Harrison wasn't sure what was happening to him. Was he having a heart attack? Or just palpitations? From the moment he had seen Juliet's hair, he had felt the craziest urge to slide his hands into either side, and gently pull her towards him, kissing her glistening, dark cherry lips. And when she had turned her back to him he wanted to get caught in that fabric spiderweb. To say he was knocked for six when she turned around again to face him was an understatement. Had the world spun off its axis? For a moment he was sure it had. She had smiled at him and spoken those words – and the entire universe tilted into an uncontrollable spin. How could one woman make him feel like that?

What was even more distressing, was that he definitely hadn't had the slightest effect on her composure. She was cool, seductive and mind-blowingly sexy, and it didn't even look as if she was trying. And when she tossed him that tiny breadcrumb of a smile as she walked away on that bloody man's arm, he wanted to run after her, get down on his knee, and beg her to marry him right then and there.

But of course, all that would have achieved would have been to make him look like an even bigger fool than he was. She would obviously have said no. She may have even laughed.

He looked down at her coat and snood, shook his head and walked towards the closet, where he hung them up with the others. He was about to go and get a drink, because, boy, did he need one, when the doorbell rang. The only guests he had planned to meet at the door was of course Juliet and her family, so he quickly caught the eye of one of the staff he had employed for the evening, and asked him to 'do the honours'. Then he quickly dashed into the sitting room and grabbed two glasses of champagne.

'Is one of those for me?' Kiki asked, as she sidled up to him.

He shook his head. 'Nope. Sorry Kiki. I need them both.' But he nodded to one of the waiters and the man brought over a tray containing several more.

Harrison emptied one glass and grabbed another as Kiki helped herself.

'Thank you for letting me stay,' she said. 'I can't believe there weren't any flights at all.'

He shrugged. 'Well, it is Christmas. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, Kiki. But I need to ask you something.'

'Yes?' She turned to face him and smiled.

'Did you, by any chance, go to Juliet's room when she was here?'

Kiki shrugged. 'Yes. Just to say hello. I told you I had.'

'Did you?' He frowned. 'I don't remember that. Did you also tell her that you and I were in some sort of relationship?'

'I told her I had been your assistant for several years, and that you and my brother are friends.'

'And that was it?'

She shrugged again. 'I believe so. Why? Has she said anything different?'

'Yes. But I thought she was imagining it. And I can't remember exactly what she said.'

'Well, it's hardly important, is it? This looks like it could be a fun evening.'

He nodded. 'I hope so. Even Grandfather's smiling. And he seems to be standing without using his cane.'

'I noticed that.' She gave Harrison an odd look. 'He's nothing like I expected. I thought he would be some sort of ogre. He's really rather nice.'

'I told you not to believe anything he said.'

'I know you did. Don't worry, Harrison. I'm a big girl. I can look after myself.'

Harrison smiled. 'I don't doubt that for a second. Excuse me. I think I should be mingling. Have fun.'

'Oh, I intend to.'

Harrison gave her a quick look as he walked away. That almost sounded as though she had something planned. But he wasn't interested in that. He had been scanning the room for Juliet from the moment he entered, and finally he had caught a glimpse of her. She was walking out into the hall. He grabbed another two glasses of champagne from a tray as he passed, leaving his empty glasses in their place, and followed Juliet.

She was walking towards the French windows, leading out onto the terrace at the back of the house. Surely she wasn't thinking of going outside without a coat? It was freezing out there. He needn't have worried. She stopped in front of one set of windows and peered through the glass, as a stream of moonlight bathed her from head to toe.

'It's a beautiful night,' he said, as he drew close.

She spun around, a startled look on her face, her hand on her chest.

'Sorry,' he added. 'I didn't mean to startle you. I seem to be doing that a lot.'

She looked like a frightened doe. Her gaze darted from side to side as if searching for an escape. Was she scared of him?

'Are you okay, Juliet? There's really no need to be frightened. I wouldn't dream of harming a hair of your head.' He stopped in his tracks to prove his point.

She let out a sigh, and shook her head, her tendrils of hair gleaming silver in the moonlight.

'I know you wouldn't. I'm not frightened of you. I ...' She shrugged her shoulders and gave an odd little smile. 'I was embarrassed for being caught.'

'Caught?'

'I was looking at the lake. You can just see a glimpse of it from here. I can still remember how beautiful it looks on a night like this, with the moon trailing across it. It'll be glittering as if it were a pool of diamonds under the snow and ice. I wanted to see it. I'm sorry.'

Harrison let out a breath. 'You don't need to be sorry. And you certainly don't need to be embarrassed. You're welcome to go anywhere you want in this house. To look at anything you want.'

'I don't think your grandad would agree.'

'It's got nothing to do with him.'

She shook her head slowly, but didn't respond.

'If you want to look at the lake,' he added. 'I can get our coats and we can go for a walk.'

She lifted her foot a fraction. 'In these heels?'

'Good point.' A smile crept onto his lips. 'There is another option.'

'Oh?'

'The Lake room has the perfect view.'

She nodded. 'I know. But I thought it was a bit cheeky to wander into one of the bedrooms.'

His smile broadened. His heart picked up a beat or two. 'I'm sure no one will mind. I can go with you. That way you'll have permission.'

She hesitated. Her brows furrowed the merest fraction and she gave him a questioning look.

'Could we? I really would love to see it.'

'Absolutely. So would I. Come on.'

He nodded his head in the direction of the stairs and she hurried to his side. He handed her one of the glasses and she took it with a smile.

'Thank you for this.'

'The champagne?'

She tutted. 'You know that wasn't what I meant.'

He smiled. 'You're very welcome. So, you think the house looks magical?'

He could see the colour flood into her cheeks and her eyelashes flickered for a moment.

'It does.'

'I'm glad you think so. I did it for you.'

She stopped on the stair. 'For me?'

'Because you said the house looked miserable.'

'Oh. Yes. Sorry about that.'

'Don't be sorry. You were right. It did.'

She sipped her champagne and resumed her pace.

'I can't believe you managed to do it all in such a short amount of time. It used to take us weeks.'

'I was lucky. I was able to find the right people at the right time.'

'Yes. I suppose it's true. Money can buy anything. Well almost anything.'

Now it was Harrison who stopped. 'Oh? Is that what you think?'

She looked perplexed. 'Yes. No. I don't know. It was something Luke said tonight. And he was quoting someone else. I do believe money can buy a lot, but it can't buy everything. It can't buy happiness. And it can't buy love.'

'It definitely can't buy love. And you're right. It can't buy happiness either.'

They continued up the stairs in silence for a moment.

Juliet smiled across at him. 'I think we said the other night that we're actually happier in the cottage. But I hadn't realised that until the other day when I came home. I missed this house so much. But mainly, I missed the lake. That sounds silly I know. But it's true.'

'I meant it when I said that you're welcome here. That wasn't just a line.'

'Thank you. That means a lot.'

They walked along the hall towards the room and with his free hand, he opened the door and let her pass, leaving it open behind him.

She looked around the room and gasped.

'Someone's occupying this room.'

He nodded. 'It's mine.'

Now she did look frightened. 'Is this some sort of trick? Do you think this is funny? What were you planning to do?' Her eyes shot to the bed. 'You can't seriously have thought ...' Her voice trailed off.

'I hadn't planned anything, Juliet. And no, I didn't think that you would jump into bed with me. I may be an idiot, but I'm not completely mad. I wanted you to see the moon on the lake, and let's be honest, if I had told you this was my room, there was no way you would have come here with me, is there?'

She lowered her eyes and fiddled with her champagne glass. She swallowed deeply and her voice was just above a whisper when she spoke.

'I think we should leave.'

'You haven't looked at the lake.'

She shook her head and took a step towards the door.

'Wait, Juliet,' he pleaded. 'I'll leave. You stay and look at the lake.' He nodded towards the door. 'The key's in the lock. I have no idea why but it is. You can lock the door behind me if you like. I'll see you downstairs later.'

He turned to walk away but as he reached the door she spoke.

'You don't have to go. I'm sorry. I'm behaving like a fool. I know you wouldn't do anything I didn't want you to. I trust you.' She looked surprised as she said that.

'Do you?'

She nodded. 'Yes, Harrison. I do.'

He breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards one of the two windows in the room. 'That's good to know.' He smiled at her and pointed to the other window. 'But just in case you've got any ideas of your own, you look out of that window and I'll look out of this one.'

Her laughter made his heart sing.

'You're safe with me. I promise I'll keep my hands to myself.'

'That's a pity.'

She met his eyes and then quickly looked away, gasping as she looked through the glass, towards the lake.

Harrison did the same and the sight almost took his breath away. He hadn't really looked at the view since he'd been here, but it was stunning. Almost as mesmerising as Juliet. The moon hung low over the trees and cast a higgledy-piggledy silver path through the wood, but when it reached the lake, it fanned out across the entire length, the ice and snow glistening white and silver. Even the bench – their bench – was a gleaming, silver invitation.

He looked at Juliet and watched her face. Her mouth was open just a fraction; her eyes were wide and sparkling in the reflection. Her complexion had an ethereal glow.

He hadn't meant to, but he slowly walked towards her and as he reached her side, she turned her head and met his eyes. He put his glass on the windowsill, slowly raised his hand and slid his fingers into her hair while his other hand circled her waist and then he lowered his face to hers and gently kissed her lips.

She softly moaned his name as he deepened the kiss and pulling her tighter to him, his heart soared as her arms encircled him.

And then, before he knew what was happening, she pushed herself away from him, her hands against his torso, and a look of both disgust and self-loathing on her face.

'This is wrong,' she croaked.

'How can it be wrong, Juliet? I love you.'

She looked astonished. Her mouth fell open and she blinked several times.

'And Kiki? What about her?'

'What's Kiki got to do with anything?'

'Harrison! She's your girlfriend.'

'No she's not. Who told you that? I don't have a girlfriend. Is this just because you're feeling guilty? Because you feel that you may be cheating on Dan?'

'What? How could I be cheating on Dan?'

'You're dating him, aren't you?'

A strange laugh escaped her. 'No. I'm not dating Dan. We're just good friends.'

'Friends with benefits, you mean? Friends who sleep together?'

'Absolutely not. Harrison, you're clearly not aware of this, and I suppose there's no reason why you should be, but Dan is gay. He always has been. Ever since we were young. Although he didn't really understand it at the time. But please don't repeat that to anyone. He's only just told his family and I think he should be the one to tell anyone else.'

Had he heard her correctly? Had she said Dan was gay?

'So you and he really are just good friends? Are you dating anyone?'

She shook her head. 'No. No one.'

He stared at her for a moment or two before he broke into a massive smile. 'Then, unless I'm missing something, if you're not dating anyone, and I'm not dating anyone, why is this so wrong?'

She frowned and looked thoughtful. 'You're definitely not dating anyone?'

'I'm definitely not. But I'd like to. I'd like to very much. Will you go on a date with me, please?'

She shook her head but she was laughing. 'I ... I don't what to say. I haven't seen you for twenty years and suddenly you appear and turn my world upside down. I thought I hated you. And then you go and save my life. How am I supposed to feel after that?'

'I apologise. If I'd known saving you would cause you any distress, naturally, I would have let you drown.' He laughed and reached out his hand. 'Please, Juliet. Give me a chance. Give us a chance.'

'Is this really what you want? Do you really want me? I thought ... I thought it was all about the house.'

'When?'

'Twenty years ago.'

'It wasn't then. It isn't now. I didn't know grandfather was buying the house. Believe me, if I had, I would have tried to stop him.'

'That would've been even worse. We really needed the money. I only found out the other day, but your grandad actually did us a favour. He had been after the place for a while and on that day, he increased his offer. I was a spoilt sixteen-year-old, who had no idea how the real world worked. To be honest, I'm not sure I've got much of a clue now. But I resented you and blamed you, and myself, for something neither of us did.'

'Are you telling me you were wrong?'

She nodded. 'Completely and utterly. And I am so, so sorry for the dreadful things I said to you that day. The thing was, you made me believe unicorns were real, that Prince Charming existed in the form of you, that my life could be a real-life fairy tale, and then I went home and was told that your grandad had bought our house and we were going to have to move out in a matter of weeks.'

'So you ran to the bus stop and told me exactly what you thought of me.'

'Yes. But I was wrong. You weren't any of the awful things I called you. Part of me hoped you would try to explain. But you only stayed a few weeks, kept yourself to yourself, and then walked out of my life forever.'

'Not forever, Juliet. I'm here now. And I would've been here twenty years ago, but grandfather gave me an ultimatum, and it was one I couldn't ignore. I had to choose between you and Luke's future. And although I've regretted it for most of my life, I chose my brother. I won't go into details now. But one day, I will tell you. As for the things you said, I must admit, some of them cut me to the quick. I've carried those words with me for the last twenty years. I wasn't sure that I could ever forgive you. But when you fell through the ice the other day, I knew I could forgive you anything. And I do. Without reservation.'

She smiled and bit her lower lip. 'So where do we go from here?'

He smiled back and slowly walked towards her. 'That depends on you.'

'On me?'

He nodded. 'I'm waiting for an answer to my question.'

'Your question?'

He nodded again. 'Will you go on a date with me?'

'O-h,' she said, dragging the word out, and smiling seductively. 'Let me think.'

He took her hand in his and gently pulled her to him. 'Time's up. Yes or no?'

She looked up into his eyes and smiled lovingly. 'Well, you did save my life, so I suppose I had better say yes.'

'Yes?' He raised his brows.

She nodded. 'Yes, Harrison. One hundred per cent, yes.'

This time when he kissed her, she didn't push him away. In fact, she took his hand in hers, and, still kissing him, she led him towards his king-sized bed.