Christmas Romance Collection Read online

  Christmas Romance Collection

  Melissa Hill

  Contents

  Copyright

  Preface

  A New York Christmas

  A Diamond From Tiffany’s

  Fairytale on Fifth Avenue

  Winter Wonderland

  Lovelorn in Manhattan

  Christmas at The Heartbreak Cafe

  About the Author

  Also by Melissa Hill

  Copyright © Melissa Hill 2015

  The right of Melissa Hill to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author. You must not circulate this book in any format.

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Preface

  Note: This book was written, produced and edited in the UK, where some spelling, grammar and word usage will vary from US English.

  A New York Christmas

  1

  Christmas in New York. A lifelong dream come true.

  I had always wanted to visit the famed city, especially around Christmastime, so when the opportunity came up to visit my cousin Sarah, an estate agent who lived in Manhattan, I jumped on it immediately. It would be the perfect opportunity to get out of Dublin for a while and nurse my broken heart.

  Don, my boyfriend of two years had cheated on me a few weeks before, and the fact that it happened so close to Christmas made it harder.

  For the first couple of weeks after the split I felt numb and broken, so a trip to New York seemed like the ideal distraction and a perfect getaway.

  It would be a reset button of sorts, and while the festive atmosphere might well underscore my pain, I longed to see the legendary twinkling Christmas décor. I wanted to feel snow crunch under my feet while I walked down the streets of the world-famous city. My imagination was alive with scenes of mesmerising department store windows and sparkling Christmas trees, Central Park, ice-rinks and softly falling slow, reflecting some of my favourite Christmas movies.

  To put it simply, I wanted to experience a classic New York Christmas.

  I sat on the sofa of Sarah’s thirty fourth-floor apartment waiting for her to come home. She had a tall, fat Christmas tree, a real spruce. It made the entire apartment smell of fresh pine needles and it was intoxicating. It was simply decorated in silver and gold, and all the ornaments were replicas of antiques. Tiny red, white, and black nutcracker soldiers hung from the branches with red ribbon. Silver tinsel dangled, giving it a wild look. I loved it. It was perfectly placed next to an enormous window overlooking the city streets below.

  Sarah burst through the front door with piles of paperwork and two laptop cases. She was definitely one of those typical New Yorkers you hear about, the ones who always seemed to be in a hurry even when they have all the time in the world. They rushed around like they were in some sort of imaginary race. It was a complete contrast to my comparatively slower-paced Dublin lifestyle.

  She piled her stuff on the table then turned to me with an apologetic expression.

  “Let me guess, you have to work?” I asked.

  I had only just arrived last night. I went straight to Sarah’s where we had dinner - Chinese takeout — and did some catching up. That had been the extent of my New York adventures so far, but today Sarah had promised to show me round the city, and have dinner at the Russian Tea Rooms.

  “Maddie I’m so sorry. If I don’t get to this property right now I could lose it. It has the potential of being a million dollar deal and with Christmas only a week away I’m on a deadline. Do you hate me?” she asked.

  I feigned an annoyed narrowing of my eyes, but then laughed. “Of course not. Obviously I don’t expect you to stop your life just because I’m here. Do what you would normally do. Just give me a little guidance so that I can get out and explore on my own. I’m a big girl and I can handle the Big Apple on my own. Can’t I?” I said this with such confidence that I even convinced myself.

  Half an hour later I looked at myself in the mirror.

  I took the hot rollers out of my hair and brushed out the soft shoulder length curls. Now it was thick and bouncy. My hair was a dark auburn brown, and my skin was pale, typically Irish. I put on a nice matte shade of red lipstick, not something I would normally wear but it was Christmas after all, and I was in a festive mood. It really stood out against my dark hair and dark lashes. I was petite at only five foot three inches tall, so I tried to always wear one thing that made me stand out.

  It added a nice touch to my otherwise basic outfit of blue jeans and red woollen sweater. I tugged on my black calf length boots, added a grey cashmere hat, and saying goodbye to Sarah I headed out the door.

  2

  My first stop of course, had to be Central Park. I walked down Central Park West taking it all in. The big city buzz was there, but a lot was stuck missing from my classic New York Christmas fantasy. It was daytime, so none of the twinkling lights were on, and the city had not yet been hit by its first snowfall of the season. It all seemed disappointingly non-Christmassy.

  Then I came upon a massive building right across from the park.

  The steps were full of people eating and talking. There were two large Christmas trees on either side of the entrance decorated in red velvet bows, red and gold Christmas balls, and a large gold star on top of both. The large classical columns of the building were wrapped with green ribbon that spiralled down the entire length of them. I looked at the sign that read American Museum of Natural History.

  Of course! I thought to myself. This place was a New York staple. I was so glad I came across it on my walk. I went to a nearby street vendor and bought a piping hot cup of hot chocolate and a pretzel and then joined everyone else sitting on the steps.

  I was thoroughly enjoying my buttery salty pretzel when I got the feeling that someone was staring at me. I froze before I took another bite and looked around. There, only a few feet away sitting on the same step was the most gorgeous guy I had ever seen. Our eyes locked and instantly I was hypnotised. I couldn’t look away. He was wearing a dark wool pea coat, like a sailor’s coat, and a well-fitted suit underneath. His eyes were almost a piercing grey colour that changed to blue in the light. His dark hair was a bit messy, almost like the way a student would keep it, and he had a layer of rugged stubble on his chin. It was a contrast to his suit. He finally smiled a little at me and lifted his coffee cup in a “cheers” sort of motion. It was then that I realised I was still in a frozen state with my pretzel in the air, half way to my mouth. I snapped out of it, and raised my cup of hot chocolate back to him in the same manner. I suddenly felt like a messy child with butter and salt all over my mouth. Still he must have seen my greeting as an invite because he stood up.

  He was tall and lean, but with a nice solid build. He walked over to me and my heart immediately began to pound loudly. Surely he would be able to hear it if he got closer. What would I say to him? He was so handsome I knew I would choke. Finally he was right next to me, towering over me. I looked up at him through my dark lashes, with a pretzel in my hand.

  “Is that good?” he asked pointing to the pretzel.

  “Yes, it is.” I said uncomfortably.

  “May I?” He gestured at the empty space next to me on the steps.

  “OK.” I was feeling completely confused. I thought New Yorkers were supposed to be impolite and unapproachable.

  “It seems like it must be good. The way
you were eating it; it looked like you were really enjoying it,” he said.

  “You were watching me eat?” I asked.

  “Well, yes,” he said with a grin that was childlike and made me feel like I was playing some coy game. And I liked it. It felt good, fun, and easy.

  We stayed that way with our eyes locked and smiling at each other until he said.

  “So how long are you visiting New York?”

  “What? How do you know I’m visiting?” I asked with my mouth wide open.

  “The way you stood in front of the building staring at it. Only people that are not from around here can look at it and still be in awe. The locals are so used to it they take it for granted,” he said.

  “Oh, I see. Well, it is beautiful. Yes, I am visiting. To be honest I came here to have an old-fashioned Christmas with snow and festive decorations. But so far this is the only building I’ve seen that is decorated. I haven’t been here long though,” I stopped suddenly feeling like I was rambling on. Why was I telling this handsome stranger my every thought?

  “Well, maybe you just need someone to show you around. A New York Christmas is out there; you just have to know where to go. I would be happy to be that person. If you would let me,” he added gently.

  There was a long pause. I stared at him. Looking into his sparkling grey eyes and then looked at his soft lips. I already wanted to lean in and kiss him. I steadied myself.

  “I would love that.” I said

  “I’m Blake,” he said as he reached his hand out to shake mine.

  ‘Madeleine.’

  “That’s a beautiful name. I like it,” I said holding his hand longer than I should.

  3

  “Shall we get started then? There’s something inside I want to show you,” he said as he stood up.

  “Oh, now? Okay,” I said following his lead.

  I followed him up the steps to the museum and threw away the last of my pretzel and empty cup into a nearby bin. He led me inside the lobby and there right in the middle was the most amazing Christmas tree I had ever seen. It was full of paper ornaments. Origami ornaments to be exact.

  “This is how we kick off our annual Christmas season here. It’s been going on for almost thirty years now. “

  “It’s beautiful,” I said as I went in for a closer look. There were all sorts of animal decorations, from turtles to zebras. They were made of the most delicate paper. Some were shiny and others were a matte paper, but they were all expertly done.

  “There must be hundreds of them,” I said in awe.

  “About five hundred in all,” he said, and then added. “So you like it?”

  “Like? I love it. It’s absolutely fascinating. Thank you,” I said staring deeply into his grey, but now in this light, more blue coloured, eyes.

  “Good. Then I am off to a good start,” he grinned.

  “It’s the best Christmas tree I’ve ever seen. Does that make you happy?” I flirtatiously said.

  “Yes, it does. Next up my office,” he said as he walked off further into the museum.

  “Office?”

  “Yes, I work here.”

  I was pleasantly surprised. Now the messy mad scientist hair and wool pea coat made sense. He definitely looked the part. I scurried after him to catch up. As I placed myself along side of him at his pace of walking he made a cute side glance at me and smiled. My heart melted.

  We arrived at a door that was labeled “museum staff only.” He used a key card to unlock the door and we stepped into a quiet long hallway.

  “This way.”

  “Where are you taking me?” I asked, sounding a little unnerved and wondering if I really should be trusting this random New York stranger.

  He laughed and said, “I swear, it’s just my office. I know it’s a bit creepy in this part of the building, but trust me.”

  I laughed too. Somehow I did trust him. I can’t explain it, but for some reason, it felt like we had known each other for a long time even though we had only just met.

  We came to a vast staircase and climbed two or three flights before finally reaching a hallway with people moving in and out of offices. Blake showed me into his, and as soon as I stepped in I immediately fell in love with it. The wood was dark and heavy and a massive bookcase full of old books covered an entire wall. There was a heavy oak desk in the middle, that had piles of papers and specimens in glass jars. It was a true scientist’s office. He went over to the large windows and said, “Come and have a look.”

  What other surprise could this gorgeous stranger have in store for me? I slowly walked over. When I got to the window I looked down. From this point you could see almost all of Central Park. I gasped at the sight.

  “This is your view? It’s amazing. You are so lucky.”

  “I know. It’s good right? Especially when it’s snowing.”

  I looked at him. Who was this man? Why was he doing so much to please me or make me happy? It was more than I expected from anyone, let alone a stranger. He must have seen the questioning look in my eyes, because he caught my gaze and held it.

  The chemistry between us was so thick it filled the room. I wanted to kiss him right then and there, but that was absurd. I barely knew this man, had only been in his company for thirty minutes at the most. What was happening to me?

  4

  We stood at the window of his office. The surroundings were exactly what I imagined. I was in the office of a historic New York building with the vastness of Central Park below us. Blake leaned in closer to me. His scent was intoxicating. His voice came down to a whisper and then he said, “Want to see it up close?”

  “See what?” I stepped backwards a little.

  “The park of course,” he said as he motioned back toward the door.

  “Oh, yes of course. I would love to.”

  “Okay. But first we need to make a stop,” he said as he led the way out the door and back down into the main building.

  A stop? I was intrigued by what this meant, but this man was full of surprises. I liked being surprised so I didn’t ask. Outside, he walked down the museum front steps and I followed closely behind. It had grown a bit dimmer outside. “How about we grab some food and have a picnic in the park?” he asked.

  I smiled a big brilliant smile. Was this man made specifically for me?

  “That sounds like a perfect idea,” I said.

  “Great,” He led the way to a row of street vendors. He got one of everything and made us a sort of street food buffet — pizza slices, a gyro, hot dogs, a couple of bottled waters, and two coffees. When he was all finished piling a bag of goodies onto his arm, he handed me a cup of coffee and said, “Shall we?”

  His grin was spectacular. He was so proud of himself for being so clever, and I loved it. He wanted to please me and I wanted to be pleased.

  We entered the park and the beauty of it took my breath away. Most of the trees had lost their leaves and their spiralling bare branches reached high into the sky. I understood how people could stroll the entire length of this massive park on a daily basis.

  We sat down on a grassy area right near a long row of trees. Blake laid out our buffet in front of us.

  “That’s a lot of food,” I said.

  He laughed “Yes, well I couldn’t decide what your first New York street food should be so I got them all.”

  “That’s very sweet,” I looked up from the food at him and smiled.

  “Try the pizza first. You have to fold it like this,” he said as he picked up a slice and folded it before handing it to me.

  I laughed a little and took a bite from the cheesy gooeyness. He did the same with the other slice.

  “Delicious!” I said after I swallowed my first bite.

  “Good, and that’s not even the best pizza in town. Okay for a street vendor, but by far not the best. I’m glad you are pleased though.”

  We continued sampling from our street food buffet and talking away into the afternoon.

  Before long I wa
s stuffed. I laid down on the grass looking up at the tree to give my full stomach some room to digest. He did the same.

  “I am so full,” I said.

  “Yes, me too,” he said.

  “We’re both full of New York,” he joked. I laughed and then he joined in.

  Then while we were both laughing and in good spirits, the loveliest thing happened.

  5

  While we’d sat chatting on the grass, it had gradually grown into early evening. Dusk to be exact. The sky was still a light pink from the setting sun, but also a dark blue from the oncoming night. Just then, out of nowhere and without ceremony, some of the nearby trees lit up. I sat up immediately and gasped.

  “That’s incredible …” I said in barely a whisper.

  I looked around as it seemed like the entire park came to life with twinkling lights. The bare trees all around us had been decorated with delicate hanging bulb strands. It was so beautiful it almost brought me to tears. I took it all in, absorbing the magic of it all.

  The air was crisp and it truly felt like Christmas.

  I looked at Blake, but he wasn’t looking at the lights, he was looking at me. His face was lit from the glow of the nearby trees. I got the feeling he had been watching my reaction the entire time.

  “I can’t believe this is real,” I said.

  “Me neither,” he replied gently, and I got the feeling he wasn’t talking about the lights. Then he looked at me directly in the eye and leaned in a little closer.

  “Madeline, I don’t normally do this. Meet a stranger on the steps at lunch and then take off and spend the afternoon with them. It’s been really special, and unusual for me. I just thought I should say something to give you a little insight in to who I am. It’s as if I can’t separate myself from you…”