Page 43 of Enraptured

“Wait! I can’t go back up to the party like this?”

“Forget the party. I’m taking you to the guest suite. We’ll stay overnight.” But he stops, slipping my dress back over my head and zips me up as we reach the heavy oak door again.

“Actually, I love Christmastime. It’s my favorite holiday…maybe we could go back to the party for a little while?”

He smiles, kissing me softly. I should feel guilty that my friends and family think I’m dead when I’ve never felt more alive. I’d do anything for him. Anything. He leads me back to the party. I sigh, at the twenty plus foot tree twinkling with thousands of lights. My hand brushes an ornament. “It’s real!” The smell of its fragrant needles has me sigh.

“Can we get one too?”

He frowns as if I’ve said something wrong. But replies, “Of course. Anything for you.”

We stay for a bit drinking champagne and eating hors d’oeuvres until I can’t hold back my yawn. He takes away my plate and drink and leads me through the castle up a set of stairs. “It’s beautiful,” I gasp.

“Everything’s still original. Updated but original nonetheless.”

Christos strips first then, undresses me. A huge claw foot tub sits by a blazing fire. We step in together and I end up laying back against his chest. “There’s no bathroom plumbing in this section of the castle. So, we’ll bathe the old-fashioned way.”

“Um, I like it. I like everything about England, actually. Will we stay here forever or return to Capri?”

“I haven’t thought about it. Come, the water is getting cold and it’s late.” He towel dries me, then picks me up placing me in the large bed. He’s so warm and as I snuggle in, once again dreaming of babies.

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