Can a weird frienship become a good relationship? need your advice

In a few weeks time I'll be starting a graduate placement in France away from all my friends and family for a year. I finished Univeristy back in October last year, in my last year I was living with a girl who became best friends with, she has loads of men after her that she would have sex with, she tried on with me when I first moved and I explained that I never have sex with women I live with because it gets extremely awkward.

So we basically came the best of friends, I had my room at the end of our little corridor so she often come in my room, lay in bed next to me watching films and playing games together, she often came to me for advice and to talk to, I don't think she was use to a man that wasn't trying get into her pants. I was only doing things out of friendship, nice for me to have a female friend like that I can rely on

For my graduation she wanted to come with me to pick out a suit and came to see me grauate, there was a suit I really wanted but wasn't able to afford so she ended up paying the rest for me, I was blown back by.

Since I've finished univeristy I went back to my hometown because no other choice, I fell out with a friend that we both hanged out with that was a bit awkward so wanted to leave the town. I haven't really spoke to her during this time because of other things. One day I get a message from her asking what I was up to, I told her I'm trying to get a graduate placement through my university, she was very interested and asked if I could get her one. I managed to get her one in Italy from January to April, mine starts before she gets back so wouldn't be able to see her until Next January.

I suggested she's welcome to come visit me, said she would love come over in the summer and see me. Its really got me thinking abou her more now, we have a fantastic friendship so open. She is a extremely attractive girl, because I see less of her now she becomes more appealing to me, before when I looked at her I didn't get anything but now find myself being attracted to her.

I am tempted to ask her out even though when we're both back in the UK be bit of distance between cities London and Birmingham so I don't know how I could see her regularally. I don't even know if she feels the same, she might just sees me as a really good male friend. How do I tell her I starting developing feelings towards her without ruining a perfect male-female friendship? I want do it in person when she comes visit me in France without making feel awkward for her.