Chapters (42)
He sighed. ‘I couldn’t think straight, I was so jealous, Ollie. If you’re looking for serious, for all-in, committed, building a life together, wildly in love as long as we both shall live, I’m your man. Or, at least, I would very much like the opportunity to try.’
‘Wow.’
‘And, if I’m not mistaken…’ Sam made a big show of checking his super-cool ranger watch. ‘The No-Man Mandate ended nearly two hours ago. So, I had a question.’
‘Yes,’ I breathed, unable to take my eyes off his.
He smiled the smile that sent my heart soaring. ‘I haven’t asked the question yet.’
‘The answer’s yes.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘I don’t care what time it is. Until I go to bed it’s still my birthday, and I would very much like to celebrate with a non-casual, deeply serious kiss.’
Sam’s whole face lit up. He slowly leant towards me in the darkness, pausing once his mouth was a breath away from mine.
‘Just to be clear,’ he murmured. ‘Am I the person that you want to—’
Before he could finish the sentence, I tilted forwards, and softly pressed my lips against his. We lingered there for the sweetest moment, before he gently pulled away. ‘Hmm. That felt a bit casual to me.’
With one fluid movement, he pulled me into his lap, settling back in the chair to ensure we were both comfortable, before kissing me so intently that it hummed through every cell, sent my head spinning. A kiss that woke up parts of me I hadn’t known were sleeping. A kiss that contained a thousand promises of love and laughter and a lifetime of kisses to come. It was the kiss I’d been dreaming of since I sat in my bedroom and started a list.
It was the kind of kiss that made a woman believe dreams can come true, after all.
Acknowledgments
Huge thanks as always must go to team Boldwood, who are all simply brilliant. I don’t know what I appreciate more about Sarah Ritherdon – her insightful editing, enthusiasm and encouragement all play such a vital role in keeping me on track. I also remain incredibly grateful to my agent, Kiran Kataria, whose support and advice are invaluable.
Thanks also to Neil Barnes from Forestry England, who kindly took the time to share his experiences as a real-life ranger.
And of course, to everyone who has read my books, taken the time to write a review or get in touch, I cannot thank you enough. Knowing you are out there reading and loving my books means more than I can say.
For Ciara, Joseph and Dominic, who continue to teach me so much about life and love, and never fail to make me laugh.
And for George – how precious to love and be loved just the way we are.