Page 157 of Christmas off Script
She sighed contentedly. ‘This is the best Christmas ever.’
‘And it’s still only December the twenty-second.’
‘What do you fancy doing for the next three days?’ she asked innocently.
Leo raised an eyebrow. ‘Don’t you mean to askwhoI fancy doing?’
She let out another snort of laughter. ‘Should we stick a “do not disturb” sign on the door handle as well as a sock?’
‘Good idea.’ He nuzzled her neck. ‘And prepare yourself. I’ve got to give you twenty-one more orgasms by midnight.’
‘Dear god. Is that even possible?’
Raising his head, he gave her a cocky grin. ‘Shall we find out?’
Then he lowered his lips to hers and she let him sweep her into another ocean of bliss.
EPILOGUE
Christmas Day
No matter what time he got back from the Christmas Eve service, Leo always woke early on Christmas Day morning. The expectant thrill of excitement he’d felt as a child had never truly gone away, and this year there were enough butterflies in his stomach to pull Santa’s sleigh.
The grey dawn light was muted as it peeked through the gap in the curtains, yet it was enough to illuminate the angel lying next to him. Love once again squeezed his heart as he gazed at Ella sleeping, her expression soft and peaceful, her dark hair meandering across the pillow like a winter stream cutting through snow.
How have I got so lucky?
Having Ella here, in bed with him, loving him maybe as much as he loved her, was the kind of luck that only happened once in a lifetime. Now there was no-one between them, no reason for his feelings to lie dormant; they’d woken like a hungry bear from hibernation finding themselves next to an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Ella stirred, then opened her eyes.
‘Happy Christmas, Princess.’
She gave him a sleepy smile. ‘Happy Christmas, Prince Leo,’ she murmured. ‘You really do love me, don’t you?’
‘One infinity per cent.’
‘Even when I look like this?’
‘The most beautiful woman in the universe?’
She snorted with laughter. ‘Universe?’
‘Yes. I need to account for all extraterrestrial life in my calculations.’
Grinning, she reached for his hand. ‘How did I get so lucky?’
Leaning down, he brushed his lips over hers. ‘I was just thinking the same thing.’ He drew back and hopped off the bed.
‘Where are you going?’
‘I think the weather forecast was actually right this time,’ he replied, then threw back the curtains.
Ella squealed with excitement. ‘A white Christmas!’ Leaping out of bed, she joined him at the window, circling her arms around his waist. ‘It’s so pretty.’
Leo twisted his head behind him to drop a kiss on her lips. ‘Almost as much as you.’
They stood in a reverent silence, watching the soft flakes of snow dropping silently from the sky to land on the formal gardens behind the manor. The view was quiet and serene, but now Ella was awake, the nervous butterflies inside Leo’s stomach were flapping around in a panic.
