I turn away and head outside, waiting for the others to follow.
Matt returns within a minute or two, complete with gloves, and en masse we head to the edge of the village in the direction of the Frozen Restaurant. It’s only a five-minute walk, and it’s a beautiful one. The lamps cast circles of golden light on the snow. Rabbits hop at the fringes of the forest, and birds perch on the lampposts as we pass. It’s like a mixture of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Jules walks with Clio and Poppy, and I hear them talking about the purchases they made that day. My Secret Santa present for Jules is currently in my case. I half regret getting it for her now, although I know she’ll love it, and it’ll look amazing on her. It cost a lot more than the thirty-five bucks we were supposed to spend. Well, we’re not supposed to say who bought what, so she probably won’t find out, anyway.
“You okay?” Hal appears beside me and smiles, but his eyes show concern. “You’re very quiet.”
“Jet lag,” I reply.
“Yeah, tell me about it. I feel kinda spaced out,” he admits. “It might be because I’m hungry, though.”
I laugh. “You’re always hungry.”
“I can’t deny that.” Like me, Hal’s tall and big, and he eats like a horse. When we lived in the same house while we were at veterinary college, you could have built the Great Wall of China from all the leftover takeout buckets and containers.
There’s no more time for talking, because we’ve reached the restaurant, and we all stop outside it and stare. I don’t know what I expected. I suppose some kind of fake igloo, with waiters dressed as snowmen serving ice cream. It’s not like that at all. The whole restaurant is made from cut blocks of ice. It’s a work of art. As we go inside, our jaws drop as we pass ice sculptures of huge mythical creatures, and snow carvings of real Finnish animals. We’re taken first to the Ice-o-bar, and here the tables and the benches are made from ice, although the benches have reindeer-fur cushions on them. The ice bar runs the length of the room and is lit with blue and green lights, and behind it is a magnificent sculpture of some kind of water god, rising out of the waves.
“Jesus.” Jules is standing beside me and looks as awestruck as I feel. “Can you believe this place?”
A waiter approaches with small ice glasses filled with Finlandia vodka, and we take them and laugh as we knock them back.
“Wow!” She coughs, and my eyes water. “That’s strong stuff.”
We’re offered cocktails in more ice-cube glasses, and canapés on plates, while the manager gives us a talk on the building of the Frozen Restaurant. Apparently, it melts once the temperatures rise, and it has to be rebuilt every year. Huge two-ton blocks of ice are hauled up from the nearby river, and a mixture of snow and ice water is sprayed onto molds to create the amazing shapes of the structure. Artists from all over the world are then invited to carve their creations into the walls.
We move through to the restaurant, which is even more beautiful, with intricate engravings and strategically placed colored lighting. We’re in a special room for large parties with two long ice tables and amazing ice chairs covered in reindeer-fur throws and cushions.
As usual, I hang back while the others take their seats, and, as seems to be the norm now, Jules waits with me.
“This is getting to be a habit,” she says.
“Looks that way.” I gesture toward the remaining two seats at the end of one of the tables. “Shall we?”
We sit carefully on the chairs, but they turn out to be solid as, and the reindeer fur is warm and comfortable.
I watch Noah take Ethan from Abby and perch the boy on his knee as she checks out the menu. Noah kisses Ethan’s head, then his lips curve up as he watches Abby laughing at something Albie’s said. It strikes me then what an amazing place it must be to get married. It truly is a magical wonderland, and I can totally see why he wanted to bring her here and make her feel like a princess.
My gaze comes back to Jules to find her watching me. She meets my eyes and smiles, then looks down at the menu. The reindeer nose on her beanie flashes at me, and I give a short laugh. It’s a shame she’s single. Like Abby, Jules deserves to have someone special, who’ll take her to the ends of the Earth and do anything to make her feel the most important person to him in the world.
I look down at my menu. It’s just a shame that man will never be me.
Chapter Eleven
Jules
Dinner is a meal the likes of which I’ve never experienced before and probably never will again.
First of all, it’s freezing in the restaurant. Well, technically it’s below freezing. And of course you have to take your gloves off to be able to hold your knife and fork, so by the end of the meal my hands are like ice. But for some reason it only adds to the atmosphere.
Everyone’s in a great mood, and the food is amazing. We choose from traditional Finnish meatballs with mashed potatoes, baked macaroni, an amazing meat pie with dough that’s similar to doughnut dough, filled with minced meat and rice and then deep fried, creamy salmon pasta, and what feels like a hundred other dishes, and everyone swaps so we get to try everything. Afterward, there are cinnamon rolls, cheese bread with cloudberry jam, and more blueberry pie that’s just so fantastic I end up eating half of Clio’s because she’s full up.
I’d feel guilty about eating so much, but luckily Stefan eats like a horse, so I don’t have to worry.
We drink more vodka and more cocktails, and the colored lights begin to blur a little, and suddenly it doesn’t seem so cold. My face is warm, and my blood is running hot, too.
“This was such a great idea of yours,” I tell Noah toward the end, when we’re all polishing off our desserts. “Coming to Finland, I mean.”
“I think so,” he says. His hair is ruffled, and his cheeks are pink. Abby told me earlier that he’s coping extremely well. She admitted that, like me, he was very nervous about taking off on the plane, but having Ethan to focus on kept him occupied. Here, he’s happier in his suite or in the common room than down in the village where it’s busy, and he had to leave the shops at one point and return to their suite, but Abby was relaxed about it, and said it was much better than she’d expected, so she’s happy. I’m so pleased for them both, and I lean across the table and press my lips to his cheek. He just laughs.
“I wasn’t convinced before,” Stefan says. “I am now. This has been amazing.”
“And it’s not over yet,” Noah replies, beaming.
“Just two days of freedom,” I tease. “Are you excited about Christmas Eve?”
“Terrified,” he says. “I’ll have a ball and chain. I won’t be able to sow my wild oats anymore.”
Abby snorts as we all laugh, but the look she exchanges with him is affectionate. I wonder if the two of them will have a child together? Noah loves Ethan with all his heart, but it must be different to have your own child with the woman you love, surely? Or maybe it isn’t. Noah himself is adopted, after all, like Ryan, both of whom love their adoptive fathers.
Hal clears his throat and taps a spoon on a glass as he rises to his feet. We all stop talking and look over at him, surprised. “I have an announcement to make,” he says, as the noise level drops and everyone looks at him expectantly. “It’s actually a joint announcement. I hope you'll join us in celebrating the fact that both Izzy and Poppy are three months pregnant, and due around July next year.”
We all stare at him, and then chaos breaks out as everyone cheers and stands to gather around and congratulate the two happy couples.
“Oh my God.” Tears pour down my face as I hug my brother. “I can’t believe it. That’s amazing news.”
“Thank you.” He tightens his arms around me. “It’s a relief she’s twelve weeks at last. I horrified myself by reading about miscarriage rates.”
“Oh, Hal, I’m sure everything’s going to go fine.”
“Yeah, me too.” He kisses my forehead, then lets me go so Stef
an can give him a bear hug. I watch the two of them, full of emotion. They’ve been friends for so long. It must be strange for Stefan to have his best friend married and about to have a child, when he’s still single. He must be thirty soon. Why does that feel like such a big milestone? You’re only one day older, and yet there’s this consensus that once you pass the big three-oh, you’re somehow a Real Adult, and should start behaving like one.
The guys part, and Hal continues on to the next person. I turn to Izzy and congratulate her. “How are you feeling?”
“Sick as a dog,” she says, and laughs. “But super happy.”
“I’m so glad for you.” I kiss her cheek, and she moves on to Stefan.
I give Poppy a big hug. “So… three months pregnant?” I tease. “And only married for two? You’ll be the talk of the town.”
She laughs and hugs me back. “It’s a long story.”
“And a wonderful one, I’m sure. You look so happy, Poppy. I’m so pleased for you.”
It’s true; she’s had a tough time of it, and yet now she’s glowing. Over her shoulder I watch Fitz shake hands with Charlie, Poppy’s dad, and I feel another surge of emotion. Goodness, I’m going to be exhausted at the end of the evening. It must be the vodka.
When everyone’s finally hugged and kissed, we take our seats and round off the evening with a final toast before we thank the staff and head out of the restaurant.
Outside, we stop to look down at the village that lies spread out before us. Our breath frosts before our faces in clouds of white. It’s bitterly cold, and snow is falling thickly across the landscape. The branches of the Christmas trees hang heavy with it, and the lamps turn it to gold glitter. Clio throws a snowball at Ryan and it goes down his neck, so he catches her and kisses her. She squeals, and everyone laughs.
“Wow,” Stefan says from beside me. “Beautiful.”
“Isn’t it?” I look up at him and blink as I discover him looking at me, not the view. It’s so unexpected, it takes my breath away, and I can only stare at him, my lips parted, speechless.
The spell’s broken as everyone begins the walk back to the Escape, and I turn and walk, smiling and nodding at Clio as she chats away, even though my head is spinning. Stefan is quiet beside me, his hands in the pockets of his jacket, looking across at the dark line of trees. I follow his gaze; it’s like something out of an old folk tale, Hansel and Gretel or Snow White, or like Fangorn Forest from The Lord of the Rings, full of Ents and talking trees. I’m sure the Cheshire Cat’s in there somewhere, too. Probably wearing a balaclava.
“I saw a fox on the edge of the forest yesterday,” Stefan informs me. “Bold as anything, little rascal. Made me think of Fred. He’d have been running off after it, determined to play.”
I smile. “Have you heard from Rawiri?”
“Yeah, he emailed to say all’s well, apart from the fact that he stole Jane’s chocolate cake off her plate when she wasn’t looking. Fred, that is, not Rawiri.”
I giggle. “He’s such a monkey. He’s not at all like the dog I would’ve thought you’d have.”
He raises an eyebrow at me. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re so… serious and in control. Organized and efficient. Having a dog that’s the equivalent of a naughty toddler just doesn’t add up.”
“Maybe I need him so I don’t get too much up my own arse,” he says.
That makes me laugh. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yeah, you did, and you’d be right. Ryan had a word with me about Clio, and how I lay it on too thickly with her sometimes. And he’s right. I need to give her a bit more freedom. Not everyone has to be regimental in the way they work to be a success. And I know I’m in charge of the veterinary center, but that doesn’t give me the right to order everyone around.”
It’s unusually perceptive and soul-searching for Stefan, and I give him a surprised look as we go through the entrance to the Escape. Everyone’s tired and the general consensus is to go to our own suites and meet up the next morning, so people start peeling off, waving goodbye, and heading home.
“That’s not like you,” I tell Stefan as we walk slowly along the snow-covered path. In front of us, Hal has his arm around Izzy, and she leans her head on his shoulder. My throat tightens at the thought that she’s pregnant with his baby. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure if he’d be able to settle down with her. I know he loves her, but, like a tom cat, I thought he’d been wild too long to be tamed. But he’s shown no signs of straying, and the two of them still seem very much in love.
“Ah, I’ve been ruminating,” Stefan says, kicking at the snow with his boots. “Being awake in the early hours gives you the tendency to do that.”
Hal and Izzy turn as we reach their suite, and we have a final hug before they go inside.
Stefan and I continue on to my front door. We pause out the front and stand there in the falling snow. It’s so quiet. The arrangement of the buildings blocks the sounds from the village below. Far off in the distance I can just hear the sound of the carol singers who are probably making their way around the park—they’re singing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”.
Stefan looks across at the forest again. He seems fascinated by the dark shapes of the trees and the lanterns that cast occasional pools of light onto the snow.
“Stef?” I ask him. “Are you okay?”
He brings his gaze back to me. Usually, his eyes are a bright blue. I used to think he wore lenses, but Hal assured me they really are that color. Tonight, though, in the semi-darkness, they’re a dark blue, like the sky here in the Arctic Circle, almost black, glittering silver.
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he says.
I hold my breath. Holy shit.
“I don’t know why,” he says. His gaze caresses my face. “Well, I do know why. You’re fucking beautiful, that’s why.”
My jaw drops. “Oh. Um…”
“You’re not my type,” he continues bluntly. “Your hair is dark. You’re not tall. You like sports and the outdoors. You’re infuriatingly outspoken at times. You don’t suffer fools gladly, and you have no trouble putting someone in their place. You have no conception of subtlety or sophistication.”
I stare at him. He’s thrown so many insults into such a short space of time that I’m completely taken aback. What the fuck?
“And yet I can’t stop thinking about you.” His voice has turned husky. He moves closer to me, so we’re only six inches apart, and looks down into my eyes. “About what you look like naked,” he murmurs. “About how soft your skin would feel under my fingers. About what you look like when you come.”
“Holy shit, Stefan…”
He tugs off his gloves and tosses them to the ground, then takes my face in his hands. They’re warm on my cold skin, and they send my temperature soaring.
Without another word, he lowers his lips to mine.
I’m so confused that I just stand there and let him kiss me. On the surface of it, it’s probably the most romantic kiss I’ve ever had. I can smell the pine forest and the cool, crisp scent of the winter night. I’m conscious of the snow falling heavily around us, and the flakes landing on our hats, our faces, our eyelashes. But Stefan’s mouth is warm, and he tastes of whisky, and his hands are searing my skin. My heart’s banging on my ribs, and inside me there are streamers and party poppers and fireworks going off, but outside it’s quiet and still, as if time has slowed and all there is in the world is Stefan and his firm lips moving across mine.
From the forest, something yaps and then howls, maybe Stefan’s fox, hunting for rabbits, or for a mate.
Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy…
It feels like hours but it must only be seconds, but he’s not stopping, and now he tips his head to the side and touches his tongue to my lips. My lips part, and he slides his tongue into my mouth and pushes me up against the wall of the suite. Heat shoots through me at the feel of him pressed against me, even though we’re wearing
too many clothes to actually feel each other. But he’s threading his hands into my hair, and kissing me as if there’s no tomorrow, and oh my God I think my brain’s going to explode, I think the whole of me is going to explode, and there’ll only be a wisp of smoke left, curling up into the wintry night.
It’s hot as, and sexy, and my traitorous body wants him more than life itself. But my head spins—do I want this? I do, of course I do, and yet the things he said to me just now spin like the snowflakes dancing in the breeze. He basically said he’s attracted to me in spite of himself whilst implying he wishes he wasn’t.
You’re not my type… You have no conception of subtlety or sophistication. Indignation washes over me. Fucking cheek. Who the fuck does he think he is?
Gathering all my strength, I push on his chest. He lifts his head.
“No,” I tell him, fury building inside me. “Not like this.”
He steps back as if I’ve thrown a bucket of water over him. We stare at each other for a long moment, both breathing heavily.
“You can’t insult me with one breath and then expect me to swoon at your feet.” I’m close to tears because I’m so angry. “How dare you?”
He swallows. “Jules…”
“I’m attracted to you,” I tell him, as evenly as I can. “I always have been, and I always will be. I know I came on to you not that long ago, and I know I’ve been giving out signals since we’ve been here that I’m still interested. I’m not blameless. I did want this. But right now, I don’t like you very much.”
He looks distraught. “Please…”
I turn and unlock my suite with shaking hands. “Go to bed, Stef. I’ll talk to you in the morning. I’m too upset for a conversation now.”
I go inside and let the door close behind me.
I wait for a moment, half hoping he’ll knock on the door, half dreading it. A whole minute passes, his dark shape remaining motionless through the frosted glass. Then he turns and walks away, not to his suite, but in the other direction, back toward the village.
My Christmas Billionaire (The Billionaire Kings Book 7) Page 8