by Emma Lea
Ike let them off in front of her apartment and Georgie led Connor inside. She had only just closed the door when he pulled her into his arms and dusted his lips across hers in a sweet kiss. She sighed and let herself melt against his hard chest.
“Georgie,” he whispered against her lips, “I have missed you so much.”
She looked up at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes and she closed hers and burrowed into his shoulder, her arms squeezing his waist. They stood like that, just soaking each other in for a long moment before Georgie pulled away.
“Do you want something to eat or drink?”
He shook his head.
“I need to—”
“I missed you—”
They both spoke at the same time and stopped to grin at each other.
“You go first,” Georgie said and then shook her head, “No, let me go first.” He nodded and she took a deep breath. “I need to apologise,” she said, “Those things I said to you were unfair. I have a problem believing that anyone could ever love me, but Kendra showed me how stupid that belief is. I blame my parents and the way they brought me up, but that doesn't mean I have to continue to let it affect my life. I was scared and I reacted badly and I'm sorry because the truth is,” she paused to gather her courage, “I was falling in love with you and I didn't know how to do that. I didn't know how to be with you when you seemed so far out of my league.”
“Was? Are you saying you're not anymore?”
Her stomach flipped over and her skin buzzed with nerves. “I was falling in love with you,” she said quietly, “but I am now in love with you. Present tense.”
He closed the gap between her and crashed his lips down on hers. “I love you Georgie Danners,” he said between kisses, “And I am going to spend the rest of my life showing you exactly what it means to be loved.”
Georgie’s head was spinning with the speed by which Connor made things happen. Dawn had been released from hospital and had been given the all clear with instructions to take both her cholesterol and blood pressure medication and commit to regular checkups. Once Dawn had returned home, Connor practically swept her off her feet. He secured both Millie and Kendra’s help and before she even knew what was happening, she was on a plane sitting in first class with Connor and on her way to Switzerland. Connor’s movie was being filmed in Geneva on the shores of Lake Geneva, which was where the fictional country of Merveille was set.
“I still can't believe I'm here,” she said, turning to Connor. “I've never been out of the country before.”
“Lucky you had a passport or my whole grand gesture could have fallen flat.” He leaned over and kissed her and she sighed.
“I always liked the idea of travelling, but never had the guts to go on my own.”
“Now you don't have to worry about that,” he said with a smile, and then turned serious. “You do know that I am in this for the long haul, don't you? You are not just a fling or a distraction or someone to have fun with. I am in love with you Georgiana Danners, I need you to not just know that but understand it.”
Georgie felt tears burn the back of her eyes as she looked at the sincerity on Connor’s face.
“I do,” she said, “I know. I didn't before, I didn't understand, but I know now that you're not like my parents. And I also know because I love you and my heart beats with yours. I don't think that would happen otherwise.”
Georgie kissed him this time just to show him that she meant every word she said. She had never expected to fall in love and had wondered whether she was even capable of it, but loving Connor came as naturally to her as breathing.
For the first time in her life she felt secure; secure in the love of someone else. She had never felt that way with her parents, had never been loved simply for being who she was. Her parents had only ever showed affection when she had pleased them and when they were unhappy with her, they had withdrawn that affection. But the way Connor loved her was different. She had really only known him for a few weeks, but she already knew that it was different, that it was more.
“So,” Connor said after they were in the air and had settled in for the first leg of the journey. “After I have finished filming here in Geneva, I have a couple of weeks free before I start the new project. What do you want to do, where do you want to go?”
Georgie looked at him blankly. “What about the shop?”
He smiled. “Relax. I'm not going to kidnap you forever, just a couple of weeks. Kendra and Millie have offered to look after the shop and even Gran said she would help out. How long has it been since you had a holiday?”
“Not since I opened Bookish,” she said and then bit her lip. “Are you sure they don't mind?”
“Positive. In fact it was Millie's idea. So where do you want to go?”
“Paris,” she said, “I know it's cliché, but I've always wanted to go.”
“Then we’ll go.”
“Have you been before?”
“I have, but never with the person I'm in love with,” he squeezed her hand. “So it will be a totally new experience for me too.”
She liked that he was always touching her. He held her hand or put his hand on the small of her back. He always stood close as if to reassure himself that she was there. She'd never been a touchy feely person but with Connor, she was a convert.
“And where will you go after that?” she asked, “I mean, where is your new project?”
“Armidale,” he replied with a grin, “Which means I will be moving to Oxley Crossing. We intend to film in the Northern Tablelands and the studio is in Armidale for all the post production stuff.”
“And then?”
He shifted in his seat so he was facing her. “Georgie,” he said, cupping her cheek. “I'm moving to Oxley Crossing to be with you. Yes, I work all over the world, but I always have a home base. Up until now it was in Sydney, but now it will be with you. When I travel for work, you can come with me if you can spare the time. I don't want to interrupt your life or your business, but I figure we can find a compromise. I am committed to making this relationship work. And another thing,” he said, his eyes boring into hers, “I don't want any misunderstandings this time. We are going to go public with our relationship. I want the world to know that I fell for the girl in the bookshop with the quirky t-shirts and the cute smile.”
She blushed and he kissed her. “Okay,” she whispered, no longer worried about what the Internet might say about her. She trusted Connor, believed he loved her and was committed to him too. The rest of the female population could eat their hearts out. She’d won Prince Charming fair and square and she wasn't going to let him go.
Epilogue
Six months later
They were well into the filming the first film that he would direct and the daily rushes were more than he could have hoped for. He couldn't wait to see the finished product and there was a lot of hype surrounding it, which was both exciting and scary. It could be a major flop, but he was willing to take that chance.
Tonight was the premiere of ‘A Royal Engagement’ and he and Georgie were heading to Sydney to walk the red carpet for the release. Georgie was nervous, but Kendra and Millie were with her, keeping her calm and helping her get ready. He’d hired a private jet to fly them to the city where they’d go straight from the airport to the theatre. They would then spend the night in one of Sydney’s premiere hotels in the penthouse suite.
Connor pushed back from the desk where he had been watching the latest scenes from the day’s filming and stretched. He checked his watch and stood. The girls were probably frantic that he hadn't arrived yet, but he wasn't concerned. He took about five minutes to shower and dress and he had plenty of time.
Being with Georgie over the last few months had been everything and more than he'd expected. It hadn't all been smooth sailing, but what relationship was? Everyday they both made the choice to love one another and that made it easier. When they were both committed to making it work, then the issues that came up neve
r seemed insurmountable.
He drove home to the house he had bought only a couple of months ago. He had been living with Dawn when he first moved to Oxley Crossing, but when Singleton House had come onto the market, he knew he had to buy it. It was a beautiful old house that had been lovingly restored and had huge, landscaped gardens. Georgie had fallen in love with it when they went to look at it and that sealed the deal for him. If all went well tonight, she would be moving in with him in the not too distant future.
He walked through the door and the vision in front of him took his breath away. The girls were using his house to help Georgie get ready because there was a lot more room, and they would leave straight from there to the airport. He knew she would look beautiful whatever she wore, but the designer dress Kendra had found for her was stunning. It was a floor length ball gown (in keeping with the ‘royal’ theme of the movie) in a dark blue and studded with shimmering crystals. It looked like she had wrapped herself in the night sky. The sweetheart neckline showed off her creamy shoulders, and her blonde hair was twisted in an updo and pinned with crystals as well. He had no words.
“Wow,” he breathed.
“Hurry up and get dressed,” Millie ordered, “you can gawk later, we’re on a schedule here.”
He brushed a kiss on Georgie’s cheek before he ran up the stairs to his room. He showered, shaved, and dressed in a tuxedo smiling, when he saw that Kendra had gotten him a tie to match colour to Georgie’s dress.
News of his and Georgie’s relationship had initially broken the Internet for a few days, but it had settled down. He knew that tonight would stir it all up again, but he didn't care. He wanted the world to know they were still together and going strong.
Millie and Kendra took some photos of them before he ushered Georgie into the limousine he had hired. Two hours later, after landing in Sydney, they were sitting in another limousine and pulling up to the red carpet. Georgie gripped his hand and he brushed another kiss on her cheek before getting out.
He was momentarily blinded by the camera flashes, but he smiled and waved anyway. He let the reporters get their photos before turning and holding his hand out to Georgie. He helped her out of the car to another round of flashes as the paps went crazy for her. They stood together, arm in arm for a moment letting the media have their moment and then he escorted her down the carpet towards the entrance. They were stopped along the way for the obligatory interviews and he was proud to say that, despite her nerves, Georgie charmed the entertainment reporters. He knew that she would, she just had to get over her nerves.
As they watched the movie, Georgie quietly gave him her critique throughout (which he loved). They then attended the after party, but didn't stay long. He hoped that everything had been set up to his specifications in their hotel penthouse, and for the first time that evening he was nervous. Georgie was quiet as they took the lift to the top floor and then gasped when he opened the door to their suite.
The lights were low and a trail of rose petals led from the door to the balcony that overlooked the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
“This is amazing,” she said, turning around and taking it all in.
A bottle of champagne was chilling in an ice bucket and soft music played. They walked out to the balcony . While she was gazing out at the view he got down on one knee.
“Georgie,” he said and she turned, her eyes dropping to him and a hand covering her mouth. He took her other hand in his and smiled up at her.
“I had a whole speech prepared,” he said, “but looking up at you now, none of it seems relevant. My heart beats for you and I don't know how I would survive this life without you in it. I love you with every breath I take and I want to spend however long I have left on earth with you. Will you marry me?”
Her eyes brimmed with tears that began to run down her cheeks, but she didn't say anything. For what seemed like an eternity, he thought that she was going to say no. Then she moved her hand and he saw her smile. He stood and pulled the ring out of his pocket, a stunning square cut diamond set in a platinum band, and slid it on her finger.
“Oh Connor,” she breathed, “It's beautiful.”
“So is that a yes?”
She giggled. “Yes. It's a yes.”
She threw her arms around him and he kissed her and everything was perfect. Whatever came at them from now until the end of their lives, they would face it together and he couldn't think of a better person to do life with.
The End
Want to know when the next book in the Bookish Book Club series is available? Go to Emma’s website (www.emmaleaauthor.com) and sign up for her Newsletter.
Keep reading for a sneak peek at ‘Meeting the Wizard of Oz’ the next book in the Bookish Book Club series
A Sneak Peek at the next Book
Kit Alexander, better known as The Wizard of Oz, was an international football star. He may have hit a bad patch there for a while, but he was clawing his way back to the top, right up until an injury benched him. With three weeks to kill and an invitation to a wedding Down Under, Kit’s plans were on hold. he needed to keep his head down and let his body heal before they’d let him back on the pitch and that’s exactly what he intended to do.
Being invited to the hottest wedding of the season was a dram come true for Charlotte Fox. She’d never left her small town of Oxley Crossing in the twenty-eight years she’d lived there–doctor’s visits and hospital stays didn’t count. Now that she was out on her own for the first time in her life, she was determined to store up enough experiences and memories to last another twenty-eight years.
A chance meeting in a bar late one night brought the two of them together. Kit would be leaving to go back to UK and his career, and Charlie was only in the city for the wedding and a brief holiday before she had to go back to her life in Oxley Crossing. It was only meant to be a flirtation, a holiday fling, nothing serious. But it’s all fun and games until someone falls in love.
GET MEETING THE WIZARD OF OZ NOW
Chapter 1
The Wizard of Oz. It was a stupid nickname but Kit Alexander hadn’t always hated it. When they first dubbed him The Wizard, he felt like he’d finally made it. The boy from Australia with a boot that saved a Premier League game and a club from relegation. It was in his fifth year playing for Twickenham South Football Club—TWS FC—and Kit had been mostly unnoticed until the goal that earned him the nickname and the celebrity that went with it. That was ten years ago and he’d been traded several times in the intervening years until an unfortunate on-field injury and an even more unfortunate off-field incident made him persona non-grata with the big name clubs. Now he was back at TWS and back in the news—for positive reasons this time. Kit was in form and the old nickname had resurfaced. TWS weren’t going to win the Premier League, but at least they weren’t going to crash and burn either, which was one of the reasons he’d been afforded the time off to come back to Australia to attend Connor Faulkes’ wedding—the other reason was the minor injury he was carrying.
Kit flicked off the hotel television and tipped his head back against the seat. He knew he shouldn’t watch the sports news, it messed with his head. It didn’t matter if what they were saying was good or bad, both affected him. It was too easy to let himself get cocky when he was a media darling—that’s what got him in trouble last time—and if they were sledging him, that was even worse. He got more arrogant, if that was possible. The need to prove himself and prove the critics wrong made him stupid.
He tossed the remote and stood, rubbing his hands through his hair. Jet lag was killing him. He didn’t even know what time it was. It felt like the middle of the day but the dark sky outside his window told him something different. He needed to get out of the hotel, get the blood flowing, have something to eat and a drink, and then maybe he would be able to sleep.
He crossed the room to the bedroom and flicked the light on in the ensuite. He splashed some water on his face and pulled his long, unruly hair back into a man
-bun. He needed a shave and a few hours sleep before the wedding tomorrow, but now that he’d thought about food, he was hungry.
Kit tucked his hotel keycard into his pocket and tugged the door closed behind him. He hadn’t been back to Australia in too many years to count. When he’d been selected for the TWS training academy, his mum and dad had sold up and moved to the UK with him. It helped that he was an only child and his mum’s family were English. After seventeen years, the UK felt more like home than the country of his birth. Kit had lived overseas longer than he’d lived in Australia, but he would always be Australian, even if his accent made him sound like a tourist.
He took the elevator to the lobby and stepped out into the large open space. It was deserted except for a few staff. His watch told him that it was later than he thought which only made the jet lag seem so much worse. The hotel bar was closing, so he redirected his steps and headed out into the night. It was Friday night in Sydney, surely he could find something to do until he felt tired enough to sleep.
It was a short walk past the historic buildings that typified The Rocks to the Orient Hotel. Live music blasted from the door as Kit pushed through into the crowded pub. He forced his way through the mob to the bar and ordered a beer before turning around to find a seat.
If he’d been anywhere in London, his face would have been immediately recognisable, but here in Sydney he was just another pub patron out on a Friday night, albeit alone. That was fine, he didn’t mind being alone. He wasn’t any good at relationships anyway. His last girlfriend, Summer, could testify to that.