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CHAPTER ONE

‘WOULD you allow me to buy you a drink?’

Sitting at the bar, sipping a glass of sparkling water, taking a well-earned rest after an hour of singing, January turned to politely refuse the offer Only to have that refusal stick in her throat as she saho it was doing the offering

It was him!

The man who had been seated at the back of this hotel bar for the last hour as she sat at the piano and sang The man who had stared at her for all of that time with an intensity that had made it impossible for her not to have noticed him in return

She should refuse his offer, had learnt to keep a certain polite distance between herself and the guests who stayed at this prestigious hotel, transient people for the ain

Remember what happened on the farm last year, her sister May would have told her January did remember—only too well!

Remember what you toldpeople at face value only brings trouble!

‘That would be lovely, thank you,’ January accepted huskily

Thea bottle of cha back to allow her to precede him to his table in the corner of the luxuriously comfortable rooh Christone, the decorations wouldn’t be taken down for several more days yet

January are of several curious glances co their way as they walked by the crowded tables, could see their reflection in one of theblack spangly dress she wore to perfor down over her shoulders, eyes a ed by sooty black lashes Theso confidently behind her, the epitome of tall, dark and handsome in the black dinner suit and snohite shirt he wore, his eyes a deep, unfathomable cobalt-blue

It was those eyes, so intense and coo, shortly after she began her first session of the evening Those same eyes that even now, she could see in the entle sway of her hips as she walked

He stood to one side as January sank gracefully into one of the four ar until she was seated before lowering his considerable height into the chair opposite hers, that intense gaze having remained on her for the whole of that time

‘Chane?’ January prompted throatily a fewtoquite happy to just stare at her

He gave a slight inclination of his head ‘It is New Year’s Eve, after all,’ he came back softly

End of conversation, January realized a few seconds later when he added nothing further to that brief co to wish she had listened to those little voices of her sisters’ earlier inside her head