Free The Twelve Nights of Christmas by Sarah Morgan

list? Evie chewed the corner of her fingernail and then gave an embarrassed shrug. ‘Because he met someone more exciting. Because I’m the girl next door and he’s known me since I was three years old. Because I was taller than him and I made him feel less of a man—’ She stared at him with exasperation, wondering why she was having to spell this out. ‘Because I’m me . He sent me a text, dumping me.’
    His lips thinned with disapproval. ‘That’s bad.’
    â€˜Hypocrite. Are you seriously trying to tell me you’ve never dumped a woman?’
    â€˜I wouldn’t use the word “dumped”. I’ve ended plenty of relationships, but always in person. I’ve never sent a text. That’s cowardly.’
    â€˜I suppose it’s human nature to avoid a difficult conversation.’
    â€˜Difficult conversations are part of my daily existence.’
    Evie had no trouble believing that. ‘Jeff is nothing like you.’ A wimp, her grandfather had called him. ‘Perhaps he was sensible. After all the lies he told, I would have blacked his eye if he’d told me in person.’
    His eyes lingered on her hair. ‘A true redhead with a temper to match.’
    Reminded of the embarrassing fact that he knew she was a true redhead, Evie ploughed on. ‘What this boils down to is that my grandfather isn’t going to be impressed to see me naked with another man. He’s very old-fashioned. I don’t want him to think I’m like that. I’m not like that! I don’t flit from one man to another.’
    â€˜Unless the other man was someone important to you.’ Rio spoke under his breath and she had a feeling that he was thinking aloud.
    That thought was confirmed when she muttered, ‘Sorry?’ and received no response.
    â€˜If it was someone you’d been secretly seeing. A rebound relationship that turned into something special—’ He paced the length of the bedroom and then turned to look at her, his eyes burning dark. ‘Wholesome.’
    â€˜You make me sound like a breakfast cereal,’ she said irritably. ‘Why do you keep saying that?’
    â€˜Never mind. How long ago did you start working here?’
    â€˜I don’t know…I…’
    â€˜Think!’
    â€˜Don’t shout at me! I can’t concentrate when people shout!’
    Rio sucked in a breath. ‘I’m not shouting. I just want an answer. When?’
    â€˜About six weeks ago. I came down after Jeff dumped me. I started as a receptionist. I thought it was my big break.’
    â€˜Six weeks—’ Before the words had left his lips, his BlackBerry was in his hand and he was checking something. ‘I was staying in the Penthouse six weeks ago. I spent one night here on my way to New York. I need you to find out if you were working here then.’
    â€˜I know I was because I made a point of avoiding you. Sowhat? What difference does that make?’ Failing to follow his train of thought, Evie looked at him blankly but he was already dialling a number and speaking into his phone in Italian.
    He made call after call and each time Evie opened her mouth to ask him what was going on, he simply lifted his hand to silence her until she was ready to scream with exasperation.
    â€˜Hello, I’m here too!’ After his seventh consecutive phone call, she waved at him. ‘I need to ring my grandfather.’
    â€˜First, I want to get this announcement into the press and arrange a photo.’
    â€˜What announcement? What photo?’ Worried, irritable, Evie snapped at him. ‘Haven’t we had enough photos for one day?’
    He gave a lethal smile. ‘This photograph will be different.’
    â€˜Different as in I get to wear clothes? Yippee.’ She didn’t know how she was still managing to joke because she’d never felt less like joking about anything in her life.
    She knew