Page 24 of The London Chance

I flung myself at him before he could finish his sentence.

“I love you too. Yes, we’ll figure this out. Yes, let’s do this. Yes, I want to be with you. Yes, yes, yes.”

He kissed me breathless, then held my face between his hands and rested his forehead on mine. “I know distance is hard and this is a lot to ask, but I promise I’ll do my best to make you happy and—”

“Shh. You already do.” I grinned, my pulse skittering out of control. “So…are you actually coming to California now, or is that someone else’s seat?”

“It’s mine. I bought it last week when I realized the guy I loved lived there. I thought I’d stay a few days, hang out at the beach, meet your cat, check out your guitar-pick collection, meet your family…”

“God, you must really love me.” I snorted.

“I do, Chance. I do.”

I blinked back tears and swallowed the desire to thank him.Thank you for talking to me, thank you for taking me in, thank you for trying, thank you for taking a chance on me.

Maybe it was true that love came along when you least expected it. But it was here now, and I’d do everything in my power to never let go.

EPILOGUE

One year later

Roman

Lolo wrapped his tail around my calf, purring noisily in a not-so-subtle demand for his dinner. I muted my conference call as I bent to pet him between the ears.

“Such a good boy. Go find your daddy,” I hummed.

“Looks like he did,” my husband snickered, setting the cat’s bowl next to the kitchen island.

I shot a wry grin at Chance, then motioned to my earbuds before wandering toward the window to gaze at the Thames while I finished my call. I hoped no one needed much input from me. I’d already mentally checked out for the day. The smell of marinara simmering on the stove and the sound of my man puttering around our flat drew me in. I was ready to kick back, sip wine, eat pasta, and curl up on the sofa with Chance.

So…husband. Yep, that happened.

Chance and I did the long-distance thing through summer last year. It was hard, but we made it work. We gave up our dating app and texted or talked on the phone every day. I was pretty sure there wasn’t a “Would you rather?” or “This or that?” question we hadn’t covered…and I kind of loved that about us.

Nothing about our relationship was boring or by the book. We took chances, followed our instincts, and somehow, we’d ended up married, living in a modern skyscraper in London with our cat. Personally, I’d never been happier in my life.

It was all a bit of a whirlwind. Chance closed a big deal in London last August and talked to his bosses about relocating here. I sold my flat in Kensington, and we bought this place together soon after.

Oh…and I asked him to marry me in September. I knew if I sang the chorus to “Truly Madly Deeply,” he’d probably say yes. Thankfully, I was right. We were married in December in a small wedding in Bath with a few friends and family in attendance. It simply couldn’t have been more perfect.

It was hard to believe it had only been a year since we’d first met in person. I felt like I’d always known him, and this was where we were supposed to land.

A glass of wine magically appeared in my periphery. I smiled my thanks and looped my arm over Chance’s shoulder before signing off my call.

“Cheers.” I clinked my glass to his and kissed his temple.

“Cheers. Dinner will be ready in five minutes. Are you hungry?”

“A little.” I turned to him, admiring his unusual eyes and beautiful smile.

“What are you thinking about, husband?”

“I thought of a new question,” I replied.

“Oh?”

“Would you rather be able to speak any language in the world or talk to animals?” I asked in my most serious tone.