Holly grinned back. ‘I guess we could split the time between here and there. Summer here, winter there.’
‘Sounds like a good plan to me,’ he said, drawing her close. ‘I missed you so much. I never realised what a boring life I’ve been living until you came into it.’
Holly felt the sting of happy tears at the back of her eyes. ‘I was miserable from the moment I got on that plane. I’d planned that moment for years. I’d looked forward to it. Counted the days, the hours, even the minutes. But as soon as we took off I felt empty. As if I was leaving a part of myself behind.’
Julius blotted a tear that had escaped from her left eye. ‘Do you love me or have I been deluding myself?’
Holly held his hand against her cheek. ‘I love you. I’m not sure when I started. Maybe when you took me out on the balcony. You were so kind and patient. I didn’t stand a chance after that.’
He smiled a tender smile. ‘So will you marry me, my darling?’
Holly wanted to pinch herself to check she wasn’t dreaming. ‘No one’s ever proposed to me before.’
‘Lucky me to be the first.’
Holly put her arms around his waist and smiled as his mouth came down towards hers. ‘Lucky us.’