Page 39 of The Magic of Provence

A spell was being cast and, for the life of him, Christophe couldn’t summon the desire to break it.

* * *

Kiss me…

It was the only thought in Fi’s head and it felt like every cell in her body was contributing to the force of it.

That she actually wanted this so much took her completely by surprise. She’d never wanted any kind of sexual touch from any man since that night. She had nightmares about it. She’d flinch if someone got too close to her in a shop or brushed past in a crowd.

But this was different.

New.

And, okay, maybe it was simply part of the fantasy she’d allowed herself to drift into the edges of, but…

…but what if that was making the difference?

What if that miracle, of feeling what it might be like to fall in love with someone, had given her the clarity to see the person she wanted to be? That the first step towards believing that it might actually be possible could be finding out whether she could get past that fear of being touched?

Maybe that was why this felt important enough to be feeling as if she might die if Christophe didn’t kiss her?

Because the dream would die?

The path that she’d taken the first huge step on today would vanish from sight and render it impossible to take another step.

He was still holding her gaze and it felt as if he was looking right into her soul. Or hearing her thoughts, anyway, because his gaze finally shifted from her eyes to her lips. And then it lifted again, for just the tiniest fraction of time.

Enough time for Fi’s body to try sending another message.

Yes…

And then, oh…God… it was happening. Fi closed her eyes as she felt Christophe’s lips on hers.

Moving over her lips like the softest imaginable caress. Her lips were moving too. Responding to the infinitely small changes in pressure and direction. Feeling the warmth of his mouth – thetasteof him – and it was… it was the most delicious thing she could have ever imagined.

Her mouth was open beneath his. She expected the touch of his tongue. Shewantedit.

Until it happened.

Just the tip of his tongue against her lip. Touching the tip ofhertongue.

She still wanted it but something in her brain and then her body decided differently and she could feel herself stiffening. Bracing herself.

Freezing.

Noo…Fi didn’t want this to stop but that was happening.

Just as softly as the kiss had started, it was finishing. Christophe was looking at her again, but if he was disappointed by that kiss she couldn’t see it in his eyes. He was looking at her like he had by Nonna’s bedside – as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world – and it wasn’t for the benefit of anyone who might be watching them, so what didthatmean?

He must have felt the way she’d frozen, but she couldn’t see that in his face either. There was a hint of a smile on the lips she could still feel the imprint of on her own. As if this was no big deal. Because, for him, a kiss probably wasn’t a big deal?

‘Come inside,amore,’ Christophe said. ‘Dinner’s ready.’

* * *

Much later, Christophe opened the door in the kitchen again and let Heidi out into the garden.

‘Be very quiet,’ he whispered. ‘We don’t want to wake up Fiona.’

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