Sweet Cinderella (A Christmas Novella) (The Klaus Brothers Book 4) (6 page)

BOOK: Sweet Cinderella (A Christmas Novella) (The Klaus Brothers Book 4)
10.34Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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“Can I have a juice box?”

“Help yourself. They’re in the bottom drawer of the fridge.”

He skipped into the kitchen, and Hannah blinked back tears. Last night while she was getting drunk on eggnog and dancing with a stranger, her son had been screaming in terror. Not the first time he’d had a bad dream, and certainly would not be the last. But since David had died, sleep was not always a welcome respite in their home.

She brushed a hair out of her eyes and picked up a sponge. Time to scrub. Scrub away her guilty feelings. She could not believe she’d been swept off her feet by by Gregor Klaus. How ridiculous! He was rich and famous. She was ordinary and unsophisticated. She’d been dressed in a second-hand gown. He’d boasted a shiny Rolex on his wrist. He must have been silently laughing at her as she babbled on about her family and Uncle Gino’s Pizzeria. Although he hadn’t seemed stuck-up, but how could he feel otherwise? He was from one of the most powerful families in Manhattan, and she was living in a crappy apartment in Hell’s Kitchen.

She shuddered out a painful breath and rubbed her head. The headache from the eggnog wasn’t helping. It didn’t matter anyway. The night was over. She’d wanted a night to remember. Well, she got it. Especially that kiss. She would never forget the feel of his lips on her, but she needed to refocus her energy on the boys. They needed her. A lot more than Gregor Klaus. She was probably just a way for him to pass the time at another boring event.

She bit her lip as a tear slipped down her cheek. She had no business feeling sorry for herself. There were a lot of folks in dire need this holiday season, and she had so many things to feel grateful for.

The doorbell buzzed loudly, and Hannah cringed at the noise. Just like clockwork, Dina Marcelli was there, offering a shy hello to the boys.

“Hi, Dina! How are you doing. Please come in.”

“Thanks, Hannah.” Dina’s thin frame was bundled in layers of sweatshirts. “I—I hope this isn’t a problem.”

Hannah waved a hand. “Not at all. I’m happy to help out. I’m so sorry that Roger is still in the hospital. I hope he’s released soon.”

“Me, too.” Dina’s voice was hoarse.

The poor woman had four children at home, all under the age of eight. Her husband was sick and unemployed. Hannah was worried about her.

She passed her a shopping bag. “I have a hearty dinner for you and the kids—a lasagna you can freeze and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.”

Dina trembled as she hugged Hannah. “You are the best. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“It’s nothing. Any time you need help, just stop by. Promise?”

Dina nodded. “I promise. The kids will love these cookies. Thank you so much.”

Hannah shut the door and trudged back to the kitchen to finish the dishes. She heard the buzzer again and assumed it was Andi. Her sister had sent a cryptic text last night saying she was leaving the event early. A few minutes later she heard the boys talking and then . . . a very deep voice. She rushed into the living room and stopped in shock.

Standing in her doorway was Gregor Klaus. With a bouquet of amaryllis flowers and a look she knew well.

Ice. Cold.

She looked like a teenager with her hair in a ponytail, no make-up, and an old college T-shirt. Young and fresh-faced and innocent. But pale. She obviously wasn’t expecting to see him again.

Well, too bad. He was here. And he wasn’t going anywhere.

He always played to win.

Hannah glared at him. “What are you doing here? Anthony, why did you let a stranger into our house?”

Anthony shrugged. “He said he was your date last night and you left something behind.”

Gregor held up her green satin pump. “Missing this?”

Hannah blushed. “Oh, for goodness sake . . .” She marched over to him and snatched the shoe from his hand. “I . . . ugh. This is embarrassing.”

“Mom? How’d you get home with just one shoe?” Anthony asked.

“You must have looked funny, Mom.” Another little boy giggled.

“Actually, your mother did not look funny. She looked absolutely stunning.” Gregor enjoyed her blush.

“We know. She looked like a princess, didn’t she?” The second boy nodded in solidarity. “I’m Matteo. Who are you?”

Gregor held out his hand. “Gregor Klaus, at your service.”

Matteo shook his hand and laughed.

Anthony crossed his arms belligerently. He would be harder to win over. “Did you dance with her?”

Gregor nodded. “I did.”

Anthony frowned. “Did you drink cham—champagne?”

Gregor tried not to laugh at his disgruntled expression. “She prefers eggnog. She told me you boys like it, too.”

Matteo jumped onto the sofa. “We do! It’s our favorite Christmas drink.”

“Well, that and hot chocolate. Those are our two favorite Christmas drinks,” Anthony said.

“Yeah, but you have to put a lot of whipped cream on top, or it’s not any good,” Matteo chimed in.

Hannah put her arm around Anthony’s shoulders. “Okay, boys. That’s enough. I’m sure Mr. Klaus has to go—”

“Actually, no. I don’t need to go.” Gregor quirked a brow.

“We weren’t really expecting any visitors today.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure you’re all up for a spontaneous bit of fun, right?”

Hannah narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

He took a step closer to her, and she bit her lip. God, he wanted to nibble that lip. Badly.

“These are for you. I figured you would like some holiday flowers since you love Christmas so much.” He handed her the bouquet of amaryllis. Shirley had assured him these were Hannah’s favorite holiday blooms.

Hannah’s expression softened immediately and she cradled the flowers in her arms. “Thank you,” she whispered. “They’re beautiful. We don’t splurge on flowers a lot.”

He knew that. He knew everything about her, thanks to Shirley’s intel. The quirky little elf had been a goldmine of information. And Gregor wasn’t above using it to get what he wanted.

He wanted Hannah.

He crouched down on the floor next to the boys. “I thought we could head over to Rockefeller Plaza for some ice skating today. I made reservations for us. What do you boys think about that idea?”

The twins paused for a beat, and then they both screamed and jumped in the air. Gregor chuckled at their enthusiasm.

“Mom. Please. Please. Mom. Can we go? Please. Please say yes . . .”

“Say yes, say yes, say yes, say—”

Hannah held up a hand. “Stop. I’m sorry, Mr. Klaus . . .”

“Call me Gregor. I insist.” There was no way he was letting her ignore the intimacy they shared last night.

She huffed out an aggravated sigh. “Fine.
Gregor.
I’m sorry, but the skating is too expensive for us . . .”

“I’m treating you. We didn’t get to finish our ‘date’ last night, so I decided we’d finish today. With the boys. If that’s okay with them.”

“It is
so
okay!” Matteo jumped off the back of the sofa.

Hannah stepped closer to Gregor, and he had to fight the urge to pull her into his arms.

“What do you think you’re doing? And how did you find out where I live?” she whispered furiously. “And we cannot afford that outing . . .”

“That’s a lot of questions, Hannah De Luca Andersen. I have my sources. And I insist on treating all of you today.”

She frowned at him. “I’m sure last night was just a bump in the road. You could be socializing with anyone from high society, and you’re here? I don’t get it.”

He leaned down, closer to her. So close he could see the dark shadows under her eyes. He wanted to kiss them away. “I’m not in the least bit interested in socializing with high society. I’m here because I want to be here. You can’t possibly believe that our chemistry last night was . . .
faked
? Is that what you think?”

“I—I don’t know. I don’t know what to think.” Her eyes filled with worry.

He rubbed his thumb over her pale cheekbone. “Sweetheart, that was as real as it gets. And I’m here for one simple reason. I want to get to know you better. And the twins. Please let me treat you to a day of fun. Say yes.”

He held his breath while she debated the invitation. The boys continued to bounce and beg.

He reached out and took her hand. “
Please.

She finally shook her head and laughed. “Have you ever been out in New York with five-year-old twin boys?” She had a gleam in her eye.

“Um, no. I can’t say that I have.” Gregor played along.

She folded her arms across her chest. “When was the last time you went skating?”

He hesitated. “Um . . . it’s been a while. But I’m sure it’s like riding a bike.”

Hannah surveyed him from head to toe. “You’re wearing a suit and tie, a camel wool topcoat, fancy shoes, and a cashmere scarf. You don’t look like you’re dressed for a day of skating with five-year-olds.”

“You think I’m overdressed for our outing?”

She smirked. “Yes.”

He laughed. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll manage.”

“Be careful what you wish for. This might just be your undoing.” She turned to the twins. “Okay, boys. Since Mr. Klaus has made such a generous offer, we might as well join him for the day.”

Matteo and Anthony screamed and rolled around on the floor.

Gregor cleared his throat. “Hopefully skating will tire them out a bit.”

Hannah raised a brow. “Good luck with that.” She patted the boys on the back. “You two need to get dressed for skating. Warm jeans and sweaters. You know the drill.”

The twins raced to their room.

Gregor slid his arm around Hannah’s waist. He felt her tense up. “You ran from me last night. Why?”

She tried to pull away from his touch, but he only tightened his grip. She wasn’t escaping him again.

“You don’t understand. I got a text from the babysitter. Matteo had a bad dream. He used to have them a lot after David died. It’s gotten better, but I haven’t been out for a while. I guess he got nervous last night. I should have been here.” She refused to make eye contact with him.

Gregor cupped her cheeks and forced her to look at him. “Hannah, I would have been happy to take you home. I understand about family coming first. But I didn’t like you running from me. Don’t do that again.”

“Why? You know there is no way . . . anything is going to work out between us. This is crazy. I live in this crowded apartment. I’m sure you live in a luxury penthouse. I’m a single mom with a lot of responsibility. My life is not glamorous. Your life . . . I can’t even imagine. I don’t understand what you’re doing here.” Her eyes filled with tears.

Gregor wanted to smash something. He hated to see her upset.

“I’m here because there’s no other place I would rather be. No one else I would rather spend the day with. And if you think I care about the square footage of your apartment, you’re crazy. I care about spending time with
you
—the woman who loves eggnog and the Hallelujah Chorus and the candlelight service at the Church of St. Paul. The woman who helps an old lady hang an ornament on a tree, while everyone else in the room ignores her. The woman who drops everything to rush home to her son when he needs a hug.
You
.”

She took a deep shuddering breath. “I’m—I’m sorry I ran away last night. That was rude. Please forgive me. I guess . . . I sort of panicked. You’re way out of my league, Gregor Klaus. I didn’t know what to do.”

He kissed her gently on the forehead. “I have a suggestion. Why not just relax and try to have fun today?”

She laughed. “You sound like Andi. That’s what she’s been telling me for the last year.” She pressed her hand over his heart.

Gregor froze.

He was close.

So. Very. Close
.

He could feel it.

“Okay, you win. I’ll try to relax and enjoy the day. But I did warn you. The boys can be a real handful.”

“Excellent. I need some on-the-job training since my family is starting to add babies into the mix.”

He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. She swayed in his arms and then kissed him back. Hesitantly. Sweetly.

Round One: Gregor Klaus.

 

C
hapter
6

Hannah was shocked. She had never seen her boys so well-behaved. Something about Gregor’s authoritative demeanor was working like a charm with the twins. They’d spent two hours skating and falling and listening with rapt attention to instruction from Gregor. As they’d walked along the chilly sidewalks, they’d held on tight to his hands without a word of complaint. He had treated all of them to hot chocolate and sweets at a swanky café, and the boys had beamed the entire time. He’d even asked the waiter to bring extra bowls of whipped cream.

BOOK: Sweet Cinderella (A Christmas Novella) (The Klaus Brothers Book 4)
10.34Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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