Cinderella's New York Christmas

by Scarlet Wilson

  She painted a smile on her face. ‘That’s what friends are for.’

  CHAPTER NINE

  THE LAST FEW days had been good, but even though physically they were closer than ever, emotionally Anissa felt distant. At times Leo watched her staring off into space, clearly mulling things over—things that she wasn’t sharing with him.

  It felt as if it was time to take some action. To try and let her see herself as he saw her. Not as a sportswoman who’d had an accident and had had her dreams snatched from her fingers but as a beautiful, intelligent woman who could re-evaluate her life and what she wanted to achieve.

  When he’d seen the hurt in her eyes as she’d talked about her accident, he’d imagined that taking her away from Mont Coeur would give her a chance to rethink things. A chance to see what her life could be like outside skiing. But it seemed that Anissa was still fixated on that gold medal. He hated the fact that he wondered if it would actually be in her reach or not.

  ‘Anissa?’ he asked. ‘How are you doing?’

  She’d disappeared for a few hours to get her hair and make-up done for the Christmas charity ball, then as soon as she’d returned she’d ducked into one of the other rooms to change. He still wasn’t sure what she would be wearing. All he knew was that his credit card only had a charge for a pair of shoes, and that made him really nervous.

  ‘I’m fine,’ came the muffled voice from inside the room.

  ‘Need any help?’

  There was a long minute’s silence and then the door opened. ‘Nope,’ she said simply as she stepped towards him.

  His breath caught somewhere in his throat. Anissa’s blonde hair was piled on top of her head with a few loose tendrils around her face. She was wearing a pale blue floor-length dress, with beads and sequins on the bodice and skirts that seemed to shimmer as she walked.

  It was like she’d cast a magic spell all around him. ‘You look like an ice princess,’ he breathed.

  She smiled as she stepped up to him. ‘That’s what you called me in Mont Coeur. I kept it in mind.’

  There was a tiny shimmer of glitter on her cheeks. Her lips were a rich rose colour, and her eyelashes longer than he’d ever seen them.

  ‘Where on earth did you get this dress? It’s perfect, the exact colour of your eyes.’

  She looked down and held out the skirts. ‘I can’t quite believe it. Do you remember me telling you about Chloe’s cousin being in New York? Turns out she’s a fashion student. When she found out where I was going, she asked if I’d consider one of her dresses.’ She spun around, letting the light catch the few scattered sequins on the skirts.

  Leo’s heart tightened in his chest. She looked stunning. She was stunning. Inside and out. And tonight, at some point, he was going to tell her how he felt about her.

  He gave her a bow. ‘Okay, Ms Lang. Let me take you to New York’s finest ball.’

  * * *

  It was everything she could ever have dreamed of. The black limousine pulled up to a red carpet outside the famous hotel. Cameras flashed instantly. It seemed the ball was even more prestigious than she’d thought. As soon as they entered the foyer Leo started nodding to people. It only took a few seconds for a woman to grab hold of her arm. ‘Your dress. It’s exquisite. Who is the designer?’

  Anissa smiled. ‘Oh, it’s someone new. Her name is Jules Chen.’ She looked down at the pale blue gown. ‘I think she’ll be the next big thing.’

  The woman nodded in agreement. ‘Well, if your dress is anything to go by, I’d say she will be.’

  Anissa felt a little swell of pride as she pressed Jules’s card into the woman’s hand. She’d need to tell Jules.

  Leo led her further through the foyer. The ballroom had a beautiful curved staircase on either side, leading down to the black-and-white floor.

  As if they’d planned it especially for her, the lighting was blue and gold, and the huge chandeliers above sent a myriad of rainbow lights across all the walls. The whole room was decorated for Christmas, with strings of elegant twinkling lights. Slim and unusual white Christmas trees were decorated with glittering blue baubles, and blue and gold garlands were wound around the pillars in the middle of the room.

  From the second they arrived waiters with silver trays appeared with glasses of champagne and trays of tiny food she couldn’t even identify.

  A large orchestra had been set up in one of the adjoining rooms and the music flowed through the ballroom.

  Leo introduced her to couple after couple, each one more glamorous than the one before. Dozens of people asked about her dress and each time she told them Jules’s name and pressed a card into their hand she felt a little buzz of excitement. Hopefully the more people who heard her name, the more people would talk about her and seek out her designs. Finally, after they’d talked to everyone and circled the edges of the ballroom more than once, he turned to her and extended his hand. ‘May I have this dance?’

  She smiled and placed her glass of champagne on one of the tables. ‘I thought you’d never ask.’

  As the music started around them he led her into the middle of the dance floor. Dancing was formal, with most couples in traditional waltz holds. ‘You know how to do this?’ she asked as her stomach gave a few flips.

  ‘Don’t you?’ He grinned down at her.

  ‘Let’s just say I didn’t have much time in the past for balls,’ she said wryly.

  He bent to her ear, his lips brushing against her. ‘It’s easy,’ he whispered. ‘Just follow my lead.’

  And so she did. He steered her elegantly around the dance floor to the popular slow Christmas pop song. It seemed that even famous balls couldn’t escape the clichéd cheesy pop ballads. But she liked this one, and naturally picked up the rhythm and tempo of the steps.

  ‘Told you I could teach you,’ he joked.

  ‘If you can ski, you can do anything,’ she answered with false bravado.

  His eyebrows rose. ‘Is that so?’ Before she could think any further he spun her around, turn after turn, until the whole ballroom was flashing before her eyes. She leaned her head forward onto his chest. ‘Stop,’ she groaned. ‘I feel dizzy.’

  ‘I haven’t even started yet,’ he joked as he slowed their steps. ‘Hey,’ he continued. ‘You can always just stand on my shoes.’

  ‘With these heels? I’d spear you to the floor.’

  He spun her once again, still laughing, her skirts swirling out around them and the sequins on her dress glimmering in the pale blue lights. She felt like a princess. And definitely not an ice princess. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it could power the whole of Manhattan.

  No one had made her feel like this before. Alain had never made her heart beat like this—and he’d never her treated like this. It didn’t take money to treat a girl like a princess—or to make her feel that way.

  Leo, no matter what else he was going through, seemed to do this seamlessly.

  Every look, every smile made each cell in her body stand to attention. She couldn’t deny the attraction between them—or the buzz of electricity that seemed to sizzle around them.

  But what were Leo’s expectations of her?

  She could see people looking at them as they danced past. With his tall and broad frame, Italian looks and bright blue eyes he was easily the best-looking man in the room. The guy was a billionaire. And he was with her.

  Anissa Lang. Chalet girl and ski instructor.

  Why? Why had he chosen her?

  If she hadn’t slipped that night when practising it was likely that they would never have met. Never have made that connection. If she hadn’t been assigned to clean his chalet they might never have seen each other again.

  That made her stomach squirm. A series of coincidences had brought them together. What did that really mean?

  She could sense herself rapidly losing her heart t
o this guy. A guy who stayed in New York. A guy who had success at his fingertips.

  Why would he consider a girl who didn’t even know what she wanted out of life?

  The thoughts started to overwhelm her. Maybe she was reading too much into all this. Maybe once Leo had time to think and resolve the issues he had with his family he would forget all about her.

  Her chest tightened. That scared her. The thought of never seeing Leo again? The thought of never being around him made her stomach twist in a way she hadn’t expected.

  He was still smiling at her with those bright blue eyes. He held out his arm and spun her underneath it, sliding his arm around her waist and leading her off the dance floor.

  ‘Let’s take a break,’ he said smoothly. ‘We need to talk.’

  It was weird. She thought she could hear the beating of her heart in her ears. How was that even possible?

  They moved out of the now-crowded ballroom, past the orchestra, and through to another room that looked out over part of Central Park.

  He took her hand in his. ‘I called Sebastian today.’

  ‘You did?’

  He nodded. ‘When you went to get your hair and make-up done, I decided it was time.’

  Her heart swelled a little. She knew how wary he’d been about making that call. ‘How was it?’

  He pressed his lips together. ‘Still a bit awkward. I’m just not sure where, or if, I fit in this family.’

  She nodded slowly. ‘But you’re taking steps. That’s the point.’

  He sucked in a deep breath. ‘That’s what I want to talk about.’

  Her skin prickled as if a cool breeze had swept over her skin. She wasn’t quite sure where this was heading. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Steps. I’m not sure what comes next with...my family.’ He stumbled over the last words. ‘But all that stuff—finding my real parents, then losing them—has given me a chance to re-evaluate my life. To look at what I want. To decide what I want to do with it.’

  His words were coming out quicker. He was getting more excited.

  Anissa’s mouth was dry. ‘What do you want to do with it?’

  He took her other hand. ‘It’s more about who I want to do it with.’

  She could almost swear her heart stopped beating.

  Her voice was barely audible. ‘Wh-what?’

  Leo’s eyes were sparkling and his smile wide. He closed both hands over hers. ‘I want to do it with you, Anissa. Stay with me. Stay with me in New York. Have a clean break from your past life and take your time to decide what you want to do. You’ve been different these last few days. It’s like the shadows have lifted from your eyes and you’ve come out from under a cloud.’

  Her heart twisted at those words—partly because they might be true—but Leo kept talking, his enthusiasm brimming over.

  ‘Stay with me. Take some time. Decide what you want to do and where you want to be. We both know that you might not make it back to gold-medal level again. But you’re brilliant, Anissa. There’s a world of opportunities out there for you. You just need to decide which one you want. So take your time. Stay with me. Get away from the slopes. New York could give you the time and space you need to make some plans for the future.’

  She bristled at those words. He’d said her fear out loud. He’d said that she likely wouldn’t get back to the standard she needed to get the gold medal. It had played on her mind constantly for the last year—everyone had spoken with their silent disappearance from her life—but Leo was the first person to actually say the words to her face. And she didn’t like them.

  Leo reached up and touched her cheek. ‘Please tell me you’ll stay, Anissa. Now I’ve found you, I don’t want to lose you. I love you.’

  Her heart burned in her chest. Part of her wanted to shout out in joy and part of her wanted to burst into tears.

  She’d met someone she’d connected with. Someone who, with one glance, could set her pulse racing. She’d seen into his pain, into his feelings of inadequacy, and completely understood. What’s more, she’d wanted to help. She hated that this wonderful, caring man felt like that.

  Maybe she should be laughing. Maybe she should be throwing her arms around his neck and telling him that she loved him too.

  Because she did.

  But she just couldn’t. Not now. Not here. Not when he’d just said those other words.

  It didn’t matter that it was the most romantic setting. It didn’t matter that most of other women in room would think she was crazy.

  She wasn’t ready to give up on her dreams. It just seemed too much. Those slow feelings of being overwhelmed that had developed in the last few days were now gathering speed like snow tumbling down a mountain in an avalanche.

  She could almost hear a ringing in her ears. The tightness across her chest had spread. Although she could breathe in, she was struggling to get it back out. Her head started to swim.

  She stepped back. Out of his reach, out of the smell of his deep woody aftershave and away from the heat emanating from his body.

  She needed space. She needed time.

  His eyes widened as if he’d finally realised something was wrong.

  ‘Anissa?’

  She pulled her hands back against her chest and shook her head.

  There was noise behind them. An ornamental clock striking midnight.

  It was like the spur she needed.

  She shook her head and gathered her skirts in her hands. ‘No, Leo.’ The words choked halfway in her throat. ‘I’m sorry.’

  As she headed to the stairs she stumbled and tripped, leaving one of her silver jewelled sandals behind. For a second she hesitated, wondering if she should pick it up. But Leo was still staring at her, his face a picture of confusion.

  She couldn’t take the chance he would come after her—would try to persuade her to stay.

  Tears clouded her vision. She had to get away before the pressure in her chest became too much. She turned and fled down the stairs as the last strike of midnight sounded.

  * * *

  Leo was stunned. What had just happened?

  One second he was inviting the woman that he loved to stay with him. The next second she was crying and running away.

  For a few seconds he was frozen to the spot, wondering how he could have got things so wrong. Wondering if he’d completely misread where he and Anissa could go.

  The pain in his chest was sharp. A woman next to him coughed loudly, giving him a disapproving stare as if he’d just done something terrible.

  He took a deep breath and started pushing his way through the crowd towards the stairs. What had he said? What had he done?

  He stopped and picked up the silver sandal lying on one side. His insides coiled. She’d been so anxious to get out of there she’d actually left a sandal behind.

  He’d thought offering her the chance to move somewhere new and make a fresh start would be just what she needed—and just what she would want.

  But he’d obviously got it wrong. Badly wrong.

  Or maybe the thing he’d got wrong was that fact that he’d told her he loved her. He couldn’t deny how he felt. But it was clear Anissa didn’t feel the same way.

  He reached the top of the stairs and stopped for a second as the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. Maybe she’d felt pressured by what he’d said. If Anissa didn’t feel the same way, how must his declaration of love have felt?

  Had he imagined the sparks and electricity between them—was he really that out of touch? He grabbed the banister to steady himself.

  He’d been happy. He’d been caught up in the atmosphere of the night, the beauty of the woman in front of him and his own raw emotions.

  He loved her. He loved her. He wanted her to be happy. He’d thought his offer of staying here and not worrying about training any more would
have been a relief to her.

  How wrong he’d been.

  When she’d mentioned the other job he’d assumed she’d been considering it. She’d just been so much brighter and happier since they’d reached New York.

  But it seemed she hadn’t quite realised that yet.

  He hurried out into the foyer and glanced from side to side, the elegant silver sandal in his hand. Surely she couldn’t have gone anywhere without it?

  The irony gripped him. He’d called her Ice Princess, but the truth was she was his Cinderella.

  And she’d slipped right through his grasp.

  CHAPTER TEN

  SHE’D PANICKED. SHE’D run straight out of the main entrance of the hotel into the snow-covered streets and flagged down the first taxi that she’d seen.

  The cab driver had looked a little bewildered at the girl with one shoe, a silver purse hanging from her wrist, and a pile of skirts in her hands, but—being New York—he’d probably seen a whole lot more.

  But when he’d asked her for an address her brain had frozen.

  He gave a nod and started the cab, driving a few blocks and pulling over again. ‘Okay, girl?’ His question was quiet. There was concern on his face.

  Her brain snapped back into focus. She knew what she must look like. He must be wondering if something had happened.

  She nodded her head quickly. ‘I’m sorry. I’m okay.’ He raised his eyebrows a little and she nodded again. ‘I promise.’

  The kindness of strangers. It brought a tear to her eye. She wondered what else this taxi driver had seen over the years. She rattled off the first address that sprang to mind. Jules. The only other person she knew in New York. She thought about pulling out her phone and checking to see if Jules was in. But the truth was, whether Jules was in or not, she’d no place else she felt she could go.

  If Jules wasn’t in she could always just wait outside.