Harlequin Holiday Collection - Four Classic Seasonal Novellas

move too forward? Would he tell her to never come to his house again?
    She couldn’t think about it. Olivia turned onto Fourth Street so she could stop by Ferguson’s for a bottle of celebratory wine. She’d intended to pick up wine the other night but she’d forgotten. This was the first time in two months—since moving west, actually—that she’d felt like celebrating. And quite possibly she shouldn’t be feeling that way. Jacob might be infuriated that she’d been so bold.
    Enough. Just put it out of your head and wait and see what happens . Shortly before making the turn she noticed the dark sedan in her rearview mirror. If there had been any traffic to speak of she might not have noticed. But there wasn’t. The car had followed her every turn since leaving Jacob’s house.
    She made the right into the Ferguson’s parking lot. Going inside would provide the opportunity to prove that the car wasn’t following her. The idea was a bit over the top. She might not have thought anything of it if the training for her job hadn’t mentioned the possibility she could become a target in certain high-profile cases.
    None of the cases she’d worked on so far had fallen into that category, but there was no need to take the chance.
    The car drove past slowly as she emerged from her Volvo. She didn’t recognize the make or model. There was a dent in the trunk area as if the driver had backed into something. The important part was that he or she had driven on. Olivia relaxed.
    Inside the grocery store, she strolled the aisles looking for something chocolate she could munch on. Chocolate was definitely her weakness. She craved the stuff whenever she was nervous or stressed. It was a flat-out miracle she hadn’t gained twenty pounds since moving here. She’d recently made it a point not to bring chocolate home. But it was practically Christmas. Like the hot cocoa, chocolate was just a part of the holiday.
    She picked out her preferred white wine—something sweet and a little bubbly. Finding nothing chocolate in a bag or box that tempted her taste buds, she moved onto the bakery section. Right there in the aisle in front of the bakery case, she melted. Chocolate cake with fudge icing.
    Exactly what she needed. Thankfully it was one of the small cakes, more likely meant for two. In her case, it would amount to two servings. One for tonight, one for tomorrow night.
    Almost as good as sex.
    Yeah, right. Even she hadn’t done without for so long that she would presume to substitute chocolate for sex and come out satisfied.
    Cake and wine in hand, she made her way to the front registers and paid. As she climbed into her car, she found herself scanning the street for the sedan that had been following her. Or the sedan she’d thought was following her. The latter was far more probable.
    About seven minutes more and she would be safely tucked into her apartment, anyway. Security was good at her place. That had been one of the key selling points when she’d taken the lease.
    If she remained in the area she would eventually need to buy a house. Something small and cozy…like Jacob’s. But she would make it a home. His still looked and felt like a house—not a home. No doubt a bachelor thing.
    Lights flickered in her rearview mirror. The vehicle roared up behind her—too close for comfort. She couldn’t be certain it was the same car. Same color, it seemed. She hadn’t had a good look at the driver before. She peered into the rearview mirror, tried to make out what he looked like as she slowed for an intersection. Definitely looked like a he. Was he wearing sunglasses?
    At night?
    He was.
    A shiver danced up her spine.
    That was officially weird.
    She drove to her block but didn’t turn into the parking lot. Instead she moved into the left turning lane as if she intended to maneuver into the lot of the building across the street. The car cruised by.
    Her heart skipped a beat.
    The same car. The dent in the rear end was exactly the same.
    As soon as the car had driven past, she checked her rearview mirror and cut across the lanes to the garage beneath her building.
    When she’d entered the code and gotten into the garage she breathed a little easier.
    She’d definitely been followed. The only question was why.

Chapter Eleven
    Three days ’til Christmas
    Olivia had slept fitfully the night before. Not even the wine and the chocolate had relaxed her nerves.
    The car had been following her. She was certain of that.