Read Online Snowbound Seduction by Helen Brooks - Free Book Online

He—he doesn’t like eating alone,’ she finished lamely. ‘That’s all there is to it.’
    Jennie sat up straighter. ‘Tonight? He’s a fast worker, I’ll give him that. Must be in the family genes.’ She giggled.
    â€˜Jen, I really am sorry, I mean that.’
    â€˜Don’t be.’ Jennie became serious all at once. ‘Susan and I were saying last night it’s about time you got into the stream again and the perfect person to get your feet wet with is Zac. He can wine and dine you and you can have fun without worrying that it’s going to get heavy with him only being around for three weeks. Just enjoy yourself, Cinders. Heaven knows, you deserve a break after Rat Face.’ Rat Face was her friends’ name for Giles. ‘Anyway, to be perfectly honest, if Zac had fancied me it would have been a complication. There’s a guy from one of the fashion houses who’s asked me out and he’s gorgeous, I’ve had my eye on him for a while.’
    Rachel knew Jennie was telling the truth; if nothing else, her friend was transparently honest. Feeling better, she said, ‘What’s he like?’ knowing such a prompt would keep Jennie going all through breakfast, thereby deflecting any question about her evening with Zac. For some reason she didn’t want to talk about it, not even to Jennie and Susan, possibly because she didn’t know how she felt. Or maybe because she did.
    The strategy worked, and by the time the three women left the flat Rachel’s mind was at rest about Jennie. Susan had asked casually if she’d had a nice time the night before but that was all, and even when Jennie had finished waxing lyrical about the amazing Keir, the conversation hadn’t turned to Zac.
    Rachel turned and looked after her two friends, whose work places were in the opposite direction from hers. Come to think of it, she thought with a frown, they had both shown a remarkable lack of nosiness, which was totally uncharacteristic and could only mean they’d agreed to tread softly-softly. Which was nice of them—in a way—but made her feel slightly exasperated too because she didn’t need to be treated with kid gloves as though she was some kind of victim. Mind you, she wouldn’t have wanted to talk about Zac if they had asked…
    Deciding she was in danger of becoming as nutty as a fruit cake, she walked swiftly on, turning her mind to the papers she had worked on half the night and resolutely putting all thoughts of Zac Lawson out of her head. Nevertheless, she had decided that tonight would be the last time she would agree to see him. In the cold light of day she knew it would be madness to do anything else.
    Â 
    Rachel was putting the finishing touches to her make-up when Zac arrived at the flat that evening. She heard Jennie or Susan let him in and then the sound of voices and laughter from the sitting room. She felt an instant tightening in her stomach in response to his deep chuckle. Shutting her eyes tightly for a moment, she then opened them slowly on a long intake of breath and stared at the girl in the mirror.
    Anxious eyes looked back at her and she clicked her tongue in annoyance at the expression on her face. For goodness’ sake, she could do better than this. She had all the sexiness of a scared rabbit at the moment. Inhaling again, she relaxed her taut facial muscles and tried a smile. Better. Not brilliant, but better.
    Her eyes ran over her reflection from the top of her head to her vertiginous high heels. She’d spent some time putting her hair up and now it curled in smooth coils at the back of her head, the few strands she’d left down to soften the style catching the light and gleaming like strands of copper. Her silk-jersey dress was a deep cornflower blue and highlighted the blue of her eyes, its plunging neckline showing her newly regained curves to their full advantage.
    Compared to some of