Snowy Christmas by Helen Scott Taylor

covered in pictures of cupcakes sexy.
    They walked to the back door in companionable
silence, put on their boots and coats, and headed outside. Snow
White trotted off to find Peggy, who was doing the rounds of her
favorite sniffing places where foxes and badgers came through the
garden.
    "What a lovely evening." Emily stopped and
turned her face up to the sky.
    The elegant curve of her throat and the way
her hair fell back in a long, shiny curtain enchanted Marcus. He
wanted to run his fingers through her hair so badly, his hand
twitched. He wanted to pull her close and feel her soft and warm in
his arms. He wanted to inhale the vanilla-cherry fragrance of her
hair.
    Instead he blew out a frustrated breath and
glanced up at the sky. The hook of the moon glowed against the
darkness among a speckled mass of stars.
    He'd chosen Gabriella because he'd been
expected to marry a woman his parents approved of, a woman from the
right background. That had been a spectacular failure. It was time
he stopped worrying about doing the right thing and followed his
heart.
    Peggy woofed with anticipation, and Snow
White yelped. They must have roused some poor wild creature from
its nocturnal haunt. Their excitement spurred Marcus into
action.
    The frosted grass crunched beneath his boots
as he stepped in front of Emily. The security light on the house
lit half her face, leaving the other half in mysterious shadow. Her
lit cheek was pale and smooth, her eyelashes thick and dark.
    He lifted his fingertips to her cheek and
caressed her skin. "Emily?" he said. The question he wanted to ask
was too big for more words.
    "Yes," she whispered, the soft reply laden
with meaning.
    With a sigh of pleasure, he drew her into his
arms and let his fingers slide into the silky hair he'd been
dreaming about. Then he lowered his head and kissed her.
    • • •
    Emily leaned into Marcus, relishing his strong arms
around her. His fingers traced a tantalizing trail below her ear
and under her collar, while his firm, warm lips swept her off into
a dream.
    She felt as though she'd waited for this
moment all her life, as though she'd fallen into him, the warm rush
of sensation so right and perfect.
    "Marcus." She breathed his name in wonder as
he released her lips. She cupped her palm over his cheek and stared
up into his eyes, lost in him.
    She loved this man—she had no doubt. The
words to tell him were in her mouth, longing to spill out, but she
held them back, worried she'd frighten him off if she went too
fast.
    She'd thought she loved Vicente, but she'd
never felt like this with him. There had always been uncertainty.
She'd had to be careful not to upset him as though she'd sensed his
love was conditional on her behaving how he wanted her to.
    With Marcus, she could be herself. He would
never treat her badly or take advantage of her.
    "I've wanted to do that ever since I first
saw you," he said.
    Emily laughed in delight. "Surely not from
the very first moment, standing in the rain on the road."
    He simply smiled and held her tighter.
    Peggy and Snow White charged back across the
lawn, and Snow White jumped up at Marcus's legs for the first
time.
    "Wow," he said softly. "Do you think she
trusts me now?"
    He lowered his hand and Snow White licked his
fingers.
    "Seems like I'm not the only girl whose heart
you've won," Emily said.
    Marcus slid both arms around Emily again and
stared into her eyes. "I've won your heart?"
    The low, sexy timbre of his voice nearly
melted her.
    "Yes," she whispered.
    • • •
    Being with Marcus was so wonderful. For the next few
days, Emily forgot about her depressing credit card debt until the
two statements arrived. With a sinking heart, she picked up the
familiar envelopes stamped with the bank logos from the table where
the maid had left them, and hurried back to her apartment.
    Safely inside, she tore open the unwelcome
missives and dropped into one of the chairs in her sitting room to
spread the papers on her lap. At the