‘I did try to warn you,’ Mac murmured ruefully as Jonas looked about the sitting-room with its numerous glittering Christmas decorations and enormous and heavily adorned tree with its dozens of presents beneath.
‘It’s wonderful,’ Jonas murmured huskily, his gaze slightly hooded as it came back to rest on Mac as she stood across the room, her hands tightly clasped together in front of her. ‘As is your family. I—Mac, I wanted to thank you for my Christmas present,’ he said abruptly.
Ah.
Mac smiled a little. ‘You didn’t have to drive all the way to Devon on Christmas Eve to do that.’
‘No.’
Mac shrugged. ‘Besides, I had to somehow say thank you for all the help you gave me by having the warehouse painted and the windows on my Jeep fixed. I thought perhaps you might like to hang it in your offices somewhere? In the reception, maybe? A portrait of the head of Buchanan Construction,’ she said offhandedly.
‘A Mary McGuire portrait of the head of Buchanan Construction,’ Jonas corrected softly.
‘Well…yes,’ she acknowledged awkwardly. ‘Just think, if you ever fall on hard times, you’ll be able to sell it!’ she added jokingly.
Jonas had been surprised when the huge wooden crate was delivered to his office two days ago, stunned when he removed all the packaging and saw the portrait inside. Even so, he hadn’t needed to look at the signature in the bottom right hand side of the painting to know it was Mac’s work. The style and use of colour were unmistakable.
It was why she had painted it in the first place that Jonas wanted to know…
The last two weeks had been long and…difficult, for Jonas. For numerous reasons. Yvonne Richards. His parents. But most of all, because of Mac.
He hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. Not for a single moment of that time. Her beauty. Her laughter. Her warmth. Her smooth and satiny skin. Her perfume.
This past two weeks Jonas had remembered and relived every single moment he had ever spent with her.
As he had always known would happen, memories of Mac had filled his days and haunted his nights!
‘I’m not sure I can allow you to give me such a valuable gift,’ he told her gruffly.
Her cheeks flushed. ‘I think that’s for me to decide, don’t you?’
And her temper, Jonas acknowledged ruefully; he hadn’t forgotten that fiery temper. How could he, when she had been annoyed or angry with him about one thing or another since the moment they’d first met?
‘Yes,’ he acknowledged huskily.
Mac’s eyes widened. ‘Are you actually agreeing with me, Jonas?’
He chuckled softly at her obvious incredulity. ‘Yes.’
‘Well, there’s a first!’
Jonas sobered. ‘I’m agreeing with you on the understanding that I be allowed to give you something in return.’
Mac eyed him frowningly. Even dressed casually in a dark blue sweater and faded jeans, Jonas was still the most devastatingly handsome man she had ever met. Several other women in the church earlier tonight had obviously thought the same thing as they had eyed him covetously. Admiring glances that Jonas had seemed completely unaware of as he’d stood attentively at Mac’s side, his hand resting lightly beneath her elbow.
She shook her head. ‘I already told you, the portrait is a thank you for the way you helped me a couple of weeks ago.’ It was also a way for Mac to avoid having Jonas’s portrait hanging in her studio as a day-to-day reminder of the man she loved but who would never love her in return…
His mouth tightened. ‘Help you wouldn’t have needed if—’
‘We really don’t need to talk about that now, Jonas,’ Mac rushed in.
‘If you wish.’ He gave an abrupt inclination of his head.
‘I wish,’ Mac confirmed firmly. ‘What sort of thing are you giving me in return?’ she asked warily.
Jonas thrust his hands into his jeans pockets as he shifted uncomfortably. ‘I need to explain a few things first.’ He frowned. ‘I—You told me when we last met that I needed to confront the problem I have with my parents. That the feelings I have for them were—damaging, to me. That—’
‘I seem to have made rather a lot of personal remarks that perhaps I shouldn’t!’ Mac interrupted uncomfortably. ‘I was upset when I said those things, Jonas. You really shouldn’t take too much notice of me when I’m upset. I inherited my Irish grandfather’s sentimental temperament, I’m afraid.’
Jonas gave a twisted smile. ‘The truth is the truth, whenever or however it’s said.’
‘Not if it’s in the heat of the moment—’
‘But you were right to say those things to me, Mac,’ Jonas insisted softly. ‘I have allowed my parents’ disastrous marriage, my unhappy childhood, to affect the man I am now.’ He looked her in the eye. ‘I’ve been to see both my parents during the past two weeks—’
‘You have?’ Mac gasped.
He nodded. ‘I’ve also met my stepfather and stepmother. I still have nothing in common with any of them,’ he continued ruefully. ‘But I was with them all long enough to know that both second marriages are happy ones. To learn that my parents no longer feel any animosity towards each other.’ He sighed. ‘I decided that if they can forgive each other for the past then surely I can forgive them too.’
Mac blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. ‘I’m so glad, Jonas. For your sake.’
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Of course, I consider it completely your fault that this reconciliation has now presented me with another set of problems,’ he added dryly.
‘My fault?’ she echoed. ‘How?’
‘I now have the diplomatic problem of avoiding offending either of my parents. For example, both sets of parents duly invited me to spend Christmas with them,’ he drawled ruefully. ‘To have accepted one would have insulted the other.’
Mac repressed a smile. ‘So as it’s my fault you thought you would come here and bother me instead?’
Jonas looked at her consideringly from beneath hooded lids. ‘Am I bothering you, Mac?’
Of course having Jonas here was bothering her! Especially as, avoiding offending either of his parents aside, Mac still had no idea why Jonas had chosen to come here tonight of all nights.
Why he had attended church with her family. What he was still doing here…
She moistened her lips nervously. ‘You could always have gone to that beach in the Caribbean,’ she reminded him huskily.
‘No, I couldn’t,’ he denied quietly.
‘No?’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’ Mac breathed softly, the sudden tension between them so palpable she almost felt as if she could reach out and touch it.
‘The only reason that matters,’ Jonas murmured.
‘Which is?’
He drew in a ragged breath, yet his gaze was clear and unwavering as it met hers. ‘The only person I want to spend Christmas with has assured me that under no circumstances would she ever spend Christmas sitting on a beach anywhere!’
Mac couldn’t breathe as she stared at him incredulously. ‘Me?’ she finally managed to squeak.
Jonas gave a genuine smile. ‘You.’
Mac stared at him with wide eyes. ‘You want to spend Christmas with me?’
‘And your family. If you’ll allow me to,’ he added uncertainly. ‘Mac.’ He crossed the room in two long strides so that he was now standing only inches away from her. ‘I know that I’m—Well, I appreciate that my track record for long-term relationships is—’
‘Non-existent,’ she put in helpfully as a tidal wave of hope began to build inside her.
Jonas’s mouth firmed. ‘Non-existent,’ he acknowledged. ‘But that could be a good thing,’ he continued encouragingly as he reached out and grasped both Mac’s hands tightly in his. ‘It means that I don’t have any past relationships, any lingering feelings for another woman, to complicate things.’
That tidal wave of hope grew bigger still as Mac easily saw the li
ngering uncertainty in Jonas’s eyes. ‘Complicate what things?’ she prompted.
‘Ah.’ He winced. ‘Yes. I need my overcoat from the hallway.’ Jonas released her hands. ‘Your Christmas present is in the pocket—’
‘Family rule, no presents to be unwrapped until Christmas morning!’ Mac protested before Jonas could leave the sitting-room.
He turned in the doorway. ‘It already is Christmas morning, Mac,’ he pointed out dryly. ‘Besides, this present isn’t gift-wrapped,’ he added confidently.
Mac had no idea what was going on. Just now Jonas had seemed on the point of—well, on the point of something. And now he was totally preoccupied with giving her a Christmas present instead.
When the only Christmas present Mac wanted was Jonas himself!
Jonas returned from the hallway to find Mac still standing where he had left her. His heart pounded loudly in his chest as he walked over to join her, two folded sheets of paper in his hand. ‘I’d like your input on this before I submit it for planning approval.’ His expression was strained as he handed her the top sheet of paper.
Mac gave him an uncertain glance before she slowly unfolded the sheet of paper, a frown between her eyes as she looked up at him. ‘I—It appears to be a building plan of the new apartment complex, one that rather tastefully incorporates my warehouse into the grounds…’
A nerve pulsed in the tenseness of Jonas’s jaw. ‘It is a building plan of the new apartment complex that—hopefully—tastefully incorporates your warehouse,’ he confirmed huskily.
She refolded it carefully. ‘And the other one?’ She looked at the second sheet of design paper in Jonas’s hand.
Jonas’s fingers tightened perceptibly. ‘These are some alterations to the original plan that don’t include your warehouse in the grounds.’
Mac looked at him accusingly as she thrust the original sheet back into his hands. ‘And this is the present you drove all this way to give me?’ she exclaimed. ‘You’re unbelievable, do you know that, Jonas?’ She looked thoroughly disgusted. ‘You’ve come all this way just to have yet another attempt at trying to talk me into selling my home!’ She moved away restlessly. ‘The answer is no, Jonas. N. O. Is that clear enough for you?’ Angry tears glistened in those smoky-grey eyes as she glared at him.
Well that went well, Jonas—not! he told himself, wincing. Self-confident to the point of arrogance usually, he had known before he came here tonight that he was somehow going to bungle this. Because it was more important than anything else had ever been in his life before. Because it mattered to him more than anything else ever had in his life before!
‘I haven’t asked the question yet…’ he murmured softly.
‘You don’t need to,’ Mac fired back. ‘Just leave, Jonas. Go away and never come back. I never want to see—’
‘Mac, will you marry me?’
‘—or speak to you ever—’ Mac abruptly broke off her tirade to stare across at him incredulously. ‘What did you just say?’
Jonas swallowed hard. ‘I asked if you would do me the honour of marrying me,’ he repeated gruffly as he moved hesitantly towards her, the intensity of his gaze searching the paleness of Mac’s face as he stood in front of her.
Exactly what she had thought he’d said!
She looked closely at his face, finally seeing the anxiety in those blue eyes, in his tensely clenched jaw and cheeks. ‘Why?’ she breathed.
Jonas gave a huff of laughter. ‘Most women would have said, “No, thank you, Jonas,” or, “Oh, Jonas this is so sudden.” You, being you, ask me why!’ He gave a rueful shake of his head.
Mac gave him an irritated glance. ‘Well, it is rather sudden.’
‘Not to me.’ Jonas sighed. ‘The two weeks since we were last together have been—’ He shook his head. ‘Hell, is the only fitting description I can think of,’ he decided heavily.
‘Why?’
‘Again with the why!’ He briefly raised his gaze to the ceiling. ‘Mac, I didn’t want to fall in love with you. It’s the last thing I ever wanted! But you—’ He sighed. ‘You are the most infuriating, provoking, stubborn, irritating—’
‘Do you think we could go back to the “I didn’t want to fall in love with you” bit…?’ Mac interrupted, her heart beating so loudly, so erratically, she was sure Jonas must be able to hear it too.
‘—fascinating, warm, arousing, wonderful woman I have ever met!’ Jonas finished. ‘How could I not fall in love with you?’ He shook his head as he once again reached out to grasp both Mac’s hands in his.
Mac felt hot and cold all at the same time. ‘You really love me?’ she breathed dazedly.
‘It’s worse than that, I’m afraid,’ Jonas muttered. ‘Mac, this past two weeks I’ve come to realise that I want it all with you. Love. Marriage. Children. I want to be your last lover as well as your first. I want to wake up and find you beside me for the rest of my life. Most of all I want to be the man you deserve. The man you can love. Will you at least give me the chance to show you that I can be that man?’ He looked down at her anxiously.
Jonas loved her! Wanted to marry her! Have children with her!
Mac released one of her hands from his to reach up tentatively and cup one hard and chiselled cheek. ‘Are you sure about this, Jonas? Absolutely sure? Love, marriage, children—those things mean for ever to me, you know…’
His fingers tightened painfully about hers. ‘I wouldn’t settle for anything less!’ he assured her fiercely. ‘Mac, you totally misunderstood my motives for those two new sets of plans. The first one leaves the warehouse standing, yes, but the second one shows a completely different layout to the penthouse in the apartment complex.’
‘Show me,’ she encouraged huskily.
Jonas unfolded and smoothed out the second set of plans. ‘You see here?’ He pointed to the diagram. ‘That wall is now completely glass, as is the ceiling in that room. It’s a replica of your studio, Mac,’ he explained gruffly. ‘I went to see my parents because I love you. Because you were right about my needing to confront that situation, to deal with those ghosts from the past, before I could move on with my own life. You are my life, Mac. I’m asking you to give me the chance to show you that, to prove to you how much I love you. To show you how I will always love you, and only you. Exactly as you are,’ he added emphatically.
‘No dressing up and being a trophy on your arm, then?’ she teased a little tearfully.
Jonas really did love her!
‘As far as I’m concerned you can live in those damnawful dungarees and never set foot outside the apartment again as long as I can be there with you. Mac, just give me the chance to show you how much I love you, to persuade you into falling in love with me, and I promise you won’t ever have reason to regret it!’ he vowed.
‘Oh, Jonas,’ she groaned.
He gave a pained wince. ‘Is that a “no, thank you, Jonas,” or a “Let me think about this, Jonas.”?’
‘It’s an “I already love you, Jonas,”’ Mac assured him emotionally as she moved into his arms.
‘You love me?’ There was a look of stunned disbelief on his face.
‘So much that I really don’t care where I live any more, either, as long as it’s with you! Jonas, I love you so much that these past two weeks have been hell for me too. I love you, Jonas!’ she repeated joyfully.
His arms moved about her like steel bands. ‘Enough to marry me?’
‘Enough to spend for ever, eternity, with you!’ she assured him happily.
Jonas looked down at her searchingly for long, timeless minutes, his eyes blazing with his love for her as he saw that emotion reflected back at him. He buried his face in the perfume of her silky hair as he groaned. ‘I can’t believe that I let you walk away from me two weeks ago. That I almost lost you!’
‘Just kiss me, Jonas,’ Mac encouraged breathlessly.
‘I intend to kiss you and love you for the rest of our lives,’ he promised as his mouth finally claimed hers.
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
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First published in Great Britain 2010
Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Carole Mortimer 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4089-1940-8
His Christmas Virgin Page 15