Read Online His Christmas Acquisition by Cathy Williams - Free Book Online

get under my skin because you find it amusing.’
    Her eyes weren’t quite brown, Ryan caught himself thinking. There were flecks of green and gold there that he had never noticed before. But then again, why would he have noticed, when she kept her eyes studiously averted from his face most of the time?
    He stood aside with ill humour and pushed open the door for her and immediately they were assailed with the sound of raised voices and laughter. While they had been in the kitchen, a cabaret had obviously been going on and, sure enough, Jessica had pulled one of the tables to the side of the room and was doing her best to hang some mistletoe from the light on the ceiling in the middle of the room, while surrounded by a circle of guests who were clearly enjoying the spectacle.
    Food was greeted with clapping and cheering. The neighbours made a half-hearted attempt to head back to their houses, but were easily persuaded to stay. All hands hit the deck and more drink surfaced while, to one side, Jamie watched proceedings. And Ryan watched Jamie, out of the corner of his eye. Watched as she pretended to join in, although her smile was strained whenever she looked across to her flamboyant sister. Surrounded by an audience, Jessica was like one of the glittering baubles on the Christmas tree.
    It was nearly five-thirty by the time the food had been depleted and Jamie began the laborious process of clearing.
    Exhaustion felt like lead weights around her ankles and she knew that her tiredness had nothing to do with the task of making Christmas lunch. It was of the mental variety and that was a much more difficult prospect to shake off.Talking to Ryan in the kitchen, exploding in front of him like an unpredictable hand grenade, had drained her and she knew why.
    For the first time in her life, she had allowed herself to let go. The result had been terrifying and if she could only have taken it all back then she would have.
    Sneaking a glance to her right, she looked at him. He had dutifully helped clear away dishes, along with everyone else minus her sister, and now he was laughing and joking with the guys from his office. Doubtless he had completely forgotten their conversation, while she …
    She watched as, giggling and swaying her hips to the rhythm of the music, Jessica began beckoning him across to where she had positioned herself neatly underneath the precariously hanging bunch of mistletoe.
    Ryan looked far from thrilled at the situation and for once Jamie was not going to rush in and try and save her sister from herself. If Jessica wanted to fool around in her quest to find herself, then so be it. Jamie had spent a lifetime standing behind her, desperately attempting to rescue her from her own waywardness.
    Lord, in the process she had even forgotten how to take care of her own emotional needs! She had bottled everything up; how pathetic was it that the one time she actually managed to release the cork on that bottle it was with her boss, the least appropriate or suitable person when it came to shoulder-lending! He went through women like water and had probably never had a decent conversation of any depth with any of the bimbos who clung to him like superglue. Yet she had directed all her angst at him—in an unstoppable stream of admissions that she knew she would eternally live to regret.
    She was turning away, heading for the sanctuary of the kitchen, when she happened to glance through the window.No one had bothered to draw the curtains and there, stepping out of his car—the same old battered Land Rover which he had had ever since she had first started working for him—was her brother-in-law.
    For a few seconds, Jamie could scarcely believe her eyes. She hadn’t seen Greg for absolutely ages. She had fled with her pride and dignity intact, determined to keep her love for him firmly under wraps while he got on with the business of showering Jessica with his devotion. Since then, she hadn’t trusted herself to be