One Night in Stockholm: Short, Steamy Romance - Episode #1 of 4 (Stockholm Diaries, Alice)
Page 4
“Impressive,” she said. “Most authors would be happy with one good book a year.”
He shrugged. The muted honks of a car horn came from the street below.
“Why are you bringing this up?” she asked softly.
A crease formed on his brow. He stroked her hair and pressed his lips against hers, opening for a slow caress with his tongue. He pulled back and smiled a little. “Feel free to kick me out if this gets too intense.”
Alice smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Jonas took a deep breath. “I feel it happening now. With you. Even though we just met. Like this night isn’t enough. And I don’t know whether to keep my mouth shut and walk out right now or beg you to stay another day.”
His words hummed inside her. She bit her lip. She wanted it. She wanted to be reckless. Just to see what it felt like.
He took his hand out of her hair and watched her wearily. He bowed his head. “That was too much, wasn’t it?”
Alice swallowed. “Even if we wanted to play this out for one more day, I’m leaving for Copenhagen tomorrow. And I fly back to New York on Saturday morning.”
He nodded, still not meeting her eyes.
She cupped his cheeks in her hands, and he looked up at her again with his dark blue eyes. What would happen if she found a way to see Jonas again? She wouldn’t end up crazy and desperate like her best friend. She wouldn’t end up pregnant and alone like her mother.
She stroked Jonas’s cheek and traced his strong jaw line. It wouldn’t change anything back in New York. She could take this chance, just to see what it would be like.
“Maybe I could change my ticket home,” she said quietly. “Maybe we could find a way to meet up before I go back.”
His eyes were fixed on hers, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t move. The only sign of emotion was his pulse, pounding hard at the base of his neck.
“And you want to try that?” he said in a hoarse whisper.
Alice swallowed harder. “Yes.”
Jonas nodded slowly. “Okay.” His eyes softened, and he held her gaze. “What about Paris?”
She blinked. “Paris?”
The city of lights? Her dream destination? It was impulsive, exactly the kind of thing she’d never do.
He cleared his throat. “Yes, Paris. If we’re doing this, let’s do it all the way.”
“Paris,” she echoed. “Um… okay.”
Jonas’s face opened into a smile. “Really? Are you sure?”
Alice wrinkled her brow. “I’m not sure about anything right now. But, yes, let’s do it.”
He sat up in bed and ruffled his hand through his hair. He squeezed her leg.
“I’ll figure out the details,” he said. “Just get yourself to Paris the day after tomorrow. I’ll meet you in the airport and we’ll go from there.”
Alice sat up and brushed her hair off her shoulders. They were going to Paris. Just like that.
“Wow,” she said softly. “Just… wow.”
Jonas ran his hand up and down her thigh. She watched his thick, tribal-like tattoo curve and bend as his bicep muscles flexed. She traced the thick lines around his arm.
He glanced down where her fingers met his skin, and his smile faded. “Listen, you asked me about my past. You can look it up while you’re in Copenhagen, or we can talk about it when we get to Paris. It’s up to you.”
She blinked. She was more than a little curious about this man. But if she started to dig, what would she find?
Jonas’s gaze never left her. “If you read something that makes you change your mind about being in the same room as me, I’ll understand.”
If she had any doubts about what his past looked like, they were gone. She knew a hundred versions of this story, and they were all bad. Did it matter? She had already taken this man up to her hotel room. Just one more night, and it would be over.
“I’m not changing my mind, Jonas,” she said. “One more night. Paris.”
He nodded slowly. “Okay.”
She laced her hand in his and climbed on top of him, settling against the hard wall of his chest. He buried his face in her hair and breathed out a long sigh. His other hand traveled up and down her side, pulling her closer. His erection was growing again, pressing against her in all the right places. He circled his thumb over her nipple in long, slow strokes. She let out a quiet moan. His lips found the tender slope of her neck.
“Even if this isn’t who we are, it’s real,” he whispered. “More real than anything I’ve felt in a long time.”
Dear Readers,
I hope you enjoyed this episode of Jonas and Alice’s relationship! It’s one of four hot novelettes, an episode in their four-part story about finding emotional connection and intimacy where you least expect it. Each novelette is designed to be read in one sitting, with an end that both satisfies but also opens questions into the next.
Ready to read on? The stories in the Stockholm Diaries, Alice series are as follows:
#1: One Night in Stockholm – March, 2017
#2: One Night in Paris – March, 2017
#3: One Night in New York – June, 2017
#4: New Years in Stockholm – June, 2017
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review on your favorite reader sites. And don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list for news, giveaways and other fun stuff here.
xoxo,
Rebecca
www.rebeccahunterwriter.com
About the Author
Rebecca is a writer, editor and translator who has always loved to read and travel. Though she earned a Bachelor’s in English and a Master’s in English Education, most of what she learned about writing romance has come from other sources.
Rebecca has, over the years, called many places home, including Michigan, where she grew up, New York, San Francisco and, of course, Stockholm, Sweden. After their most recent move from Sweden back to the San Francisco Bay Area, she and her husband assured each other they’d never move again. Well, probably not.
Other Books in the Stockholm Diaries Series
Stockholm Diaries, Caroline - winner of the 2016 National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award
Stockholm Diaries, Caroline 2
Stockholm Diaries, Melanie