Page 18 of Hot in the City
Yours always,
Madly in tree love,
Mrs Natalia Mancini.
“Kiss the man,” Sofia urged from her side.
Bossy bridesmaid.
Natalia reached for Dan’s lapel. “I will.”
Dan’s smile was devastating. “I love you.”
He was hers. When their lips met, she sighed with the kind of happiness she’d read about in fairytales.
The forever kind.
Girl Under The Christmas Tree
A steamy holiday romance novella
(Girl on a Plane series 0.5)
Cassandra O'Leary
Author's Note on Girl Under The Christmas Tree
Dear reader,
This story is a prequel of sorts or 'origin story' and companion piece to my debut novel, Girl on a Plane, published by HarperCollins UK in 2016. I loved re-visiting the minor character of Yuki, back before she became a flight attendant with Mermaid Airlines. I've given her a fun backstory with plenty of romance. Girl Under The Christmas Tree has a happy for now (HFN) ending, leaving Yuki's future wide open. I may have to write another spin off story like this!
Happy reading,
Cassandra x
Chapter One
The Palladian Hotel, Melbourne, Australia
A few years ago...
Yuki wasn't the type of girl to say no to opportunity when it came knocking, or even when it came swaggering into the five-star hotel reception area dressed in a crumpled three-piece suit. God, how she was a sucker for a man in a tailored three-piece suit.
She'd nabbed the best spot in the foyer, a cushy seat under the hotel's ginormous Christmas tree, which was covered in sparkly lights and glass ornaments. She was busy staring into space, about to scoff a Christmas cookie and a café latte in a reusable cup, when she spotted him coming her way. Since she was on a break, she wasn't quite prepared to be questioned by the man.
He cleared his throat, and she glanced at him, then did an actual, cartoon style, double take when she saw his face. Handsome stranger alert...
"Excuse me, but I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the Grand Ballroom. I found a big room over there," he gestured over his shoulder, "but it isn't particularly grand."
Oh. My. God. He was Irish. The devastating charm Irish men had in spades, was her personal Kryptonite. Everyone knew it. The way he said the word grand made her want to bite her tongue before she accidentally swallowed it. And there was more.
She let her gaze travel all the way up the full height of him, to take in the kind of perfect face that made her wish she could draw portraits. His eyes were incredibly blue and sparkly, and contrasted with his wavy hair, a kind of mahogany, almost black with a hint of warm red.
Assessment: very attractive. Strong jaw, a little dark stubble, nice large hands. He held a leather briefcase in front of him, and she was staring at his hands like a weirdo hand stalker.
He smiled and she almost cried. His teeth were perfect, like movie star teeth. Did real people have smiles that lit up a room like a string of high wattage Christmas tree lights? Apparently, yes.
If she had been standing behind the reception desk she would have been more polished, more professional. Probably less pouty. She'd only wanted to have her cookie and eat it too! Was that too much to ask? Apparently. But she wanted to talk to him now. A lot.
