Page 76 of A Chef's Kiss for Christmas

“I know you’re only messing with me.”

For a moment, she considered standing up and shifting aside her bikini bottoms to reveal the delicate feather along her bikini line.

That was the champagne squashing her inhibitions.

“It’s at my bikini line,” she said, not quite brave enough. “I can’t show you, but I promise it’s there.”

He cleared his throat and sat up again. “Here,” he said, holding her glass out. “You better finish this.”

“You can give me as much alcohol as you want,” she said, taking it from him. “I’m still not showing you.” It wasn’t actually true. She suspected it wouldn’t take much more alcohol at all, but she was enjoying teasing him.

“That’s not the reason I think you should drink more.” He drained the contents of his own glass. “We’re having dinner with my family soon. I find it’s best not to be too sober for that.”

As she got dressed after a shower, Anna wondered what the sleeping plans were now. Warren hadn’t mentioned moving rooms again, and his stuff was still in the same room.

It wasn’t just that Anna wanted to share with him – she also wantedhimto want them to share.

And it wasn’t as though she was thinking anything would happen between them. She just liked the idea of sleeping beside him, and of him being there when she fell asleep and when she woke up. As far as getting to know people went, it seemed like a fast track.

When she came out of the bathroom, he went straight inthere to get changed. Sinking onto the edge of the bed, she checked her phone and found a message from Frannie asking how things were going.

Great,she typed in reply.The more time I spend with him, the more I like him.

Her stomach erupted with butterflies. She didn’t justlikehim, she realised. She was falling for him – fast.

After spending so long pining after Hayden, having feelings for someone new felt wonderful. Especially since they were interwoven with hope, whereas her feelings for Hayden had been twisted with desperation.

Glad you’re having a good time,Frannie replied.Keep me updated.

After dragging her fingers through her damp hair, she got her hairdryer from her bag and moved to sit at the dressing table. Five minutes later, she turned the hairdryer off and tilted her head at the sound of voices. So far, the house had been silent. Now the signs of life felt overly pronounced.

“Are you hungry?” Warren asked, rubbing a towel over his hair as he walked out of the bathroom.

“Yes.” Anna caught his eye in the mirror. “Does someone speak Spanish?”

“Yeah.” His eyes twinkled. “Tamara. She’s funny.”

“Who’s Tamara?”

“Josh’s nanny. She only speaks Spanish. Or so she claims. But she’s been his nanny for a couple of years now, so I’m sure it can’t be true that she doesn’t understand a word of English. I think she just likes being able to ignore my sister when it suits her.”

“So she only speaks Spanish with Josh?”

“Yes. Which seems to work fine.”

“It’s pretty cool, actually. Kids pick up languages easily.”

“He seems to understand her. I’m not sure how muchSpanish he speaks yet, but from what I’ve seen, they communicate fine. It’s her and my sister who have issues communicating – it’s hilarious to watch.” He tipped his chin. “Are you ready?”

She ran the brush through her hair one more time. “As I’ll ever be.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

At the top of the stairs, Anna looked over the banister at the commotion around the Christmas tree in the entrance hall.

“They get dressed up for dinner,” she murmured, her eyes darting from Warren’s mum in a body-hugging black dress to his dad, who wore a three-piece suit. Selena looked as though she might be off to some high-end nightclub in her silver, floor-length cocktail dress. “I am so underdressed,” she said to Warren out of the corner of her mouth. “Why didn’t you tell me jeans were inappropriate?”

“You’re not underdressed,” he replied. “It’s definitely them who are inappropriately dressed.”