‘Champagne. Frozen pizza. I hope you’ll forgive me for that.’
‘I love frozen pizza.’
‘Yeah?’ Max smiled as Ella faltered in her heels, then drew them both to a halt to stare into her eyes. ‘That’s not what you told Lily and Arlo.’
‘It’s a bloody nuisance to make pizza from scratch, just don’t tell them I said so.’ She giggled. ‘I know, that’s another pound for Lily.’
‘Ella, this is me, sharing what I feel. It’s not always easy but you need to know.’ Max gripped her hands, the nervous smile back as the music soared through the speakers to its end. ‘I’m sorry about before. I ended up telling Victoria’s parents about you while we were away and they told me to go for it, not waste time if it felt right. All the way home I practised how I was going to ask you not to leave, beg you to give us a chance if I had to. Then Ashley was there, I panicked when she mentioned your ex and the words just fled.’ He shook his head. ‘When my mother found out we weren’t going to the ball she roasted me, said she’d never taken me for a fool and hadn’t ever met a bigger one if I couldn’t act on my own feelings, and how often did I think a woman like you would come into my life and love my children the way you do. I thought she was going to give me a black eye to go with the black tie.’
Ella was caught between crying at his words and laughing at the image he painted of Noelle. Ella could just image her livid, eyes flashing, waving a fist in Max’s face as she told her own son exactly what she thought of him. ‘Oh, Max.’
‘I didn’t ever think I’d love anyone again, not like this. I tried to convince myself not to, that you wouldn’t stay, didn’t want a family or a reason to risk your heart, but none of it worked.’ He squeezed her fingers. ‘I think I fell in love with you the moment I came through the door that first night after school and you were dancing with Lily. I felt as though I’d come home again and suddenly the four of us seemed to make sense. And then before, when you told me you loved me. Did you mean it?’
‘Of course I did.’ Ella was staring at him, reading the passion, the promise, a future in his eyes. ‘I was the same. I didn’t want to fall in love with all of you the way I did, and I don’t want to go, to leave you. I was afraid you wouldn’t love me back and I knew I couldn’t stay if you didn’t.’
‘There’s no maybe about this for me, Ella. I can only hope it’s the same for you.’
‘You know it is.’ She paused. ‘Lily and Arlo, they’re everything.’
‘They are, almost. Then there’s you and there’s me.’ His smile was widening as his hands drifted up her arms to her shoulders. ‘And we’re completely, utterly alone.’
‘Max?’
‘Mmm?’ His lips were inching along her neck to her ear, and she was breathless as she clung to him.
‘My strap’s fallen down again.’
‘I know. I might have had something to do with that.’ His gaze fell to his fingers on her shoulders. ‘I was thinking we should dance again but now I’m not so sure.’
‘Dancing’s overrated,’ she whispered, reaching for his bow tie as the other strap of her gown slipped away. ‘I’ve never understood how you tie these things.’
‘Then let me help you.’
‘You can’t, I need you to hold my gown up.’
‘Actually, Ella, you really don’t.’ Max shrugged out of his jacket, draping it on the piano stool, and slid his arms round her. She laughed as he swung her up and the gown fluttered to the floor. ‘As stunning as you look in it, I prefer you like this right now.’
‘You’re wearing far too many clothes,’ she grumbled, finally managing to get the bow tie undone as he carried her to the stairs.
‘It’s a black-tie ball. What did you expect?’
‘Not cufflinks! That’s totally cheating; how am I supposed to get this shirt off in a hurry?’
‘I’m not sure you can. You’ll have to be patient.’
‘That is not fair.’ Ella wound her arms round his neck instead. ‘Happy New Year, Max,’ she whispered against his lips. ‘I love you.’
‘I love you too, Ella Grant. Happy New Year. And it’s not even midnight. We’ve got hours.’
‘Oh?’ They were on the landing now, and he shoved her bedroom door open with a foot. ‘What will we do with all that time alone?’
‘Have a very long, uninterrupted lie-in tomorrow, for starters.’
‘We can’t.’ She laughed, loving the kiss they shared as he stood her up and removed his cufflinks. ‘We’ve got to swim in the tarn in the morning, or have you forgotten?’
‘Why do you think I brought you up here?’ He was looking at her as he hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt and Ella went to help him. ‘The only way I’m going to beat you in a race is if I’ve exhausted you first.’
‘Go ahead,’ she said innocently, drawing in a breath as he dragged the shirt off. ‘If you really think that will work, give it your best.’
