The Yuletide Engagement & A Yuletide Seduction Read Online Free Page B

came back stiffly.
    Patrick shrugged. “I was merely wondering why you don’t already have a new boyfriend.”
    She gave a humourless smile. “Because after my experience with Gareth I have no interest at the moment in finding myself a new boyfriend!”
    â€œThis gets more and more intriguing by the minute,” Patrick murmured interestedly.
    Ellie shot him a reproving look. “Believe me, it really isn’t,” she assured him dismissively.
    â€œSo it’s easier to ask me, a complete stranger, to go to your company dinner with you than it is to complicate matters with a genuine new boyfriend?” Patrick murmured consideringly. “It makes a certain sense, I suppose.” He shrugged.
    Ellie frowned. “It does?” It sounded rather cold and contrived to her, but other than not going to the dinner at all—which was impossible now that Gareth had told her of the pending announcement of his engagement; she simply wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of just not turning up!—she couldn’t see any other way round the problem.
    â€œIt does,” he assured her enigmatically. “Well, as I’ve already said, Ellie, I still have the evening free on Friday.”
    She drew in a deep breath. “Then you’ll go to the Delacorte dinner with me?”
    He gave a sudden grin, looking years younger, his grey eyes warm. “I thought you would never ask!”
    She wouldn’t have done ordinarily, and they both knew it. But nothing about this situation was ordinary.
    Â 
    W HICH was why she was standing here, wearing a revealing red dress and more make-up than she had ever worn before, feeling decidedly like the overdressed Christmas tree that adorned their sitting room—waiting for Patrick McGrath to arrive…
    He was late.
    It was already seven forty-five, and before Ellie hadleft his office three days ago they had agreed that he would pick her up at seven-thirty, in order for them to drive to the restaurant and arrive a polite ten or fifteen minutes late for pre-dinner drinks. At this rate they would be lucky to arrive in time for the serving of the first course!
    â€œIs he always this unpunctual?” She frowned at Toby as he cleared away his dinner things, before getting ready to go out himself.
    â€œHe’ll be here, sis,” Toby dismissed assuredly. “But I have to leave now.” He glanced up at the kitchen clock. “I told Tess I would pick her up just after eight,” he added apologetically. He was going to the cinema this evening with his girlfriend of the last two months. “Do you want me to try reaching Patrick on his mobile before I leave? Maybe the car broke down or something.”
    â€œDo Mercedes break down?” Ellie came back dryly, wondering if she was going to get to “the ball”, after all!
    â€œMine doesn’t,” drawled a familiar voice.
    Ellie gasped, spinning round to face Patrick as he stood in the doorway. She was glad she had already gasped—otherwise she would have done so now; he looked absolutely breathtaking in a dinner suit!
    â€œI wish you wouldn’t keep creeping up on me like that,” she complained, to cover up the confusion she felt at his appearance.
    Was anyone supposed to be this handsome? This suavely sophisticated? This—this breathtaking? There really was no other word for Patrick’s appearance this evening.
    â€œWill I do?” He arched mocking brows at her as she continued to stare at him.
    Would he do as what? As a more than adequate replacement for Gareth? Certainly. As a means for making every other woman in the room jealous of her good fortune in having him as her partner for the evening? Assuredly. As a calm and soothing balm to her already battered emotions? Definitely not!
    He was a one-evening-only companion—just a shield for what promised to be a very difficult evening for her. He wasn’t supposed to make her pulse