Read Sweet Cinderella (A Christmas Novella) (The Klaus Brothers Book 4) for Free Online Page A

anything, but . . . that is the worst plan ever! Hannah won’t be impressed with fancy dinners and diamond jewelry. You know what’s most important to her. Think about it.” She looked at him and waited.
    “Family. Family is most important.” Gregor yanked at his tie and loosened it.
    She nodded. “Yes. What else?”
    “Christmas. Holiday traditions.” He began to roll up his sleeves.
Someone
was getting ready for battle.
    She dug through her bag and found some chocolate candy, which she proceeded to stuff into her mouth.
    “You know, her twins have always wanted to go ice skating at Rockefeller Plaza. But it’s too expensive for her—and too hard for her to watch both boys at the same time.” She paused dramatically. “You’re a pretty good skater, aren’t you? Klaus?”
    “Yes. Excellent.” He glanced out the huge picture window in his office.
    Shirley could see the wheels spinning in his brain.
    “If you want to capture Hannah’s attention, you need to strategize. Just like you do at work. She’s an amazing woman.” She leaned back in his chair and propped her legs on the top of his pristine desk. “Don’t blow it, Klaus.”
    Gregor dumped Shirley out of his chair and pointed to the seat across the desk. “Sit. Time to make a plan. And you’re going to help me.” He took the sparkly paper tablet from her hands and turned it to a fresh page. “Let’s go. Tell me everything you know about Hannah De Luca Andersen.
Everything
.”
    And so it began . . .

 
    C hapter 5
    “Mommmmmmy!” Matteo’s voice was so loud, it echoed through the short hall of their apartment, bounced off the back wall, and re-entered the kitchen. Just to torture Hannah, she was sure of it. Her over-indulgence of eggnog was making the morning difficult.
    “Matteo,” she said quietly.
    “Yeah, Mom.” He hugged her leg.
    “Sweetie. Too loud, okay. What is it?”
    “Can I have a juice box?”
    “Help yourself. They’re in the bottom drawer of the fridge.”
    He skipped into the kitchen, and Hannah blinked back tears. Last night while she was getting drunk on eggnog and dancing with a stranger, her son had been screaming in terror. Not the first time he’d had a bad dream, and certainly would not be the last. But since David had died, sleep was not always a welcome respite in their home.
    She brushed a hair out of her eyes and picked up a sponge. Time to scrub. Scrub away her guilty feelings. She could not believe she’d been swept off her feet by by Gregor Klaus. How ridiculous! He was rich and famous. She was ordinary and unsophisticated. She’d been dressed in a second-hand gown. He’d boasted a shiny Rolex on his wrist. He must have been silently laughing at her as she babbled on about her family and Uncle Gino’s Pizzeria. Although he hadn’t seemed stuck-up, but how could he feel otherwise? He was from one of the most powerful families in Manhattan, and she was living in a crappy apartment in Hell’s Kitchen.
    She shuddered out a painful breath and rubbed her head. The headache from the eggnog wasn’t helping. It didn’t matter anyway. The night was over. She’d wanted a night to remember. Well, she got it. Especially that kiss. She would never forget the feel of his lips on her, but she needed to refocus her energy on the boys. They needed her. A lot more than Gregor Klaus. She was probably just a way for him to pass the time at another boring event.
    She bit her lip as a tear slipped down her cheek. She had no business feeling sorry for herself. There were a lot of folks in dire need this holiday season, and she had so many things to feel grateful for.
    The doorbell buzzed loudly, and Hannah cringed at the noise. Just like clockwork, Dina Marcelli was there, offering a shy hello to the boys.
    “Hi, Dina! How are you doing. Please come in.”
    “Thanks, Hannah.” Dina’s thin frame was bundled in layers of sweatshirts. “I—I hope this isn’t a problem.”
    Hannah waved a hand. “Not at all.