So she would, too. If anyone saw her holding hands with Alexander Stratford at Scandal Lane, there’d be no recovering from the furore. And Olivia found that she simply didn’t care.
Alexander feltlike achild on Christmas morn as he led Olivia through the darkened park.
It was freezing and the snow was already blanketing everything around them.
Perhaps this hadn’t been such a good idea. He didn’t want her falling ill.
Alexander glanced down at his companion and was pleased to see an excited little smile on her lips. She didn’t look cold or miserable
She looked happy, even if it was freezing.
He drew them to a stop at the Serpentine and wondered if she recognised the spot.
Watching closely, he saw her eyes widened infinitesimally. “Ah,” she said, a smile playing around her lips. “Back to the scene of my crime? Tell me, are you planning on drowning me?”
Alex laughed in response.
“No, sweetheart, though no doubt you deserve the payback. I’m planning something much better.”
Olivia tried desperatelytokeep her wits about her, but it was no use.
She’d been worried that Alexander had taken leave of his senses altogether when he’d started walking them through a snowstorm. She could only assume they were at this particular spot for a reason. She hoped a wonderful reason.
She turned to look at Alexander and saw that he was watching her with a look of such tenderness that her heart almost flew from her chest.
Without giving it a second thought she reached up and threw her arms around his neck, nearly toppling him.
He chuckled in surprise before dropping the basket he held and lifting her clean off her feet and devouring her lips in a soul searing kiss.
When she finally needed to come up for air, he broke the contact, settled her on her feet and retrieved the basket before grasping her hand and pulling her the final few steps to the bench.
She sat atop the blanket trailing from her shoulders, making sure that she left room for him on it.
They were pressed so tightly together there was no room between them, and she wouldn’t want there to be.
He whipped out a flask and two pewter mugs.
“Ugh, is that more brandy?” she asked.
His smile was heart-stopping.
“Cider,” he answered. “For you.”
He poured the liquid from the flask into one of the mugs and she wrapped her hands around it, grateful for the heat, and inhaled the spiced apple scent.
Another flask contained brandy for him, and they sat in companionable silence for a while.
When her cup was empty, Alex whipped it from her hand, dropping it and his own back into the basket, along with the flasks.
Then, before she could speak, he reached out and pulled her onto his lap. Olivia wrapped one hand around his neck, the other, she placed on his solid chest. “Thank you,” she whispered softly. “Nobody has ever done something like this for me, and I shall never forget it.”
For a moment, he didn’t move, just stared into her eyes, then slowly, he moved her hand from his chest to place a soft kiss on the palm.
Even through her thick, winter glove she felt its impact.
“Olivia,” he said, his tone gravelly and low. “If you would let me, I would spend my whole life doing things like this for you.”
Olivia felt her jaw drop at his words.
