An Unexpected Christmas (13 page)

Nate

It took all of my willpower to
leave April to go to bed alone and I had lay awake for a while thinking about
her. I could have asked to come into her bedroom and continued where we had
left off in the kitchen but it was late and I wanted more time to show her
exactly how I felt about her. I knew I liked her and that I was attracted to
her but I couldn't quite work out how much. It seemed to change every time I was
with her. It got stronger and bigger and she kept surprising me. I wanted to
spend all my time with her, to get to know the real her. I wanted to know what
captured her interest and made her tick. I just wanted her.

That first meeting, the first
time I saw her I thought she was attractive and the startled look on her face
made her seem even more so. Then the more time I spent with her the more I
liked her. When she offered to help me I had almost not known what to say. She
was thoughtful and caring, and that was rare in people nowadays but I also
found her interesting, and sexy, and smart, and I genuinely believed that she
didn't know it.

She wasn't like the women I had
dated before and whilst I hadn't fallen into the womanizing category some
actors found themselves in I had enough experience to know what I wanted. My
last girlfriend had worked in the business and seemed to be more interested in
being in the right places and wearing the right things than she had in getting
to know me and maybe because of that I hadn't really wanted to get to know her
but with April it was different. I wanted to get to know her; I wanted to know
her opinions on things and what she liked and what she didn't. I wanted to see
where it could go.

My flight to Miami was booked for
the day after Boxing Day and I knew I would have to discuss with her how we
were going to keep in touch. I already knew I was going to miss her and the
thought of being away for three months was something I was actively trying not
to think about. I needed to get her alone so I could talk to her about where I
wanted this to go but I had a feeling that if I pushed it I would inevitably
push her away. I eventually fell asleep with images of April laid out, naked,
on my kitchen table back in my house in London.

The morning came too quickly and
I seriously considered forgoing my morning run, especially as I knew the snow
would be thicker and make it a harder workout. Unfortunately there was a little
voice in the back of my head that sounded an awful lot like Ian telling me that
I needed to keep a certain level of fitness for the role I was about to start.

I reluctantly climbed out of bed
and dressed quickly in my running gear adding my thicker coat and grabbing my
hat and gloves out of my drawer and pushing them into the pocket. I descended
the stairs two at a time and headed into the kitchen smiling at myself as I
remembered what had happen in this very room only a few hours before.

'Good morning.' My mother and
sister turned their heads to look at me, my mum returning my smile and Ella
looking at me suspiciously.

'Good morning darling, you seem
in a good mood.' Mum continued to smile at me and watch as I moved over to make
a quick coffee.

'Yeah, why are you so happy?'
Ella had turned in her chair so she was facing me. She looked less tired than
she had the day before and I hoped she was starting to look after herself
better. I worried about her, she was my little sister and I wanted her to be
happy.

'Why not little sis? It's
Christmas Eve after all. Should I not be happy?'

'Well yes but you seem more happy
than normal? I would have thought the idea of running in this weather would
have dampened your mood not heightened it.' It was then that I looked out of
the kitchen window and saw that there must have been two more inches added to
the two that fell yesterday and it was still falling, if only a very light
flurry.

I considered staying inside and
getting a head start on my emails and the last of the reading I had but I
wasn't the sort of man to let a little snow stop me from anything. I took a
long drink of my coffee and shrugged at Ella. 'It will be alright, bracing
even.'

'Well rather you than me.'

'I can't tempt you to join me
then?' I grinned at her over my mug.

'Not bloody likely. You know I
prefer to work out in a nice warm gym, preferably with something yummy to look
at.' She laughed and I realised that I missed our banter, I missed being at
home with her and Mum.

'Oh, good morning everyone.'
April had stopped in the doorway and I felt myself grin at her. She looked
tired but then she was up quite late and her hair was piled up on her head like
it had been for our first walk along the beach.

'Good morning,' Ella and Mum
replied.

April turned towards me and moved
to my side. 'Morning,' she sent me a small smile and grabbed a mug off the
wall. I took it from her and quickly made her a coffee remembering to add milk
and sugar.

When I turned back and handed her
the mug I saw Ella watching us. 'How do you know how April takes her coffee?' I
took a breath, Ella wasn't usually this observant but maybe other people's
brothers didn't know how their friends took their coffee. I wasn't going to
make a big deal over it.

I shrugged, 'I pay attention and
if you hadn't noticed that wasn't the first time I have made her coffee.' Maybe
Ella suspected something was going on between April and I but for me, if she
did know, it wasn't an issue. I would be happy for her to know but I wasn't
sure how April would feel telling her friend that something was going on with
her brother. I downed the last of my coffee and placed my empty mug in the
sink. 'Right I'm off.'

'You aren't going running in this
are you?' April sounded worried and that warmed me.

'I am.' I pulled my hat and
gloves out of my pocket and pulled them on sending her a smile.

'But it's freezing.' She hugged
her mug closer to her chest and I had the urge to pull her into my arms and
kiss her and tell her not to worry.

'I won't be out for long, and I
have done it before.' I sent her another reassuring smile and she reluctantly
returned it. I walked to the back door and called for Milly and Toby, they came
running out of the living room and through the door I was now holding open for
them. Before I pulled it closed behind me I sent April a quick wink and saw her
smile back at me.

I only ran for twenty minutes as
it was hard going on the snow covered sand and by the time I was back in the
warmth of the house I couldn't feel my toes. I went straight upstairs and
stripped then stood under the hot water of the shower until I could feel them
again.

The kitchen had been deserted
when I got back and I wondered what everyone had planned for the day. I knew
Mum would be setting up for the party and would need some help but people
weren't expected until half six which meant they wouldn't start to arrive until
seven. I had thought about taking April out for a drive as I knew she was a fan
of the car and it would be a good opportunity to get her on her own but I
wasn't too keen on taking it out in the snow, I knew I wouldn't forgive myself if
something happened. I did have some things to finish off if I wanted to spend
all day tomorrow not thinking about work.

I climbed out of the shower and
wrapped a towel around my waist and grabbed another and rubbed it over my hair
as I padded back into my bedroom. I threw the towel down on the bed then
grabbed my jeans and a shirt from the dresser. Once I was dressed I headed
downstairs and to the living room. I wanted to check my messages and had gotten
in the habit of leaving my phone on the mantel and only checking it in the
morning and later in the evening.

When I walked into the living
room April was curled up in one of the armchairs but all of her attention
seemed to be out of the window and not on the book in her lap.

'Is it not a good book?'

April's head shot around to look
at me. Then she let out a long breath. 'You scared me.' She looked down at the
book then back up at me, 'I can't seem to concentrate on it.'

I moved around the table and to
her side and retrieved my phone from the mantel. 'I can see that. Is everything
alright?' I had pushed the power button and waited for my phone to boot up. I
looked down at her and found her looking right at me and I realised I couldn't
read her expression. 'What? What is it?'

After a moment she shook her head
and smiled. 'Nothing. I think I'm just tired.' She closed her book and dropped
it on the table then turned in her chair so she was facing the fire a little
more. 'Your mum and Ella have braved the snow to pick up some last minute
things from the shop for tonight. I do not envy them.'

My phone made a noise to tell me
that I had a voice mail and a couple of text messages but April's words had all
of my attention. 'So you're telling me that we have the house to ourselves?' I
smiled down at her and placed my phone back on the mantel.

April looked up at me and after a
moment smiled, 'I suppose we do.'

I leaned down and pressed my lips
to hers. She reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck and I snaked mine
around her waist and lifted her out of the chair then lowered her so she stood
in front of me. I reluctantly lifted my head and smiled down at her. 'Hey.'

She laughed. 'Hi. How was your
run?'

'It was good, freezing, but
good.' I moved my arms and locked them at the small of her back and I felt her
lean against them. 'I was hoping that we would get some time alone.'

'Oh really and what did you have
in mind?' Her hands had moved and now played with one of the buttons on my
shirt and it seemed to have all of her attention.

'April.' She looked up at me.
'Don't you think we should talk about, well, what's going on with us?' On the
word us her fingers stopped and she dropped her gaze.

'What do you mean?' Her voice was
quiet and it worried me. Was she having second thoughts about us? About what we
had started? There was a ringing from the front door and April pulled away and
I reluctantly let her. 'I'll get it.'

I watched her leave the room and
listened as she answered the door. A moment later she came back in followed by
Roddy carrying a box. 'Hi, Ella asked me to drop this stuff off before the
party. It's just some extra decorations and things.' He looked around.

'I’ll take them.' I walked over
and took the box from him hoping that he wouldn't be stopping.

'Do you want a coffee before you
head back out into the cold?' April looked up at him and smiled, and I wondered
if she was trying to get out of talking to me.

'I better not; I have some things
to do for Mum before tonight.' He sort of shuffled his feet then looked at
April. 'Will you let Ella know I dropped the stuff off and that I will see her
later?'

April smiled back at him. 'Of
course.' He nodded then she followed him back out to the front door.

I turned to the fire and gazed
down into the flames. I couldn't work out what was going on with her. One
minute she was kissing me like I was her only oxygen and the next she was
pulling away. I just couldn't figure her out.

'That was good of Roddy, to drop
those things off. It's a shame Ella was out.'

I didn't turn at her words but I
heard her shift her weight from foot to foot then slowly walk towards me. She
placed her hand on my arm. She was making me crazy; I had only known her for
four days but she had already made her way into my heart. I wanted to know how
we were going to get through me being away. I let out a heavy sigh and realised
I was being ridiculous. I was worrying too much about something that hadn't
happened yet. I wasn't usually like this. I was a take it one day at a time
sort of person and maybe that's what I had to do. Not push, just let us be.

'Nate?' I could hear the worry in
her voice so I turned around and pulled her to me and buried my face in her
neck.

'Sorry. I think I might be a bit
over tired too.'

She stroked the back of my hair
and rubbed my back. 'It's okay. Everything is good. Maybe we could find some
time later to talk. '

I nodded and wrapped my arms
tightly around her. We stood that way for a while until I lifted my head and
kissed her. She let out a soft moan and I knew that if I didn't stop now I was
going to have my way with her right there in front of the fire.

'Do you want a coffee?' I asked.

'I always want coffee.' She
smiled up at me and I placed a quick kiss to her lips then let go of her and
headed into the kitchen.

I switched the kettle on and set
about making two mugs of strong coffee. If we were both going to get through
tonight then we were going to need it. I leaned back against the counter
waiting for the kettle to boil. I needed to calm down. I really liked her and
if the way she kissed me was any indication she liked me too but I was not
going to push it. I was going to let her take the lead a little and if my
flirting and teasing coaxed her into wanting me more, then so be it.

I heard the front door open and knew
that my fleeting time alone with April had passed. Mum and Ella piled into the
kitchen, carrier bags in hand and dumped them on the kitchen table. 'Did you
buy the whole supermarket or just a couple of aisles?'

'Watch your cheek young man. We
got everything we needed. Can you help sort things out?'

'I can help,' April had entered
from the living room and walked over and started to empty the bags.

'Oh thank you April.' Mum smiled
at her and I knew that she really liked April but then who wouldn't.

'If you are alright I have to
call Ian.'

'More work?' My mother sounded
disappointed.

I kissed her cheek. 'It's the
last couple of things I promise then I am all yours.' I went back into the
living room to retrieve my phone then headed into the office.