A Christmas Romance in the Scottish Highlands (Scottish Highlands #6)

Chapter 18

18

ELLA

Ella took in a deep breath as she watched Alex make his way towards her on the stage carrying the tiny slipper. He’d surprised her just now – his insistence that she should be eager to seek revenge on him. As if in the world he inhabited that was the only way to deal with an upset. To batten down the hatches and seek justice.

He’d obviously been shaken by her opinion of him, but Ella could see from the way Alex’s cheeks had reddened and his eyes had darkened that he’d liked her version of him. Even if he was still denying it was accurate.

‘So, what should I do?’ he asked, standing in front of her, glancing around the stage. The lights in the ceiling were so bright now that she could smell the peppery heat from the bulbs. Their beams picked out the colour of Alex’s eyes and the chiselled jawline that she’d imagined sketching and – who was she kidding – touching too.

Ella shrugged. ‘I guess you need to get closer to the floor. You’re not going to be able to get that slipper on my foot from all the way up there,’ she joked, feeling awkward suddenly. She tugged the edges of her cardigan together as Alex did as she’d suggested, dropping onto one knee until his face was almost level with hers.

‘What now?’ he asked roughly.

‘You know how the fairy tale goes. You’re bowled over by my beauty.’ Ella’s words didn’t make Alex laugh as she’d intended. Instead, he looked at her silently and her stomach did a somersault before landing in the top of her throat. ‘Then –’ Her voice sounded heavy. ‘– you ask if you can help me try on the slipper.’ She glanced down at her feet. She was still wearing her shoes. She’d slipped them back on after getting dressed in her costume because she’d been worried about being cold. But the flames that were now burning through her limbs could probably heat the entire stage.

‘May I?’ Alex asked, gesturing to her foot.

‘Or I can?’ she offered, leaning down so she could take the shoe off herself.

‘Let me do it, Ella,’ Alex demanded, and whatever had somersaulted into her throat, vaulted again, landing low in her belly and flooding her with even more heat. ‘You don’t have to do everything,’ he said, in a tone that made Ella think of rumpled sheets that had found their way onto the bedroom floor.

Ella gulped. ‘Um, okay,’ she said, the words almost sticking inside her throat.

Alex shifted closer and put his palm beneath her calf. Her insides increased the acrobatics and began to divebomb against her ribs. She shuddered and looked down at the same time as Alex looked up so their eyes collided. ‘Is that okay?’ he asked.

She nodded – because she couldn’t trust herself to speak. Was it odd that just a few hours ago she’d disliked this man? Or at least she’d hated his picture. Hated the way he could see right through her and pinpoint every place in her life where she’d gone wrong.

How had they gone from there to here so rapidly? Why did she feel like she knew him so much better after their short conversation?

She shuddered as Alex slid her shoe all the way off and let it fall onto the stage. His fingertips tickled the underside of her foot and Ella let out an involuntary humming sound.

‘Sorry,’ Alex murmured, although he didn’t sound sorry, and when she met his eyes, they were full of heat – which proved he knew exactly what he was doing.

‘It’s okay,’ she whispered, wishing she could ask him to do it again. Ella hadn’t felt this turned on in, well, she didn’t remember. There had been a few men in art college, but most of them had been more interested in their paintings or themselves than her. They’d never made her almost catapult off her chair simply from a touch…

Alex slid the glass slipper onto her foot and smiled charmingly. ‘It’s a perfect fit. Does that mean I should propose?’ he asked, leaning back as if he was suddenly worried about crossing some invisible line.

‘I think we should practise our kiss first?’ Ella suggested, keeping her wobbly voice low and even.

Alex glanced at her, looking surprised. ‘Mae said a peck would be okay,’ he checked.

‘It’s up to you.’ Ella shrugged, feeling self-conscious as she remembered they were on the stage and glanced around. The heavy velvet curtains Mae had drawn were still shut and gave them plenty of privacy. ‘It’s just we’re here,’ she said more eagerly now. ‘We’re supposed to be running through our scene and we’ve got no way of knowing if – when we kiss – we’ll seize up. Because we’re embarrassed,’ she added in case she hadn’t been clear.

‘Seize up?’ Alex’s lips curved. He was smiling a lot for a man who always frowned.

‘Aye, well. Stage fright, hysteria, performance anxiety, take your pick.’ She shrugged. ‘You never know what might happen on the night. Last year, I was Sleeping Beauty, and the prince, well.’ She pulled a face. ‘He almost fainted because his girlfriend was jealous and she told him she’d be watching his every move…’

Alex snorted. ‘That’s not something I need to worry about.’

She sighed. He was taking a lot more convincing than she’d have liked. ‘The year before, I was Belle, in Beauty and the Beast . When the Beast tried to kiss me…’ She shuddered. ‘He almost had a panic attack when someone in the audience shrieked. The makeup department were particularly talented that year…’

Alex watched her face, his expression incomprehensible – although Ella was sure she could detect laughter in his eyes. At least she hoped she wasn’t imagining it. She’d sensed him relaxing while they’d been talking and wanted to hold onto that.

‘I had no idea that being in a pantomime was fraught with so much peril.’ Alex shook his head. ‘Well, in the interests of avoiding embarrassment, panic attacks or a fainting episode, I think you might be right. We should definitely practise our kiss.’

He rose to his feet and Ella found herself looking up.

‘We can’t very well do it down there,’ Alex teased. ‘Not properly anyway and I take my pantomime kisses very seriously. After all, Prince Charming’s reputation is on the line.’ His eyes twinkled, and Ella giggled, relieved that he hadn’t been offended by her pushing.

He held out a hand and helped her up. ‘How do you want to do this?’ he asked, gazing at her mouth in a way that made Ella want to go up onto her tiptoes and grab him.

‘I think kissing usually involves the pressing of lips together,’ she said primly. She wasn’t trying to tease Alex anymore – well, not much – but suddenly she was wondering if this was such a good idea.

She could already feel heat burning between them. It had been there since they’d met. At first it had been powered by dislike, then annoyance, but now it had transformed into appreciation, understanding and perhaps even liking him. She didn’t want to fight it. Despite the fact that it wasn’t a good idea. Didn’t she have enough on her plate without catching feelings for a man like Alex Forbes-Charming?

She was probably going to get her heart broken, but at this moment, Ella really didn’t care. She was fed up with doing the right thing, with worrying about everyone else. She was sick of cleaning other people’s houses and dealing with her stepbrothers’ constant absences, of Lucinda’s demands and of worrying about a business that wasn’t just hers. Weary of the thousand problems she couldn’t share. She needed something for herself. A kiss with this man would be a perfect start.

‘That sounds like it could work,’ Alex said, shifting closer until Ella was staring at his chest. He was wearing a dark blue jumper, and she had a sudden urge to press her nose into the wool, to run her fingers up and down his sides, then rub them over his chest. ‘Perhaps you should start by looking at me?’ he suggested, sliding a fingertip under her chin. ‘May I?’

‘Aye,’ she said huskily, and he tipped her face. Now they were closer she could see his pupils had almost blown. Her mouth felt dry, and she swiped her tongue across her lips.

‘Good improvising,’ he whispered as his eyes followed the movement. ‘I’m feeling a little parched myself.’

‘Must be the heat from the lightbulbs. But I’ve got an idea,’ she said, and went up onto her tiptoes so she could press her mouth against his.

Alex had obviously been expecting the kiss – Ella could tell, because he immediately got into character by carefully wrapping his arms around her and leaning down so he could deepen it. Turning something that was meant to be playful – at least initially – into something far more real. This was no peck on the cheek, and it wasn’t suitable for a PG pantomime either. But Ella just went with it, because there was no fighting this almost desperate craving building inside of her. She needed him now.

She let out a low moan in the base of her throat as the kiss grew hotter and thought she might have heard Alex echo the sound. Although it was difficult to hear anything above the buzz of voices in the main hall and rush of blood now pounding in her ears.

She reached her arms up and wound them around Alex’s neck and pressed her body hard against his. He smelled really good up close. Of expensive aftershave with spicy tones of lemongrass and cardamom – which for some reason reminded her of Christmas. Or perhaps it just would from now on.

Alex tasted good too – and Ella tangled her tongue with his, marvelling at how quickly this day had changed.

It had already delivered a rollercoaster of emotions – from annoyance with her stepbrothers, to excitement when she’d gone to meet Alex at the tea room, to devastation when she’d seen the sketch.

But now she could only feel heat. And not just any heat. This was a searing, heart-pounding, pulse-accelerating, body-melting blaze. Desire like she’d never experienced. This was what the books, movies and Netflix series meant when they talked about chemistry.

Ella felt Alex pull back and tried to remain upright, although her knees weren’t feeling cooperative, so she found herself leaning into him.

‘Should we count that as a successful run-through?’ he asked throatily, whispering into her hair.

‘Well, you’ve definitely blown all the other princes out of my mind – and probably ruined me for the next one too,’ she joked. ‘We might have to tone it down for the opening night,’ she croaked. ‘There are going to be small children in the audience and grandparents too – I’m the only person who’s supposed to swoon.’

‘Do you think we should have another go, then?’ he asked, his chest heaving.

‘We could try.’ She kept her face buried in his jumper. ‘In the interests of getting it right. I’m sure Mae would appreciate us going the extra mile.’

Alex chuckled and the rumble of his body tickled her nose and sent a wave of warmth travelling downwards. ‘That’s one of my mottos, right up there with give everything your best.’

Ella pulled away so she could look into his face. ‘You certainly did that.’ She cleared her throat, wondering if her cheeks were luminous. Alex obviously didn’t mind if they were, because he was looking at her with an expression that told her he was just as ravenous as she was – equally impatient to kiss again. ‘Time for round two,’ she whispered and went up onto her tiptoes.

This time, their kiss started soft which was calmer but still made Ella’s stomach pitch and whirl like a Christmas carousel. She pressed her palms onto his shoulders and fought to stop herself from wrapping her arms around his neck again. Control was the order of this kiss, control and restraint, limitation and reserve. It wasn’t about indulgence or need.

But the kiss deepened, and Ella found her arms winding their way around Alex’s neck anyway, found herself pressing her body into his chest. Her heartbeat ramped up to wild and the kiss became hot, wet and fast – an exercise in urgency and abandon.

She was only glad they were on the stage because otherwise there was no telling what would happen – or how long her Cinderella dress and cardigan would remain in place. Her arms were already untwisting themselves and skimming down Alex’s sides, intent on discovery – and he was obviously on the same page because his chaste grip on her waist had become an uninhibited exploration of her hips and the curvy globes of her rear.

Then suddenly someone cleared their throat, and Alex shot away, grabbing Ella’s arm to keep her upright as she twisted around to find Hunter, Aggie, Henry and Mae standing at the top of the stairs gaping at them.

‘Yecch!’ Hunter yelled, covering his eyes. ‘Where’s the fire extinguisher?’ The boy trotted past them and shot towards the back of the stage.

‘We will not be needing a fire extinguisher!’ Aggie spluttered, racing after him.

‘Well, the lad’s right, I think I can still feel flames from here,’ Mae said wryly, fanning a hand in front of her chest and arching an eyebrow at Ella.

Henry cleared his throat. ‘Er, it looks like you’ve both sorted out your differences. Which is um, good,’ he ground out, looking uncomfortable. While Sprout, who’d been watching them from beside his master’s feet, let out a happy bark and then charged across the stage before hurling himself at Alex’s legs as if he hadn’t seen him for weeks. Alex leaned down to stop the dog from leaping up.

‘Do you want us to run through it again?’ Ella squeaked, hoping Mae would say no. Her whole body was trembling, and she wasn’t sure if she could walk in a straight line, let alone do a chaste redo.

‘Nae, lass,’ Mae said, looking amused. ‘You’ve clearly rehearsed enough.’ She went to open the stage curtains as Hunter came running back holding the fire extinguisher.

‘Don’t worry, it’s just a prop!’ Aggie yelled as the boy pretended to douse Alex before turning the hose on Ella, giggling the whole time.

She couldn’t help joining in, and when she glanced at Alex, he was laughing too. It looked good on him, and she wished she could help keep that look on his face.

‘How about we all head down for a bite of something sweet?’ Aggie suggested. ‘Blair’s just put out refreshments and we need Alex to try on his costume again. Oh, the lad’s going to look bonnie.’ She waggled her eyebrows.

‘I need Alex to start helping with the scenery,’ Henry grumbled.

‘That’ll have to wait,’ Mae snapped. ‘Although I’m impressed with the progress he’s been making. Seems to me, he’s a natural at the part.’ Her gaze shot back to Ella, her eyes twinkling.

Then her godmother turned and made her way down the steps before signalling that they should follow. Ella let out a long breath before she went, wondering exactly what had just happened and how long it might be before they could do it again…