Mills & Boon Christmas Delights Collection. Rebecca Winters

and your accusations, what do I need to do to make it less…“blah”?’

      I shrugged. ‘It’s your room. You know what you like. You’re an architect and you said you’ve been doing up houses with your family since you can remember. You must have an idea by now.’

      ‘I’m a design guy – structural stuff. Colours and twiddly bits like cushions were always dealt with by the girls.’

      ‘How very modern and enlightened of you.’ I cocked an eyebrow at him.

      He held his palms out. ‘Hey, I didn’t make the rules! Although it may have had something to do with me and my brothers thinking navy blue was a great idea for one of the bedrooms in a place once.’

      ‘Navy can be nice.’

      ‘True. But probably not for all the walls and ceiling.’

      ‘Ah yes. Well, now I can see why the decision-making privileges on that aspect might have been withdrawn.’ I slid him a look. ‘You’re not thinking of doing that in there, are you?’ I nodded up the stairs and he laughed.

      ‘No. I hasten to point out that we were teenagers at the time. I’d like to think my taste has improved a bit since then. Although I’m still a bit lost when it comes to twiddly bits.’

      ‘I can give you a list, if you like?’

      ‘Can it be an incredibly detailed one?’ His tone was hopeful.

      I sighed. Michael looked at his watch.

      ‘It’s nearly lunchtime, how about I take you to lunch and maybe you can just kind of give me a few pointers whilst we’re out?’

      I frowned and looked at my own watch. ‘Michael. It’s half past ten.’

      ‘Even better,’ he said, resting his hands on my upper arms. ‘How do you feel about breakfast?’

      ‘I’m not sure I have any specific feelings about it.’ I couldn’t help smiling.

      ‘Great. I know just the place. Come on.’ He turned to go, taking my hand as he did so.

      ‘Michael you don’t have to buy me breakfast or lunch to get me to help you with this. I’m happy to do it.’

      He took a couple of steps down the stairs, then looked back at me. ‘And I’m happy to take you to breakfast.’ He came back up a step, causing me to tilt my head to look at him. ‘Hopefully it’ll go some way to making you forget what a pain in the arse I was when you first started here.’

      ‘I’m not sure I’ll ever forget that. But,’ I moved my head to keep his gaze as he began to look away, ‘it doesn’t mean I haven’t forgiven you for it. You don’t need to buy forgiveness from me.’

      ‘I’d still like to take you to breakfast.’

      ‘You mean you still want help with the shopping.’

      ‘If I can only have one, it’s still breakfast.’

      ‘Because that one features food?’

      Michael laughed. ‘Give me a break woman. You’re ruining all my romantic gestures here!’

      Both of us stopped. I felt my jaw gaping and snapped it shut.

      ‘I mean…that didn’t exactly come out like I meant it to.’

      ‘No.’ I swallowed, feeling a stab of disappointment I couldn’t explain, and tried to smile. ‘I don’t imagine it did.’

      ‘Just as well, eh? You looked pretty horrified!’

       I did?

      ‘I really didn’t mean to.’

       Surprised? Yes. Horrified? Hello? Have you looked in a mirror lately?

      Michael gave my fingers a gentle squeeze before letting go of my hand. ‘It’s OK. I could never accuse you of not being honest with me. I’m just going to pop the dog next door to my neighbours in case we’re out longer than expected. I’ll be back in two minutes.’ He hesitated. ‘Assuming you’re still up for it?’

      ‘Of course.’

      ‘Good.’ He smiled, but his enthusiasm was more tempered than it had been earlier. He jogged down the stairs, the dog at his heels and grabbed Pilot’s ‘go bag’. This made it easier for him to take the dog round to Janey’s or next door or wherever quickly and only required him having to collect a couple of things.

      ‘Find your Ted, boy.’

      Pilot skidded on the wood for a second as he looked around for his teddy. Catching sight of it halfway down the stairs, he thundered up, clamped his jaws around it and then charged back down to Michael, his tail wagging at the prospect of whatever exciting thing was happening next. Michael grabbed his keys, ushered the dog out of the door and pulled it closed behind him. In the silence of the house, I sat down heavily on the stair and tried to untangle my thoughts.

      I was well aware that my attitude to this job was different now. As Bernice had noticed, I was far less hesitant now. In fact, it was probably fair to say I eagerly anticipated my visits.

      I’d been happily telling myself that it was because, as we got further through the progress, the house was being freed from all the clutter and could be seen properly: The high ceilings, large windows, beautiful cornicing were all there for me to see and fall in love with. But, what if the house wasn’t the only thing I’d fallen for…I stood up so suddenly I had to grab the banister as the force of the action gave me a head rush.

       No! That was absolutely ridiculous.

      There was no way I could have possibly…Except I’d got the same feeling when I’d woken at Janey’s and seen Michael sitting there. Which was in a different house entirely. Which meant…what? I plopped down onto the stair again, my mind spinning. The key turned and Michael came through the front door, minus Pilot. He glanced up, stopping when he saw me sat there. In a few strides, he was up the stairs and crouched in front of me.

      ‘Are you all right? I knew you were doing too much so soon after that bug knocking you out.’ He put a hand on my forehead.

      I pulled his hand down. ‘I’m fine. And can you not sit like that. It’s making me nervous. I’ve got visions of you bumping backwards down the stairs!’

      He swung his body round and parked himself next to me on the stair.

      ‘So, what’s up?’

      ‘Nothing. I was just thinking.’

      ‘About what?’

      I glanced round, met his eyes for a moment and then turned back. ‘About…what you’ll need, you know, for finishing off the rooms and stuff.’

      He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. ‘You finished thinking about that now then?’

      ‘Yes,’ I said, looking back at him. ‘I’ve got everything straight in my head now.’

      He didn’t reply for a moment, just watched me, his eyes seeming to search mine for something.

      ‘That’s good then,’ he said, eventually, giving a brief smile. ‘Better go hit those shops then, eh?’

      ‘Is breakfast still on?’

      ‘Breakfast is always on.’

      We didn’t talk much on the walk to the Tube. Partly because there was still some remnant of weird atmosphere lingering since the whole ‘romantic gesture/not a romantic gesture/horrified look’ thing this morning. I also got the feeling that Michael knew I hadn’t been thinking solely about the house when he’d found me on the stairs. The other thing that prevented us from talking was that we were both wrapped up like little Eskimos – well, one of us a lot more little than the other – with scarves tucked up under our noses as the wind blew glasslike shards of hail at any bit of