“Come with me,” she said.

She led him to the curator’s office and shut the door behind them. Then, she made herself speak in a way she would never have spoken just two weeks ago. But what she’d learned so well over the past few days was that, in people not speaking, in the absence of words, everyone in her past had been hurt.

“I love you,” she said, surprising herself with the strength in her voice.

He smiled and she felt her heart turn over inside her chest.

“It’s easier to pretend I don’t feel the way those photos show that I do,” she continued. “It will be much harder to be in love with you. Because I’m not very good at it. Because I live here and you live in Paris. Because of so many things. But I want to be with you anyway.” Please say something, she thought. Your smile says a lot but I need to hear it.

“D’Arcy Hallworth, I’ve been in love with you ever since you strode across the drawbridge at the chateau. Since even before you called me dashing,” he said, stepping closer to her.

She grinned and reached for him, arms winding around his neck, his hands sliding up her back. And then she kissed him.

Nothing prepared her for the way it felt to kiss a man she loved, and who loved her in return. The kiss went on and on, neither willing to stop, D’Arcy content for once to do nothing other than kiss until Josh reluctantly broke it off.

“After waiting all this time I’m not going to have sex with you in an office,” he said firmly.

“After all this time?” she repeated, laughing. “You actually make it sound like you’ve been wanting to sleep with me.”

“Believe me, I have.”

The look in his eyes made her breath catch, her whole body flush. Without apologizing to anyone for their sudden departure, they hurried outside and found a taxi.

It took too long to drive to her apartment where, the minute they were inside, he placed his hands on her cheeks, drew her in and kissed her again, not gently, not softly, not slowly, but exactly as she wanted to be kissed. At last, she thought as she searched out his tongue. At last, she thought as she felt his body pressed hard against hers.

Thirty-seven

The next day, after showering with Josh, which took much longer than it should have, they grabbed takeaway coffee, longing for Célie’s coffee and baguettes, and hurried back to the gallery, only ten minutes later than the time they’d arranged to meet Victorine and Jess.

Nobody was there. Josh frowned. “Maybe I should have collected Jess.”

They were interrupted by the clack of Victorine’s heels on the floor.

“Mum, this is—” Before D’Arcy could introduce Josh to her mother, her words were stopped by the redness of Victorine’s eyes. D’Arcy clutched Josh’s arm. The crying was supposed to have stopped now that everyone was here at last. “What is it?” D’Arcy asked with alarm.