Man Under the Mistletoe

  Man Under the Mistletoe

  Debra Carroll

  To Bruce and Mark

  for their patience, support, understanding

  and occasionally love

  Contents

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  1

  “WELL, HELLO, breakfast!” Sabrina whispered through a mouth filled with straight pins as she leaned toward the inside of Worth’s main display window.

  Her gaze followed a tall man striding past on the sidewalk and tracked him like radar. Sharp prickles of pain shot through her lower lip when she pressed her face against the plate glass to keep him in sight.

  “Ouch!”

  She snatched the pins out of her mouth with the hand that had been holding her large dressmaker shears. The scissors landed with a heavy thunk, points-down in the wooden floor, a millimeter from the toe of her black loafers.

  Undeterred, Sabrina pressed her face to the window again, but he had disappeared.

  “Damn. I hadn’t finished looking yet.”

  With a sigh, she bent down to pry the scissors from the parquet, then stood back to survey her work.

  Against the backdrop of a tropical moon shimmering over a deep blue ocean, a tall palm tree bent in a graceful arch over two reclining figures. The female mannequin had her head thrown back, while the lips of her male counterpart hovered mere inches from the exposed curve of her throat.

  Both were clad in the skimpiest of beachwear, a new line from Gaultier. Pretty hot stuff for Worth’s. Would she get away with it? Her immediate boss, Jonathan Kent, had approved the sketch, which meant that somehow or other he’d managed to sell the idea to the stuffed shirts upstairs. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t squawk when they saw the finished window display.

  All that remained was to add the sand that was in the stockroom. Slipping behind the backdrop, she opened the small door to the main sales floor and stepped out of the display window just in time to see him walk through the massive revolving doors of Worth’s.

  Be still my beating heart.

  He paused just inside the carved stone archway framing the main Yonge Street entrance and slowly scanned the vast, quiet store.

  Frozen to the spot, Sabrina could only stare at Mr. Tall, Dark and Drop-Dead Stunning.

  Even among the well-heeled clientele of Worth’s, this guy stood out. That fabulous navy suit was two thousand dollars’ worth of Italian tailoring, if she was any judge. Even from a distance she could tell the quality of the fabric and the impeccable cut.

  But it was what filled out the suit that made it look so fabulous. Over six feet of your average lean, broad-shouldered...hunkahunka burnin’ love...

  She grinned. Okay, so she was acting like the village idiot, but so what? A woman didn’t get a break like this every day.

  Her fingers itched to grab a sketch pad. But did she have the talent to get across that aura of command and purpose he radiated, even from this distance? Could pen and ink hope to do justice to the hard, well-exercised body evident beneath the tailored suit?

  He looked somewhere in his mid-thirties. And he wasn’t just a pretty face, either. Her eyes traced his lean, hard features, the square determined jaw. The face of a man who could handle any situation life might throw his way. And he looked as if life had given him plenty of practice.

  The way his black hair waved back, thick and luxuriant, from his high forehead, already seemed familiar. She imagined the firm pencil strokes that would capture those well-shaped dark brows, contracting slightly now as his gaze swept over the nearly empty store. But it wasn’t the usual “where the heck am I?” look. No, he was too intense for that.

  Suddenly he strode off down the red carpet of the central aisle, with the smooth, athletic movements of a man in top physical condition.

  With a sigh, she turned and locked the door behind her. Enough drooling. It was time to get back to work.

  Cutting through the perfume sales area toward the stockroom, she came out onto the main aisle just as Mr. Gorgeous walked by. Another little thrill of pleasure went through her. What luck—they seemed to be heading in the same direction.

  From thirty feet behind, she followed him past the oak-paneled counters and softly lit displays as he walked slowly down the aisle, his head turning to scan first one side, then the other.

  “Excuse me. Could you please tell us where to find mothballs, dear?”

  With her gaze fixed on the tall man up ahead, Sabrina didn’t see the two elderly ladies until she almost walked into them. She stopped abruptly to find two pairs of hopeful eyes peering up at her through matching bifocals. It was a rude awakening.

  “Mothballs... That’ll be in housewares,” she said automatically. “Fifth floor. When you get off the escalator, turn to your right.”

  She could only manage an abstracted nod as the women thanked her and toddled away, her attention still focused on the handsome stranger.

  He had pulled up short by an unattended sales desk piled with home spa products. What could be commanding such keen interest? Could he be in the market for a herbal body wrap?

  Her gaze ran slowly over his broad shoulders and down his back, over narrow hips and all the way down the length of his legs. Heaven knows, he didn’t need one, but she’d be glad to give him a body wrap. With her whole body.

  Her mouth curved in a small, wicked grin and she began walking down the aisle again. Indulging in a little sexual fantasy was a delightful way to break up the day, but it was time to get that sand. She had too much else to get done before five.

  As luck would have it, he was moving again, too, just a few feet ahead of her. Suddenly he stopped at one of the jewelry counters, leaned over and rattled the locked doors behind the display.

  She stopped in her tracks. What on earth was he up to? Should she go up and ask him if he needed some help? The store was hardly overrun with salesclerks. Wednesday afternoons were notoriously slow; in fact, most weekdays were slow, but this was ridiculous. All the staff couldn’t possibly be on their break at the same time.

  Over in the camera department a couple of clerks stood chatting, but except for the far corner, where Ladies’ Wear was having a sale, most of the counters stood deserted.

  He began moving again, and without even thinking she slowly followed. Something about his manner was beginning to seem peculiar. He prowled on through the jewelry department, past the racks of tasteful costume pearls, with an alert and watchful air.

  Suddenly he stopped dead beside a display case where the real thing glittered against deep blue velvet.

  A grim smile tightened one corner of his mouth and she followed his contemptuous gaze. Lying between a box of credit card slips and the cash register she could see the unmistakable sparkle of diamonds.

  Quickly he stepped behind the counter, picked up the diamonds and slipped them into his pocket.

  “Oh my God, he’s a thief!” The words fell out of Sabrina’s mouth in a shocked gasp as the man continued brazenly on his way.

  Panic set her heart pounding as her head whipped around, searching in vain for one of the security staff, then turned back to find only the empty aisle.

  Oh, no... No! She had to find him. The stuff in that counter was worth more than her job if she let him get away with it.

  In desperation, she hurried toward the only busy spot on the main sales floor. How far could he have gone and how hard could he be to find? After all, the man’s looks had caused her to practically amputate her toe at the first sight of him. And in Women’s Hosiery he’d be pretty hard to miss.

  A crowd of short so
ciety matrons clustered around the bins of panty hose. The two-for-one sale had them elbowing each other out of the way.

  This was hopeless. He’d tower over all these women. If he were here she’d have spotted him in a minute.

  As she pushed through the crowd, craning her neck to scan the surroundings for his dark head, she jumped up to get a better view and landed hard on her anklebone. Wincing at the pain, she limped away from the crowd. Well, she was no Baryshnikov, that was for sure.

  She was no Nancy Drew, either. She’d lost him. And now she’d have to report the theft and that the culprit had got away. Her head would be on the chopping block for this one and, when all was said and done, it really wasn’t her problem. She was in Display, not Security. But at the same time, it was her responsibility as an employee to stop him from getting away.

  All at once she felt a surge of anger and disappointment. He had such an aura of power and control about him, he had no right turning out to be a slimy, low-down thief.

  Turning abruptly, she cannoned head-on into a solid male chest. Something pushed painfully into the tip of her nose, and she drew back to see a tiny diamond pinning the bold floral silk tie she’d been following for the past fifteen minutes.

  Shocked by the impact, she drew a deep breath. The warm woodsy scent of his cologne flooded her senses. Then she stepped back and looked up into a pair of the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Deep azure, as clear as a summer sky. Oh, my.

  Her heart did a frantic somersault and she reeled backward, but he reached out to steady her, his hands gripping her upper arms.

  “I’m sorry. Are you all right?”

  She didn’t know what was more disturbing: the sound of his low voice, the feel of his strong fingers gripping her flesh or those impossibly blue eyes boring into hers. She strained away from him and he quickly let her go.

  “I’m fine,” she blurted out, stepping abruptly backward. But she was shaken up, no doubt about it. How could her libido betray her like this?

  “Are you sure...” His glance fell to the store ID badge that swung from a silver chain around her slender neck. “...Miss Cates? You look like you’re about to pass out.”

  His gaze swept their surroundings, then before she knew what was happening, his fingers had curled decisively around her upper arm again, and he was leading her toward a nearby display dais. The firm pressure of his grip indicated she should sink down onto the convenient ledge.

  “Here. Why don’t you sit down for a minute?”

  Sit down? She’d be lucky if she didn’t pass out. When his warm, hard fingers closed around her arm, the tingling electricity had spread right down to her toes.

  “No! I’ll be all right.” She pulled away from him as if she were fighting for her very life. Calm down!

  “Are you sure?” He fixed her with a doubtful, impatient look.

  “I’m just a little winded.” If not completely truthful, it was a convenient excuse for her rapid, heavy breathing.

  “I’m not surprised. You came at me as if the devil himself were after you. You really shouldn’t be running around the store, Miss Cates. It looks so unprofessional and could be very dangerous.”

  Her jaw dropped in disbelief, shock dispelling some of the sexual awareness. “I beg your pardon?”

  Of all the nerve! To stand there with stolen jewelry in his pocket and have the unmitigated gall to lecture her on her professionalism!

  “That’s better. You have a little more color in your face now.” His firm mouth curved in the smallest of perfunctory smiles.

  Color? She’d give him color! He might be a foot taller and outweigh her by eighty pounds or so, but she wasn’t about to let him get away with this.

  “Excuse me, I have to get back to work,” she said tersely. She turned on her heel and walked away, although she wasn’t planning on going far.

  After a cautious backward glance to make sure he was heading in the opposite direction, she ducked into the next aisle, then crept along after him, keeping herself concealed.

  Thank God she’d found him. And this time she’d better hang on to him. Her heart pounding, she tried to beat back the waves of disappointment. Not only was he a crook, but an arrogant one, too.

  The chase had taken on a vivid air of unreality. But the reality was that if he left the store with the goods, she’d have to go out there after him. She’d have to ask this six foot of dangerous-looking male, who appeared the epitome of affluence, to “step back inside again please, sir.” As if he would just meekly comply.

  Her gaze raced frantically around the store again in despair. Still no security personnel in sight.

  The thief had come to a stop, his attention on something she couldn’t see. Leaning over the counter beside her, she snatched up the phone by the cash register and punched the number of the security office. Twirling the cord around her finger, she listened to the nonstop ringing with growing impatience.

  And then all at once her man was on the move again. She kept her eyes riveted on him, not even daring to blink for fear of losing him. Suddenly he passed behind the escalators and disappeared from view.

  Slamming down the phone, she raced after him, seething with frustration. This was ridiculous. Where were Chuck and the rest of his security staff?

  She stopped in her tracks, catching sight of him again over in Women’s Coats. He seemed to be watching a salesclerk handle a transaction. The quality of his absorption was baffling. A fur coat lay on the counter, but even he couldn’t expect to get away with that. After a moment he moved on.

  Never taking her eyes off the broad-shouldered figure making his way down the aisle, she darted over to the clerk.

  “Call Security,” she said rapidly. “Get them down here right away.”

  “What?”

  She turned impatiently to see the woman and her customer staring at her as if she’d gone mad. “Just call them. Now.”

  Without waiting to see if the clerk would do as she was told, Sabrina hurried after him as he turned a corner and disappeared from view again. Breaking into a near run, she rounded the turn, slowing down when she saw him just ahead, picking up a coat that had fallen to the floor and putting it back on the hanger.

  Cool fingers curled around her elbow, halting her abruptly.

  “There you are, Sabrina. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

  She let out her breath in frustration, turning reluctantly to the lanky blond boy smiling down at her. Even if he was Worth’s heir apparent, he was the last person she wanted to see right now.

  “Colin, I can’t stop and chat. I’ll talk to you later.”

  A petulant frown crossed his narrow face. “Oh, come on. You’ve been saying that for two days.”

  When she tried to pull away, his grip tightened.

  “Let go of my arm.”

  At her stern look the frown changed to a coaxing smile. “Come on, Sabrina.”

  “Colin, stop it. You can ask until you’re blue in the face, and the answer will still be the same.”

  At seventeen, long after the rest of his classmates at St. Andrew’s School for Boys, Nature had finally caught up with Colin Worth. Since last year, he had shot up half a foot and finally discovered the opposite sex. Unfortunately for her, she was the chosen target.

  “Tell me, young man, are you going to stand there all day?” An elderly woman with blue rinsed hair stood behind him as he blocked the aisle. She hoisted her furled umbrella and prodded Colin smartly in the back.

  He flashed the woman a winning smile, then shot Sabrina a cheeky wink as he pulled her out of the way.

  “C’mon. I bet you’ll have a good time if you just stop being so silly about this age thing.”

  His blue eyes smiled down at her with disconcerting confidence. Why couldn’t she get it through his head that he was wasting his time with her? He was a good-looking kid. There were teenage girls out there who’d jump through hoops just to get his attention.

  “Look, I thought we could go to the Stud
io tonight.”

  Sabrina groaned under her breath. “You’re not even old enough to get through the doors.” She looked distractedly past him to reassure herself that her gentleman thief was still in sight.

  “There you go with that age thing again.” His gaze slid away in annoyance.

  She had to remind herself to be patient. After all, his grandmother had only been dead a month and he was going through a lot, although he seemed to be coping pretty well. The resilience of youth. And his youth was exactly the problem.

  Taking a deep breath, she got a grip on her patience. “Right now I’m in the middle of something important and I have to go, but you’ll be hearing a lot more about this age thing later, my young friend.” She wagged a finger in his face and disengaged her arm from his grip, then turned to look for her quarry.

  Damn. He’d vanished. She’d only taken her eyes off him for a second. Except for the stalwart shopper and her trusty umbrella, the aisle was empty.

  “What could be more important than an evening with me?” Behind her, Colin’s voice softened persuasively.

  Ignoring the question, she walked rapidly away from him, scanning the store on all sides with painstaking care. His hand closed around her arm again and forced her to stop. “Sabrina...”

  She turned her head to see a coaxing grin on his face. He was growing up all right. But why couldn’t he do it without causing her so much grief?

  “Colin, please do me a favor and run along now. I promise we’ll talk later, but I’ve really got to go.”

  He opened his mouth, but she wasn’t about to stand around and argue. She turned quickly and dashed down the aisle of the accessories department, her gaze flying to the farthest reaches of the high-ceilinged old store.

  If only she could have sent Colin to find security. But knowing him, he’d probably have jumped at the chance to play cops and robbers instead, and maybe get himself hurt in the process.

  Judging by the way he carried himself, and the latent strength in his firm grip, that thief could be a dangerous man to cross. His sheer nerve alone was breathtaking. No, it was better to handle him herself, and hope that her wits would prove effective. That is, if she found him again.