Romancing the Holidays Bundle 2009

by Susan Wiggs et al

  Would Ethan Sherbourne know how to feed Andrea properly? Did he know how to make up the formula? To use sterilised water and not some straight from the tap? To tell if the milk was the right temperature for Andrea to drink? That he had to wind the baby after every ounce or so to prevent her getting tummy ache?

  Olivia switched off the television impatiently, striding through to her bathroom to turn on the shower before going into the adjoining bedroom to undress. A shower might help to relax her. Anything to take her mind off what might be going wrong in the apartment above her.

  Except that it didn’t.

  She stood under the punishing jet of the power shower for over ten minutes, desperately trying to channel her thoughts into the case she was working on at the moment. And failing miserably. How could she possibly think of work after the disturbing sequence of events earlier this evening?

  Finally she came back through to her bedroom, wearing a peach-coloured silk robe, and looked around her appreciatively at the lovely things she had bought to surround and calm her. It was all the best that money could buy: a Mediterranean-style kitchen, antique furniture in every room, brocade drapes at the windows, luxuriously sumptuous carpets on the floors, several original paintings hanging on the cream-coloured walls.

  And yet as Olivia looked around her she knew that it wasn’t enough. That it never had been…

  She sat down on the side of the bed, knowing exactly what she was going to do now and powerless to stop herself.

  The photograph lay in the bottom drawer of her bedside cabinet—the only thing in that particular drawer. Her hand shook slightly as she picked it up, the tears streaming hotly down her cheeks even before she looked down at the picture.

  Oh, God, Olivia pleaded emotionally, please, please help me to get through this!

  CHAPTER THREE

  ‘WHAT…?’ Faith moved slightly in an effort to see the subject in the photograph Olivia held, only to be disappointed as Olivia suddenly clasped it against her chest, those tears still falling down the paleness of her cheeks.

  Mrs Heavenly straightened, moving a hand gently over the vision and instantly dispersing the images into a wispy cloud. ‘As you can see, Olivia’s prayer is for help to get through Christmas.’ She smiled at Faith. ‘Not too difficult an assignment, I would have thought.’

  Faith looked searchingly at her mentor. That wasn’t exactly what Olivia had prayed for…

  ‘So there you have it, my dear,’ Mrs Heavenly told her brightly, shuffling some papers on her desk. ‘The scene is already set for you to be able to do that quite easily. It’s just a question of continuing to bring Olivia and Ethan together—’

  ‘Ethan Sherbourne?’ Faith couldn’t hide her surprise. ‘But isn’t he—?’

  ‘Ethan isn’t exactly what he seems,’ Mrs Heavenly assured her kindly. ‘In fact, he could do with a little divine intervention himself! But I think on this occasion it might be better if…Don’t be too visible, my dear,’ she encouraged Faith. ‘Neither Olivia nor Ethan are…well, shall we say that neither of them is particularly…a believer?’

  Was it her imagination, Faith wondered, or did Mrs Heavenly’s gaze no longer quite meet her own…?

  Ridiculous, she instantly answered herself. Mrs Heavenly was the most open-hearted of all the—

  ‘Poor Ethan.’ Mrs Heavenly had opened the vision once again, was shaking her head regretfully as she looked down. ‘Although he does seem to be coping well, in the circumstances,’ she commented admiringly. ‘Perhaps now would be a good time, Faith…?’

  ‘Of course.’ Faith drew herself out of the speculative trance she had lapsed into. ‘Time I was going,’ she agreed.

  ‘But remember, Faith!’ Mrs Heavenly called out to her before she disappeared. ‘No matter what other distractions might occur, Olivia is the subject of your assignment.’

  ‘I’ll remember,’ Faith assured her softly as she floated down to Earth.

  And she would remember. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t try and be of some help to Shelley and Andrea while she was about it. Possibly even to Ethan Sherbourne too…

  The photograph was back in its drawer and Olivia was wearing grey silk pyjamas. Her dinner of smoked salmon and salad was on the glass-topped dining table with a glass of white wine at exactly the right temperature for drinking, when a loud knocking on the door interrupted the calm enjoyment of her meal.

  Who on earth—?

  The wailing of a distressed baby penetrated the thickness of the door to her apartment, the tranquillity she had so determinedly made for herself instantly shattered.

  Ethan Sherbourne and his—and baby Andrea, Olivia instantly realised. What could possible have gone wrong now?

  Whatever it was, she knew she couldn’t just ignore that cry; Ethan Sherbourne could stew in his own juice, as far as she was concerned, but the baby was another matter entirely.

  ‘What have you done to her now?’ Olivia demanded as she wrenched the door open—only to find herself staring into an empty hallway!

  But how—? What—? She had been so sure…

  She had to have been mistaken; there was no way Ethan could have knocked at her apartment and then disappeared back into the lift before she opened the door. Besides, what would be the point of him doing such a thing?

  Olivia shook her head dazedly, closing the door to walk slowly back into her dining room.

  She barely had time to sit back down and take a sip of her wine before that knock sounded on the door a second time. The crying of the baby was slightly fainter this time, but still audible to Olivia’s acute hearing nonetheless.

  She stood, striding angrily over to the door this time. This evening had already been traumatic enough; she was decidedly not in the mood to play childish games with Ethan Sherbourne!

  ‘What on earth do you think you’re playing at…?’ Olivia’s angry tirade trailed off abruptly as she opened the door and found the corridor empty again, a glance up and down the hallway showing her that there really was no one there.

  Well, she wasn’t going to give Ethan Sherbourne the chance to play this childish prank on her a third time. It wasn’t in the least funny, and she intended telling Ethan Sherbourne so!

  It took her exactly two minutes to throw off her silk pyjamas, pull on designer denims and a loose black shirt and slip her bare feet into a pair of loafers, before marching determinedly out of her apartment. She got into the lift, pressing the button for the next floor and stepping out to stride forcefully down the corridor and put her finger on Ethan Sherbourne’s doorbell. And kept it on. Two could play at this game!

  Ethan opened the door and barely had time to raise surprised brows before Olivia pushed him firmly to one side and strode into his apartment.

  She looked anxiously around the sitting room, finally turning a blazing grey gaze on Ethan Sherbourne as he stood just inside the room, curiously returning her gaze. ‘What have you done to her?’ Olivia demanded coldly. ‘And don’t tell me nothing,’ she added impatiently, before he had time to answer, ‘because I could hear her crying all the way downstairs!’

  ‘I doubt that very much,’ Ethan drawled as he walked further into the room. ‘The only reason I bought this apartment was because I was assured by the agent that the building is completely soundproof.’

  Olivia snorted softly to herself. No doubt he had been thinking of his harem at the time!

  ‘I don’t care what you were assured,’ she returned. ‘I definitely heard her crying.’

  ‘I presume by “her” that you mean Andrea?’ He derisively turned the tables on her after her earlier comment to him. ‘And exactly what do you think I’ve done to her?’ He folded his arms across his chest as he faced Olivia, his expression deceptively calm as he looked at her with mild curiosity.

  Grey eyes flashed warningly as Olivia glared back at him. ‘How should I know?’ she replied shortly. ‘Judging from previous evidence of your ability to know the needs of a young baby, you’ve probably tried to fee
d her steak or something equally unsuitable!’ She looked around the room for a second time. ‘Where is she?’

  ‘Changed. Fed. Played with. Fast asleep.’ He continued to look at Olivia, now with amusement.

  ‘But I heard her,’ Olivia said restlessly. ‘I definitely heard her crying.’ Although she equally definitely couldn’t hear the baby crying now…

  Ethan slowly shook his head. ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Then where is she?’ Olivia was low on patience at the best of times—at the moment it was nonexistent!

  He sighed, dropping his arms down to his sides. ‘If you promise to be quiet, I’ll show you.’ He raised dark, questioning brows.

  Her cheeks flushed fiery-red. ‘Of course I’ll be quiet,’ she clipped. ‘What—?’

  ‘If you’ll excuse my saying so, you haven’t shown much sign of it in the last few minutes,’ Ethan observed.

  Olivia had been about to question him sharply again, but at these words her lips clamped together. Although she couldn’t resist another glare in Ethan’s direction.

  ‘Better.’ Ethan gave a mocking inclination of his head. ‘Follow me through to my bedroom.’

  Under other circumstances Olivia would have told him exactly what he could do with such an invitation. But in her concern for Andrea she resisted any such response, instead following Ethan into the bedroom situated directly above her own, lit by a low-voltage lamp on the bedside table.

  What looked suspiciously like a drawer lay in the middle of the sumptuous king-size bed, and nestled securely inside that drawer, covered with a many-times-folded satin sheet, lay baby Andrea, looking absolutely adorable as she slept contentedly.

  Also looking as if she had been like that for some time…

  ‘Satisfied?’ Ethan asked softly at Olivia’s side.

  She swallowed hard, nodding wordlessly. Whoever she had heard crying a few minutes ago, it obviously hadn’t been Andrea.

  In the circumstances, Olivia felt very reluctant to mention those two knocks on her apartment door which had accompanied the sound of crying…

  ‘That was—the idea of a drawer for a bed—it was very inventive,’ she told Ethan awkwardly once they had returned to the sitting-room.

  Ethan eyed her wryly, ‘Didn’t you think I could be inventive?’

  Her cheeks coloured heatedly at his obvious double meaning. ‘To be honest, I’ve never given the matter any thought!’ she assured him quickly.

  ‘Stay for a drink now you’re here?’ he asked, moving to the array of drinks on the dresser.

  Olivia thought longingly of her uneaten dinner, her rapidly warming glass of white wine. But her continuing concern for Andrea—despite the fact that Ethan seemed to be proving better at baby-minding than she would ever have imagined!—was of much greater importance at this particular moment.

  She deliberately ignored the offer of a drink. Socialising with a man like Ethan Sherbourne was definitely not on her Christmas list of things still to do! ‘What are you going to do about Andrea?’ she asked.

  “‘Do” about her?’ Ethan repeated softly.

  Olivia frowned. ‘Well, you can’t just keep her here!’

  ‘Why can’t I?’

  ‘Because—well, because—’ Olivia’s exasperation was such that she could hardly speak.

  ‘What else do you suggest I do with her, Olivia? Call the authorities? Have her taken into care, over Christmas of all times? Cause all sorts of unnecessary complications for Shelley once she realises what she’s done and comes back to reclaim her baby?’ He shook his head, pouring red wine into two glasses, his expression grim as he held one of those glasses out to Olivia. ‘Or perhaps you intend informing the authorities yourself?’ he added harshly. ‘Part of your duties as a responsible lawyer—?’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ Olivia cut in instantly, drawing in a long, controlling breath. ‘I have no wish to make this situation any worse for Shelley. I just don’t think—’

  ‘That I’m capable of looking after Andrea?’ Ethan interrupted challengingly.

  How could she possibly claim that when he had already more than proved that he was?

  ‘No, it isn’t that.’ She sighed irritably. ‘I just—I don’t drink red wine!’ She put her glass down untouched as she realised she had taken it from him without realising what she was doing.

  ‘Pity. Apart from the odd emergency—like earlier,’ he drawled, ‘I drink very little else but red wine.’ He straightened. ‘So, you agree with me that until Shelley returns to claim Andrea she stays here with me?’

  She hadn’t said that at all! His lifestyle—days spent in his apartment being visited by a string of beautiful women, evenings and weekends spent with whoever—was not compatible with caring for the young baby that Andrea was.

  But what was the alternative…?

  Besides, there was one other important factor in this scenario—he was the baby’s father.

  ‘Unless you have any other ideas about what I should do?’ Ethan prompted smoothly.

  Olivia frowned at the question. ‘Me?’

  ‘Yes—you,’ Ethan echoed mockingly. ‘You could offer to care for Andrea yourself. Although I suppose a baby would mess up your sterile lifestyle.’

  Olivia bristled angrily at this last remark. ‘And what about your lifestyle?’ she flew back. ‘Exactly how do you intend explaining away baby Andrea’s presence to your other—friends? Friends like Gwendoline of the perfumed Christmas card,’ she reminded him as he would have spoken. ‘Not with the truth, I’m sure,’ she added.

  ‘You think that wouldn’t go down too well…?’ Ethan asked thoughtfully.

  Not unless those other women were completely stupid—no! But then, Olivia had no evidence to prove that they weren’t exactly that! A couple of them had even been chatting and laughing together beside Olivia in the lift one day as they went up to his apartment.

  ‘This is ridiculous!’ she exclaimed. ‘I only came up here—’

  ‘Yes—why did you come up here?’ Ethan put in huskily.

  Her gaze faltered at that throaty tone in his voice. ‘I told you. I heard Andrea crying—’

  ‘And I have since proved to you that you couldn’t have done,’ he drawled. ‘After I had changed her I warmed a bottle and fed her. Then I tickled her toes and played with her for a while before she fell into an exhausted sleep in my arms. She’s stayed asleep for at least the last hour,’ he ended firmly.

  Olivia didn’t dwell on thoughts of his playing with Andrea; it didn’t quite fit in with the mental image she had of him…

  But his claim did make a total nonsense of those two knocks on her apartment door earlier and the sound of a baby crying!

  And if it hadn’t been Ethan knocking on the door, or Andrea crying, then who—or what?—had she heard…?

  Maybe she hadn’t really heard anything? Maybe it had just been her imagination, after all? If that were the case, then this Christmas promised to be even harder to get through than all the others had been!

  And it was obvious from Ethan Sherbourne’s sceptical expression that he believed she had used the claim as an excuse to come back up here to his apartment!

  Arrogant, conceited pig!

  ‘Obviously, as you say, I was mistaken,’ she answered him frostily. ‘I’m sorry to have disturbed you.’

  ‘Oh, don’t apologise, Olivia,’ he replied softly. ‘I’ve rather enjoyed being disturbed by you!’

  He probably had too, Olivia realised impotently.

  ‘Goodnight!’ she said suddenly, turning sharply on her heel and leaving before he had the chance to say anything else facetious.

  The man was nothing but a womaniser. Even with his own illegitimate daughter in his apartment he hadn’t been able to resist the impulse to flirt with her!

  Olivia hoped the baby kept him awake all night!

  It had been too soon, Faith decided as she looked at Olivia’s face when she re-entered her apartment, easily able to gauge Olivia’s mood as one
of complete antagonism towards Ethan Sherbourne.

  Oh, well, there was Christmas Eve to go yet—Christmas Day, too. And miracles had been worked before in much less time than that.

  Besides, Olivia’s brief absence from her apartment had given Faith the opportunity to take a look at that photograph Olivia kept hidden away in the bottom drawer of her bedside cabinet.

  Faith only hoped Mrs Heavenly hadn’t been watching—her mentor might see her behaviour as cheating!

  CHAPTER FOUR

  OLIVIA felt absolutely exhausted as she made her way home on Christmas Eve.

  Her client had decided, after Olivia had worked on her case for weeks, to reconcile with her husband, and as such had no further need to sort out the custody of their child. The fact that the reconciliation would probably only last as long as Christmas—maybe as long as New Year if the couple were lucky—meant that Olivia would have to restart the exhausting business of pinning down the husband as soon as her office reopened in January. Not exactly a good way to end a year’s work!

  The office party had also taken place this afternoon and early evening. It was an event Olivia usually tried her best to avoid, but she had been prevented from doing so this year by a personal request from one of the senior partners.

  ‘Not good for company morale not to have the management in evidence,’ was how Dennis had put it—when all he had really wanted was the legitimate excuse of Christmas mistletoe to try and kiss her. If one of them—she wasn’t sure who—hadn’t inadvertently knocked some files off the top of a cabinet, thus diverting attention from the fraught situation, Olivia was very much afraid she would have had to slap him on the face!

  Yet another situation she would have to sort out when she returned to work in the New Year, she acknowledged with a sigh. Not that there was anything wrong with Dennis; he was only about ten years older than she was, single, attractive, and had made it more than obvious to her over the last few months that he was very available. She just wasn’t interested.