Read Snowflake Kisses for Free Online Page A

and, as though in answer to the moment, Big Ben began to chime the hour of seven. The scene, the setting, and most of all, the woman before him, formed such an appealing glimpse into what he had always hoped and prayed for in a loving relationship. She lifted her glass, her eyes sparkling in the soft, golden light. When she sipped, ruby lips claimed his focus.
    Jackson cleared his throat. Drawing a water goblet forward, he turned it slowly by the stem. His thumbs and fingertips absorbed droplets of condensation; the chill provided a welcome diversion from the heat he experienced when in Vanessa’s company.
    “I think I should be completely forthcoming, and let you know the whole truth about me, and my past.”
    “A man with a past. I’m intrigued. Go on.” Vanessa urged quietly. “Please?”
    If alarmed, she didn’t show it. Jackson appreciated the display of support, certainly, but still he knew a dangerous precipice loomed just ahead.
    “I hope you know there’s not much that would alter my view of you as someone noble.”
    Her sweet remark didn’t inspire him to respond in kind.
    Vanessa’s features slowly dimmed. “What is it?”
    “I had a bad experience in a relationship recently. Very recently, in fact.”
    “Meaning?”
    Dive in, he thought. Embrace the shock of ice cold water against your spirit. Then, make your way to the other side. “A little over a month ago, I was ready to propose to a woman.”
    Their server arrived, causing Vanessa to jump slightly as salads and freshened beverages were delivered. Jackson steeled himself. Once the steward left, Jackson forced himself to continue. “Her name was Tamara McKenna. She was a client, but we kept to the straight and narrow until the completion of the network installation program we completed for her company. Once business ended, we entered into something a great deal more personal. What we discovered, I thought, was an idyllic romance.”
    He noticed the way Vanessa braced. Her shoulders tightened, and her chest rose and fell against the soft blue blouse she wore as though she were steadying herself through a supreme act of will.
    “You made love.”
    “No. Came close, I have to admit, but no.” Jackson sighed. “We were in love, completely…perfectly…right up to the point when I discovered she was married.”
     
     
     
     

5
     
    Before Vanessa could check the reaction, her jaw dropped. She felt her eyes go wide with shock. “You...you found yourself...what?”
    Jackson closed his eyes and lowered his head. His silence pounded at her while he folded his hands on the tabletop. Snow danced and shimmered through the air outside. In the restaurant, people carried on soft, intimate conversations. Meanwhile, she caught her breath and battled to regroup and ingest.
    “I’m sure there’s much more to your story than that simple statement.” She reached out to capture his fingertips, but all the while, she struggled against nerves. A recent break up? With a woman he was ready to commit to in marriage? A woman who, come to find out, was married ? She took a fast, cooling swallow of water. “Would you care to tell me more about it?”
    He clenched his jaw and shrugged, but he maintained their connection, a fact she appreciated.
    “There is much more, and I would like to discuss it, because I sense…I…feel something…you’re important. I don’t want there to be muddy water between us.”
    The stilted, boyish charm of that admission warmed Vanessa’s heart. In his own reserved, stumbling way, he had given way to admitting attraction. For now, though, she kept mum on that particular recognition. More important territory needed to be covered first.
    “I’ll begin by saying I appreciate the way you see me as noble. Someone who’s protective. Certainly, given the dramatic way I entered your life, that line of thinking holds weight, but Vanessa, I’m not like that at all. In fact, when I fell in love with Tamara, I discovered just how