Read Online Unwrapping Her Perfect Match: A London Legends Christmas Novella by Kat Latham - Free Book Online Page B

you.”
    “Gwéen?” Which must’ve been the only part of
the sentence Agnes understood. But hopefully it was enough to help
her feel comfortable around Gwen, who would become her only way of
communicating with the outside world once her mother left in the
morning.
    Caroline ended her call and gave Gwen a long
look. “I’m glad you are here, Gwen.”
    “Really? Why?”
    “I was worried about Agnes. I didn’t know
what would be worse for her—to be in Aix-en-Provence with her sick grand-père or here with her father.”
    What a horrible way of putting it. “I hardly
think spending Christmas with her father should be seen as a bad
thing.”
    “Perhaps not. Perhaps it is just the thing I
have been hoping for.”
    With that cryptic reply, Caroline stood and
strode to the hallway. “I assume there is a linen closet here
somewhere?”
    “A linen closet?”
    “Yes. I will need bedding for the couch,
no?”
    Oh, sugar. Gwen had assumed the couch was
hers. “Uh, I was under the impression you’d be sleeping in the
guest room. With Agnes.”
    Caroline laughed. “With Agnes? The girl is
what you call a bed hog. I will wake with bruises all down my legs.
No, I will take the couch, thank you very much.”
    Which meant...Gwen tossed a glance at the
guest room to find John standing next to the door. His hand
gripping the doorjamb was probably the only thing keeping him
upright.
    “Ah, good,” Caroline said as she fluffed a
sheet over the couch. “John, you look exhausted. I’d like to go to
bed now, so if you and Gwen wouldn’t mind leaving my
bedroom...”
    “Bedroom?”
    “I think,” Gwen said, sidling up to him in
case he collapsed, “she means for us to go to bed—your bed—so she
can sleep on the couch.”
    The exhaustion left his face as her words
sank in, replaced by a glint of humor. Slipping his arm across her
shoulders, he drew her against his side. Butterflies fluttered low
in her belly as his fingertips slid under her hair, finding the
sensitive skin on the back of her neck. She suppressed a
shiver.
    “We’d better go, then.” He gave her a slow
wink. “I’d hate to be a bad host. Caro, let me know if you need
anything. I’ve shown Agnes where the guest bath is. Feel free to
help yourselves to anything you want.”
    “We will. Thank you, John. And,” she gave a
hesitant smile, “thank you for having us here tonight. It will be
difficult for me to leave her, and I know it won’t be easy for
either of you. But I do think it will be good. For all of us.”
    John’s hand tightened on the nape Gwen’s
neck. “I appreciate that. See you in the morning.”
    “You might not. My flight is at six-thirty,
so I asked the driver from tonight to collect me at
four-thirty.”
    “Christ. You definitely won’t see me then.”
He let go of Gwen long enough to embrace Caroline quickly. “Safe
travels and I hope your dad gets better soon.”
    “Me too. Merci , John.”
    “ De nada .” He didn’t seem to realize
he’d said anything wrong until he caught Gwen and Caroline
exchanging amused glances. “What? Oh, fuck, that was Spanish,
wasn’t it?”
    “Mmm-hmm. De rien , John,” Caroline
said. “ De rien .”
    “Derien, then. See you in a few days.”
    He slipped his hand around Gwen’s, whether to
keep up the pretense or to keep himself conscious, Gwen wasn’t
sure. Or maybe he simply wanted to. Whatever the reason, she flexed
her fingers around his and let him lead her up the stairs to his
room.
    The first night she’d come here, he’d seemed
larger than life in every way possible. Confident. Sexy. Funny. And
all of that had combined to intimidate her, to make her feel like
she had to be missing something. When his teammate’s text message
had come through, it had confirmed her suspicions: A man like him
wouldn’t possibly be attracted to a woman like her.
    But tonight changed that. The glimpses she’d
caught into his vulnerability and failings convinced her that he
wasn’t perfect. He