Fated to be Yours (26 page)

“I just realized. We’ve been together for the past four days now and I don’t even know your favorite color,” I say with a laugh.

Andrew laughs with me while twirling his coffee cup. “You’re right. How silly of us to continue on without this epic knowledge.” I laugh as he smiles at me. “My favorite color is blue, any shade of it. There’s just something about the color that has a calming reaction every time I see it.”

I nod my head and smile. “I can see that. My color is green. Sage green, to be more specific.”

“Ah, so you’re one of those then. A color snob.”

The face he makes has me giggling like a teenager. “Yes, I am a color snob. Although I wouldn’t dismiss any shade of green if presented to me. I would just be more drawn to that particular one.”

He taps his lips, pursing them against his finger. “Sudden death challenge?”

I raise an eyebrow to him. “I’m afraid to know what that is.”

Andrew leans over and smiles. “I fire a question at you and you have to answer as quickly as possible. Then you ask me something and I do the same. We keep going until one of us can’t think of anything else, or we fall over laughing. Are you interested?”

I nod. “By all means. Let’s play.”

“Favorite food?” he starts.

“Sesame chicken. Favorite band?”

“Rolling Stones.”

“Really?” I reply.

He laughs. “I was raised on the classics and it never quite left me. No commentary, by the way. Just questions. Okay, bucket list vacation destination?”

“Florence. Yours?”

“Bali. Favorite pastime?”

“Reading. Favorite sport?”

“Rugby. Lace or satin?”

I’m taken aback by that question. “Um, lace?”

He leans closer to me. “Breathless or excitement?”

I lean closer to him. “Breathless.”

Andrew leans even closer, just a breath between our lips. “Simple or fancy?”

“Simple,” I reply.

His fingers brush along my jaw and he places a sweet, simple kiss against my lips. “I knew that answer already.”

“How did you know?”

“Because there’s no flash to you, nothing screaming that you need the best of everything to be happy. You’re the person who is perfectly content with enjoying life as it comes. You don’t need the fancy cars or the glitz of excitement. You are the type of person who will try to make the best of any given situation.”

I blink several times while staring into his eyes. “How do you know that?”

“I know that because I’ve watched you these past four days and listened to you talk, listened to your stories and watched your body language as you approach different situations. All of them tell me the person that you are. And they all say that you are someone that I need to be around for as long as you’ll let me.”

And with those words, I know for sure that this is it for me, that I am ruined for all other men, even if we cannot seem to make things work out.

And that small bit of uncertainty has me seeking out his feelings for me. “Andrew, what are we? Are we dating or just messing around as a vacation fling?”

I run my finger around the rim of my coffee cup, staring intently at the brown liquid inside. Andrew reaches out, grabbing my hand, halting my nervous tic, bringing my fingers to his lips, gently kissing each and every one. He shifts his body toward me, leaning over to rest his arm across the back of my chair. The blues of his eyes draw me deeper into him as he lets go of my hand to gently trace my cheek.

“I think we’re past dating, love. And we are most definitely more than a vacation fling. You can put whatever label you want on us but just so I’m clear, I am yours and you are mine. We belong to each other.”

Then, at that moment, images flash before my eyes. Andrew and I getting married, the two of us sitting on the front porch swing, watching our kids play in the front yard. I can see us dancing in our living room for no reason other than to hold each other. I see sunsets and sunrises, both spent in his arms. I see parties and laughter, tears and comfort. I see a life that I’ve always imagined and in each scene he takes center stage. He’s who I want to spend the rest of my life with.

I am his and he is mine.

And with that, the overwhelming need to place a name to the emotion becomes too much for me. It’s love. It has to be. I’ve never really felt it before and I have no other explanation for it. This need, this compulsion to be next to him always overrides everything else. His happiness is what I want to live for, to strive for. But I can’t say it out loud. Not yet.

I place my hand on his cheek and gently pull him into a kiss. The faintest hint of coffee still lingers on them, but the undeniable taste of Andrew still overrides it all. He smiles and strokes my hair.

“Thank you,” I whisper against his lips.

“For what?”

“Well, for one, missing your connecting flight to New York. Two, for accepting me for who I am, even though I still don’t think we know each other well.”

“We know more about each other than I think you realize. And it should be me thanking you for allowing me into your life. I know it’s been fast and you’ve been nervous about how things will work out between us. But I know you feel the same things that I feel. There’s a light in your eyes that mirror my own. Some things are just meant to be.”

Tears burn behind my eyes, threatening to fall. I hold them back because I don’t want to turn into an emotional mess. Not yet. I just nod my head, acknowledging his heartfelt statement, agreeing with everything that he’s said.

“This is a little too deep for this early in the morning,” I say, trying to lighten the mood.

He laughs and my heart flutters at the sound. “I agree. Today is about fun. Are you ready to start our adventure together?”

Such a loaded question and could very easily have a double meaning behind it. But I take it at face value and wrap my hand around his outstretched one. The bus boy quickly picks up our tray and plates as we step onto the sidewalk, falling into our perfect stride, ready to start our adventure together.

A
NDREW SURPRISES ME AGAIN BY
taking me on the Tube, a simple thing that excites me and it’s sweet that he remembers. I think it’s just an excuse for him to sit as close to me as possible in the crowded train. As more and more people enter the train, he pulls me onto his lap to free a seat for someone. The small child that now occupies my vacated seat smiles up at me as he wiggles into it.

I feel Andrew smile against my neck as he presses his face in the space between my ear and my shoulder. I love the way that he always has to touch me, always needing to have skin on skin contact. Truth be told, I need it as well. I lean my body into his, relaxing into his touch as we ride to a destination unknown to me. He’s promised me an adventure and I wonder what that could entail.

Soon he leads me back to the surface, exiting the Westminster Station and back into the bright midmorning sun. We walk through the crowded streets, his arm draped possessively around my waist, holding me close to his side. The murmuring of people on their phones or talking to one another become the background noise as I see one of the most famous landmarks come into view.

“Big Ben!” I cry, craning my neck up to look at the massive structure. “Holy crap it’s huge!”

He laughs at my childlike excitement and presses his lips against my temple. “Yes, it’s not just a clever name. Come, let’s take the tour.”

I tilt my head to the side, twisting my lips as I do. “We don’t have to. I mean, you live here and have probably seen it a million times. I don’t want to make you do all the touristy things. I’m content just looking at everything.”

He flexes his arm around me and smiles. “I don’t mind being a tourist in my own city. All I want to do is see that beautiful smile of yours all day long while I share the city that I love with you.”

“Sometimes I swear you’re too good to be true.”

He kisses the end of my nose. “I can say the same about you, love.”

We walk over to the line for the tour and follow along with the group, playing the role of tourist and taking pictures with my phone of anything and everything I see. I snap several photos of Andrew without him knowing it while he takes several of me with his phone, including a few selfies of the two of us together.

We complete the tour with a newfound knowledge of the structure and the history behind it. Well, it’s new to me. Andrew was telling me the history behind it before the tour guide even said anything, making me laugh at inappropriate times and garnering several glares from other patrons.

He leads me down the way, stopping every once in a while to take my picture, even when I’m holding my hand up to cover my face. Just random pictures really, nothing of importance that I’m standing in front of. I think he’s making up excuses, telling me that the light is hitting me just right and he needs to capture it. Or there’s a beautiful flower that I need to look at and asks that I tell him what it smells like. I’m on to his game, but I play along anyway because it’s making him smile and I will do anything for that smile.

As we walk hand in hand down the busy streets, I can’t help but admire the history surrounding the area. There are buildings that look to be centuries old and I wonder what tales those walls could tell. What they’ve seen and what stories could be written. I’m just in love with this city, even though this is truly my first time experiencing it.

Andrew joins in my favorite hobby of people watching as we point out a few interesting characters on our journey. Everyone seems friendly though, even offering to take a picture of Andrew and me together when we stop in front of a picturesque floral display. He buys me a single flower, kissing my cheek as we continue down the street.

We walk through Westminster Abbey, again taking the tour. I’m in awe of the history in this building alone. So much has happened here. To be able to walk in the same area as kings and queens has my excitement jumping to a whole new level. Andrew takes it in stride though, keeping me close as we tour the different chapels inside. I run my hands across the many marble statues, completely in awe by my surroundings. The magnificent paintings adorning the walls catch my eye, as well as the stained glass work throughout the halls. Andrew takes me through the museum, telling me about the history of the artifacts and I’m amazed at how much he knows about his country. I’m sure if I took him to places back home I wouldn’t have the slightest clue where things are from or why they’re in the museum to begin with.

After several more pictures together, he leads us back out to the street, joining the crowd at the St. James’s Park Station. He doesn’t even give me the chance to take a seat next to him this time. He just pulls me into his lap right away. You won’t find me complaining about this seating arrangement.

His strong arms keep hold of me as he nuzzles into the crook of my neck, whispering words against my skin. I don’t even fight the public displays anymore, not caring who sees us because the time we have together is precious that I need to take advantage of it whenever I can.

We exit at the Victoria Station, joining the large crowd of people with cameras in hand.

“Where are we now?” I ask. He takes hold of my hand and as we turn the corner, I see why everyone has their cameras ready.

“Is that? Is that Buckingham Palace?”

He gives me a full megawatt smile, causing his eyes to crinkle in the corners. “Yes, my dearest. That is the palace. It’s kind of a staple for any tourist to see.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips against his. He laughs when I tug him across the street, clicking away pictures with one hand as I refuse to let him go. We see the famous guards standing at their post and we have our picture taken with them. He wraps his arm around my shoulder as we walk around the perimeter, looking at the gardens just beyond the large fence. But he humors me and takes me all the way around so I don’t miss anything.

“Shall we go to our final destination?” he asks.

I look up at him, my eyes squinting behind my sunglasses. “There’s more to see? My gosh Andrew, I don’t think I could take much more. I must have a million pictures on my phone as it is.”

He laughs. The sound reverberates through my chest, warming it up as it’s my new favorite sound. Well, it’s one of my new favorite sounds.

“This one is special. Come, let’s get back to the station.”

We walk down to the station, still hand in hand. I glance up at him as we wait for the train and let my eyes roam over his profile. Such a beautiful face, perfectly matched with the beautiful man who captivates me daily.

“You know, I can sit on a seat,” I say jokingly.

He tightens his arms around my waist and shakes his head. “That is not in the rules for the day. This is my day to pamper you and that is what I shall do.”

“I don’t need pampering.”

He laughs a lighthearted laugh. “You may not think so, but I do.”

I roll my eyes and it only makes him laugh more. “You’re going to spoil me if you’re not careful.”

“Maybe that’s my master plan. To spoil you so much that you’ll never want to be rid of me. But I think you just deserve someone who will look after you for a change.”