More Than Neighbors by Isabel Keats Page B

disapproval. “He didn’t seem to be having such a bad time. Quite the contrary: he looked like he was rather enjoying kissing you.” His sarcasm was evident.
    “Men!” Cat exclaimed contemptuously. “You can’t see beyond your own noses.”
    “And what is it I should’ve seen, may I ask?”
    “That Diego’s a mess. He’s just spent the entire evening watching Fiona fool around with a guy right under his nose, and he drank more than he should have.”
    “If, like you suggest, he’s in love with your friend, why is he asking you to be his girlfriend? It makes no sense.” Her neighbor didn’t seem persuaded by her argument.
    “Oh, Leo! Do I have to explain everything?” she said, exasperated. “It’s obvious he wants to make her jealous, and I’m Fiona’s best friend, after all.”
    “I don’t know how you can consider such a man to be your friend. He could end up hurting you—”
    “For pity’s sake, Leo, don’t be ridiculous! Diego doesn’t want to hurt me; he knows I’d never fall in love with him.”
    “How can you be so sure? Are you in love with someone else?” He frowned.
    “What does it matter to you? You’re a nosey parker.” She scowled at him. “But no, I’m not in love with anyone else. Diego’s known me for years—he knows exactly what I’m like.”
    “Oh, he does, does he?” Her response had annoyed him even more. “And what are you like, if you don’t mind me asking?”
    “Diego knows I don’t fall in love easily,” she replied with aplomb.
    “Maybe you’ve never been in love.” He looked at her with a triumphant expression.
    Now Cat was furious. What did this stuck-up man know about her life or feelings? “Of course I’ve been in love. Plenty of times, if you must know. I’ve had several boyfriends, and I lived with one of them for two years.” Incensed, Cat wondered why on earth she was explaining anything to this man. She quickly went on the counterattack. “And what about you? You don’t seem like the type of man to let anyone get anywhere near your heart. You’re going to marry stunning Alison, but I’m certain you’re not in love with her. In fact, I doubt you have any idea what love is .”
    “Then that makes two of us,” he scoffed, even while asking himself why he didn’t just tell her that he’d broken up with Alison once and for all.
    Suddenly, Catalina burst out laughing and regained her good humor. “What a silly conversation. Neither of us knows how the other person feels, so we should talk about something else or, for that matter, about nothing at all, because I have to go to sleep. I’m going away tomorrow, and I need some rest.”
    Seeing her smiling again, Leopold relaxed, too. “Where are you going?” he asked.
    “I’m off to my parents’ house in Herefordshire. My family always gets together at Christmas. Will you go home?”
    “No, I wasn’t intending to.”
    “So you’ll spend the holidays with friends?”
    “I haven’t arranged anything.”
    “Are you telling me that you intend to spend Christmas all by yourself in your apartment?” She looked at him with horror.
    “What’s wrong with that? Christmas doesn’t mean anything to me. My mother’s never made a big deal of it, and I haven’t been home for the holidays since I was eighteen.”
    As he was speaking, Cat’s eyes grew wider and wider, and when he’d finished, she pursed her lips and then firmly declared, “I won’t allow it. You’ll come to my house and spend Christmas with my family.”
    “Are you mad? You intend to turn up without warning at your parents’ house with a stranger in tow, at this time of year?” He was horrified.
    “I certainly do. I won’t let you spend Christmas on your own in your apartment like an abandoned dog.”
    The comparison wounded Leopold to his core. “For your information, Catalina,” he said, his voice now sounding icy, “I’ve spent the last twenty or so Christmases either alone or on some heavenly beach in