Free I'm Not in Love (Once Upon a Winter Book 2) by Tilly Tennant Page A

want to drag him away early. I just need Gina, that’s all.’
    ‘She wasn’t in the loos?’
    Hannah shook her head.
    ‘Maybe she went out for a bit of air?’
    It was then that Hannah realised she couldn’t see Ross either. This fact obviously hadn’t occurred to Briony, but then, why would it?
Your timing is bloody perfect, Gina
.
    ‘I’ll check outside. I expect you’re right – she probably just needed to cool down.’ Hannah made her way to the ballroom doors, sobering up at a rate of knots now that she felt the evening unravelling around her. What had Mitchell been talking about? Why was he saying things like that to her, just when she was beginning to get him out of her head? Why had he turned up tonight at all? It was like fate was trying to throw them together. But that was stupid – she didn’t believe in all that crap anyway. And yet it seemed that wherever she was he was there too or, at least, some reminder of him. God only knew what he’d meant bythe things he’d said, and Hannah could only hope that he wouldn’t repeat any of it to Martine. Hannah didn’t like her but nobody deserved that kind of betrayal.
    Out in the lobby there was still no sign of Gina or Ross. Hannah considered going to reception to see if they’d booked a room but stopped herself. The drink had pickled her brain – even Gina wouldn’t be that blatant.
    Paul Hunter came back into the lobby through a set of French doors that led out to a veranda. Hannah could smell cigarette smoke as she met him.
    ‘Was Ross outside with you?’ she asked.
    ‘No, I haven’t seen him for a while now,’ he replied, looking slightly puzzled by the question. ‘He did go out to his car though, and I haven’t seen him since then.’
    Hannah thought back, trying to remember where they’d parked earlier in the evening.
    ‘Do you want him for anything in particular?’ Paul asked. ‘Anything I can help you with?’
    Hannah forced a smile. ‘No, thanks. There was just something I needed to ask him … I don’t suppose my sister was with him?’
    ‘No. I thought she was with you.’
    ‘She isn’t… but I expect I’ll find her shortly. Thanks.’
    Paul went back to the party, and Hannah made her way to the front doors. It looked as though Gina was behaving herself after all and she felt more than a little guilty that she had doubted her. Either that or Gina had given up on Ross and acquired a new target… If she could only find him, Ross might know either way. And if not then perhaps he’d be kind enough to take her home. She did need to find Gina to let her know, though.
    Outside, the cold air hit her, making her shiver. Apart from a cluster of smokers on the veranda, also shivering as they chatted, their laughter ringing through the frosty air, the grounds were deserted. Hannah followed the path that led around the hotel to the carpark at the back. Hannah wandered between the cars, arms clamped around her trying to keep warm and wishing she’d grabbed her coat before she’d rushed out.
    Finally she spotted Ross’s car but he was nowhere to be seen. Then, through the gloom she realised that the bright blob she could see through the windows was his blonde hair. So he was in his car and…
oh hell
! Gina was in there with him and whatever they were up to, had nothing at all to do with fundraising.
    ‘Shit!’ Hannah muttered. On a different night in a different mood she might have been mildly amused by her discovery. Tonight, she was just mightily pissed off. There was nothing else for it – she was going to have to make her own way home somehow.
    Back inside, Hannah collected her coat from the cloakroom before realising that her handbag was still underneath the table in the ballroom where she’d stowed it. That meant she was going to have to face Mitchell and Martine again if she was going to get it, but without it she wouldn’t have her front door keys.
Shit, shit, shit
. They’d probably want to know why she was leaving so