The Christmas Marriage Mission

by Helen Brooks

  Bruised and heartsore as she had been when she’d first come here, she had known instantly that the minute house was meant to be hers. It was tranquil, the whole street was tranquil and that was rare in this modern age. And now the tranquillity had been shattered! She frowned as the image of a hard, handsome face with eyes as cold as a moonlit sea flashed onto the screen of her mind. He’d had no right to come here, no right at all, but then she suspected Mitchell Grey was a man who took no account of right if it suited his purpose not to.

  She moved restlessly as her heartbeat quickened at the thought. Why had she gone to his offices that day? Why couldn’t it have been Peter or Tom who’d delivered the wretched document? She didn’t want this, not any of it. He had said they were two of a kind but that was so untrue. He was as free as a bird but she had her precious babies to consider, and Georgia and Emily would always come first.

  The dusk was thick now, the birds in residence in the trees overlooking the road jabbering in annoyance when a latecomer disturbed their bedtime. She stood for a moment more, trying to capture the feeling of peace and contentment she normally felt on such sojourns, but it was no good.

  Sighing irritably, she turned back towards the house, glancing at her watch as she did so. Five o’clock. In three hours he would be here again, expecting her to go out with him. In spite of herself her pulse quickened. Well, she would go with him but she’d make sure she spelt out where she stood even more plainly than she’d done already. She was a mother, with commitments—not one of the carefree, sophisticated women of the world men like him favoured. And she didn’t want to have ‘fun’, as he’d put it. She wanted…

  Oh, she didn’t know what she wanted, she admitted crossly as she pushed open the front door, but it wasn’t Mitchell Grey.

  If Kay had but known it, Mitchell’s thoughts were very similar to her own as he sat in the back of his car, staring moodily out at the shadowed scene beyond the window as the big vehicle ate up the miles.

  Why on earth had he pursued this thing once the mother had told him Kay had children? This just wasn’t his scene at all. When had he ever had contact with tiny people? Never. He should have got out of there before she’d returned, but somehow he hadn’t been able to bring himself to do that. But this was crazy—he was crazy. Damn it, she’d made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him.

  He leant back in the seat, stretching his legs and shutting his eyes. What a fiasco of a day! He’d rescheduled the meeting with Jennings and postponed the visit to the docks at Southampton, which made the rest of the week damn awkward, and for what? A little slip of a redhead who wasn’t even particularly arresting and came with the baggage of two offspring and a mother to boot.

  But there was something about her… He shifted in the seat, opening his eyes again. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was definitely something about her that was affecting him in a way he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

  He shook his head, reaching for his briefcase and switching on the interior light as he pulled out a wad of papers that needed immediate attention. He would see her tonight and then make an end of it—decision made. He had an address book full of the numbers of women who would be only too pleased to spend an evening with him; Kay Sherwood was a complication he could do without. By this time next week he wouldn’t even be able to remember what she looked like.

  But he knew he was lying to himself…

  CHAPTER FOUR

  ‘YOU’RE not going out to dinner with Mitch dressed like that?’

  Kay looked at her mother and sighed. The older woman had said very little about Mitchell’s visit since he’d left, but her silence had spoken volumes, not to mention her enthusiastic conversation with the twins about ‘the nice friend of Mummy’s’. Now Kay said mildly, ‘I’m twenty-six, not six, Mum, and more than capable of deciding what to wear. Okay?’

  Leonora sniffed, gazing at Kay who had dressed after settling the twins in bed and had therefore just entered the sitting room. The black jeans and long-sleeved cashmere jumper in a pale shade of violet were obviously not to the older woman’s taste.

  ‘He said casual, remember?’ Kay reminded her. ‘We’re probably dining at the local fast-food place for all I know.’

  ‘Mitch would never take a date there.’

  ‘How on earth do you know?’ She was losing patience, Kay thought irritably, she really was. ‘You’ve met the man for a few minutes, that’s all. He could be a serial killer or died-in-the-wool bigamist or whatever—’

  ‘Now you’re being silly,’ Leonora interrupted with another sniff.

  ‘Mum, at the risk of destroying your illusions about the white knight on a charger you’ve apparently decided he is, the man is interested in one thing and one thing only,’ Kay said vehemently. ‘And as he’s not going to get it from me this is going to be a short and probably unpleasant evening. Let’s leave it at that, shall we?’

  ‘Oh, Kay.’ Leonora walked across to take her hands, looking into her daughter’s troubled face as she said, ‘I just want you to be happy, that’s all. You’ve had such a rough deal the last few years and a man like Mitch—rich, successful—’

  ‘Single,’ Kay put in mockingly.

  ‘Yes, and single.’ Leonora wasn’t about to be put off by her daughter’s sarcasm. ‘A man like that only comes along once in a blue moon. Give him a chance, that’s all I’m saying. See how it goes. Have some fun.’

  ‘What is it about me that everyone wants me to have fun suddenly?’ Kay smiled at her mother, her face rueful. ‘Look, Mitchell Grey is just a ship that passes in the night, and by the end of this evening the term will be passed, I assure you. We have got absolutely nothing in common, for a start. He’s rich, successful and single as you’ve just pointed out; we watch the pennies and come as a package or not at all. Not exactly the sort of bargain a man in Mitchell’s position wants to strike. He could have his pick of any woman.’

  ‘It’s you he’s asked out tonight,’ Leonora pointed out swiftly.

  ‘Maybe, but not in the way you think. More to prove a point after the episode at lunch.’

  ‘Ah, but he asked you out to lunch, though, didn’t he, in the first place?’ It was triumphant. ‘That must mean he’s interested.’

  ‘Don’t hold your breath, Mum, that’s all I’m saying, besides which I don’t want a man. I’m perfectly contented with my life as it is.’

  Leonora let go of Kay’s hands without saying anything more but another eloquent sniff spoke for her.

  ‘I’ll leave my mobile on so you can contact me if you need me,’ Kay said, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece, which said five to eight. ‘And if Emily starts coughing again her linctus is on the bedside cabinet. And no juice, if they ask for a drink—only water. I don’t want sugar coating their teeth all night.’

  ‘For goodness’ sake just go and enjoy yourself, Kay,’ Leonora snapped irritably. ‘I’m more than capable of babysitting for one evening without you around, I do it often enough if you have to work a late delivery. You are supposed to have a life beyond that of mother to the twins, you know, dear as they are. You’re young, you’ve still got your whole life in front of you. Stop acting as though you were my age.’

  ‘Mum!’ Kay was truly shocked and hurt and it showed.

  Immediately Leonora retraced her steps, putting her arms round the younger woman and hugging Kay for a moment as she said, ‘I didn’t mean that the way it sounded, darling, really. I’m only thinking of you. You’re a wonderful mother and daughter, the best there is, but it’s time to put the past behind you.’

  ‘I have,’ Kay said firmly.

  ‘I wish I could believe that.’ Leonora had spoken pensively but then, as a knock on the front door announced Mitchell’s arrival, the older woman started violently. ‘He’s here!’

  Kay was amused to see there was something bordering on panic in her mother’s face as she’d spoken, and it went some way to combating the butterflies in her own stomach. She breathed d
eeply before walking across the room and opening the door, and then her stomach turned right over as she looked into the dark face staring down at her. He looked sensational. The business suit had been replaced by a chunky black leather jacket and black jeans, which accentuated the brooding quality to his good looks even more, and she noticed he had shaved again, the five o’clock shadow that had been evident earlier having vanished. For some reason the thought of him shaving because he was going to see her was so intimate it made her shiver—which only showed how dangerous it was to be around him, she warned herself silently.

  ‘Hi.’ He brought a big bunch of pale peach roses and freesias out from behind his back. ‘These are for your mother.’

  ‘Oh, right.’ She was taken aback and it showed. He laughed softly, the silver eyes brilliant with mocking humour, and then she flushed pink as he delved in his pocket and produced a small transparent box in which reposed one delicate, beautiful white orchid.

  ‘And this is for you,’ he murmured, placing the box in her hands.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said uneasily. She didn’t want him buying her anything. ‘Come in for a moment while I get my coat.’

  She left her mother gushing over the roses while she slipped upstairs for her jacket and took the opportunity to fix the dainty corsage on her jumper in front of the bedroom mirror, rather than give Mitchell the opportunity to suggest he do it for her. It had the most exquisite perfume, something resembling magnolia but slightly more exotic, and the smell was wafting under her nose as she went downstairs again.

  Her mother and Mitchell were laughing about something or other as Kay descended, the atmosphere between them relaxed and friendly, and for a moment Kay felt thoroughly put out. It was almost as though he had inveigled his way into her life and home already, and she didn’t like it. This was her refuge, her own tiny castle, but Mitchell seemed able to lower the drawbridge at will.

  She smiled a brittle smile as they both turned to look at her, her voice tight as she said, ‘Shall we go?’

  ‘Sure.’

  She noticed him raise his eyebrows at her mother in silent comment at the crispness of her voice but she pretended not to see. However, she did make a mental note to point out to her mother later that she had been right about the jeans. Mitchell was wearing them too. Admittedly his looked to be nothing short of Gucci or Armani, and hers were off the peg from one of the stores, but that wasn’t the point.

  ‘Where are you going?’

  The three of them turned to see two small figures in teddy-bear pyjamas sitting halfway down the stairs, both sucking their thumbs and both with a rag doll tucked under one arm.

  ‘Hey…’ Kay’s voice softened by several hundred degrees. ‘What are you two doing up? You should have been asleep half an hour ago.’

  ‘I’ll see to the girls, you go.’ It was clear Leonora was worried the best laid plans of mice and men were going askew.

  However it was Mitchell who walked over to the foot of the stairs, smiling broadly at the two little girls as he said, ‘I’m taking your mummy out for something to eat. Is that all right with you?’

  They looked at each other and then turned back to him, nodding. ‘We knew you were coming,’ Georgia volunteered. ‘We heard Mummy and Grandma talking about you.’

  ‘Well, now you’ve said hallo I want you straight back into bed,’ Leonora cut in hastily, moving past Mitchell as she added, ‘Go on, right now, and I’ll come and tuck you in.’

  Kay glanced at Mitchell and saw his lips were twitching. He had obviously guessed whatever had been said wasn’t particularly complimentary, but how could she have known the girls were listening? They had ears on them like donkeys, those two.

  ‘Night night, darlings.’ She called her goodbye as Mitchell turned and opened the door, but her mother was so intent on whisking the girls away before they said any more that she doubted they heard her.

  ‘Was it that bad?’ His deep, smoky voice didn’t try to hide his amusement as they walked down the path.

  ‘I’m sorry?’ Kay prevaricated warily, although she knew exactly what he was asking. ‘Was what bad?’

  He glanced at her as he opened the garden gate and stood aside for her to precede him. ‘I’m sure your mother is a wonderful woman,’ he drawled lazily, ‘but I doubt if tact is one of her strong points. Those poor kids’ feet didn’t touch the ground, she moved them so fast.’

  ‘I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,’ she said primly, her voice a little weak as she stared at the magnificent sports car parked in front of the house. She didn’t ask him if it was his car because it couldn’t be anyone else’s, but she was mentally blessing the fact she had decided to wear jeans and not a skirt as she looked at the low-slung monster.

  He opened the passenger door and Kay slid into the leather-clad interior fairly gracefully, although she felt as though she were sitting on the floor, but when Mitchell joined her a moment later she felt every nerve in her body twang and vibrate.

  ‘Put your seat belt on.’

  ‘What?’ She glanced at him and then wished she hadn’t because he was close, very close, and she was all of a dither as it was.

  ‘Your seat belt?’ He reached across her, the seductive and delicious smell of him adding to the sensations spiralling inside her and causing her heart to gallop. ‘There.’ Once she was strapped in he fixed his own seat belt before starting the engine, which purred into obedient life.

  ‘Nice car.’ She felt she had to say something to diffuse the electric atmosphere.

  ‘Thank you.’

  As the car leapt off with a low growl Kay just managed to stifle the squeak of fright, taking a deep breath before she said, ‘What…what sort is it?’

  ‘It’s an Aston Martin sort,’ he said softly.

  ‘Oh.’ She clearly should have known. ‘I don’t know much about cars.’

  ‘There’s no reason why you should.’

  She did know that a car like this was a sex machine on wheels though, Kay thought desperately, and definitely a seduction tool in the hands of someone like Mitchell. She also knew from the one brief glance he was so close she only had to turn her head and move a little to caress that hard, square jaw with her lips… ‘It…it must be quite expensive,’ she managed weakly.

  ‘Quite.’ He spared her one piercing moment before his eyes returned to the windscreen. ‘Boys’ toys, is that what you’re thinking?’ he asked drily.

  Boys’ toys? There was nothing, absolutely and utterly nothing of the boy about Mitchell Grey. Kay tried to ignore the muscled legs and thighs clothed in black denim at the side of her. ‘Not at all,’ she said truthfully. ‘Why? Is that how you view this?’

  He smiled. ‘Very cleverly sidestepped, Mrs Sherwood.’

  Kay blinked. Had she been clever? She hadn’t known she was being.

  ‘Actually you might be right at that,’ he continued quietly. ‘I like fast cars with all the refinements, the thrill of speed and so on. I race at a private circuit now and then; you must come and watch some time.’

  She couldn’t think of anything she’d like less. ‘Dicing with death?’ she said coolly. ‘I don’t think I’d care to watch that. I think the gift of life is too valuable to be gambled on the turn of a card played by fickle fate.’

  ‘Skill does play a small part in the proceedings.’ It was very dry.

  ‘Perhaps.’ She shrugged. ‘But if life is precious and happy enough, risking it in such a pointless way is not an option.’

  His face didn’t alter apart from his mouth tightening a little, but she knew he hadn’t liked it. ‘There are millions of people who would disagree with such a damning indictment.’

  ‘That’s their privilege,’ she said shortly. ‘It still doesn’t alter what I think.’

  ‘Are you seriously telling me that my participation in a sport in which I’ve been involved for many years is due to some kind of death wish?’

  ‘I didn’t say that.’ She cast a sidelong glance at his grim profile. Wow,
she’d really hit a nerve here. ‘But I do think if you were utterly fulfilled in normal life you wouldn’t need to take such unnecessary risks.’

  ‘Spare me the amateur psychology.’

  ‘Excuse me, but it was you who started this,’ she said hotly.

  Silence reigned for a few minutes as the car zoomed through the night at a speed Kay was sure was illegal.

  ‘Why do you do that?’ he asked suddenly, his voice rough.

  ‘What?’ She didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.

  ‘Argue, disagree, make waves,’ he said irritably. ‘No other woman I know is so damn opinionated.’

  She bit down on the sharp answer that had sprung to mind and schooled her voice into order before she said evenly, ‘If you want a dinner companion who will tell you exactly what you want to hear and agree with everything you say, as well as indicating she thinks you are a demigod who can do no wrong, you picked the wrong woman. I do have opinions and ideas of my own because I use the mind God gave me, and if you expect me to apologise for that or tread carefully in fear I might offend some precept of yours—tough. I’ve been in a state of mind where life lost its lustre and I know I could have taken chances then. Now is different. Life is precious now.’

  ‘You’re lucky,’ he said drily.

  ‘Perhaps. But luck is the flip side to misfortune and if you spin the coin fast enough both sides look the same. There were people who thought it was a calamity when I was left pregnant after Perry left—the final nail in the coffin—but it was the one thing in my life which proved a blessing and gave me strength to fight for the future.’

  ‘Perry was your husband?’ he asked softly, his swift glance taking in her intense expression.

  ‘Yes.’ She suddenly realised what she’d said and how much she had revealed, and to Mitchell Grey of all people.

  ‘Don’t freeze up on me again, Kay.’