Page 76 of Only Ever You

A few hours. That’s all he had to get through. He could do it.

Arthur moved to answer what should be the last ring of the doorbell, and the tap of heels along the upstairs landing made Bash turn.

“Woah … ” His chest filled.

He’d seen the pair of black heels poking out of Faye’s weekend bag, but he hadn’t seen the outfit to accompany it. The deep red ribbed dress hugged every inch of her body, curving around all of her outlines, and Bash was left stunned for a second time by her tonight.

She’d say she wasn’t perfect but she was perfect for him – Bash knew it already. He’d known it years ago. He couldn’t have designed someone more beautiful in all of her forms if he tried. He was surrounded by beauty and elegance every day, things that people paid thousands of pounds for, but in a room full of diamonds and art, he would still only look ather.

One hand floating over the bannister, Faye descended the stairs. She focussed on her feet butdamnBash wanted her to look at him. He moved and offered out his hand for the last few steps of her decline, and when their palms touched, Bash couldn’t care less if the final guests to arrive behind him had their gazes upon him or not.

He knew it was a long shot, but that screeching car from earlier could’ve found a slippery patch of the lesser used road, swerved, and?—

Bash didn’t want to give his heart another jumpstart thinking about what could have happened, but he couldn’t stop thinking about whatdid.

In the heat of the moment, adrenaline coursed through his veins and he’d almost kissed her. He’d wanted to desperately. But crossing that line out of fear wouldn’t have been right. Knowing Faye, she’d have been flustered in her own state of shock, and he’d have passed such a kiss off as relief to be unharmed. It would have been meaningless in her eyes in the same way she’d brushed off his body’s reactions to waking up next to her as nothing, too.

So he’d restrained his impulses and drawn himself back.

Faye didn’t seem to realise it washishand that she’d taken until she’d taken it and met his eyes.

Bash’s spine and shoulders loosened as she stood in front of him, and he reluctantly let go of her hand, clutching the wine glass in his other a little tighter instead.

“Are you alright?” Faye asked. With the way she’d curled her hair, it was even shorter than normal and off of her shoulders.

His tongue tied like he’d forgotten how to speak, so he nodded. “Just … ”Oh boy, you’re done for, Sébastien.“I’ve not seen you dressed up for a while.”

Faye adjusted the lay of the long sleeves and shifted the deep red fabric snug at her hips. She carried her weight in those hips – her words, not his – which were accentuated by the dress. Bash was going to write a thank you note to whoever designed it just for that. His hands wanted to grip there and hold her against him. She’d be so soft and pliant, he just knew it. And the shadow beneath the little swell of her stomach he knew she hated – her words again –damn. Sexy as hell.

This limerence he lived in was taxing. It’d been so long that he should have solidly let go of the hope of Faye by now, but still Bash’s heart clung to her.

He needed to stop wandering his eyes over her body or else he’d be done for.Gone. Too consumed to think straight at his family’s Christmas party where his little nieces ran around giggling. The sound of them brought him back to planet earth.

“Are those Christmas trees?” he asked as his gaze drifted to Faye’s ears. One of the dangling pieces of glossy clay shifted as she let him feather his finger along the edge.

“Maisie made them for me as her Christmas gift. I could’ve gone with the snowmen but I thought the green went better with the dress.” WhatFaye said didn’t need to sound so subdued, but Bash knew why it was.

“I agree.” He let his fingertip trace down her neck for just a second, feeling Faye shudder beneath him as he drew his hand away.

Touching her might’ve crossed a line, but Bash’s thoughts weren’t entirely connected to his actions just yet.

Their new exuberant guests and Arthur moved past them towards the rest of the party. Maybe there was something in the look of this scene they’d created, because they were left alone here without a word.

Bash had wondered in the last half an hour how he’d be able to look Faye in the eyes again without replaying what happened earlier, and apparently he wasn’t the only one. Faye didn’t let her gaze settle anywhere above his nose for more than a couple of seconds. This awkwardness wasn’t right. It wasn’tthem.

Faye shifted on her heels, tugging on the ends of her sleeves. “About … earlier … ”

“You’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about, Faye. If you think I’d judge you, then you’re wrong.” The softness in Bash’s voice didn’t detract from how much he meant it. He wouldn’t let this elephant in the room simmer all night until they were both too uncomfortable to even be near one another.

He waited until their eyes gradually met again to take one of Faye’s wrists and gently squeeze. “I should’ve knocked because the door was closed. I’m sorry.”

Twin dots of blush darkened the colour on Faye’s cheeks. “How much did you honestly see?”

Did she know how loaded that question was? How much was he willing to lie?

Fuck it.

Clearly he’d embarrassed her, and Bash knew enough words to hopefully give her even a glimmer of her smile back.

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