Page 176 of The Duke Who Saved Christmas
She looked at the pig. “Evidently. Beatrix won’t leave you alone.”
“Are you jealous of a miniature pig right now?”
“No. I’m exhausted with having to share my life with a pig. Did you know she’s been sleeping in my bedroom ever since I started staying here?”
“She does seem to like your room.” I looked down at Beatrix. “She’s not that bad, really.”
“She poops in my bed. She goes on her jollies in snowstorms. I had to share my Yorkshire pudding with her at dinner!” Sylvie huffed, shooting a glare at the pig. “And now she’s stealing my man.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Your man, huh?”
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No. I was just hoping you’d say it again.”
“Keep hoping.”
I picked up the pig, put her on the blanket next to me, and swapped to the other sofa. I sat down next to Sylvie and grabbed her legs, swinging them over mine. I wrapped my arms around her and held her against me with a grin.
“What about now?” I asked.
Her lips twitched. “Wow. You actually dumped the pig for me.” She plucked a bit of lint from my front. “You’re right. The stupid onesieiscosy.”
“Mhmm.” I dotted kisses down her cheek towards her jaw, and she tilted her head as her fingers curled into the fluff of my onesie. “Next year, you’ll have to dress up as Martha May, and we’ll hold a Christmas costume party.”
She grabbed my chin and stared at me. “If you’re going to suggest that the pig be Cindy Lou Who, I’m breaking up with you right now.”
I mimed zipping my lips and kissed her, swallowing her laugh. “I would never. She can be Max.”
A laugh burst out of her, and she pressed her hand over my mouth, forcing space between us. “You’re insane.”
I licked her palm so she’d yank her hand away. “What? You don’t plan on being here next Christmas?”
“No, I…” She paused. “I’m not organising the damn party, though.”
My smile reflected the happiness that tingled through my body. All day, I’d been wondering if this really was the dream I’d woken up thinking it was. That Christmas would be over, and Sylvie would change her mind. She’d say she was wrong, that she didn’t share my feelings, that everything I’d done had been for naught.
But she wasn’t.
She was sitting here, planning, actively talking about next Christmas before this one was even over. She was running with a stupid quip that I’d have to follow through on. She was making and agreeing plans for a future that was still uncertain, that was something we’d have to work hard for because of the distance that would come between us.
It didn’t matter, though.
Not to me.
Because if I was honest with myself, I might have fallen in love with her almost as soon as I saw her again. God only knew she’d occupied my every thought since that moment. Her auburn hair, her light blue eyes, her beamingly bright smile… They’d consumed me, body and soul, ever since I laid eyes on her.
Even if the smile had taken a little longer to get a peek at.
“We’ll be okay, you know.” I brushed some hair from her face, letting my fingers gently trail across her skin. “This time next year, we’ll be sitting here wondering what we were ever worried about.”
“It’s more than a year. I’m booked out for two years. My newest wedding is two and a half years away. That’s a long time.”
“It’s worth it.” I slipped my fingers into her hair, and she turned her face into my palm. “I won’t ask you to do anything you don’t want to. I won’t even ask you to move back here. I want you to do what you want to do, Sylvie.”
“Ah…” Her eyelashes fluttered as she looked up at me. “I spoke to your mum earlier. She loved helping organise the wedding at the end, and she’s going to talk to you about hosting events again.”
“I thought she would. She really did used to adore it.”
