Read Online Prosecco & Paparazzi (The Passport Series Book 1) by Celia Kennedy - Free Book Online

Bannerman . He really was a nice man. His girlfriend was a piece of work, that was for sure. It must be tough, though, being followed every moment. I supposed I would be bitchy if, every time I turned around, someone was throwing herself at my boyfriend. I talked quietly to myself for a minute or two, weighing the pros and cons of being famous. Taking a break, I stopped again and consulted my map. It was useless, since I didn’t have any points of reference. I could only hope I was close to the bottom. Looking around me and seeing blobs of grey, I started to get freaked out. “Come on, woman, you can’t let your imagination get to you now. You’re almost there.”
    “Just a quiet word among friends?” asked Des Bannerman, his voice mocking me.
    I promptly fell into a heap in the snow. In amazement, I pushed back my hood and goggles. “Where did you come from?” Had he heard any of the conversation I’d been having with myself? Total panic set in. Trying to calm myself, I focused on the situation at hand and tried to get back on my feet. Instead, I entertained Des by sliding around in the snow for a while. After getting a few laughs at my expense, he finally offered to help me to my feet.
    Taking his hand, I hauled myself up out of the snow. By then I was sweaty from exertion and wet from melting snow. “I saw your friend, Tiziana, up the mountain, and she told me that you had become separated. I offered to look for you. Fortunately for me, you’re the only one down here. Well, actually, you would have been easy to spot in a crowd, as you’re the only one down here with a gold jacket. You’re a veritable beacon in the mist.”
    “Thanks for the hand!” I hoped he would understand my reference to the tabloid headlines.
    “It’s the least I can do, since you’ve been so helpful.” He clearly understood.
    “So, where did you see Tiziana? Was she with the rest of my friends? Are they all right? Should I wait for them?” I rushed through my list of questions, still somewhat exhausted from flailing in the snow.
    “They’re fine. We thought they might know you when we heard your name being yodeled across the French Alps. I’m quite certain people in Geneva, possibly even Zurich, are wondering where Charlotte is. I’m surprised you didn’t hear them. They were certain you’d skied off a cliff, by the way. I assured them you would see civilization again. As we speak, Ted is escorting them down to the bottom, where we’re to meet up.” When he finished speaking, his blue eyes were crinkled up at the edges. I couldn’t help but notice that his speech pattern in real life was very much like in his movies, as was his inclination toward monologues.
    He continued to smile broadly, reliving a memory.
    “What?” The crinkly, blue eyes made me wonder.
    “Oh, just thinking about your friend Marian! I’m glad I’m not you. You’re in for quite a lecture when we get to the bottom. Not sure I’ve ever heard anyone, male or female, string the litany of curses together that she did.”
    I cleared my throat. “I can only imagine. Sorry about that. It’s her way of letting you know she cares.”
    “Yes, well, she threatened my reproductive organs if I took advantage of you. Then she threatened them if I didn’t take advantage of you.”
    Mortified, my cheeks were flaming. I gasped, “She didn’t. Please say she didn’t.”
    Clearing his throat, as if he were uncomfortable, he said, “Well, I think it might have been fear speaking, but she mentioned that you had a bit of crush on me. For fourteen years, apparently. That, if you were dying, it would be gentlemanly of me to send you off with a smile on your face. But if you were intact, I was to leave you alone because you were in a fragile state.”
    Promising myself that I would kill Marian later, I tried to find enough composure to speak. “Well, Marian’s just upset. We’ve been friends forever, and she’s protective. Not to mention all those older