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‘Exactly’

‘It’s the ht—’

‘Yeah, that’s what I thought, too But it’s only…’ He lifted his hand, checked his watch ‘It’s only twelve-thirty’

Only twelve-thirty? Her spirits dropped like a stone sinking into a pond, but she kept her tone perky

‘All the more reason for me to stay put’

Nick sighed ‘Okay,’ he said, ‘if you’re going to be stubborn…’

Holly shrieked as he scooped her into his ar?’

‘If Mohaed her in his arht I don’t want to trip over these blankets’

What choice was there? Holly put her ar on as he headed for the stairs

‘Really,’ she said, ‘Nick, this is silly’

Except, it wasn’t It onderful, just like the dreaed

Where she’d once belonged

She shuddered, and Nick drew her closer ‘Cold?’

‘Yes,’ she said What else could she say? Not the truth, that she was engulfed in sensation, almost painfully aware of Nick’s ainst her cheek The strength of his eood it felt to lie, secure, within it

Her heart was beating like a drum

‘Here we go,’ he said, as he carried her into the living roo on the hearth

‘Oh, Nick!’ Her voice rang with delight ‘You built a fire But how?’

He gave a wicked chuckle as he sank to the floor before the fireplace and settled her in his lap

‘Well, I was going to tear the sofa apart with my bare hands and feed it to the fla’