Chapter 2

" Y ou've been gazing out the window for most of the flight. What are you daydreaming about?" Finn asked, draping his arm around Ella.

She turned to look at him and smiled softly. "Nothing, really. Just watching the clouds beneath us."

He pecked her lips.

"What about you?" she asked. "You must be on cloud nine yourself with the incredible response to the film. Winning the Palme d'Or, the biggest award of the festival. It's extraordinary."

He smiled. "I only wish Albie had been there to celebrate with us all."

"Me too. Although he once told me that he found awards to be a bit preposterous. He called them ‘dust collectors for the chronically insecure,' which cracked me up." They both laughed and Ella continued, "Making good art and living with gusto both on- and off-screen—that's what mattered to him. And that's what the film captures."

"Yeah."

"Jean, on the other hand, no doubt derived great personal satisfaction from the win. For years he's felt so misunderstood, attacked by the mainstream media. They've relished labeling him controversial. To be fair, he's certainly gone out of his way to play it up, to have fun with the absurdity. I caught his eye when the award was announced, and I could tell he was having a good giggle at it all." She paused and touched his face. "I'm honored to have been there when you were all making such a spectacular piece of art. You truly deserve the accolades."

"Ella, this film changed my life in every way. It will always be the most special shoot of my life because it's where we met and fell in love. The reception the film is receiving is just the icing on the cake. To tell you the truth, I haven't given the award or the recognition a single thought. I've been too preoccupied by thinking about how happy I am that we're together."

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. "I should really take little Sweden out of her travel carrier."

"I'll get her," Finn replied, bending over and retrieving the small kitten. "Hi, sweet little thing," he said, gently petting her snow-white fur. "Here you go. She's trembling."

Ella took her carefully. "Oh, it's okay, little one. This is an adventure, that's all."

"Is she all right?" Finn asked.

"I think she's just a little nervous."

"Are you nervous too, sweetheart? It's okay if you are. Leaving Paris and your friends, moving to LA, being thrust into the spotlight . . . it's a lot."

She looked deeply into his sea-colored eyes and said, "Losing you was the most painful thing I've ever been through."

"It was for me too."

"When we fell in love and you started talking about our future, so often there were things I was thinking, things I wanted to say, but I didn't because I was afraid of hurting you or disappointing you somehow. So instead, I let things fester, tried to bury them, until I had retreated so far into myself that I didn't know how to tell you what I was feeling. I barely knew what I was feeling myself."

"You can tell me anything, Ella."

"I know that now. I promised myself a long time ago that if I were ever lucky enough to get another chance with you, I wouldn't make those same mistakes again. Finn, I want us to share everything, to be real partners, like you said."

He played with one of her curls, waiting to hear what she would say next.

"So, to answer your question, I'm mostly out-of-my-mind excited for everything that's ahead. But yes, I'm also a tad nervous. This is all new to me—moving in with someone, building a life together." She glanced down. He touched her cheek, and she raised her gaze to meet his. "Leaving my home for yours isn't hard. I've always looked at taking leaps as a part of the adventure of life, and I love LA. It's just . . ."

"What, baby?"

"You live in a mansion. You have a staff. That's so wildly different from what I'm used to that it's hard to wrap my mind around it. I don't know what to expect or how I'll fit into your world."

"Sweetheart, I promise to do everything in my power to make you comfortable. When we get to the house tonight, it will be empty. I thought we could use privacy, and I didn't want to overwhelm you. I gave the staff the day off tomorrow so the two of us can unwind. We can just take it day by day. The details will sort themselves out. Remember, it won't be my world or my home anymore; it will be ours. Nothing is set in stone. If something makes you uncomfortable, we can change it. We'll figure out what works for us."

"That means a lot to me," she said before planting a soft kiss on his mouth.

"Ella, all I want is for us to be together and live the life we've dreamed of."

"The last time around, I think we suffered from feeling pressure, confusion, or doubt, not trusting that our feelings were mutual. Maybe we didn't know in our hearts that we belonged to each other. This time, I want to make sure you know that, and that you know I do too."

Warmth swept over his face.

"Finn, there's something I need you to know and remember, something you can trust in the deepest part of your soul. It will help take the pressure off so I don't need to worry about being flawless, living up to a fantasy, or always saying or doing the perfect thing."

"What, baby?"

"I choose you. I choose us. Always."

WHEN THE JET LANDED, A TOWN CAR was waiting to whisk them home. Ella held Sweden's carrier on her lap as they drove through the most exclusive part of Beverly Hills. "We're here," Finn announced as the gates opened. "It's just up this private drive."

"Wow," Ella muttered, wide-eyed as they pulled up to the front of the circular driveway, a fountain in the center. She'd seen photos of his house, but it was somehow even grander in person.

She stepped hesitantly out of the car, while Finn spilled out with the confidence of coming home. "Wait here. Let me unlock the door and turn off the alarm. The driver can run the luggage upstairs. He can take Sweden too," Finn instructed, taking the pet carrier. "I want us to walk inside together."

Ella nodded and the men set off on their tasks. She waited, breathing in the crisp night air and admiring the imposing gray house with white trim and mammoth windows, surrounded by perfectly manicured plants and flowers. Finn returned and took her hand. "Come on, my love," he said. As they stepped into the foyer, Ella's eyes flitted from the dark wood floors to the light gray walls, massively high ceilings, and grand, spiral staircase. "Welcome home, sweetheart."

She beamed. "It's amazing."

"Are you hungry? I'm sure that Joyce, my cook, loaded the fridge for us."

She shook her head. "I'm still full from the food on the flight. But if you're hungry . . ."

"I'm not. Would you like a tour?"

"It's kind of a lot to take in all at once. I'm trying to stay grounded by focusing only on you. Maybe we could go to your bedroom and save the tour for tomorrow—is that okay?"

"Of course. It's just upstairs," he replied, showing her the way. When they arrived at the open door, he said, "After you, my love."

She stepped into the sprawling bedroom, immediately noticing the tiered crystal chandelier hanging high above. She mumbled, "Oh, wow," a smile dancing across her face. "It's nothing like I imagined. I thought it might be, well . . ."

"What?" he asked.

"A bachelor on his own and all, I guess I assumed it would be hypermasculine. But if I were going to fantasize about the most dreamlike, serene bedroom, this would be it. The furniture is gorgeous," she said, admiring the walnut bed frame with mother-of-pearl inlay. "This must feel like sleeping on a cloud," she remarked, running her hand across the silvery-gray sateen comforter. "Oh, and this vanity and love seat are absolutely beautiful, like out of a fairy tale. I've never had anything like this before. Oh, and look here! These are so lovely," she gushed, meandering over to a table by the windows and picking up a small vase filled with pale pink rosebuds. "They smell so sweet."

He smiled brightly. "I'm so glad you like it. It's all new. For you, Ella."

"What?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"This has all been done in the last two days. My decorator took care of everything. She's been working around the clock, texting me pictures so I could approve each item. I wanted our home to be perfect for you, especially this room. I hope it can be a sanctuary, an oasis."

Her eyes became misty. "You did all of this for me?"

He caressed the side of her face and nodded.

"It's like something out of a fantasy. How did you possibly . . ."

"I know you, Ella. I told her that you love things with history but that you're also the most modern person I know. I insisted that nothing should ever be brought into this house that doesn't have romance to it, because that's how you make me feel." He wiped a tear that had fallen from her eye and continued, "The furniture is art deco inspired. Since that style originated in France and you left Paris to move here with me, I thought it would be a nice way to merge our worlds. We chose this bedding because I could picture you lying on it. I could visualize just how piercing your green eyes would look against the cool gray."

"Finn, I don't know what to say," she said with a sniffle.

"You don't have to say anything. I promised that when you moved here, it wouldn't be my world; it would be ours. There may be all kinds of changes you want to make around here to make it feel like home, but I wanted to get a head start."

"You are the sweetest, most romantic man I've ever known," she said, taking his face in her hands and kissing him softly. "Oh, and look! You even got little Sweden a kitty bed."

"There are a few scattered throughout the house. They said this was the softest, most lush kind. There are also bowls set up for her."

She ran her hand down his bicep and pulled him close. He wrapped her in his muscular arms. "Thank you," she whispered.

He dropped a kiss in her hair. "You are so welcome." After a moment, he asked, "Should we unpack and get ready for bed?"

"That sounds divine."

"Here's our closet," he said, leading her into an enormous walk-in with rows of built-in clothing racks, shoe racks, drawers, and mirrors. Three round white ottomans filled the center of the monstrous space.

She laughed and remarked, "This is literally bigger than my last apartment."

"My things are on that side over there, and I've cleared out the rest for you. It will be a couple of days before your belongings arrive from Paris, so I asked my assistant to pick up a few things for you: robes, pajamas, jeans, tops, the long sundresses you love, workout clothes, bathing suits, and a few pairs of sandals and sneakers. There should be underwear and socks in one of these drawers," he said, opening several. "Ah, here they are."

"Finn, I . . . I . . ."

"What, baby?"

"I just can't believe you did all of this. You didn't have to go to such trouble. The only thing I need is you."

"It was no trouble. It's just a few things to make you more comfortable and at home. Of course, if there's anything else you need, we can buy it. There are toiletries in the bathroom. I think I remembered everything you use, your face wash, lotion, toothpaste, perfume."

She ran her hand down the light teal silk robe hanging in the closet, which had been picked out for her. When she turned back to him, she said in a sultry voice, "Let's get ready for bed. I want to feel you."

A little while later, Ella emerged from the bathroom wearing her new robe, her long, spiral curls flowing freely. Finn skimmed his fingertips across her wrist, and then onto her cheek. They began kissing tenderly and with increasing intensity. She untied the sash to her robe and let it fall to the floor.

"My God, you're beautiful. I think it every time I'm with you like this," he said.

She slipped her fingers under his waistband and pulled his boxer shorts down, stopping at the indentation above his tailbone. Running her hands down his muscular thighs, she fell to her knees and took him in her mouth. He moaned with pleasure. When he couldn't take it anymore, he helped her rise to her feet, picked her up, and carefully laid her down on the bed. They made love intimately, kissing each other until they both groaned in ecstasy.

"I'm completely in love with you and I always will be," Finn whispered, staring at her in total adoration.

"And I'm completely in love with you. Finn, I'm so happy to be here."

He kissed her forehead, reached over to switch off the light, and then scooped her up in his arms. "Welcome home, sweetheart."