by Sophie Love
*
The night wasn’t quite over. Milo had one more trick up his sleeve, and that was dinner in a romantic restaurant.
Unlike the other places he taken her before, this one was quite fancy, and the tables were mainly filled with couples. But whereas just a few days ago Keira would have been mortified to turn up at a place like this wearing the same grubby clothes she’d been in all day, now she couldn’t care less. With Milo by her side, such petty concerns became irrelevant. Because life with him on her arm was more fun. The colors of the world were brighter. The music louder.
They took a table in a nook, lit only by warm yellow candlelight. Milo looked stunningly handsome in the light that played across his features. He reached out, holding her hands across the table.
“I’ve had so much fun these past few days,” Keira told him. “Your family is wonderful. I’m going to miss them. And you.”
She felt her chest heave with emotion.
“I’m going to miss you too,” Milo said. “I can’t miss your family, though, since I’ve not met them.”
Keira chuckled. Milo always knew just the right level of humor to inject into a situation to take the edge off.
“You’ll meet them one day,” she told him, confident in that fact. But then she remembered Cristiano, how quickly things had moved between them, and how that had ultimately ended things between them. “But not for a while. I want you all to myself for the time being.”
The server arrived and took their order. They both decided to go with traditional meatballs. It had been Keira’s favorite meal in Sweden, followed in close second by reindeer. But meatballs didn’t give her the same sense of guilt she got knowing she was chowing down on Donner or Blitzen.
Their food arrived, as well as a bottle of red wine. Keira realized then how little she’d been drinking on this trip. She was glad for it. Too much alcohol messed with her emotions and made her act out. But now, with things on such even footing with Milo, she knew she was safe to let her hair down a little.
“I can’t wait to see my family’s faces when I give them their gifts,” Keira said, thinking of all the sarcastic things she’d purchased.
“Oh yeah, it’s almost Christmas,” Milo said. “I’d forgotten.”
Keira laughed. “How can you forget Christmas? It’s everywhere.”
Milo gave her hand a squeeze. “I had other things on my mind.”
They drank and ate, getting caught up in conversation, savoring every moment they had together. They were so absorbed with one another, neither noticed that the restaurant was closing around them. The server approached.
“I’m so sorry, but we need to lock up now,” he said, looking very apologetic.
Keira couldn’t believe it; she’d never been so focused on someone that she’d lost sight of the world around her. But that was the effect Milo had on her.
They stood, suddenly aware of the fact they were the only two people in the restaurant, other than some tired and slightly irritated-looking waitstaff. Keira couldn’t help but giggle as they headed out the door arm in arm. Once, she’d have been so embarrassed, but now she couldn’t care less. There were so many more important things in life, getting stressed over insignificant things just wasn’t worth the effort.
They hailed a cab and climbed into the back seat. Hands pressed tightly together, they began the journey back to the mountainside home of Milo’s parents.
One more night, Keira thought, mournfully.
But then she told herself she’d just have to make the best of it. She squeezed Milo’s hand tightly, and he squeezed back. There were just a few hours left to enjoy one another’s company and they were both going to savor it.
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
Dawn woke Keira, its gray light creeping across the room toward her. She lay in bed, snuggled into Milo’s arms, as consciousness returned. She wanted to stay here forever, in this warm bed, with these strong arms around her. But the time had come to go home. To get back to reality, New York City, and the new condo awaiting her. More than any of her trips before, leaving here would feel like waking from the most wonderful dream. She could already tell that by the time she got back to New York City she’d be wondering if any of it had even been real. From the boat trip to the dog sleds to the Northern Lights and the ice bar, it had been a truly magical experience.
She turned in bed, taking in Milo’s face. And of course, the most dreamlike thing of all was him. A perfect guy. Funny. Respectful. Smart. Gorgeous. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of and more. She’d never felt this certain about a man before. There was no insecurity with Milo at all. Even after the short time she’d been with him, she trusted him to be honest with her about everything, and that meant there was no shaky ground beneath her feet, nothing to worry about. He would always be straight with her. It was something she hadn’t even realized she’d been craving.
He stirred awake then.
“Oh no,” he murmured as it dawned on him what day it was. His arms tightened around her waist.
Keira giggled. “I know.” She let out a sigh. “It sucks, huh? We’ll just have to remember that it’s only temporary. We’ll see each other again soon.”
He nodded and released her.
Keira got out of bed. The room was very cold and her head a little groggy from last night’s wine. She dressed in cozy clothes suitable for a long-haul flight, then paced around packing away the rest of her things into her suitcase.
“I can smell coffee,” Milo said as he finished dressing himself. “My family must have gotten up early to say goodbye.”
Keira smiled, touched that they’d make the effort for her. She really did love them.
They headed downstairs and into the kitchen. There, Milo’s family was gathered. On the kitchen island, next to a mug of coffee, sat a stack of beautifully wrapped gifts.
“What are these?” Keira exclaimed.
“Your Christmas gifts,” Yolanta said. “Since we won’t be seeing you on the day.”
Keira was so touched. She hurried forward, hugging Yolanta, Regina, and Nils in turn.
“Thank you, guys,” she gushed. She felt her eyes well up. “I’m really going to miss you!”
Everyone bundled in, hugging her. Keira laughed, feeling loved in the big, warm bundle.
“We’d better go,” Milo said then, looking at the clock. “We don’t want to miss the flight.”
Keira was half expecting him to add in a cheeky “Unless…” But he didn’t, and she felt strangely deflated, as if he didn’t really mind that she was leaving at all. She wondered for the first time whether in the absence of Christmas’s naturally imposed deadline, he’d have even asked her to stay.
An old familiar insecurity returned to her as she turned to his family and gave them each one last farewell hug, and then she and Milo headed outside to the little blue car. Keira slung her case in the trunk before taking her seat next to Milo.
“One more road trip,” she announced, her voice melancholy.
“One more road trip,” he nodded in affirmation.
Again, there was nothing. No suggestion she should stay. No offer. Keira sunk into the seat as Milo started the car and pulled away from the mountainside house, heading for Stockholm Airport.
She mulled everything over in her mind. It wasn’t even that she was certain she’d want to stay if he asked, she was just confused that he hadn’t even mentioned it as a possibility, even in his usual jokey way. It made her question everything she thought she knew.
Just as they descended from the mountain and onto the main road, Keira’s phone began to ring. She thought it would probably be Mallory asking about flight details so she could panic and obsess over when it was landing and if it had been delayed or whether it had crashed, as she was wont to do, but the call was actually from Viatorum. Keira frowned.
“It’s my boss,” she said. “I’d better take this.”
Milo made a gesture as if to say go ahead. She answered the call.
&nbs
p; “KEIRA!” Elliot bellowed. “Have I ever told you how AMAZING you are?”
Keira had to move the phone from her ear, he was shouting so loud. “Uh, not in so many words…”
“Okay, well, you’re AMAZING! That article is the best you’ve ever written. So insightful. So raw and beautiful. We’ve put an enticement passage up on the website and readers are loving it! They say it’s the best one they’ve read! Our pre-order sales of the winter issue are going through the roof.”
“Great,” Keira replied.
As thrilled as she was to know her writing was appreciated, the man beside her meant so much more. And she wasn’t going to get that much longer with him.
“I’ll speak to you when I’m back in New York,” she told Elliot, and she ended the call as abruptly as he usually did with her.
But by the time she’d put her phone away, Keira noticed they were on the final approach to the airport. Her heart leapt suddenly, painfully, and before she even had time to think, tears were streaming down her face.
Milo looked over. “Keira…” he said sadly.
She shook her head, too sad to speak.
Milo reached the parking lot and pulled in, Keira still weeping bitterly.
“I’m so sorry,” she murmured. But she wasn’t embarrassed about her tears, just sorry that this was the final moment he’d share with her.
Of course, Milo dealt with it perfectly. He took her face in his hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. When Keira finally met his eyes, she saw that they were welling up too.
He kissed her, deeply, tenderly, expressing love and affection. Keira could feel it all in that one kiss. Love. True love.
Then he pulled away. She took a deep breath and got out the passenger side. She went around to the back of the car and took her case from the trunk, breathing slowly as she did. Then hand in hand they headed toward the terminal.
“I’ll stay with you,” Milo told her as they went. “Until you’re on the plane. I want to get every last second with you I can.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you. You’re sweet.”
They made it to the terminal and Keira looked around for a departures board. She saw a large one and headed toward it, Milo in tow. And there it was, the flight to take her home.
She turned to Milo. “I guess this is goodbye.”
“For now,” he said with assurance.
Keira hesitated. They’d talked about this break only being temporary, about wanting to carry on long distance, but Milo’s complete reluctance to suggest she stay with him was making her question his genuine intentions. But this was Milo, she reminded herself. He was always honest with her; it was one of the qualities she adored in him.
She opened her mouth, about to ask him why, when Milo began to speak, beating her to it.
“Keira, I want you to stay,” he blurted. “I know you promised your mother you’d spend Christmas with her, and you have all those gifts you need to take back home, but I think you’d have a great time here and I’m not ready to say goodbye.”
His words came out in one huge rush, like he’d actually been worried himself to admit how he felt.
Keira blinked, surprised. It was as if he’d read her mind. All she could think to say was, “Why didn’t you ask before?”
Milo shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t ask because I was worried to hear you say no.”
His admission took her even more aback. Since when was Milo one to worry about the outcome of his words? He must have been so concerned about her rejecting him he’d gone against all his instincts not to bring it up in the open.
And as the cogs of Keira’s mind whirred, she wondered whether he’d been picking up on subliminal cues from her, because now that he’d said it, she herself wasn’t sure. Mixed feelings swirled in her head. Keira thought of Mallory, of the promise she’d made her mother to be there for Christmas. She’d never missed Christmas before. It was supposed to be a time for family. But she wondered if perhaps that was what love meant, taking those leaps away from the familiar, moving out of one’s comfort zone. Maturing, building one’s own life and family, would inevitably mean leaving one’s childhood family behind. The thought scared her. But was Milo the right person to make that first, daring step with?
Because what if it didn’t go well, and she was in a foreign country, missing home, during the time of the year when family was so important?
Then an even scarier thought struck her. What if it went well? What if it went very well indeed? Then what? What would it mean, if she fell so in love with this guy she wanted him to become part of her family? What would come next? Could there be a future for them?
She’d need to go home to her own country at some point; she and Milo had their own lives on separate sides of the globe, and that wasn’t going to change anytime soon. So why risk it? Why let things develop when she knew they had to end?
Keira recalled the previous times when there had been a future—a willingness from Shane to have a long-distance relationship between Ireland and New York City. Cristiano’s willingness to move his entire life from Italy to be with her. Neither of them had worked out, either.
Even if this relationship appeared to have no way forward, perhaps that was the exact time to go against common sense and leap into it headfirst. To stop pondering the future and enjoy this one moment, this one unique Christmas, a moment that could stay with her forever. Because when she was old, even if she and Milo never saw each other again, she’d be able to look back and remember how brave and bold she’d once been. She thought about life and fate, and the way the universe had brought them together, two strangers in a foreign country, now united in love.
At last, she squeezed Milo’s hands. A smile spread across her lips as she uttered the most daring word of her life.
“Yes.”
“Yes?” Milo said, his eyebrows rising. “You’ll stay?”
Keira’s grin grew bigger still, in response to his obvious joy and relief. She nodded vigorously. “Yes. I’ll stay!”
Milo swept her into his arms, spinning her on the spot. Keira squealed, feeling free and daring, bold and liberated. She’d found her independence after all, just not in the way she’d been expecting.
Milo set her back on her feet and took her face gently in his hands. He kissed her, pressing soft, tender lips against hers. Keira felt a swirl of pleasure radiating from her stomach, taking over her entire body.
“You’re vibrating,” Milo said.
Keira frowned. “Huh?”
He laughed. “Your phone. I think.”
Keira laughed too, realizing what he meant, and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. It was an email from Elliot. She could see the subject line in her notification: WHAT ABOUT SWEDISH GUY?
She thought for a second. The old Keira would reply.
Instead, she shut her phone off and powered it down.
She didn’t care if the ending of her article was unsatisfactory for Elliot. This was her life, her relationship, and she wanted to keep parts of it private, to herself, like a secret only she and Milo shared.
“What was that?” Milo asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
“Nothing,” Keira said with a nonchalant shrug.
He guided her from the airport, heading away from the departure board that just moments earlier had signaled the end of their time together.
Arm in arm, they headed through the airport, toward the big glass doors.
And toward the next step of their lives together.
NOW AVAILABLE!
LOVE LIKE YOURS
(The Romance Chronicles—Book 5)
“LOVE LIKE THIS creates a world of emotions and turmoil, describing superbly the mind of a young lady (Keira) and her struggles to balance her social life and her career. Sophie Love is a natural storyteller. LOVE LIKE THIS is very well written and edited, and I highly recommend it to the permanent library of all readers that appreciate a romance that can be savored during a weekend.”
--Books and Movie Reviews (Roberto Mattos)
LOVE LIKE YOURS (The Romance Chronicles—Book #5) is book #5 in a new, sweet romance series by #1 bestselling author Sophie Love. The series begins with LOVE LIKE THIS (Book #1), a free download!
Keira Swanson, 28, finds herself spending a magical Christmas with new her new boyfriend and his family in Sweden. How will their relationship end?
Keira returns to New York to discover, to her shock, that she has started a new trend in dating that is sweeping across the country—“Scandinavian romance”—and to find herself becoming a celebrity. Even more confusing, her sister gets engaged, and gives Keira constant advice. Overwhelmed, Keira takes solace when Christiano calls, and surprises herself when she agrees to take a week off and meet him on neutral ground: in Greece.
Her magazine is thrilled, and they want this to be her new assignment: can love work the second time around, in a different time and place, if you give it one more chance?
Greece is spectacular, filled with sun, ocean, ruins and romance. It is one of the most beautiful places she has ever been. But nothing can prepare Keira for her encounter with Cristiano—and the surprise that follows on its heels.
A wholesome romantic comedy that is as profound as it is funny, LOVE LIKE YOURS is book #5 in a dazzling new romance series that will make you laugh, cry, and will keep you turning pages late into the night—and will make you fall in love with romance all over again.
Book #6 will be published soon!
“Sophie Love's ability to impart magic to her readers is exquisitely wrought in powerfully evocative phrases and descriptions….[This is] the perfect romance or beach read, with a difference: its enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions offer an unexpected attention to the complexity of not just evolving love, but evolving psyches. It's a delightful recommendation for romance readers looking for a touch more complexity from their romance reads.”