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His lip curved. “No. I sent that email because of you.” He drew closer to her, his eyes flicking between her own. “You inspire me, Claire. I’ve known you for only a handful of days, but that was all it took for me to realize just how special you are. You have encouraged me, corrected me, made me laugh when no one else could. You brightened my day, even my life.”

She stared up at him, wondering if she was in some too-good-to-be-true dream as he reached forth to cup her face in his palm.

“You, Claire Frost, are second to none.”

His words penetrated the defenses around her heart, and the barricades crumbled like sand to the pavement at her feet. She reminded herself to take the words lightly, to tread carefully toward her future, but the truth was in Liam’s eyes, and her heart swelled because of it.

“You know,” he continued, “if I’m working less, I’ll have more time for other things, too.”

He swallowed, and desire swirled in her lower stomach as his eyes dropped to her lips.

He was referring to her, a relationship with her. He had to be. But then, what would that even look like? Flights from Colorado to the UK every other month, getting to know each other over chats and FaceTimes? Could a relationship even cope with that?

But as he smoothed his thumb over her cheek, she found herself caring less and less about how they would make it work—and more and more on wanting to make it work.

“I don’t know if you…” He stopped, glancing over her shoulder as his face fell.

She turned her gaze, his hand slipping from her face in the process as she caught sight of Tasha and Melody striding toward them as they left Harrods.

“Of course,” Liam muttered, looking away in clear frustration. “I’d really like to finish this conversation, preferably in private.”

Claire stared up at him, still reeling from his touch. “So would I.”

Their eyes met, and that same desire from before shifted to her heart before Melody’s calling finally broke their concentration.

“There you guys are! Claire, we tried calling you, but you didn’t pick up.”

Claire checked her phone, relieved at having something else to focus on as Tasha’s heavy gaze shifted from Liam to Claire. Sure enough, Melody’s missed call lit up on the screen.

“Oh, sorry,” she said. “I didn’t feel it buzz.”

She had been too distracted by Liam’s comforting embrace to pay attention to anything else.

“We figured you both needed a breather after the perfumery,” Tasha said. She focused on Claire’s no-doubt red eyes. “Are you alright?”

Claire glanced up at Liam, who watched her closely. “Yeah,” she stated, averting her gaze. “I’m getting kinda hungry, though.”

“Ugh, yes,” Melody said. “I’m thinking a big ole juicy steak will hit the spot. Oh, you know who likes steak? Dean.”

And then she launched into another monologue of the many delicious qualities of her part-time boyfriend as the four of them set off down the sidewalk.

“Honestly, guys, I just think I’m in love,” Melody said with an airy sigh.

Instead of rolling her eyes, Claire could only smile in amusement. Because although her mind was occupied with Liam and what he’d been about to say to her before they’d been interrupted, all she wanted to do was respond back to her friend by saying, “Melody, I think I am, too.”

TWENTY-NINE

To Claire’s dismay, the opportunity to speak with Liam never came up. The four of them spent the entire evening together instead, wrapping presents and watching Home Alone and Home Alone 2 as Melody chatted everyone’s ears off before they all headed to bed.

Claire then spent a restless night tossing and turning, deciding to wake up first thing the following morning to attempt to catch Liam on his own once again.

To her dismay, however, Tasha was already with her son, the two of them sitting across from one another at the kitchen table. Two pieces of toast were situated before each of them, and Liam’s camera and tattered neck strap was situated next to his arms that rested on the table.

Liam’s eyes met hers in an instant, and her heart warmed to see their dark depths smiling at her.

“Morning, Claire,” Tasha said. “Would you like some toast?”

“Yeah, thank you. I can get it, though.”