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Priya and Mel exchanged some kind of look, communicating in that way only best friends can, which ended with Priya rolling her eyes. “Fine. Bring on the salsa-dancing Celts.”

Mel linked her arm with Priya’s just as Mark arrived, producing four ciders—having correctly guessed that Finn would have convinced the two girls to join them by now. Mark gave him a that didn’t take you long look, which Finn chose to ignore as they headed through the throbbing crowd to reclaim their sister. The sister who, despite the fact they’d literally abandoned her in chaos less than thirty minutes ago, was never subjected to these looks. Presumably because she was the youngest and therefore allowed to be irresponsible, for another few years at least.

It took them surprisingly little time to find Hattie, because she was dancing in such an exuberant way that the crowd around her had parted. Hattie greeted Mel and Priya with hugs like they were all long-lost friends reunited, and Mel and Priya immediately got stuck into the dance Hattie pulled them into. Which was another point for them, because most people would have been completely terrified.

He’d tried to shout at Mel over the music, asking where she was from, what she was doing here. But after one too many WHAT?s, he gave up and just danced, spinning and jumping to the music, none of them remotely attempting to salsa. He was so aware, the whole time, of how Mel moved, not quite in time with the music, but like she didn’t give a shit about that. He was relieved when they finally found themselves next to one another, when he had an excuse to take her hand, twirl her.

She laughed again, and he felt irrationally pleased. “Been taking salsa lessons from the Celts, have you?” she asked.

“Oh, absolutely. I’m a total expert, as I’m sure you can tell.”

She waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Pff. You’re playing with the big leagues here, sweetie.” She immediately went into a ridiculous robot dance, combined with some kind of sashaying of her hips. He wasn’t sure, then, whether it was the atmosphere, the alcohol, or just her that made her so brilliantly unselfconscious. Later, he’d figure out it was a bit of all three. He burst out laughing, and she grinned.

Next to them, Mark was hovering on the outskirts of their group, glued to his phone again, and Hattie was now draped over Priya. “But I love him,” Hattie was lamenting. “I don’t know where he’s gone and I’m pretty sure he was the one.”

“He did seem very nice,” Priya said, lips twitching as she patted Hattie on the back. “What’s his name? I’ll help you find him.”

Hattie pulled back to stare at Priya. “I don’t know.” It was a wail. “How will I find the love of my life if I don’t even know his name?”

Mel grinned again at Finn, who rolled his eyes. “My sister, ladies and gentlemen.”

“Does she fall in love with strangers often?”

“Sure. For about an hour.”

“And you?” Mel asked, a touch of slyness to her tone. “Do you fall in love with strangers often?”

“Only those who beat me in dance-offs,” he said, very seriously. Her eyes were dancing as she met his gaze, and he felt his pulse jump at the base of his neck. Jesus, she was hot. It was something about the directness of her gaze, he thought. The curve of her mouth when she smiled.

The band switched, playing the opening bars to “Auld Lang Syne,” and the crowd went wild. Everyone linked arms, Hattie forgetting about the love of her life as the countdown to New Year’s started. They were all singing, only knowing about a third of the words, and as Finn spun around with Mel she stumbled. He reached out to steady her, placing a hand on either side of her shoulders.

Ten, nine…

Mel hadn’t pulled away. She was watching him, expectantly.

So of course he kissed her. He didn’t even wait until the end of the countdown.

It was light, and surprisingly chaste, given the atmosphere around them. Like a stolen kiss in the night. She tasted of something sweet, along with the tang of alcohol—and something deeper and darker and totally her. Something that sent an unnerving jolt of electricity right through him.

When they pulled back, neither of them was smiling, and her expression had changed to something considering. He’d wondered if she’d felt it too. Fucking hoped so. His grip on the sides of her arms deepened, and when she reached out, laid her own hands on his forearms, goosebumps prickled.

Then fireworks erupted overhead, and Mel let out a surprised laugh, craning her neck up to look at the color lighting the sky. She looked back at him, and there it was again—the sparkle.

She smiled—warm and beautiful. “Happy New Year, Finn.”

“Happy New Year, Mel.” And he had a feeling—it was going to be a good one.

Chapter Seven

Five days to Christmas

Mel wakes to the feeling of falling. Too late, she realizes why and lets out a yelp as she only just manages to put her hands out to stop herself face-planting against the wooden bedroom floor. Apparently, she’d edged even farther over to her side of the bed in the middle of the night, until there was no bed left.

“Mel?” The door to the bedroom opens, and Finn’s anxious voice fills the space. “You okay?”

She jumps up, brushing her hair off her face. “Fine. Just, ah…” But, right now, her brain seems too distracted to come up with an explanation as to how she has managed to quite literally fall out of the bed—because Finn is standing there with just a towel around his waist. And okay, fine, she’s seen him naked plenty of times before—but is it her, or is he packing more muscle than usual? Flipping houses is physical work, she supposes—especially given Finn insists on doing it all himself. But, still, it doesn’t seem fair that he’s standing there right in front of her, all long and lean and—

She’s staring. What the hell is she doing? She should not be staring at him. She should not be allowing herself to drink in his near nakedness, as if it is something she has been craving. She quickly turns from him, though she doesn’t miss the slight quirk of his mouth, a sure sign that he’s amused. She bends to pick up the pillow that fell off the bed with her. When she puts it back on the mattress, she sees a line of pillows, right down the middle. At some point during the night, Finn had clearly decided to take her literally.