ChristmasisComing Read Free Page A

Marc slept with other women. She knew
it, sort of accepted the fact. The knowledge hurt, especially since they seemed
compatible both in the bedroom and at work.
    Maybe she should ignore her transformed
feelings—the march of lust toward something more.
    No, she had to discuss the change of mind
with Marc. For all she knew, he might agree to make their relationship an
exclusive one.
    Worth a shot.
    With trembling hand, she picked up her cell
phone and hit speed dial. As she’d suspected, Marc was still at work.
    “I need to talk to you,” she said without
prevarication.
    “About one of the condom designs?”
    It was obvious Marc’s concentration wasn’t
entirely on her. The vagueness of his voice, the way his voice increased and
decreased in volume told her everything. He was busy working on one of his
designs. Hope died a fraction.
    “No, I wanted to talk about us.”
    “You want to call our friends with benefits
off? No problem. I knew we wouldn’t be together for long. You’re intelligent
and sexy. Someone was bound to snap you up.”
    A sick sensation filled her stomach at the
double-edged compliment. He wasn’t bothered. If anything, his voice held
congratulation. The idea of not sleeping with her again wasn’t even a blip on
his personal radar. A tear leaked from her eye and plopped on the back of her
hand.
    Gaby gathered her pride around her like a
protective cloak. “Thanks for understanding.” Amazing. Her voice sounded normal
even when her heart was breaking and tears blurred her vision. “I’ll see you on
Monday.”
    “Aren’t you coming into work tomorrow?”
    Gaby’s lips twisted. All work and no play.
Deep down she’d known he focused on his work more than her. She hadn’t allowed
herself to accept the truth, but now reality cut deep. He’d never returned her
enthusiasm and never would because he was a geeky scientist in love with his
work. A handsome, studly one. Although her heart bled at present, if she stayed
in a sexual relationship with Marc, she’d suffer pain a thousand times worse.
“I’m taking the weekend off for a change.”
    “Okay. Gotta go, Gaby.”
    The phone disconnected before she managed a
reply. Slowly she placed her cell phone on top of the rimu dresser. Maybe she’d
open a bottle of wine and have a couple of drinks now.
    Back in the kitchen, she opened the fridge
and pulled out a bottle of sauvignon blanc. The front door burst open as she
splashed some of her favorite Marlborough wine into a glass.
    Her two roomies, Fletch and Liam, raced
into the kitchen, panting and chuckling at the same time, no doubt about an
off-color joke. They’d already removed their running shoes and tossed half
their attire in the utility room on the way past. Now they filled the room with
their presence. Their bare chests glistened with sweat from their run, drawing
her attention to their muscular builds. Okay, so maybe the scenery wasn’t bad
around the house either. Her roomies loved sports and rugby in particular,
playing for the Sloan first fifteen.
    It was surprising a smart woman hadn’t
snapped one of them up long before now. They both had dark hair. Liam’s was
black, fairly straight and long enough to tie back at his nape while Fletch’s was
a deep brown and he kept it shorter. Their builder jobs took them outdoors on a
regular basis and helped keep them fit to indulge their love of sports.
    Her mother made no secret of her
disapproval of both men—uneducated and unfit to lick her feet. Her sister’s
opinion seemed much the same, although Gaby thought Liam’s polite rebuff of her
sister’s attention several years ago might have something to do with the
disdain. Gaby counted them as her best friends. They’d attended the same
school, although they were in Elsa’s class and a few years ahead of Gaby. On
her return to Sloan after completion of her university degree, she’d met Liam
and Fletch in the pub one night. They’d invited her to share the house