Page 21 of A Winter Wedding Adventure (Adventure Weddings #2)

The floor beneath Mattia’s bare feet was suddenly unstable. The hallway had fallen silent, the air still. The world might have stopped turning, because Kira’s – slightly sweaty – hand was on the back of his neck and her breath was on his lips. She wouldn’t?—

She did. And it was wonderful.

With just the right amount of pressure to make the contact zing to his toes, she kissed him, mouth hot and slightly open, full of frustration and surprise and…

recognition. There was that soft upper lip, followed by a brush of her firm lower one – and then a little swipe of her tongue.

A hitch in the back of her throat – a tiny sound of delight that wormed its way under his skin.

Ohi, it was more than he could take.

It was hesitant, a first discovery of warmth and pressure, underscored by the tug of need he knew she felt too. It was too fast for him, too deep for her. But kissing Kira, teasing her lips with his, was raw and clumsy and utterly perfect.

Until she pulled away.

‘Sorry,’ she said, her voice all breath. ‘I didn’t mean— I know you wouldn’t?—’

‘What? No, don’t—’ He was still seeing stars behind his eyes and the world was moving too quickly for him.

‘Okay, right. Bye!’ Licking her lips, she gave him a quick smile and disappeared behind her bedroom door with a soft snick – making her sudden escape.

He had to prop himself up on the door-frame until he got his breath back.

‘Matty?’

He jerked back from the door at the shrill sound of his name, groping frantically for the towel that was miraculously still slung around his waist. Alessandra was stalking in his direction, her eyes wide, her gaze taking him in from head to toe. He hurried to intercept her.

‘What are you doing here?’ Her voice was high, strained. ‘Outside Ginny’s door. Naked. My wedding planner !’

His stomach swooped and his expression hardened. He opened his mouth, probably to blurt out that Alessandra should have known it was Kira , not Ginny, but Carla emerged up the steps from the ground floor. He groaned inwardly. Had she heard Alessandra’s assumption?

‘Nothing. I’m not doing anything,’ he insisted.

But Alessandra was on a roll. She dropped her voice so only he could hear. ‘I know you don’t like Joe and you’re still recovering from the break-up with Carla, but I did not expect you to act out like this.’

‘You’ve got the wrong idea.’

‘I know Carla hurt you,’ Alessandra continued, glancing between Mattia and his ex, ‘but she didn’t mean to. I’m going to be living full-time in London now and I just want the two of you to have what I?—’

She burst into tears. Carla met his gaze with a grimace of her own and slipped an arm around their friend.

‘Shh, cara,’ Carla crooned. ‘It’s your time. We’re here for you and happy for you . You don’t have to solve our problems too.’

Alessandra gave a sniff. ‘What problems? Have I been so focused on the wedding that you haven’t been able to talk to me?’

Mattia was beginning to think Kira was right about weddings.

‘No,’ Carla lied with some accomplishment, flicking him an amused look. ‘Maybe we should go and find some herbal tea to calm you down and let Mattia get dressed. He looks freezing.’

* * *

Outside the wide – thankfully triple-glazed – windows of the chalet sitting room, the cosy evening had darkened into night, plump flakes of snow catching the light from the lamps.

A new, unspoilt layer had gathered after Norbert had performed his twice-daily clearing, perfection in the stark, wild landscape.

Inside, the fire was loudly consuming a handful of logs behind glass, the wine was hot and spiced and the scent of pine completed the intimate setting.

It was all of Alessandra’s dreams come true, a winter wedding to remember for the rest of their lives.

Except the woman herself was busy whispering urgently in Mattia’s ear.

‘You could have at least told me you were flirting with Ginny, so I didn’t get a shock – or get my hopes up about Carla!’

Mattia fisted a hand on his thigh, not sure what to say to his best friend to fix this, and frankly unwilling to discuss it right now, with everyone else in the same room – and the lingering effects of the kiss still in his bloodstream.

Kira hadn’t joined them in the den, which should have been a relief, since his gaze had found its way to her too many times over dinner, but he felt her absence just as keenly as he’d felt her presence.

She’d ignored him anyway, so he was alone in the fixation regardless of whether she was in the room or not.

‘There’s no reason to be shocked. Nothing happened. I was on my way back from the sauna and I realised I wasn’t sure about plans for tomorrow, so I thought I’d ask.’ He hoped the lie flowed more smoothly than he usually managed, now he’d had an hour to practise it.

‘It really looked as though you’d just come out of the room,’ Alessandra said slowly. ‘You were leaning as though you’d just kissed someone.’

‘I was never in the room,’ he said gently, disputing the part of the sentence where he didn’t have to lie. ‘But I understand why you’d be upset. Nothing should overshadow your wedding and nothing will .’

She frowned at him. ‘You know what I want most is to share the happiness with all of you.’

He wasn’t certain she was going about it the right way, but he couldn’t fault her heart.

‘That’s why I was so alarmed,’ she said earnestly, turning to him. ‘You’re not the type to… you know.’

‘Eh?’ He wasn’t the type for a lot of things: ice, saunas, snowmobiles – cable cars.

‘Casual sex!’ she hissed.

Either Alessandra had unhappily spoken into a natural lull in conversation or everyone in the room had heard and frozen in shock.

‘Mamma mia, Alessandra,’ he mumbled, glad that only her parents and Carla understood Italian. ‘Since I was in the sauna with your fiancé until just before you saw me, it wouldn’t say much for my skills in the bedroom if that’s what I had been doing,’ he said through his teeth.

Finally, Alessandra seemed to take a breath and some of the tension drained from her body. ‘Right. I’m sorry. Of course you weren’t… doing that. Not that you couldn’t talk to me about it if you were.’

He obviously couldn’t talk to her about his love life right now, but that was fair enough.

And since when did he think about having a ‘love life’?

He’d stumbled into the relationship with Carla and now had an infantile crush on someone with whom he’d only shared a quick kiss – probably out of pity, because he was making a fool of himself.

A kiss that hadn’t stopped replaying in his mind.

‘But I suppose it was silly on my part to think you’d jump into bed with someone you’ve only just met.’ Her sharp giggle made him wonder how much of the sweet, spiced wine she’d drunk. ‘I know you’re too sensitive for that and I love you that way.’

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, her hair tickling his jaw. How often had they sat like this over the years? He was so much taller than she was, but she’d always been the ‘big sister’, the older, wiser one.

But in that moment, Mattia was uneasy, deep in his stomach.

The wedding was in two days. Between Kira’s ex problem and his own, the event felt like a mess and despite the awe-inspiring location and all her best efforts to create the wedding of her dreams, Alessandra had just burst into tears right in front of him.

He was about to ask her if everything was all right, if she wanted to go somewhere to talk – although where they’d go when outside was a frozen wasteland that could give them hypothermia – when she lifted her head and brightened.

Dropping her voice to a whisper so soft he barely heard it, she said, ‘I suppose there’s hope for you and Carla, yet.’

Before he could protest, Alessandra set down her mug and stood, making her way to where Carla was talking to Ginny.

Inwardly groaning, Mattia braced himself.

Whatever Alessandra had to say to either of them, he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it.

He only hoped she’d believed his excuses.

He didn’t want to land the other wedding planner in trouble because the bride was determined to see her friends settled before she permanently left Naples.

Perhaps he should have told her the truth.

Urgh, no, after the strange conversation he’d just had with Alessandra, he couldn’t backtrack and admit he’d kissed the other wedding planner, especially when he could barely believe it himself.

Only two more days and they’d have made it through the wedding alive.

He only had to keep Alessandra calm for another two days.

‘Ginny,’ Alessandra interrupted gently, ‘I’ve just had the most wonderful idea and I’m certain it can’t be too difficult to arrange.’

Mattia held his breath.

With her bottomless patience, Ginny smiled enthusiastically and waited for her to continue.

‘You know how important kisses are at Italian weddings. And this is an Italian winter wedding. We’re going to need a lot more mistletoe.’