This Christmas in Stockholm

by Betham, Michelle

  “I gave great sex, huh?”

  “Oh, you did, you definitely did,” I laugh, unbuttoning his shirt and sliding it back over his shoulders until it drops to the floor. “It was like being with a whole new man.”

  “And you tasted like a different woman,” he whispers, his breath burning my skin as he kisses my neck. “I liked her. She was fun.”

  I pull back slightly, yanking my sweater off over my head, tossing it aside as he lifts me up and sits me down on the kitchen counter; pulls off my jeans, I need him now. I need to have him, take him, feel him take me. And the second he pushes inside me I throw my head back and cry out, my fingers digging into his skin, his thrusts steadily picking up pace; he’s loving me like he’s never loved me before, and I wrap my legs around him and I pull him in deeper; hold him tighter. It’s fast and it’s frantic and it’s beautiful. And as I feel my body start to react, he suddenly slows down, and it’s the most incredible feeling of frustration that swamps me now. My fingers press deeper into his flesh, his mouth brushes the base of my neck, he’s slowed right down, he’s almost stopped thrusting altogether, but my muscles are still contracting around him, keeping him inside until, without warning, he starts thrusting hard and fast once more. And I’m crying out again as all that frustration leaves me, and I’m seeing nothing – feeling nothing but that wonderful white-hot pain as it spreads through my body, filling my veins, until I’m shuddering in his arms; until he’s coming inside of me, and I take him. All of him. And when it’s over, he drops his head, closes his eyes; his breathing is heavy and shallow, his body damp with sweat.

  I rest my forehead against his, my fingers stroking the back of his neck and we stay there, listening to the other breathe, for a good few minutes.

  “Seeing you, in the restaurant – it’s where you belong, Erik.”

  He opens his eyes and looks at me, and when he smiles I feel like I did the very first time he spoke to me – when he asked my name, and I told him. And he smiled, just the way he’s smiling now.

  “It was wrong of me – selfish, of me, to make you choose between coming back here, to Sweden, and staying in England with me. I was wrong. Because you need to be here…”

  “I need to be here, with you.”

  I drop my gaze, and I take a minute to think. I still love this man, so much, and I don’t want to lose him. I don’t. But he wants to stay here, permanently, to run the restaurant his father loved. The restaurant his father left him. He’s living his father’s dream, and it’s changed him. But I can’t make him give that dream up, I can’t continue to hope that we could make things work, with him over here and me back in England, we can’t do that. That’s why I knew I had to make a choice.

  “I love you, Erik. I love you, so much, I really do, but everything I know is back in England.”

  “And everything you love is here, Eva.”

  I smile at him, winding my fingers in his hair, running them over his beard, kissing his slightly open mouth.

  “You’re right. It is.”

  Twelve

  The bell above the door rings out as I walk into the cafe, Lina’s head shooting up immediately, her face breaking into a smile as she catches sight of me. And then she looks over at the clock, before she looks back at me, raising her eyebrows.

  I slide up onto a stool by the counter and smile at her, but she just raises her eyebrows even higher.

  “Have you seen the time…?”

  I hold up my left hand, and she frowns, and then she realises what it is she’s actually looking at.

  “Does this mean…?”

  “I’m still going home.”

  Now she just looks confused, and I lower my hand, my gaze dropping to the thin gold band that’s now back on my finger.

  “I don’t understand…”

  “To finalise everything. That’s all.” I smile at her, glancing back over my shoulder as Erik walks in, and it makes my heart dance and my stomach do a zillion flips as I see the way others look at him. The way I’d stopped looking at him, for a while. “I’m coming back, very soon.”

  “Not soon enough,” Erik says, sliding up onto the stool beside me, throwing me a smile before he turns it on Lina. “Nice to meet you properly, Lina. Eva’s told me a lot about you. I’m Erik, but I’m guessing you already know that?”

  “I’ve got you to thank for giving me a new best friend.” Lina returns his smile, and winks at me. And I don’t think I’ve ever felt happier. I don’t think I’ve loved this man more than I do right now, and to think that I’d almost lost him… I don’t want to go there anymore.

  “Well, I think I might have to reciprocate that thanks because, I’ve got a feeling you’ve played a big part in helping Eva come to her decision.” He turns his head to look at me, and it’s crazy, the way I’m seeing him now, it’s like we’ve only just met, and yet, we have this history that goes back ten years. “We’re starting over, aren’t we?” He looks right into my eyes as he asks that question, and I smile and squeeze his hand.

  “Yes. We are.”

  I’m making sacrifices; changing my world, because this is where he is now. Which means, it’s where I need to be, too.

  “This woman – she’s going to marry me all over again, here in Stockholm, and she’s promised me she’s going to do the whole ceremony in Swedish.”

  “He’s making that bit up,” I say, glancing over at Lina, who’s still grinning from ear to ear.

  “Am I making that up?” he asks, arching an eyebrow, and I laugh.

  “Yes, you are.”

  “But wouldn’t it be great if you actually did that?” Lina interjects, and I cast another glance in her direction. “I’ll teach you all you need to know.”

  “Well, there you go.” Erik smirks. “All sorted.”

  “You owe me so much cake, Lina Alberg.”

  “You can have as much cake as you want, after the wedding. You want to fit into your dress, right?”

  Erik looks at me, and he smiles that smile again, and I don’t want to leave him. I don’t want to leave here. And he knows that’s exactly what I’m thinking.

  “It’s just a few days, Eva. You’ll be back before you know it.”

  It might take more than a few days, but he’s right. I’ll be back. As soon as I possibly can.

  “I love you,” I whisper as he cups my cheek and kisses me, just a quick kiss but it’s enough to send my heart rate into overdrive.

  “Love you back,” he murmurs, his mouth resting lightly against mine. “Come on. We need to get you to the airport or you’ll miss that flight. The sooner you go home, the sooner I can get you back.”

  “Call me, the second you land.” Lina smiles, and I lean over the counter to hug her, she is going to be such a big part of my life when I return. “And when you finally come home, we’re going wedding dress shopping, okay?”

  “Okay.” I smile too, taking Erik’s hand as we leave the café, stopping outside on this pretty little street where this short but important journey of mine began, just a few days ago.

  “I wish I could come with you,” Erik sighs, pulling me against him for a hug, and I hold on to him like my life’s going to end if I let him go.

  “It’s Christmas, Erik, and you run a restaurant. You can’t possibly leave.”

  He pulls back from me, just a little, so he can look at me. “Spending Christmas without you, it’s going to be hard.”

  “I know. But you’ll be rushed off your feet, you won’t have time to miss me. And it’s pantomime season back in Britain so, it’s going to be pretty busy at the theatre, too.”

  “I’m still going to miss you.”

  “Yeah.” I look up into those startling blue eyes of his, let my fingertips run lightly over his beard, even though my hands are freezing. I need to feel his skin against mine, just for a second or two, before I let him go. “Me too.”

  I close my eyes as he kisses me. As his lips touch mine and I’m breathing him in; loving him.

  “I love
you, Erik Bergstrom.”

  “I love you, too, Eva Bergstrom.”

  We may be spending Christmas apart, but it’s still going to be a Christmas neither of us will forget.

  This Christmas brought us back together, when we were so close to losing each other.

  This Christmas, in Stockholm…

  The End.

  About the Author

  Michelle Betham is an ex-media technician turned author of sexy, edgy, gritty romance, usually involving rock stars, sports stars, hot businessmen, and bikers. But not usually all in the same book. Yet. She is both self-published and published through HarperImpulse, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.

  Addicted to binge-watching TV shows she struggles to think of a life before Netflix or Amazon Prime, loves rock music, tattoos – of which she has many – spicy food, superheroes (she’s a slightly obsessed Avengers fan-girl who harbors a particularly unhealthy obsession with Captain America), and Keanu Reeves – a crush that’s lasted well over twenty years, and one she blames entirely on ‘Point Break’. The original. She refuses to acknowledge any remake exists.

  Her dream is to ride a Harley, visit Las Vegas, and be able to eat any amount of chocolate without putting on weight.

  She lives in County Durham, north-east England, with her husband and West Highland Terrier, where she can be found most days drinking tea and making up stories.

  Michelle has also written a psychological thriller – ‘The Wife’ – under the name ML Roberts, published by HarperImpulse.

  Also by Michelle Betham

  Titles published through HarperImpulse (A division of HarperCollins Publishers)

  Striker – The Striker Trilogy Book #1

  Extra Time – The Striker Trilogy Book #2

  Final Score – The Striker Trilogy Book #3

  The First Christmas Without You

  Shirley Valentine Goes to Vegas

  Writing as ML Roberts for HarperImpulse

  To Have and to Hold (The Wife – Part One)

  For Better, For Worse (The Wife – Part Two)

  In Sickness and in Health (The Wife – Part Three)

  Till Death Do Us Part (The Wife – Part Four)

  The Wife – The complete ebook and paperback.

  Self-Published titles

  No Matter What (All that Glitters… Book #1)

  Illusions of Love (All that Glitters… Book #2)

  Too Much Trouble In Paradise

  Bon Voyage

  See You At The Show (A rock star romance)

  Unbreakable

  Revolution – The Lone Riders M/C Series Book #1

  Retribution – The Lone Riders M/C Series Book #2

  Resurrection – The Lone Riders M/C Series Book #3

  Allure – The Forbidden Series Book #1

  Obsession – The Forbidden Series Book #2

  Surrender – The Forbidden Series Book #3

  Broken – Soldiers of Darkness M/C Series Book #1

  Betrayed – Soldiers of Darkness M/C Series Book #2

  Bound – Soldiers of Darkness M/C Book #3

  Lawfully His – The Dirty Business Series #1

  Willfully Hers – The Dirty Business Series #2

  Breathe Into Me (An emotional, sexy Hollywood Romance)

  Protection (A Death Knights MC Novel)

  Tainted Love

  Wicked Game

  Second Chance Summer

  Reckless (A Red Hot Rockstar Romance)

  Contact Michelle

  Keep up-to-date with what Michelle’s up to over on her blog: bit.ly/1Gz1d5w

  Sign up to her mailing list for all the latest news on new releases,

  special offers, giveaways, etc. http://bit.ly/1j2Vi2K

  Or check out her website: michellebetham.co.uk

  You can also keep up-to-date with all the news on her books over on her Facebook author page - on.fb.me/1M5w76G or connect with her on on.fb.me/1wunXmC

  Follow her on Twitter at bit.ly/185oeRk @michellebetham

  Find her on Instagram - michellebethamauthor

  And over on Pinterest at https://uk.pinterest.com/writerchelle/

  And all of Michelle’s books can be found over on Amazon - amzn.to/1DcmEqt

  You can also find books written by Michelle Betham as ML Roberts here - http://bit.ly/TheWifeBookSeries

  And find out more about Michelle’s alter ego ML Roberts by following her on Twitter - https://twitter.com/AuthorMLRoberts @AuthorMLRoberts

  Or ‘liking’ her Facebook Author Page - www.facebook.com/MLRobertsAuthor/