Chapter Twenty-Four

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

One year later…

“Can I be of assistance with anything else, miss?” said the bellhop, who wore a colorful sweater with diamond shapes around the collar.

“No, I’m good. Thank you. I’m just looking forward to a warm bubble bath. Merry Christmas, by the way.”

“Same to you, miss.”

I locked the door behind him and shed my thick, very worn, red down coat and threw it over the armchair by the fireplace. I clapped my hands together and rubbed them near the flames. I couldn’t remember ever feeling this cold, and I grew up in a town that got its fair share of snow.

I kicked off my snow boots, feeling both melancholy and reminiscent. I had left for Europe right after New Year’s, only planning to travel for three months tops. After that, I would stay with Kay and look for a new job.

But three months turned into five after I ran into a young Dutch woman on the train to London who had just come from a backpacking trip through Asia. She told me they were looking for English teachers at a school in the Philippines. Free room and board, pay was almost nothing, and I had to get there on my own, but she said it was the best experience of her life. All she had to do was email the director. It took all of ten seconds to say yes. And as luck would have it, there was just enough money in my bank account for a one-way ticket.

Of course, she’d been right. I had the best time teaching what was the equivalent of post-college adults, but they ended up teaching me more than I ever taught them. After two months, my visa was about to expire, so I traveled to Bali and stumbled on work as an English-speaking tour guide. Mostly, I babysat tourists and took them to some of the more secluded beaches.

At that point, I figured I’d been to over thirty countries, and it was time to head home, but as luck would have it, the owner of the tour company asked if I’d be interested in taking a role at a new branch he was opening in Thailand. I didn’t know a thing about the country, nor did I speak the language, but that hadn’t stopped me yet. Everything will work out. So I went, and it was incredible. The food, the history, and the people. Mosquitos? Not so incredible except for their size.

But on month ten, I began missing my family and Kay more than ever. Knowing the holidays were coming made me long for familiar faces, smells, and food.

I flew home right before Halloween and stayed a while with Kay, then my parents. I tried not to think of Beau or all of the things that had happened after we met. It wasn’t that I regretted any of it. I only wished that I’d taken the time to “find myself” when I was younger. Maybe then I would have been ready for Beau when he came along, because the one big thing I learned over the past year: there was no such thing as finding yourself.

Life was meant to be a journey where each chapter added to a list of memories you cherished, the things you learned, and the things you lost. Then there were the things you couldn’t live without (and could live without). But you were never really lost. Not in your heart of hearts. You just had more chapters waiting to be written.

Me? I still had many pages left in my story, but I was good with not knowing where everything would lead. I was finally enjoying the journey, and that included taking this trip to Greenland before my voucher expired. I’d just made it with one day to spare.

My family and Kay, who was getting married in April, weren’t exactly happy, but I’d be with them for New Year’s. And, well, this was my life now. I wasn’t going to live it to make anyone else happy. Or unhappy. I could love them and still do my own thing. But one thing hadn’t changed. I still loved Christmas.

I soaked in the tub until my back, legs, and arms were completely tenderized to a mushy pulp, and then wrapped myself in a white fluffy robe.

I played some Christmas music on my phone and plopped into the big, overstuffed chair facing out across the moonlit, snowy plain before me. In the morning, I’d go and check out the reindeer, though we’d only get a few hours of light.

I leaned back and stared out at the starry night. Somewhere out there was Beau, doing what Santas did. It gave me immense comfort knowing there was real holiday magic in the world, no matter how intimidating or scary it first felt.

As my eyes began to close, a spark of light shot across the sky. I squinted, wondering if it was something other than a shooting star.

Who knew?

“Well, Merry Christmas, Beau,” I muttered.

Suddenly that star began changing directions, coming straight toward me. I blinked and then fell from my chair. I blinked again, and it was gone.

I got to my feet, trying to catch my breath. I’d probably imagined it in my half-awake state, but it sure felt real.

I turned to get into bed and spotted a box sitting in the middle of the comforter. It was red with a big white bow.

“Holy sheet.” I covered my mouth. Sheet. I said sheet! And not on purpose.

I grabbed the box and unwrapped it. Inside was a note and another box.

To Meri:

May all your wishes come true. Happy birthday.

Love,

Beau

I unwrapped the smaller box and found a gold key. I held it up to the light. It looked just like the ones Beau’s dad had left with me.

I held it over my heart. I couldn’t lie and say that a day had passed without missing him. Over the last year, I’d seen so many incredible things—temples, mountains, lakes, and the ruins of lost civilizations. I’d met the most amazing, kind people. I’d also seen poverty, death, and cruelty. I’d only experienced a tiny slice of the world, but I finally understood what Beau had said. It needed more happiness. And the only thing I really needed, I already had. Love.

I wish to be with you…

Also, seeing some reindeer would be cool.

The next morning, I woke up in my bed. It was barely light out, but the clock on the nightstand said it was one o’clock in the afternoon.

I stretched my arms and yawned, feeling a little disappointed that nothing had happened last night after my wish, but I also felt incredibly excited about being in this gorgeous place. Today was my thirty-first birthday, and I had my entire life in front of me.

What a way to kick it off. “Happy birthday to me.”

Suddenly, I noticed a butt pressed against my hip. I slowly turned my head to see a man under the covers, snoring away with his back turned.

“Oh sheet!” I jumped from bed.

“Come back to sleep,” he grumbled. “We can have cake later.”

“Beau?” I pulled back the covers.

“Meri, please. I’m exhausted,” he muttered, pushing up the blanket over his head. “Do you know how hard it is to deliver three billion presents in one night?”

“Beau, what are you doing here? In my bed?”

He slowly rolled over and cracked open his stunning blue eyes. “Just ten more minutes. Okay?”

Oh, no. You are not going back to sleep. I grabbed my pillow and thumped him over the head.

He smiled with his eyes closed. “Now you asked for it.” He reached and grabbed my arm, pulling me back into bed.

I was about to protest, but his mouth was on mine faster than I could speak. His tongue delved between my lips, lulling me into a hypnotic state of bliss.

Damn, he still tastes amazing. Like peppermint.

My hands reached for his chest, my fingertips skating over the swells of his pecs and abs and…Oh!

I pulled away. “You don’t have any clothes on.”

“They were all sooty.” He rolled on top of me, beaming into my eyes. “You seem to be missing your clothes, too.”

Oh, yeah. “Well, it is my birthday. What better suit?” I grinned.

He returned to kissing me, not at all the drowsy lump I’d seen moments ago. His hands were on my breasts, his mouth was dishing wild kissing, and his hips were snuggling down between my thighs.

“I missed you so much,” he whispered.

“I missed you, too.”

“Promise you’ll never leave again,” he added.

I froze for a moment, remembering the night we’d almost…eh-hem, forked. I’d said those same words to him, and it had started a chain of events.

But things were different now. I’d had time to grow as a person and to grow accustomed to who Beau was. More importantly, I’d figured out that love was really the only thing worth finding.

“I will definitely travel again because it’s fun, but I will never leave you again,” I said, drinking in his handsome face.

His mouth returned to mine, and he thrust inside me. My body exploded with head-to-toe tingles. He moved with me as I rocked my hips, both of us dancing to a rhythm that pumped our bodies with pleasure.

“Oh gosh,” I panted. “That feels amazing.”

He hooked his arm under my knee, deepening his thrusts. I ran my hands down his muscled back, enjoying the slick, hot penetrating motions of his hard cock. I mean candy cane! Yes. Yes. So good.

“Have you been a good girl this year, Meri? Do you want a special present from Santa?” His voice was deep and gravelly.

I stopped and gave him a look.

“Too soon?” he said.

“Please don’t ever do the Santa thing again. It’s weird.”

He laughed and brought his mouth back to mine. I immediately found myself lost again in his taste, his scent, and his heated breaths bathing my neck. His large frame on top of me—chest to chest, hips to hips, and lips to lips—made me feel more than aroused. Nothing else existed apart from our bodies joined, coaxing the most erotic sensations I’d ever experienced.

My toes began to curl, my nipples pearled, and my body locked down, preparing for an explosion.

Oh god! Yes. Yes! Euphoric contractions detonated inside my core, radiating outward through every limb.

Beau made a final thrust and let out a deep, gravelly groan. The room burst with lights of every color, sparkling and swirling while he came. I could hardly see a thing, the brightness nearly blinding me. That’s impressive.

After a long moment, our panting bodies slick with sweat, he started laughing into the crook of my neck.

“What?” I said.

“Best Christmas present I ever got.”

I slapped his arm. “What about me?”

“Best present you ever got, too.”

“Hey!”

He rolled off me and propped himself up on one elbow, brushing my frizzy hair back from my face. “Of course you’re better than an orgasm. But I’m not sure by how much.”

“Beau.”

His smug grin melted away, and he kissed me deeply. After a moment, he beamed into my eyes. “Do you have any idea how much I missed you? Thank you for coming back to me.”

“Well, you were right. Turns out that I do love you.” I cupped his handsome face. “Thank you for not losing faith in me.”

“Faith in us —a love worth waiting for.”