Page 97 of A Winter Wedding Adventure
‘You’re beautiful because I know you, Kira. It hasn’t been a long time, but I know you better than almost anyone else does.’
It was a presumptive statement, but she couldn’t contradict him. She wanted him to know her. Maybe he was afraid of fire and fridges, had never seen snow before this year and lost his shit in a gondola, but she couldn’t doubt what he was saying right now when the truth was evident in his whole body.
‘I don’t want to lose what we had. It’s too important to me. I want to build on it. If you mean this much to me after a single week, I can’t wait to find out how I will feel about you in a year. It wasn’t a casual fling – it was a miracle. At least that’s what it was to me.’
A tear tumbled down her cheek. She was used to hoarding doubts, protecting herself with scepticism and shunning hope. But Mattia was standing in front of her, a mirror of her own feelings, and she couldn’t doubt any more.
This was something, between them. This might be it. She should have been horrified at the thought, but she wasn’t.
Her feelings weren’t a mistake – they were exactly right.
She couldn’t imagine feeling more for him than she did then, but his words curled around her heart, making her want it too: being together. One day, she’d tell him she loved him. The conviction shook her.
‘There’s one more thing,’ he said. ‘I’m moving to London.’
Her jaw dropped. ‘Okaaaaay.’
‘I haven’t quite got a job yet, but I’ve had good feedback from two of the auditions – the third one was a fire from the depths of the inferno, so please remember it’s a miracle that I’m here and still halfway hoping you’ll want to see me.’
‘Okay,’ she responded with a faint smile.
‘My manager thinks London is a good base for building my career.’ He paused and she gave him an encouraging nod. London was several hours away, but it was so much closer than if they were several countries apart and she’d take it. ‘That’s not really the thing that appeals to me about London. I thought, if I were there, I could come and see you?’
‘Okay,’ she said with an easy nod.
A smile twitched on his lips. ‘Would you… I’d like to go out for dinner – with you.’
‘Okay.’
‘Lots of times.’
‘Can I say something other than “okay” now?’
‘Only if it’s “yes, please”.’
She was the one to come closer this time. ‘Yes, please,’ she said softly.
He slipped his other hand into hers and tangled their fingers. ‘Maybe we could keep doing the…’
‘Yes, please,’ Kira said with a grin.
‘Can I call you my girlfriend?’ The eager spark in his eyes made her laugh.
‘Okay,’ she agreed. ‘Only if I can call you my opera boy.’
‘You do anyway,’ he said with a doubtful look. ‘But I like the sound of your opera boy.’
She sneaked her arms around his waist and held on, enjoying the moment his hand ventured into her hair.
‘This is not how I pictured it,’ he said absently.
‘It’s not?’
‘Honestly, I thought you’d be harder to convince, that I’d have to be your friend for a few years before you’d see how good we are together.’
‘With benefits, I assume.’
‘Allora, I did hope.’ His sheepish shrug made her smile and press a kiss to the middle of his chest. ‘But I would have stayed without. I might have been a little miserable, but… I’ve never felt this way about someone before.’
