Her throat tightened up. ‘Oh my God. Did you get my message? I never expected that. I was going to come to you—’
‘I heard it.’ He ran his hand up her back. A soothing gesture but at the feel of his palm against the bare skin of her back she was anything but soothed. ‘Only just though. I would have called you back if I’d picked it up last night.’
‘So why are you here? Why did you decide to come?’
‘Short story?’ His dimple deepened as he started to smile. She stroked her thumb across it, and he turned his head into her palm and kissed it. ‘Romesh told me I should.’
She blinked and then had to laugh. ‘Dammit, he just wanted to get out of giving me his apartment.’
‘What?’
‘Don’t worry. It’s just a bet he made me…that we would’ve kissed by Christmas. And he was running out of time. Was he that determined he called you in France and convinced you to come back?’
‘No. No one had to convince me of anything, Ashleigh. I decided. I went back to Paris and I realised that everything I want in my future is here. I want a new career, and to spend time with my maman, and her side of my family. I want to live by the sea and spend time with my friends and…you. I want to be with you. I came here to tell you that’s what I want. And that I was going to be around, waiting, if ever you were ready to try again and—’
‘And I am.’ She threaded her fingers deep into his chestnut hair, letting her eyes rove over his face. The white flakes were still falling, making the twinkling backdrop all the more magical, but the joy…oh the joy was all inside her. She swore she could feel it spilling out of her, glowing from her skin, shining from her eyes.
She heard his breath catch in his throat. ‘Mon Dieu, Ashleigh, you are so beautiful.’ He pressed his mouth against hers again.
And she’d been so right. Of course he was amazing at this. Every kiss somehow long and luxurious, like they had all the time in the world.
The band started playing again, forcing them to break apart again, but they still didn’t move from their spot on the dance floor.
‘I’ve wanted to do that for fifteen years,’ he told her.
‘Me too,’ she said automatically and then paused. ‘Wait. You have? For that long?’
‘Oui. I’ve been infatuated with you since Romesh first introduced us.’
‘No. Really? Why did you wait for so long? I mean, we know whyIdid. I was too scared…but what stopped you?’
He pursed his lips and stroked back a lock of her hair. ‘I think I suspected that as soon as I kissed you, I would never want to kiss anyone else.’ His thumb moved along the side of her neck, tracing her skin as though it was fascinating. ‘And I was right.’
All the air fled from her lungs as she breathed out one word quietly: ‘Wow.’
‘Was that too much? I just want to be honest with you, Ashleigh, but I know it might come across as too intense—’
She shook her head. ‘Olivier. That was perfect.’
He smiled and then he cocked his head to the side, as though he’d just noticed the song. The band were playing ‘Something’. Ashleigh looked around the dance floor and spotted Beth with Nick, making their way down from the stage.
Beth winked and blew a kiss to her, then pulled her husband close so they could dance again.
‘Shall we?’ Olivier murmured in her ear.
‘Okay.’
He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she placed hers around his shoulders, and they started to sway slowly to the beautiful love song. The snow had stopped but the magic remained. Ash couldn’t help but marvel at having him in her arms. At being in his arms. At the warmth and the ease and the way her heart was so full. She swallowed over the bubbling emotions. ‘Merry Christmas, Olivier.’
‘There are still a few days to Christmas.’ He raised his eyebrow and she tightened her grip around his shoulders, lifting onto her tiptoes.
‘Are there? I could’ve sworn it’s come early.’
And this time, she kissed him.
