Sweet Christmas Kisses (21 page)

He edged through the crowd and offered Cameron his hand. "Thanks, mate. That was a nice surprise."

Cameron shook his hand and slapped him on the back. "You're welcome. I thought you and Kelly Grace might hit it off. We've been stationed overseas together many times and she's a great girl."

So Kelly was an army medic. Sean glanced back at the beautiful woman, her thick mass of dark hair glinting with mahogany highlights, her shapely legs so long they seemed to go on forever. Sean might have found time to ask Kelly out, but he didn't date anyone he was likely to work with. His job at the military hospital was too important to risk compromising it in any way.

With a sigh of regret, he shouldered back through the crowd to her side. True to form, Daniel had moved in to flirt with her, his date scowling beside him. Sean gave his brother a hands-off look.

Daniel grinned, unabashed, and looped his arm around his date's waist. "Well, you're another year older, and I'm jet-lagged so I'd better head off and get some shut-eye. Are you coming to Mum and Dad's for Christmas?"

"Maybe. I'll see how it goes."

"In other words, no," Daniel said.

Sean shrugged. It was no secret that he and his father didn't get along. Ever since Sean left his father's exclusive cosmetic surgery clinic in London to join the army, relations had been chilly.

"Okay, well, I'll see you sometime over Christmas," Daniel said. "I want to see my two little nieces. I have lots of fun presents for them."

"You're welcome anytime. You know that." Daniel might have his faults, but Sean's twins, Zoe and Annabelle, adored him—probably because he was a big kid at heart.

Sean embraced his brother and gave a wry laugh when Daniel play-punched him in the stomach, catching him off guard.

"You're getting slow, old man. I thought you army guys had lightning-fast responses."

"The only thing I do lightning-fast these days is fall asleep when my head hits the pillow. Looking after two babies and working full time will do that for you." Not that he minded; his career and his girls were his life—they were all he needed. Or he'd thought they were until an attractive bunny girl walked into his life and woke up his libido.

He cast Kelly a longing glance as she sipped her champagne and smiled, appearing far more relaxed now Cameron had moved to her side. Kelly Grace was a beauty indeed, but even if she weren't out of bounds, Sean had his hands full with his girls and his job. He didn't want the extra complication of a woman in his life. He'd been there and done that. In his experience, women caused nothing but trouble and heartache.

****

"Are you sure you don't mind giving me a ride? I can call a taxi." Kelly slipped her arms in her sleeves as Sean held up her coat.

"Of course I don't mind. The army housing is on my way home."

Kelly had planned to share a taxi home with Cameron and Alice but they'd rushed off to the hospital. Alice's back had started aching and she was worried the contractions had begun.

The cold nipped Kelly's face as she hurried across the car park beside Sean. He juggled the box, containing the remnants of his birthday cake, and a couple of wrapped presents as he fished in his jacket pocket for his car keys.

The locks popped on a silver SUV and he opened the door for her to climb in. The interior smelled of children, the blended fragrance of baby products that took her back seven years to her time working in pediatrics.

Sean jumped in beside her, dumping his cake and presents on the floor in the back before rubbing his hands together. "It's darned cold tonight. The forecast is for a white Christmas this year. I hope that's right. My girls will love the snow."

As Sean started the car and cranked up the heat, Kelly glanced over her shoulder at the two baby seats installed in the backseat.

"Cameron mentioned you have twins."

"I do, Zoe and Annabelle. They've just had their first birthday and they're into everything." He grinned, his eyes twinkling with pleasure in the streetlights. "They're the best thing that ever happened to me."

"You're very lucky." Everyone around Kelly seemed to be having children at the moment, as if fate insisted on taunting her with what she could never have.

They fell into a comfortable silence as the car headed along the narrow country lanes back towards Oxford. Headlights shone in Kelly's eyes. She blinked drowsily as the car warmed up.

"So, you're in the medical corps?" Sean asked.

"No, the nursing corps." Kelly fiddled with a coat button. "Actually, I resigned from the army awhile ago. I've nearly finished working out my notice period. I have leave until after Christmas, then I'll be back on Civvy Street."

She wasn't sure what made her tell a man she barely knew something she hadn't revealed to her best friends. Cocooned in the dark car with Sean, she felt strangely safe and relaxed. He had a polite manner and he was easy to be with. After months of wondering if she had done the right thing by resigning from the army, she felt at ease with her decision.

He flashed a curious glance her way before turning back to the road. "What do you plan to do now?"

"I was a pediatric nurse before I joined up. Something happened recently that made me realize how much I missed working with children." The face of the dear little African boy Cameron had adopted came to mind. One day of caring for that baby reminded her how much she missed her old job.

"I've given the army seven years of my life and gained a huge amount of experience that I'd never have had working in a civilian hospital. I want to put that knowledge to good use. I've decided to work for a children's charity."

"Nursing?"

"Of course. I'm due to fly out to Africa in the New Year. Conditions will be tough, but I'm used to working under pressure in conflict zones. There are so many children out there who need help. I want to be part of that effort."

"Sounds great, Kelly. I admire your principles." He fell silent again, his lips pressed together while his fingers tapped the steering wheel.

The car stopped at traffic lights, then turned beside the building where her apartment was and drew to a halt.

Kelly picked up her purse and Sean swiveled in his seat to face her. "Do you have any plans for the next couple of weeks?"

"Not particularly. Why?" A streak of excitement burned away her drowsiness. Was he about to ask her out? She normally didn't like casual relationships, but Sean was so easy to be with. It would be nice to spend a little time with him before she left the country.

"The French au pair who usually looks after Zoe and Annabelle is going to stay with her family for Christmas. I planned to put the girls in the day care at the hospital while she's away, but I'd rather not. Every time they go in there they come back with colds. If you're free, it would be great if you could work for me for three weeks before you start your new job. I'll pay you, of course."

He wanted to employ her! Disappointment flashed through Kelly but soon vanished when she stopped to think about what he was offering—three weeks of caring for his twin girls.

"I'd love to." She pressed her hands to her cheeks, visions of all the things she and the two babies would do racing through her mind. This was going to be so much fun.

He grinned. "That's fantastic. I'm sure you'll hit it off just fine with my little monsters. Why don't you come over tomorrow and meet them while Monique is still here. She can run through everything with you. You can use Monique's room while she's away. It's next to the girls' bedroom."

"You want me to live in? Okay." Excitement bubbled inside Kelly. Instead of a lonely Christmas break on her own, she could spend it with Zoe and Annabelle. And Sean, of course, when he was at home.

"That's settled then. I'll give you the address and the PIN code to get in the gate." He scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it across, then jumped out and came around to open her door.

She climbed out, grinning.

"It takes about thirty minutes from here. Come over tomorrow morning when you're ready. I'm there all day."

Kelly nodded, her head spinning with the sudden change in her plans. This just might be the best Christmas she'd had in years.

The GPS on Kelly's phone directed her along a narrow country lane beside the River Thames to a set of tall iron gates. A metal sign that read River View House hung on the wall. She edged her car closer and tapped the PIN code Sean had given her into the keypad. The gates swung open to reveal a drive that cut across a neatly trimmed lawn.

Her car crunched along the gravel and around a corner. She stopped, catching her breath at the amazing place. For some reason she had expected Sean to live in a historic house like Cameron did, but this building was ultramodern with lots of huge glass windows, sandstone walls, and a slate roof. It sat on a hill above the River Thames. The views from the property must be fantastic.

In a parking area outside the front door stood the SUV Sean had driven the previous evening and a sports car. She pulled up beside them and cut her car engine.

Climbing out, she grabbed a breath of chilly air, locked her door, and surveyed the property. It really was a wonderful location, quiet and peaceful with beautiful views in all directions. This close to Oxford with a river frontage, the place must have cost a fortune, at least a couple of million pounds. A colonel's salary had to be a lot more than she'd thought, unless his family already had money. She really knew very little about Sean Fabian apart from his military reputation.

Her heart pounded as she walked towards the front door. She hadn't expected seeing Sean again to make her nervous. After all, she was only working for him. They weren't dating. She sucked in a steadying breath and told herself not to be so silly.

She pressed her thumb on the doorbell and waited. A few moments passed before voices sounded inside, then the door opened. Sean beamed his crooked smile at her, all dimples and white teeth.

A small girl with blonde curls rested in his arms, her head on his shoulder, her chubby fingers clutching his shirt collar. Kelly's heart skipped a beat, then raced on. If there was one thing better than a handsome man, it was a handsome man holding a baby. Or in Sean's case, two babies. The other twin sat on his foot, her arms and legs wrapped around his lower leg.

"Kelly. Hello. Great to see you again. Come in." Sean shuffled back, one foot weighed down by his daughter.

"This is Zoe," he said, bouncing the baby in his arms. He tried to sit the child higher so she could see Kelly, but the little girl buried her face in her daddy's neck and hung on. "We're slightly shy when we meet new people, but she won't take long to get used to you." He kissed the top of the child's head. "This is Kelly. She's going to spend some time with you while Monique's away."

"Hello, Zoe. It's nice to meet you."

The little girl peeped out at Kelly through huge blue-green eyes fringed with long golden lashes just like her father's.

"And down here we have Annabelle, or Belles for short." Sean lifted his foot off the ground and the child tipped back her head, viewing Kelly upside down. "As you can see, Belles is not shy. I think she takes after her mother and Zoe takes after me."

Kelly crouched down to Annabelle's level and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Annabelle." The two little girls were identical twins, both blonde and very pretty.

"Annabelle has a thing about riding on my foot at the moment. It's like walking around the house with a lead boot on. By the end of the day, I feel as though my leg is going to drop off. I'm sure I'll end up with one thigh muscle twice the size of the other."

Kelly's gaze rose to his denim-clad thighs, exactly at her eye level. They looked pretty good from where she was crouched. She stood quickly, a flush heating her cheeks.

"I'm afraid Monique's already gone and there's a chance she won't come back. Her grandmother isn't well, and she took a turn for the worse. So I'll show you the ropes." Sean angled his head to talk to Zoe. "Shall we give Kelly a tour of the house?"

Zoe peered shyly at Kelly and nodded, poking a thumb in her mouth.

Kelly suppressed a smile as she followed Sean down a light, airy hallway. He limped along with Annabelle on his foot, obviously a doting father.

"The main living area is a semi-open plan to take advantage of the view."

A huge bright room lay before her, the front wall made up of sliding glass doors. As she'd suspected, the room had incredible views of the river and surrounding countryside.

Contemporary white leather sofas and easy chairs filled one section of the room, while an oak and stainless steel kitchen with a granite-topped island occupied one back corner and a semi-screened dining area with oak table and white leather chairs another.

Kelly wandered across the space and stared out as a boat drifted past. Wooden decking provided an outside seating area, elevated above the river. "This is a stunning view, Sean." She glanced over her shoulder as he shuffled closer, wincing at the weight of Annabelle on his foot.

"I love it here. I'm a bit of an introvert. I need to retreat somewhere peaceful after a busy day at work to recharge my batteries."

"Yeah, this place would be ideal for that." She didn't think of herself as an introvert, but she did like some quiet time alone after a hectic spell in the field hospital. Being an army medic could be incredibly stressful, often dealing with multiple cases of severe trauma in a short period of time.

Just because Sean was not overseas in a conflict zone didn't mean he was under any less pressure than she had been. The most severe trauma cases were shipped back to the hospital at Brize Norton for Sean to take care of with the help of Cameron's brother, Radley.

Day in, day out, Sean operated on the most severely injured service personnel from British army theaters of operation all over the world. That would put any surgeon under pressure.

"Let's go upstairs. I'll show you your room and where the twins sleep." He placed Zoe gently on the ground. "Come on, angel. Big girls walk on their own feet, don't they." She clung to his arm as he tried to let her go.