My Forever Love (Crossing the Line Book 2)
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All Rights Reserved
My Forever Love
Crossing the Line Book Two
Copyright Mindi Stewart 2018
eBook Edition
Electronic book publication 2018
All rights reserved. Any violation of this will be prosecuted by the law.
Cover by Dar Albert
Edited by Em Petrova
To my readers,
I was stuck about the next story I wanted to tell in this series, until I went camping this past summer. This story flowed as I sat in my camper, the summer heat was unbearable, but sitting in my camper I saw Lisbeth and Stieg’s story come to life.
A little trivia, I tried over and over to come up with Lisbeth’s name. I must have written it and changed it over five times. Finally, I went to my online ancestral website account and looked through my German female ancestors and found … Lisbeth Mohr. A so-many-times great-grandmother from the 1300s. Stieg though, is based on my obsession with a real-life German actor and director. Bet you can’t guess who. If you think you know, email me or find me on Facebook and I’ll let you know!
Lisbeth Mohr is a highly trained computer engineer who spent years learning how to read the complex equations for KenSpec Labs. She’s part of a research crew that flies over a time distortion. Afterward, she begins to grieve the absence of a man she’s never met. After waking up with a tattoo she’s never gotten, she asks her boss, Dave Amsted for his help.
Stieg Warner is an Academy Award-winning German Actor and Director who’s been having dreams of an American woman he’s never met. He loves her in a way he’s never experienced and is obsessed with finding her, although he’s never met her.
But love isn’t the only thing that crosses over the time rip. Something evil has set sights on destroying Lisbeth and her crew.
This book contains a m/f love so epic, even love can’t contain it.
Bonus Story:
Jonas Kirkhart is Stieg’s bodyguard and best friend. They’ve grown up together, surviving German Reunification, fighting back to back. But as a gay man, he’s given up on finding love because of society’s judgmental attitude.
Being MedTech Aaron knows Jonas is his mate the moment they meet, but he’s been directed by his home planet to mate a female and produce children.
How can the men be together and still fulfill the edict passed by Aaron’s government?
This story contains a m/m love story that evolves into a m/m/f relationship.
My Forever Love
Crossing the Line Book Two
by
M. D. Stewart
Contents
My Forever Love
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Bonus Story – Jonas and Aaron
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Other Books by the Author
About the Author
Chapter One
Late Summer 2014, Leipzig, Germany
“Oh my god!” The young woman squealed and grabbed her arm, squeezing it hard. “Oh. My. God. That’s Stieg Warner!” Each word came out higher and higher pitched. Any more words from Rachel and only a dog would be able to hear them. Lisbeth sighed and looked where Rachel’s shaky finger was pointing. Across the street a blond-haired man sat at an outside table of a café, sipping from a small mug. He was blissfully unaware that his presence was causing Rachel such mania.
In the few hours Lisbeth had known Rachel, she realized the girl was full of drama. Hell, she’d just met this girl on the train to Leipzig and wondered why she decided to spend so much time with her. Speaking English and traveling to the same area of Germany shouldn’t have been the deciding factors. Being tired was no excuse. Lisbeth was seriously questioning her decision-making skills.
“Are you sure, Rachel? That man is all the way across the round-a-bout, and we’re just arriving at this hostel. After sixteen hours of travel on a train, bus, and taxi, I might add. I’ve been awake for twenty hours.” Lisbeth leaned back against the brick building, her backpack making a nice pillow, dying to shower and go to bed for a few hours.
“Am I sure? Liz, I’ve seen every single movie he’s made, oh god, at least once.” No one called her ‘Liz,’ but she let it slide. “I’ve watched every episode of every series he’s been on, even the one that had subtitles. I know it’s him.” Of course, Lisbeth knew who Stieg Warner was. She’d seen his movies and the several television series he’d been in too. Who on the planet hadn’t? He was a bona fide international superstar.
“I’m going over there.” Rachel put her hand over her heart and took a deep breath and blew it out dramatically.
“Rachel, listen to me. Even if it is him, he probably doesn’t want his morning coffee interrupted by a crazed American fan.” The man brought the mug to his lips and sipped before flipping the white papers before him. He set the mug down and picked up a pen and started writing on the paper. “Besides, he might be learning lines or something. That paper he’s working on looks about the size of a script.”
“Look, Liz. I’m not going to be here for very long, and if he rejects me then I’ll leave and be out of his hair, but I must talk to him. Gonna get a selfie with him!” She squealed just before she looked both ways then headed across the wide, rounded street to the door of the café. Lisbeth shook her head as Rachel, and her large backpack entered the eatery and disappeared. A few seconds later, Rachel slowly approached the outdoor table.
She was smiling but was wringing her hands, a universal sign she was nervous. She could barely see Rachel’s lips move and then the blond man looked up from the papers in his hand. At first, his expression was blank, but then a genuine smile crossed his lips. Incredibly he stood and took her hand and pointed to the empty seat at his table. “Un-fucking-believable.”
Lisbeth never dreamed she’d run into an entertainment star on her journey to Germany. But seeing him this close, in real life and not on a screen, he was more stunning than she would’ve imagined. She was standing there looking at him from this far away when she could be as close as Rachel. Her feet seemed glued to the spot. She needed to stop being so indecisive. It certainly wasn’t like her.
Lisbeth narrowed her gaze as Rachel looked down. Her long blonde hair fell forward to hide her face. She removed her backpack and claimed the metal chair across the table from the gorgeous actor. Lisbeth was torn. She wanted to go to her room and just sleep for hours, but Rachel was sitting at a table with a genuinely famous person. And he seemed really nice.
Aside from learning about her German heritage, she took this trip after she graduated to stretch her boundaries. What better way to move out of her comfort zone than approach a handsome, famous actor? Her parents and grandparents thought going to Germany was a wonderful way for her to learn about her family. As a graduation gift, they’d given her the plane ticket and some spending money for her expedition in both sets of her great-grandparent’s homeland.
She bit her bottom lip, considering things. She’d start her four-year contract at KenSpec as soon as she
returned to the US—this might be her only chance to do something crazy and unexpected. She was tired of always being the sensible one, the one who made a plan and stuck to it. Do something wild, Lisbeth. Take a chance. She took a deep breath after her mental pep-talk.
Well, what the hell did she have to lose? Making up her mind, she pushed off the brick wall of the hostel and looked for traffic before she crossed the street herself. The café was small but cute and smelled of pastries and strong coffee — something Lisbeth would give her right eyeball to have right now. She walked through the wooden tables and approached the gorgeous actor and the girl she had met on the train.
When Stieg looked up, his dark green eyes made Lisbeth’s knees go weak. They were much more intense in person than on the television. His blond hair was cut short and his square jaw as covered in a day’s growth of light-colored whiskers. His smile was reflected in his eyes as he looked truly happy to meet another fan. Holy shit. Those. Dimples. Her mouth opened to speak but nothing came out. It was a totally embarrassing fangirl moment.
“Good morning.” His German accent forced her to take a deep breath and made her smile. Damn. “It is a good day to have not one but two friendly faces at my table. Have a seat if you’d like.” Rachel grinned at her and motioned her toward the table.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Warner. I’m Lisbeth Mohr, but I’d hate to interrupt your work.” Lisbeth pointed toward the stack of white typing paper in front of him. He chuckled and shook his head. He looked back to her, and his eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. Jesus. Maybe she was more tired than she originally thought. She pulled off her own backpack and set it on the concrete floor of the café as he pulled a metal chair from an empty table and held it for her to sit.
“I was just telling Stieg that I’m his biggest fan!” Rachel turned adoring eyes to Stieg. “I’ve seen everything you’ve ever done so many times.” Stieg smiled and inclined his head in acknowledgment, but his face darkened in embarrassment. Lisbeth was shocked he’d be so shy about his work. She had read somewhere that most actors were shy in person.
“Thank you so much. I enjoy acting, but I love directing even more.” He raised his hand in the air, bringing a waiter to the table. “What would you like?” His question stunned Lisbeth. Her mouth gaped open.
“Oh, Mr. Warner, I don’t want to impose.” Lisbeth was staring at Rachel, who looked like she wanted to lick the actor instead of any pastries on the menu.
“Call me Stieg, and I insist. Let me order for you.” Rachel nodded, and Lisbeth felt obliged to accept too. At her nod, Stieg spoke to the waiter in German and smiled. “It’s the least I could do for fans. Not everyone appreciates my work.”
Stieg Warner was famous for writing and acting in movies that promoted equal rights for the LGBT community. He’d also just won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a well-known sociopathic serial killer — a wide range of acting ability to be sure.
“I just love everything you’ve done. You’re wonderful. There’s not a single thing you’ve done that I don’t love.” Rachel was gushing like a broken spigot, and Lisbeth had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. She stared at her hands instead and then looked up to see him smiling at her. His dimples drew her attention. He was beautiful. Stunning.
“Really? What is your favorite project?” Stieg turned in his chair to give Rachel his undivided attention. Lisbeth was relieved to have those gorgeous green eyes off her for a moment. She needed to calm herself down. Maybe she’d been awake for too long, but she was shocked to have such a strong reaction to the man. Granted, he was gorgeous, talented and well-known, but she’d never expected to feel so drawn to him.
“Well,” Rachel paused as the waiter brought coffee and fresh cinnamon rolls to the table. “I’d say my favorite is the movie High Honor, where you played the doctor who was fighting his attraction to his male patient. Man, when you dressed as a security guard to sneak into the building? You look great in a uniform.” Rachel gave a little squeal and reached out, squeezing Stieg’s forearm. Lisbeth couldn’t stop the eye roll this time.
To distract herself, she took a bite of the pastry and groaned in appreciation. She didn’t realize she had made a noise until she looked up to see Stieg staring at her, a smile on his face and his eyes focused on her mouth. She swallowed and looked down before returning her attention to him.
“I take it you like it?” Stieg licked his lips, causing her to unwittingly do the same. She tasted rich cinnamon and sweet icing. She swallowed with difficulty and nodded.
“Yes. I didn’t realize how much. These are amazing.” She felt icing on her fingers and brought each one to her mouth and sucked them clean. Stieg’s eyes followed each of her movements closely, his eyes darkening as he inhaled deeply. A throat cleared, drawing their attention from each other back to Rachel. She looked ready to crawl across the small metal table and scratch Lisbeth’s eyes out. She picked up the confection and took another bite, hoping to ignore the other American. It didn’t work, the more she thought about it, the more Lisbeth’s anger simmered. Stieg Warner wasn’t Rachel’s to get jealous over or demand attention from. She took her time chewing and then narrowed her gaze, staring at the overdramatic girl. Challenge accepted, Rachel. Hang on to your undies.
“I think that High Honor was a good movie too. I felt heartbroken for Gabe. You could see how much he loved Andy and how much he wanted to be loved in return. Gabe risked his life by sneaking into the warehouse. He was a doctor so to go against his peaceful nature to make sure Andy was safe. It drove home the point that when we love someone, danger isn’t going to hold us back.” Lisbeth paused to sip her strong coffee. “You could see the depth of emotions in Gabe’s eyes when he’d look at Andy. You had the look of the pain of a man who resists his passion. It was so believable.”
“Thank you. I struggle with that. The whole facial expression part is difficult since it’s a fine line between looking pained and looking constipated.” They all laughed, but Rachel laughed a little too loud and reached out to touch his arm again. She kept her hand on his forearm, her thumb began to rub his skin. Lisbeth narrowed her gaze focusing on Rachel’s hand, surprised at the intense jealousy she fought to control. Stieg winked and politely moved his arm away from Rachel’s grasp by reaching for a cinnamon roll. Casually he leaned toward Lisbeth, taking himself out of Rachel’s reach. He looked at Lisbeth and smiled. Did he just shut Rachel down? Could he tell she was fighting her jealousy?
Stieg took a bite of his cinnamon roll, leaving icing on the corner of his mouth. Without thought, Lisbeth reached over and used her thumb to remove it. She felt a light static electric shock race up her arm. She quickly drew her hand back and looked down at her plate before a sound from Rachel briefly drew her attention.
Lisbeth stammered a bit, but she wasn’t going to let Rachel dominate the conversation or the table. “Well, Stieg, you’d never know that you struggle with it.” She took another sip of coffee to control her own emotions. His smile did funny things to her stomach. “I think you do great. That movie Darkness Falls, where you were the serial killer? You really creeped me out. I could believe you were a real sociopath.”
Across the table, Rachel narrowed her gaze and looked ready to kill her, but Stieg laughed and the sexy sound caused many customers and passers-by to look their way. “Thank you, Lisbeth. That’s the best compliment I’ve gotten.”
“Yeah, well, I’m surprised you know his work at all. You didn’t seem to be a fan of his when I told you I thought Stieg was here.” Rachel gave a saccharine smile. Whatever. Lisbeth took a sip of her coffee before ignoring Rachel and turned to Stieg. Those eyes were gazing at her with amusement. Just to piss Rachel off, she licked the thumb she’d used on Stieg. He licked his lips and shifted in his seat.
“And honestly, I felt bad for your character Kurt in the first television series you were in. He tries so hard to be a good kid, but his dad was a monster who turned a kind and sensitive kid into a killer. He’s spent the rest of his
life trying to overcome his terrible childhood and become worthy of love. On the surface, he seems to be the monster his father was, but under it all, he’s still that sensitive kid. Again, your face showed all your emotions. It was some of your best acting.” Rachel continued to stare and fume as Lisbeth finished the cinnamon roll on her plate.
“You didn’t even think this was him. You weren’t going to come over here. You just followed me after you tried to stop me.” Rachel’s voice was shaking with anger. She’d turned decidedly ugly with barely disguised jealousy. Lisbeth raised an eyebrow. She decided she was sick of dealing with her petty drama. Lisbeth sighed as she wiped her mouth.
“But I would still like a selfie with you, Stieg, if that’s okay with you.” Rachel turned on her most charming smile and pushed out her chest, giving everyone the chance to see her ample breasts. Stieg looked at Lisbeth with a look of resignation. She knew he had to treat his fans with respect. If someone wanted a selfie, it was best to give in.
“Of course, I’d be happy to.”
Rachel pulled her phone from her backpack and moved her chair closer to Stieg and then put her head on his shoulder. She gave a sexy smile and took a few pictures. Lisbeth finished her coffee as Rachel took a picture of her kissing his cheek. She was astonished at how angry she felt watching the pretty girl crawl all over Stieg Warner. She had to get out of there before she ripped the girl’s blonde hair out by the roots.
“How do you act gay and you’re so not? I mean, I’d really think you had a thing for those other men?” Rachel’s question made Lisbeth’s eyebrows raise and her mouth drop open. Rachel had been towing a fine line of her temper, but now she felt like she was going to explode. She needed sleep.
“That’s why it’s called acting, Rachel. And Jesus, by the way, I knew it was him, but I didn’t want to bother him if he was studying lines or working on something.” Lisbeth pulled a few bills from her bag and stood up. Her face felt hot, so she knew it was blood red. “I’ve been up for twenty straight hours, and I’m done with your pettiness and attitude. I’m leaving so you can fawn and drool over Mr. Warner all by yourself. It was nice meeting you, Stieg, and I wish you the best on your next project. I’m headed across the street to the hostel.” Before either could say a word, Lisbeth threw down the money, grabbed her backpack and headed out of the café and toward her bed across the street.