‘I...’ Sienna paused, looked around them and returned to watching him. ‘I want you to know our weekend away was extra-special and I’d like to repeat it. Not necessarily doing the same things in the same place, but repeating the togetherness.’
Harry’s heart beat hard against his ribs. ‘I hear you. I even agree. But—’ A finger from the hand holding that bottle pressed his lips, effectively shutting him up.
‘I’ve gone and fallen in love with you.’ Her eyes lightened, and that mouth that could do wonders on his skin curved upwards. ‘I love you, Harrison. End of story.’
Knots in his stomach and around his heart dropped away. A weight lifted from him. ‘Or the beginning of a whole new one.’
That smile widened. ‘I didn’t want to push my luck saying that.’ Then she stared at him, her finger now worrying her lips.
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he picked her up and swung them around in a circle. ‘We’d better not drop the bottles. We’ve got some celebrating to do.’ Then, placing her on her feet, he proceeded to kiss her until he lost all cohesive thought, only Sienna stealing into his mind.
Then she pulled back. ‘There are some problems on the horizon. I might lose my job due to someone wanting to use it to get to the top in a hurry, but I think I can live with that if you’re with me.’ She hesitated, doubt beginning to fill her eyes, darken her face. ‘In fact, I wouldn’t mind less hours at work if it meant doing other interesting things.’
‘All the way, sweetheart.’
‘I’ve learned that I’m ready to take some chances, to let go some of my hang-ups—all because of you. To the point that—’ she locked her eyes with his ‘—I will go wherever you want to go. I no longer need to stop in one place for ever, Harry, as long as I can be with you.’
‘I won’t ask you to do that.’ As she started to say something he held up a finger. ‘I am stopping running away. Yes, that’s what I’ve been doing for so long now it’s a habit, a bad one that needs banishing.’ Swallow.
‘Don’t be rash. There might be times you want, need, to move on. Take your version of a road trip. I’ll be there with you.’
Then Harry knew what to do. Reaching for her free hand that had got away from him, his fingers slid between hers again as naturally as opening his eyes when he woke in the morning. ‘Come with me. I’ll show you the only road trip we’re doing.’ Turning her around, he tugged her down his drive and back up hers, around the corner to her back yard and onto her deck, where he gently pushed her down onto a chair before pulling another close and sitting beside her. Then twisted the lid off his bottle of wine and held it up. ‘This is what we’ll drink to. Our way of keeping the world moving at our pace, keeping us safe from the past and moving into the future.’ He nodded at the two magnificent rhododendrons. ‘Together we will watch those trees grow bigger and stronger.’
Sienna squealed and leapt up. ‘You’re serious.’
‘Very.’ He placed the bottle on the nearby table before it was knocked out of his grasp as Sienna clambered onto his lap, her legs on either side of his thighs, her hands taking his head and drawing him close for a kiss. A kiss that ignited every point in his body and fused his brain until he knew nothing but Sienna.
Until, ‘Oh, dear. I think this is the moment we disappear, Bill. I’m not going to bed, like Si used to do, but I think we need to buy some more pine nuts for that salad I’m planning on making.’
Who the hell...? Harry pulled his mouth away from that kiss and stared over Sienna’s shoulder at an older version of his woman. She looked very amused about something. No doubt them kissing. The older man at her side wore the same expression. Oh, boy. Talk about caught. Why this sensation of being a naughty teen snogging the girl from class? Kissing his woman was allowed. Yeah, but not in front of her mother before he’d even met her.
As Sienna wriggled around on his lap, nudging that obvious reaction to her kiss and causing him more distress, he went for light-hearted and silly. ‘Hi, I’m Harry Frost. Sienna’s neighbour. Do you think you could get me a packet of...?’ Not condoms. ‘Um...a box of chocolates while you’re there?’
Sienna gasped out a laugh. ‘Guess we’re even, Mum.’
The lovely woman stepped forward, her hand out to him. ‘I know exactly who you are, Mr Neighbour. I’m Katie, Sienna’s mother.’ As her warm hand wrapped around the one he hadn’t realised he’d put out she nodded to the man with her. ‘This is my friend Bill.’
Still with Sienna on his lap, though now facing her mother and hopefully hiding the bulge she’d caused, he shook Bill’s hand too. ‘I’m glad to meet you both.’
Katie laughed that light, tinkling sound he knew from Sienna. ‘I doubt that very much, Harry. Timing is everything and you’ve got it a bit messed up tonight. So, which brand of chocolates shall I get?’ Even her eyes twinkled like Si’s. ‘I think we’ll walk to the supermarket, Bill. That should fill in time before dinner,’ she spun back to Harry, ‘which you’re invited to, by the way.’
Did he tell her he could just take Sienna next door for that hour to continue what had to be finished or he’d combust with need, and that no one had to go shopping for things they didn’t require? Somehow that might earn him a swipe across the arm from the younger version of the woman standing before him.
The younger one was speaking up. ‘Do I get to say anything?’
‘Nope,’ replied her mother. ‘Not a word. See you shortly.’
‘Not too shortly,’ Harry whispered in Sienna’s ear, and yep, got the swipe on his arm.
‘I’ll get the glasses and we can take them back to your side of the fence. Just in case we forget to stop whatever we’re getting up to in time.’
EPILOGUE
CHRISTMAS DAY DAWNED bright and clear. Just like her head and heart, Sienna mused as she stood under the shower. Harrison’s shower. Last night they’d made it over to her apartment for dinner with her mother and Bill, and spent a couple of hours chatting and laughing. Lots of laughing, actually. Most unusual. And wonderful...freeing.
‘You going to use all the hot water?’ The shower door swung open and Harry stepped in. He filled his hands from the liquid-soap dispenser and rubbed it over her shoulders, down to her breasts. ‘Merry Christmas, sweetheart.’
‘Same back at you.’ She kissed his chin, his cheek, then his mouth, hunger rampant in an instant.
As it very obviously was in Harry. Leaning against him, she rubbed her belly across that hot reaction, needing him in her—again.
Harry pulled his mouth away. ‘We probably shouldn’t. We were expected for breakfast five minutes ago.’
‘You don’t do quick?’ Her hand wrapped around him.
‘Oh, yeah. Watch me.’
‘I think you mean feel me.’ And before she knew it her body was falling apart under the onslaught of heat and need.
Within minutes they were towelling themselves dry, grinning at each other as if they’d just unwrapped the best Christmas present ever. Which she had. ‘Harry, thank you for being you.’
When he reached for her, that level of intensity in his eyes spelling more passion, she ducked away. ‘We really should to go next door.’ And there was another present she had to put under the tree. ‘Mum will be clock-watching.’
But her mother surprised her. ‘Coffee’s just made. I thought we could open presents while we have that. Breakfast will be thirty minutes.’ She looked from Sienna to Harrison and back again, the acceptance of him warm in her eyes, and adding to Sienna’s glow. ‘I allowed extra time for you to get here.’
‘Thanks, Mum,’ she growled around a swallowed laugh. She and her mother didn’t talk about things like this. But other than Bernie, whom Mum hadn’t liked, there hadn’t been men in her life to talk about. And now there was. The most wonderful man she’d known. ‘Harry, can you pour the coffee? I’ve got something to get from the garage.’
/>
The fishing rod was a hit. ‘Does this mean we’re going to Coromandel again?’ Harry asked with a grin. ‘You won’t grump about smelling like something the cat left in the back of the cupboard last week?’
‘Of course I will. And I’ll get you to gut the fish I catch so I don’t stink for a week.’ That grin drove her crazy. If her mother and Bill weren’t here she’d be dragging Harry down the hall to her bedroom right now. Christmas breakfast or not.
Harrison handed her an envelope, and sat back waiting, his eyes full of amusement.
‘What?’ Slipping her finger under the flap, she opened it and tipped out the card inside. And swallowed. ‘The bungee jump. I was hoping you’d forgotten about that.’
‘A challenge was made and accepted.’ He grinned. ‘You’re not chickening out, are you?’
Unfortunately not. ‘Don’t push your luck.’
Harry laughed. ‘You’ll enjoy it, sweetheart.’
‘I hope so.’ Then she relaxed. She’d be fine. So far everything she’d done on her list had worked out. Why wouldn’t this challenge? ‘Bring it on.’
‘Only if you want to.’
‘Contrition doesn’t suit you, Harry Frost.’
‘Right, are we done?’ Her mother looked under the tree. ‘Who are these for?’ She prodded the last three parcels.
‘Anna, Fliss, who is a young friend working for Anna, and I don’t know about the other one,’ Sienna answered.
Harrison stood up and reached down for the red square packet with a huge gold satin ribbon. Then he dropped to one knee in front of her. ‘For you, Si.’ He held on to it. ‘But first, I need to ask you something.’
Thud, thud. He’d better shout it because her ears were deafened by the pounding of her heart. ‘Harry?’
‘If we’re going to watch those trees grow and raise some kids, and settle in one place, do you think we should get married to start the whole thing off?’
Her mother clapped.
Bill chuckled.
And Sienna—well, her eyes filled up and tears streamed down her cheeks. ‘Absolutely,’ she croaked. ‘No other way to go.’
Then she was being wrapped in her favourite arms and kissed thoroughly.
In the background she thought she heard her mother laughing as she said, ‘You’d better be quick. I’m not putting off breakfast for a second time.’
* * * * *
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