“Luckyme,” he echoed. “I didn’t think I believed in anything like fate, but with you…”
His voice trailed off, and for a moment his eyes seemed to well up. He swallowed and took a long breath.
“Just think about all the times this could have gone a different way—if I hadn’t had such a rough spring last year, I wouldn’t have bought this apartment. If I hadn’t been such a defensive shit, I wouldn’t have broken your camera.” Niklas sighed. “Well, it makes me feel a lot better about all the mistakes I’ve made. Because they all led me here.”
“This isn’t fate, Niklas,” I said. “This is you deciding it was worth the effort to follow me around the world and me deciding I can’t live without you.”
“Maybe you’re right.” He gazed at me with wonder and amazement that made my breath catch. I cupped his face in my hands, feeling the rough line of his jaw under my fingers. Even now I could see that the appeal of his rugged sexiness would grow with age.
His breath caught as I stroked his skin, and he let out a quiet groan. I kissed him again with long, luxurious strokes of my tongue. Though I hadn’t touched him in over a month, I wanted to take this slowly. After all, we had forever.
*
I skipped the last two steps of the flight of stairs and jogged down the hallway to Veronica’s door.
“One minute,” I said over my shoulder to Niklas, close behind. “I just need to say hello.”
Veronica answered on the first knock.
“Carolita,” she squealed, throwing her arms around my neck. I squeezed my friend hard.
“Just letting you know I got in safely,” I said. “I’ll bring your American food orders down later.”
“Okay,” whispered Veronica, sniffing a little. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
Veronica loosened her hug. “Did you get the job?”
I nodded and glanced at Niklas. “But I haven’t told him yet.”
Veronica raised her eyebrows.
“I’ll let you two go then,” she said, smiling. “Welcome back to the neighborhood.”
I squeezed my friend’s hand and walked past Niklas toward the stairs. I started down, with Niklas fast on my heels.
“You’re killing me here,” he growled, grabbing me from behind. “What job?”
I stopped. “Well, it’s a month-long assignment in Yellowstone National Park.”
Niklas froze behind me. “I thought you said you were staying.”
I turned around and faced him, the stairs accentuating his height. His mouth pulled tightly in a grim line, and his eyes were wide and sad.
“I am staying,” I said. “But I’ll be traveling for assignments sometimes, depending on what I get. I applied for the Yellowstone project because it isn’t until next summer. Off-season for hockey—I looked it up. I was hoping you’d come with me. If you wanted to.”
Niklas took a long breath. He nodded.
“We’ll work it out,” I added, echoing his own reassurance from so long ago.
“Just don’t leave anytime soon, okay?” he said, lacing his hand in mine.
“I just got here. I don’t want to go, either,” I whispered.
He tugged my hand, and we walked down the last flight of stairs into the building lobby.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
