Unplugged (Blue Phoenix, #3)(82)

“Do you mean it?” he asks.

Is his stunned look a good or bad stunned? “Do you?”

“Hell, yes!”

“But not too soon… I want some of the crazy sorted before we move on.”

Liam circles my waist and kisses me again. “I get it, slow down, stop telling you what to do…”

“You can tell me what to do sometimes,” I whisper, hovering my mouth close to his.

The strange static hangs between us, the moment before lips meet. I thought the tingling excitement to match would have passed by now, but I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of Liam’s mouth on mine. He was right; the first night he made love to me, was the moment my whole-self belonged to him. Our hearts began to beat in a unison that leads us on the same path, one we’ll always navigate together.

CHAPTER 37



CHRISTMAS 2014



CERYS



“I’m a real princess!” shrieks Ella as she runs across the snow-covered grounds. “I’m staying in a castle!”

“We’re not staying in the castle, Ella, but in a cottage,” I tell her.

The Norman castle set in the Welsh countryside close to the beach is worthy of a fairy tale. The privacy we can achieve here and the fact it’s close enough to St Davids and Liam’s family made the location an obvious choice to get married. That and Ella’s opinion that a castle would be the most romantic place for her mum to marry Liam.

Liam drags a large suitcase out of the car as I run to keep up with the excited girl heading across the wooden bridge into the grey walled castle bailey. Liam grabs my hand and pulls me back.

“Have you persuaded her to wear the bridesmaid dress yet?”

I shove him in the chest. “All your bloody fault! You were the one that said she could wear her Elsa costume.”

“I didn’t think she’d take me seriously.”

“One day, you’ll learn,” I mutter.

“Naw, well I don’t care. She can wear her cat pyjamas for all I care, as long as you’re there.”

We follow Ella’s footprints across the snow-covered gardens and reach the stone cottage where the footprints stop at the door. I find her in one of the bedrooms of the renovated cottage, lying on one of the beds staring up at the wooden beamed ceiling.

“Shoes off, missy!” I say and sit next to her.

“I’m sleeping here,” she announces.

“Tonight you are, but tomorrow you’re staying with Linda and Jim.”

“And then I can come back?”

“And then we’ll go back to London for Christmas, remember?”

“And then you’ll stay with Emily while your mummy and me have a holiday,” says Liam from the doorway.

“Honeymoon,” Ella corrects him.

This time last year, I stayed with Ella at Liam’s parents, not knowing what the future held for us. This Christmas, I’m attending a wedding at Manorbier Castle. Our wedding.

Liam’s mouth tugs into a smile at Ella’s words. “Honeymoon. Since I’m not allowed to stay here tonight, are you going to make sure Mummy looks extra pretty for tomorrow?”

“Mummy always looks pretty.”

“And you’ll wear the special dress that matches Auntie Louise’s?” he asks.

Feigning deafness, Ella opens her small rucksack and begins arranging her dolls on the pillow.

“Ella?” asks Liam

“Yes…” she sighs and gives an eye roll worthy of any teenager. “Now, I’m unpacking.”

Liam beckons me toward him with one finger and we leave the room for the small lounge. Two red velvet sofas are arranged in front of a small fireplace, old portraits of past castle owners hang on the distressed white painted walls either side.

“So I’m not allowed to stay?” asks Liam, sitting on one of the sofas and stretching his legs in front of him.

“No, so don’t make yourself comfortable. You’ll see me tomorrow.”

I wish I could bottle the happiness emanating from Liam’s smile because it fills the room. “I sure will.”

Louise appears in the doorway, wrapped up in a thick grey coat, holding the handle of a large, wheeled suitcase. “Oh! You! Out! What’s he doing here?”

“Dropping Cerys and Ella off, don’t worry, I’m not staying,” says Liam with a sigh.

“Damn straight you’re not, go in the other room while I bring Cerys’s dress in! You can’t see!” demands Louise.

“Lou, it’s covered in a garment bag,” I say. “He won’t be able to see anything.”

She ignores. “Okay. Liam, I want you gone so I can spend my last afternoon and evening with Cerys before she becomes my sister-in-law.”

“Fine! Sheesh!” Liam stands and heads toward the door. As he reaches me, he slides his hands behind and cups my backside as he presses his mouth to mine again. The nerves about tomorrow disappear with his kiss, soft mouth moving against mine, calming me by pulling me into the peace of our world.

A cushion hits the back of my head, thrown by Louise. “You have the rest of your lives to do that. Put my brother down and help me out.”

Liam kisses my nose. “See you tomorrow, beautiful girl.”