His Christmas Eve Proposal

Not that much, really, she decided. The bare bones of the truth should do it. She hadn’t had a chance to tell her father everything yesterday, about her reasons for being here, and there was no need to tell Hawk either.

‘Have you finished deciding how much I need to know?’ Hawk probed wryly once they were seated back at the breakfast bar, knowing by the way her cheeks became flushed that he had scored a direct hit with his question.

She raised her pointed chin defensively. ‘My father has already told you all there is to know, Mr Hawkley—’

‘Hawk,’ he put in firmly, elbows resting on the breakfast bar as he studied her across its width. ‘Somehow I don’t think that’s true, Rosie,’ he persisted. ‘For instance, the glaringly obvious thing Donald hasn’t told me is why I didn’t know of your existence until today!’

Auburn brows rose over her cool green eyes. ‘Perhaps he didn’t consider it any of your business,’ she dismissed.

Hawk was starting to feel seriously irritated by this woman’s deliberate rudeness. She certainly hadn’t looked so cool earlier, when he had strolled out of the bathroom stark naked!

If he were honest, he hadn’t felt that cool himself when he’d first became aware of her in his bedroom—the tell-tale stirring of his body had been proof of that! He studied her closely now, noting the golden ring circling the green of her eyes, making them appear almost luminous, and the freckles that covered her nose, making him wonder if she had freckles anywhere else. And what it would feel like to kiss every one of them…

He straightened, impatient with his own wandering thoughts. He wasn’t involved in a relationship with anyone at the moment, but he had only left Los Angeles yesterday—the land of plenty when it came to beautiful available women. Finding himself attracted to Rosie Harrison, who took the phrase ‘woman of mystery’ to a whole new level, was a complication he certainly didn’t need. Now or at any other time.

‘Are you here to spend Christmas with Donald?’ he enquired tersely, the thought of Rosie sharing the flat over the garage with Donald during the holidays robbing him of some of his contentment at the contemplation of a quiet family Christmas.

‘That hasn’t been decided yet,’ she answered noncommittally.

She brought a whole new dimension to that saying about getting blood out of a stone too, Hawk acknowledged impatiently, deciding he had had enough of this verbal fencing for one morning.

‘Although the fact that he’s obviously ill does rather change things, doesn’t it?’ Rosie suddenly opined.

Hawk eyed her warily. ‘It does?’

‘Well, of course it does,’ she came back waspishly. ‘Apart from the fact that he’s ill and will need looking after, he’s obviously also unable to work. As I understand it, you’re expecting the rest of your family to descend on you in the next few days…?’

‘Yes…’ Hawk confirmed, wariness in his own tone now.

‘And Don—my father,’ she corrected awkwardly, ‘was supposed to shop for food, put up the decorations and things?’

‘Yes.’ Hawk nodded, very aware of the fact that she seemed to be having difficulty actually calling Donald her father.

Damn it, why did Donald have to get the flu now? Because Hawk was pretty sure he was going to have to wait until his assistant was better before he got any helpful answers to his questions!

No matter how much she was determined not to answer Hawk’s questions, Rosie was also aware that if he chose to tell Donald she couldn’t stay on here her father would have no choice but to ask her to leave. And the truth was, at this moment in time, she didn’t have anywhere else to go to…

In the circumstances, it wasn’t in her best interests to be completely uncooperative…

‘Well, I could do those things for you instead—if you would like me to,’ she offered lightly. ‘If you’ll just point me in the direction of the nearest supermarket and tell me where you keep the Christmas decorations…?’ she prompted, at Hawk’s lack of a response to her offer.

He raised dark brows over mocking blue eyes, a slightly derisive smile curving the sculptured mouth that was set so arrogantly in his ruggedly handsome face. Rosie’s pulse fluttered slightly as she was once again forcibly reminded of exactly who this man was.

Only a woman who was deaf, blind or totally insensitive to blatant sexiness could fail not to tremble slightly with awareness in his presence.

But she was a woman running away from her wedding day, from a man she neither loved nor wanted to marry, which should have made her totally immune to the attractions of any other member of the opposite sex.

But it didn’t…

She tried to break her gaze away from the compelling blue of Hawk’s eyes. And failed. Instead she felt as if she were drowning in their dark depths, as if she were trying to swim against the tide, and the effort to resist rendered her slightly breathless and trembling.

This wouldn’t do, she told herself firmly. Joshua Hawkley might be one of the most dangerously attractive men she had ever met, but he was also her father’s employer—her father’s over-curious employer! She would be wise to keep that in mind.

It took some effort, but she finally managed to drag her gaze away from his, staring at a point somewhere over Hawk’s left shoulder. ‘Unless you would prefer to do those things yourself—?’

‘Hell, no! You feel free to carry on, if that’s what you want to do,’ he bit out as he stood up.

Rosie sighed. ‘I merely offered because I’m sure my father would expect it,’ she explained.

‘I’ve already said it’s fine, Rosie,’ Hawk drawled. ‘I still have to shop for gifts, anyway. One more to add to the list now,’ he added pointedly.

Rosie gave him a startled glance. Surely he didn’t mean her…?

‘Please don’t bother on my account,’ she told him hastily.

She’d brought some cash with her, which she had changed into Canadian dollars at the airport, but those funds were limited, and certainly wouldn’t last very long if she had to go out and buy Christmas presents for Joshua Hawkley and his family. She’d had no choice but to use her credit card when she booked her air ticket, but was loath to use it now. Canada was a big country, but paying with her credit card would certainly give away her location to anyone unprincipled enough—determined enough—to use that method to track her down.

Her caution would probably seem a little dramatic to anyone else, but she had come to know only too well the ruthlessness of her pursuer…

In the last few minutes Hawk had watched all the different emotions as they’d flickered across the beauty of Rosie’s face. Emotions too fleeting for him to be able to fully comprehend. But he had registered her slight panic at his mention of buying Christmas presents. What was this woman hiding? Hawk wondered frowningly, as he continued to watch her anxious features.

Because he was pretty sure from the way she avoided answering his direct questions that she was hiding something…

CHAPTER FOUR

‘I’LL drive you to the mall, if you like,’ Hawk told her briskly. ‘You can shop for food while I go off in search of gifts for my family.’ Even as he made the suggestion he could see that it didn’t sit too well with Rosie Harrison. Her slender hands trembled slightly as she collected up their empty coffee mugs and put them in the dishwasher.

At least he thought it was his suggestion that was making her tremble…

It was difficult to tell what she was thinking or feeling when she continued to avoid his gaze!

She shook her head. ‘I don’t think my father would approve of my putting you to any trouble on my behalf—’

‘It isn’t on your behalf if you’re going to be shopping for food for my family,’ Hawk reasoned. ‘Besides, I’m going into Calgary anyway,’ he added firmly, feeling a sudden determination, now that he could see her reluctance, to take her with him.

How contrary was that?

Very, Hawk acknowledged ruefully. But after years of being a public figure, of being pursued by some of the most beautiful women in the world, it was something of a novelty to find a woman who was so obviously reluctant to spend any more time in his company than she had to.

That wasn’t conceit on his part either, only fact; his place on the Hollywood A-list made him an easy—and possibly useful—target for any woman who was trying to make it in the movie business.

Besides, he might be able to get Rosie Harrison to open up a little more about herself if he spent some more time with her…

She gave another small shake of her head, her glorious red hair shimmering like a living flame as she did so. ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea to just leave my father on his own when he isn’t well.’

Considering Donald hadn’t been well several times during the last ten years—whether with other bouts of flu or stomach upsets—and had managed pretty well without the attendance of his daughter, Hawk didn’t think her being here this time was going to be of any relevance to the other man’s wellbeing or recovery!

‘Like all men, I know for a fact that Donald prefers to be on his own when he isn’t feeling well,’ Hawk assured her. ‘But I’ll go up and check on him while you get ready—explain what’s happening if he’s awake, if that makes you feel happier about going,’ he assured her.

Rosie wasn’t fooled by Hawk’s lazily relaxed tone for a moment. She knew by the look of determination on his face that he wasn’t about to accept any of her arguments against going to Calgary with him. Much better to just give in gracefully.

‘I’ll only be five minutes,’ she told him reluctantly. ‘What?’ she prompted, when she saw his sceptical expression.

‘If you do only take five minutes to get ready to go out, then you’ll be the first woman of my acquaintance to do so!’ he explained wryly.

Rosie gave him a narrow-eyed glare. ‘I can only assume that must be due to the type of woman you’re acquainted with!’

‘You’re probably right!’ Appreciative laughter glinted in his deep blue eyes as he gave a grin, his teeth white and even against his tanned skin. ‘I’ll go up and see Donald in a couple of minutes,’ he confirmed, his gaze slightly mocking.

She hadn’t taken the complication of this dangerously attractive man’s presence here into account when she’d arranged to come to Canada so suddenly, Rosie acknowledged to herself as she hurried from the kitchen up to her father’s flat. If she had thought about it at all, she’d have believed the actor would be too busy with his own family to even notice her. And if her father hadn’t become suddenly ill, then he probably wouldn’t have done.

All of which made absolutely no difference to the fact that he had noticed her, and that she was about to accompany him into Calgary in order to do his grocery shopping for him!

What would she have been doing if she were in England now?

Considering the time difference, she would most probably have been in bed. Although she doubted very much that she would have been asleep. Sleep seemed to be something that had eluded her more and more as her wedding day had approached and she’d realised what a mistake she was making.

But it was a mistake she had now done something about, she reminded herself firmly. Before it had been too late.

In fact, now that she thought about it, she didn’t even want to contemplate what would be happening now if she were still in the UK!

She was going to take one day at a time, deal with one problem at a time—and what she had to concentrate on right now was getting ready in the five minutes she had assured Hawk that she would take!

‘I’m impressed,’ Hawk announced, as Rosie hurried down the stairs to join him at the front door—still with ten seconds of the allotted five minutes to spare!

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