Free The Magic Of Christmas by Bethany M. Sefchick

Cecilia now, nestled in his arms, he knew that he could have easily turned down Mr. Corbin when he'd requested that the great Drake Vale bring his magic show to town for one final performance of the year.  He could have insisted that Alexandra pick a blonde from the audience, nullifying the risk that Cecilia might be the woman joining him on stage.
    When he saw her flee the theater immediately after the footlights came up, he could have let her go and simply returned to his hotel and waited out the storm.  But he hadn't.  He'd had someone follow her and report back.  He'd arranged for them to meet in this back room, sending her a key and a message that he knew she couldn't - and wouldn't - ignore.
    Every choice he had made, every step he had taken since he had gotten off the airplane two days ago had been driven by one thought whether he was conscious of it or not.  He wanted to see Cecilia again.  He wanted to know that she was still out there and just as perfect as he remembered.
    Except that this wasn't fair to her.  She had her own life now and while she might want him, desire him as much as he desired her, she was hurt and confused, in the middle of her own big decisions to make.  He didn't want to add to her misery.
    He loved her too much.
    And there was the crux of the matter.
    Even when he had been poor, dirty Logan Valliente, he had loved Cecilia Linden, a girl so far above him that he had never had a chance with her.  He had made her into a goddess in his mind, an ideal no real woman could match.  And right now, being here, all he was doing was hurting and confusing her - two of the last things he ever wanted.
    It was time to end this madness.  It was time to end the fantasy.
    Slowly, he pulled away from her and immediately, Cecilia missed the warmth of his big body next to hers.  It wasn't just physical, but something more, as if a part of her had been found and then lost again.  It hurt so much that she nearly ached from the loss.
    "Go home, Celli," he said softly, his voice so smooth that it made her think of the best whiskey she'd ever had, a slow, sensual burn that she felt everywhere all at once.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to intrude on your life.  I didn't mean to make things harder for you.  All I wanted was to see you again and know that you're okay.  I can't pretend that I don't want you, but not like this.  Not when you don't know what you want.  I can't do that to you and I won't."
    Drake's heart, the one he doubted that he still possessed was breaking, but he knew this was the right thing to do.  And she still stood there, looking at him with those eyes that had captured his heart the moment he had seen her.  "Go home, Cecilia.  And again, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to try to tempt you into something you weren't ready for.  I just wanted to see you again.  That's all."
    There were so many things Cecilia wanted to say just then, but his face was closed, shuttered, the way it used to be after he'd been beaten by his stepfather.  Only back then, she could still read him.  He had never been able to shut her out completely.  Now he could.
    This was for the best, she knew.  After all, she had come in here vowing to seal off her heart from him and not allow him to confuse her already muddled thoughts with his raw sexuality and that inexplicable pull he had always seemed to exert over her.  This was only meant to be a short conversation to see if her old friend was still around somewhere.  Despite her very physical reaction to him earlier, she hadn't really considered sharing his bed.
    Or maybe she had.  She was no longer certain because she had wanted this man for longer that she could remember.  In fact, each time she took a lover, she found herself thinking of Logan.  Drake.  And those men had always been lacking.  It had always been him.  Always.
    And now, he was setting her free, letting her know, even if he hadn't intended it, that he didn't want her as much as she