Page 71 of The Secret Holiday Kiss

‘That’s kind, thank you.’ He took them. ‘How are you?’

‘Good. I’m …’ she tucked her hair behind her ear. ‘Great, actually. But I wondered if you wanted another … debrief later. About the …’ she waved her hand at the house behind him. His grin slipped a little, replaced by an expression that made her tingle all the way to her toes.

‘That’s a great idea,’ he said. ‘I think we have a lot more to work on.’

‘Same,’ Daisy murmured. ‘I thought maybe the manor this time? There’s more … room.’

‘Space is important for your debrief, is it?’ Jazz’s expression was pure glee.

‘It’s a crucial part of it,’ Avery said seriously. ‘And I agree with Daisy. The manor is an ideal location for our next session.’

‘Aren’t you supposed to be on opposite teams?’ Omari asked. ‘Treasure hunt versus Christmas ball?’

‘We are,’ Daisy confirmed. ‘But we’ve discovered that there’s quite a lot we can collaborate on. We’ve all got the same goal, after all. Putting on the best Christmas entertainment for the village. Something truly magical.’

She was proud of her little speech, even if Jazz and Omari, holding hands without a care in the world, were both on the verge of collapsing with laughter.

Then Avery added, ‘Collaborating with Daisy has been my favourite part of this whole thing. I can’t wait to try some different approaches tonight.’ He leaned in and, angling his head so he didn’t bash her with the brim of his hat, kissed the corner of her mouth in a way that wouldn’t be appropriate for a PG-rated film. ‘I’ll message you when I’m done,’ he whispered, then gave Jazz and Omari a wide, unabashed smile, and shouted to his team that it was time for a coffee and mince-pie break.

As Daisy went to turn away, blushing all the way to her hairline, he gave her one last smile. She had expected something cheeky, for him to follow his innuendo with a wink, but the look he gave her was warm and tender, and it made her think that maybe – like her – he was feeling this whole thing a little more deeply than either of them had expected.

Kisses were fleeting, holiday kisses even more so, but Daisy’s mind had already led her down much more permanent – and potentially much more dangerous – paths.

Wednesday and Thursday night, Avery waited until late, then walked up to the manor and called Daisy when he was outside the side door – the one that led into the utility space behind the kitchen. Daisy sneaked down the staircase in her dressing gown and slippers, let him in and took him up to her bedroom, complete with kitsch floral bedding and the large windows showing off magnificent views of the estate.

Nobody overlooked the front of the manor, so she kept the curtains open and the lamplight soft, and those nights and early mornings, falling asleep together, waking up in each other’s arms, felt like a dream; they seemed removed from reality, because it had all happened without her planning it.

‘Do you like all this sneaking around?’ she asked him on Friday morning, when they were lying in her bed together, rain pattering against the glass, Felix bleating somewhere out in the parkland.

‘What, keeping our secret holiday … kiss, a secret?’ Avery asked.

‘It’s not just kissing any more.’ She trailed her fingers up his chest, through the light dusting of hair there.

‘I had noticed,’ he said, in a way that made her pulse pick up. ‘But I don’t mind. I have no reason to keep it secret, and I love being with you, but it’s nobody’s business what happens now or in the future.’

‘You love being with me?’ She looked up at him.

He kissed the tip of her nose. ‘Have I not made that clear?’

‘No, you have. Definitely. So I just …’

‘The reason we kept it quiet to begin with was because of the Christmas events, the idea that they were a competition, but I don’t think that ever really mattered. We were both cautious, because we didn’t know each other; we were testing out this thing between us. But now …’ he laughed, the sound warm and a little bit surprised, ‘there’s no caution left: not on my part. But if you’d rather keep it quiet because you’ll be in London after Christmas, I understand that.’

‘Except Jazz and Omari definitely know.’

‘The whole of my team knows,’ Avery said casually. ‘But Jazz … She’s the one person who won’t set hares running. She’s loyal.’

Daisy swallowed guiltily, because Jazz had confided in her that she was worried about Avery. But that was because she thought he needed help, not because she was gossiping. And during the nights, the mornings, they’d had together, Daisy hadn’t broached the subject because she didn’t want to burst their bubble.

‘I don’t want to keep it quiet,’ she told him. ‘Not because of London, or … or anything.’

‘No?’ A single word, but she heard how pleased he was.

‘No.’ She kissed his jaw. ‘I don’t. God. I am getting to spend my nights with the hottest builder in North Norfolk. I should be climbing onto the roof with a loud-hailer.’

‘Hottest builder?’

‘Hottest man, full stop.’