All the Romance You Need This Christmas: 5-Book Festive Collection. Romy Sommer

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ in the cosy warmth of a beautiful little restaurant the next. ‘We have a cloakroom, just over there, where you can collect your things when you leave.’

      ‘Thank you,’ I replied, surreptitiously scanning the room to see if I could spot him.

      ‘Are you meeting someone?’ the maitre d’ asked.

      I obviously hadn’t been quite as surreptitious as I thought I’d been.

      ‘Erm, yes. I am. But I don’t think he’s here yet.’

      ‘You can wait by the bar,’ he smiled. ‘We have a seating area just over here, in front of the fire.’

      ‘Thank you, again.’ I walked over to a group of chocolate-brown and cream sofas dotted with red and silver cushions, a large, beautifully decorated Christmas tree taking centre stage by the window in the corner of the cosy seating area. As I sat down, sinking back against the soft cushions, an instant feeling of relaxation swept right over me and I closed my eyes for just a second, letting the events of the past few days sink in. For the past year I’d locked myself away almost, leaving the house only to go to the shop or to visit mum and dad, not wanting to go anywhere or do anything else because nothing felt right without Jase. We’d done everything together for over ten years, so doing anything without him just hadn’t felt right. And I hadn’t wanted to share things with anyone else, hadn’t wanted to dim the memories of our time together with new memories of someone else. But with Zac, things were different. With Zac, those memories would never be dimmed; they’d only be added to because, with Zac, there came hope. Hope that I could have another chance at happiness. And that was giving me the strength I needed to start living again. It had made me feel as though a lead weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Even though the guilt at betraying Jase still lingered, there in the back of my mind.

      ‘You look deep in thought.’

      I opened my eyes and saw him, standing there. And even though it had only been a day since we’d shared a hot chocolate in Café Aurora, the sight of him took my breath away.

      ‘These sofas are just a little bit too comfortable,’ I smiled, standing up as he walked over to me, gently kissing me on both cheeks, and the second his lips touched my skin a shiver shot right through me and it was all I could do not to gasp out loud.

      ‘It’s so good to see you again,’ Zac whispered, shoving his hands in his pockets, glancing down at the floor briefly before lifting his head back up, his eyes meeting mine.

      ‘Yeah. It’s good to see you too,’ I said quietly, a sudden feeling of nervousness – awkwardness, almost – filling that small seating area with the magical Christmas tree and the fairy lights hanging in the window.

      Zac shuffled from foot to foot, his hands still stuffed deep in his pockets. ‘I’ll go get us some drinks,’ he said, breaking the sudden silence that had descended over us. ‘Red wine? Or… would you prefer white?’

      ‘Red would be… red would be great, thanks.’

      I sat back down, leaning back against those incredibly comfortable cushions as I watched him walk over to the bar. The sudden air of awkwardness bothered me slightly because, yesterday, in Café Aurora, I’d thought we’d moved past that, thought we’d managed to overcome – bypass, even – those initial shy moments that sometimes happen in the very early stages of a relationship. Was that what was happening here? Were we in the early stages of a new relationship? I hadn’t felt uncomfortable with him when we’d shared that hot chocolate, so why did I feel ridiculously shy around him now? Had I felt that way when I’d first met Jase? I couldn’t remember. I turned away from watching Zac at the bar and looked out of the huge picture window, focusing on the Christmas lights and the snow and the people in the restaurant opposite as they sat eating and chatting and laughing, probably looking forward to the celebrations that were almost upon us.

      Letting my mind wander for a second I thought about how Christmas used to be, when Jase was here. How we’d always put the tree up in early December so we could make the most of it, because we’d both loved the build-up to Christmas Day almost as much as the day itself. We’d fill the house with old-school decorations, paper chains and hanging lanterns made out of that foil stuff that’d been the norm back in our childhood days of the 70s. We may not have had any kids but we’d both been big kids ourselves when it had come to the festive period, writing present lists that we’d leave lying about in the hope that the other would see it, baking Christmas cookies and mince pies to serve at our regular run of parties we’d hold most weekends leading up to the big day. Christmas had been all about making sure the house was filled with the smell of mulled wine, filled with people popping round to share our love of this special time of the year. Christmas had always been our time. Of course, we’d spend Christmas Day itself with both our families, but after tea we’d always end up back at our cosy little home in front of a roaring fire where we’d sit and cuddle while watching Christmas-night TV, sipping yet more mulled wine and eating chocolates. We never did anything extravagant; there was never any great amount of money spent, because we’d just never had it. Although, we’d saved up for so long for our trip to this beautiful place; that dream trip to Lapland that we should have taken this time last year. Having each other was all that had mattered, so to lose him in the way that I had, it’d killed Christmas for me. Until now. Until I’d come here, to this wonderful little town in the Arctic Circle. A town we should have visited together. It had an almost magical feel about it, and I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever want to leave.

      Squinting slightly as I watched a group of people walk past the restaurant, a figure behind them, walking alone, caught my eye. Was that Mikku? Dressed all in black and with his hands buried deep in the pockets of his jacket, nobody else seemed to give him a second look as he trudged through the snow. And then he stopped, very briefly, looking up to meet my eyes and once more that intensity he seemed to carry in his stare held my gaze – even through the glass – until he smiled, and the spell was broken. Then he carried on walking, the crowd he’d been following now long gone, running off ahead into the night. I wondered where Mikku was off to but as I craned my neck, trying to see where he’d gone, I couldn’t see him anywhere. He’d disappeared, but that stare stayed with me, and as I watched Zac as he returned from the bar, carrying a large glass of red wine for me and a bottle of lager for him, I felt a rush of calm wash over me again, the shyness that had made a brief appearance before suddenly dissipating.

      ‘Everything okay?’ Zac smiled, sitting down next to me, handing me my glass of wine.

      I took a small sip, looking right at him, smiling too. ‘Everything’s fine,’ I said quietly, my eyes still staring deep into his. ‘Everything’s just fine.’

      *

      ‘Have you ever ridden a snowmobile?’ Zac asked as we made the short walk from the restaurant back over to my hotel.

      I shook my head. ‘I’ve ridden pillion on a motorbike. They’re quite similar, aren’t they?’

      He smiled, his hands in his pockets as we walked. ‘Sort of, yes.’ He stopped walking and turned to face me. ‘Come with me, tomorrow. There’s a snowmobiling trip through the forests, I’ve done it before and the scenery is spectacular but… but to share it with someone else, that… that would just be amazing. And I know you’d love it.’

      I couldn’t help smiling at his genuine enthusiasm, his excitement almost infectious. ‘I don’t know, Zac,’ I laughed, trying not to let the whole situation overwhelm me. Everything seemed to be happening at breakneck speed and even though dinner had been lovely, and Zac had been the most charming, funny and attentive man, I hadn’t been able to stop myself from comparing him to Jase once or twice over the СКАЧАТЬ