Page 43 of The Secret Holiday Kiss

‘I don’t know,’ she admitted. ‘He’s a great guy. He wanted me for his business, which was a huge confidence boost. He’s giving me purpose while I’m here.’

‘I’m not giving you purpose?’ He stepped forwards again, and she moved back again, her shoulders pressing against the wall. It was exposed, not yet plastered, and smelled strongly of brick dust.

‘It’s not that simple.’

‘Why not?’ He was looking down at her, only a few inches between them. She could reach out and smooth her hand down his tanned arm, or slip her fingers in his belt loops, then tug him closer.

‘Because I think he wants a café in Mistingham.’

Avery frowned. ‘You said yes to dinner to stop him coming here?’

‘I just … I feel a bit protective of Mistingham. So yes, I wanted to put him off coming here. But I think it will be good for the project, too.’

‘Dinner with Lars?’

She nodded, and her hat clunked against the wall.

‘You like him,’ Avery said.

‘He’s a nice person,’ she said. He was smooth and confident, attractive in a sophisticated way. Sometimes, though she didn’t want to think too much about it, he reminded her of Stefan. ‘I’m glad to have work to distract me.’

‘And again,’ Avery murmured, ‘I could distract you.’

‘You are … already very distracting.’

His grey eyes lit with something, his lips tipped up, and Daisy realized that he was the very best kind of distraction, especially when he pressed his hand against the wall above her head, leaning over her.

‘We’re wearing hats,’ she said, which was a stupid statement, except that Avery got it immediately. He understood what she was trying to say.

‘I’m the foreman, I can take mine off.’ He did just that with his free hand. ‘You, keep yours on, OK?’

‘OK.’ When did she do breathless? She didn’t. She was always fully in control. Except not now, when Avery’s hat clattered to the floor, and he tipped her chin up with his finger, angled his head so he could get close to her despite the hat. Daisy’s body was on fire, every part of her alive and clamouring and wanting.

The rain pitter-pattered on the ground beyond the beautiful shell of the house, and she kept her eyes on Avery’s as he leaned in, with a half-smile, and gently pressed his lips to hers.

Chapter Fourteen

Avery Hudson kissed with purpose. His lips, full and soft, were gentle against Daisy’s to begin with, and she let him explore, her response enough to show him she wanted it, but letting him lead, slowly opening her up, until he was angling his head more and she was kissing him properly, her hands around his neck, one of his splayed between her shoulder blades, his warm palm anchoring her to him.

Daisy had never been kissed like this. She had never kissed like this. She hadn’t felt the brush of a man’s stubble so completely, or realized how empowering it was to be touched by someone so certain, so thoroughly committed. She never wanted to seem delicate, but somehow Avery’s kiss made her feel delicate and powerful all at once.

They kissed for longer than she thought possible, but it was possible, and she wanted to keep going, to never stop. But then there was a voice, distant enough to be outside the house, close enough that she realized his team were coming back. He heard it too, because he pulled back an inch, his breaths short, his grey eyes searching hers, his hand sliding all the way down her back before he dropped it.

‘Hey,’ he said.

‘Hey.’ She was breathless, too. ‘Your team?’ She untangled her hands from around his neck.

‘They’re back.’

‘Seems like.’

‘Crap.’ He looked pained.

‘You don’t want them to work, considering you’re paying them double?’

‘I didn’t want to stop kissing you. I’m thinking where else we can go.’

Daisy laughed. He was so sure. So open with her, except about his friend in Norwich. ‘Let’s go to your van.’