Mistletoe Brides: Italian Doctor, Sleigh-Bell Bride / Christmas Angel for the Billionaire / His Vienna Christmas Bride

‘I want to give her oxygen and get her to hospital. If I have to intubate her, I will, but this obviously isn’t the best place.’ Stefano cursed mentally, aware that Liv’s home was burning behind him and he was going to have to make a difficult choice. The shriek of an ambulance siren announced the arrival of the paramedics.

‘Max and I will follow in the car,’ Liv said immediately. ‘We might be able to help and at least we’ll be able to give you a lift back here.’

Stefano thrust a hand in his pocket and withdrew his keys. ‘Use my car.’

‘You’re joking.’ Her expression was comical. ‘I can’t drive a Ferrari. I’ll take the hire car and we can collect yours later.’

At that moment there was a piercing scream and a woman dropped her shopping and ran towards them. Food spilled over the pavement and a milk carton split and slowly leaked its contents into the gutter. ‘Emma!’ The woman stared at the stretcher and then put her hands to her mouth. ‘Oh my God—is she? Is she—?’

About to transfer the child to the ambulance, Stefano cast a meaningful look in Liv’s direction. She slid her arm round the woman, supporting and restraining her so that she didn’t obstruct the transfer of her daughter into the ambulance.

‘Emma’s all right, Susan. But she’s breathed in some of the smoke so we need to take her to the hospital. You can follow in the car with us.’

Susan looked over her shoulder at the smouldering building. ‘Our home…’

‘Let’s worry about Emma first.’ Liv didn’t even glance towards her flat, but Susan started to sob.

‘I’ve lost everything. Everything. All my Christmas presents were in there and I certainly can’t afford to buy another lot.’

Stefano gritted his teeth. Her daughter was lying on a stretcher and she was worrying about her Christmas presents? Deciding that he would never cease to be disgusted by the shallowness of human nature, he climbed into the ambulance, wishing that he didn’t have to leave Liv.

Just before the doors closed, he glanced back at her and saw her speaking reassuringly to Susan, while cuddling Max.

She supported everyone, he thought grimly. But who supported her?

CHAPTER SEVEN (#ulink_316047ca-4fa8-55d9-92ee-020c312c3f66)

THEY decided to admit Emma, and Liv was helping Susan make a call to the insurance company when Stefano strode into the room.

‘Liv?’

Relieved to see him, she gently extracted herself from Susan’s clutches. ‘Go and see Emma.’ Checking that Susan had everything she needed, Liv followed him out of the room. ‘She’s terribly upset.’

‘I noticed. More upset about her things than her daughter,’ he said in a cool tone.

‘It’s hard for her. Her husband left in the summer and she’s been really struggling.’ Liv ran her fingers over her forehead, trying to ease the throbbing ache. ‘Anyway, Emma will be fine and that’s the main thing. Are you going home now?’ Just saying the word made her feel slightly strange because she realised that she didn’t have a home to go back to. ‘I need to talk to the fire service.’

‘I’ve just done it. The blaze is out but it’s too soon for them to assess the damage. They think it was caused by faulty Christmas-tree lights in a flat on the ground floor.’ He frowned. ‘You look awful. You need to rest. You and Max can stay with me for now.’

Liv was so stunned by his unexpected offer that for a moment she just gaped at him. Then she shook her head. ‘No way. We couldn’t possibly.’

‘I’m not letting you refuse, so don’t even waste time arguing.’ His tone was forceful but she still hesitated.

‘That’s far too generous an offer. I just…couldn’t.’

‘Yes, you could. And you will.’

‘Having me around will cramp your style.’

‘What style is that?’ His eyes gleamed with irony. ‘Liv, you’ve seen my life. I work. When I get home, I sleep. You won’t be cramping anything. I want you to move in.’

She couldn’t believe he was making this offer. ‘You’ve never let a woman move in with you.’

‘That’s because I don’t like anyone tracking my movements. And I hate anyone asking what time I’m finishing work. You won’t do that because the chances are that you’ll be stuck at work, too. Now stop arguing and just say yes.’

It was such an overwhelming gesture that she felt her throat close. ‘Max is a very lively little boy,’ she said thickly. ‘He’ll break something. They say that trouble comes in threes. My car is dead, my flat is no more—perhaps the third thing will be Max breaking something valuable that I can’t afford to replace.’

‘He can break anything he likes. It’s a home, not a museum.’ Visibly exasperated, Stefano raked his fingers through his hair. ‘Liv, for once just say yes.’

‘Why?’ She looked at him helplessly. ‘Why are you doing this?’

‘Because I like you.’

‘You…do? You like me?’ Her car was dying, her house had just burned down. But the way Stefano was looking at her made her feel as though something amazing had just happened.

‘I like you.’ A muscle flickered in his jaw. ‘And I like Max.’

Overwhelmed, she took a step backwards. ‘Don’t do that,’ she said hoarsely. ‘Don’t be nice to me, Stefano, or I’ll bawl all over you again and you know how much you enjoyed it the last time.’

‘I’m not giving you sympathy. I’m giving you a solution to your problems. Take it.’ He paused as a nurse hurrying past shot them a curious look. ‘Liv, Max is still waiting in my office. He’s upset and worried. He needs to know where he is sleeping tonight and he doesn’t need some anonymous hotel room. Go and talk to him. Explain that we’re going to buy his Christmas tree. We can sort out where you’re going to live permanently when Christmas is over.’ Stefano pulled his phone out of his pocket. ‘You fetch Max and meet me by the car. I’ll do the rest.’

Stefano’s apartment was in an exclusive red-brick building overlooking the wide expanse of Hyde Park.

Feeling as though she was living someone else’s life, Liv held tightly to Max’s hand as Stefano negotiated the tight security that formed an apparently impenetrable cordon at the base of the building.

Still shocked by everything that had happened, Max barely spoke until they were through the glass doors.

Then his youthful curiosity gradually reasserted itself. ‘Wow, that scanner thing is amazing,’ he breathed as Stefano gently urged them across the gleaming marble floor towards the lift. ‘Like something out of a spy movie.’

‘I smell of smoke.’ Liv wrinkled her nose in distaste and Stefano flicked some debris from his long coat.

‘It clings, doesn’t it? As soon as we get upstairs, you can take a bath.’

And then what? She didn’t have any clothes to change into but Liv didn’t say anything. Presumably the insurance would eventually cover most of what they’d lost, but in the short term it was going to cost her a fortune.

A fortune that she didn’t have.

Perhaps she would have to work Christmas Day after all, she thought miserably. Just for the money.

Suddenly it all seemed like too much.

She’d been holding it together for Max, but the sheer size of the problem she was facing made her want to curl into a ball and give up.

How was she going to cope?

The lift purred soundlessly upwards and when the doors finally opened Liv gave a gasp.

Max spoke first. ‘Which bit is your house?’ He spoke in a soft, awed voice and Stefano smiled and took his hand.