair as if he were Hades himself come up from the underworld.

Her hand crept to the neck of her nightdress, her heart quickening again, the pace now completely erratic.

“What—what are you doing here?” she asked, lowering her knees and sitting up straight. She couldn’t begin to imagine what he could want at this hour, now that she was well again. He surely hadn’t come to check on her health?

“I needed to say something and it wouldn’t wait.” He didn’t move any closer, just stood there in the open door, his gaze steadily fixed on her.

“What is it?” she said, bewildered by the piercing intensity in his eyes.

“I am in love with you,” he said quietly. “I thought you should know that before you make any more decisions.

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