Page 40 of Cruising for Christmas
“Ian,” she whispered urgently. “There’s someone at my door.”
“I know, baby girl. Are you okay? I heard a loud noise. It’s me. Open up.”
“What? Yeah, I’m fine. I just dropped something.” She looked at the display as if she could see him before looking at the front door. “You’re here?”
She pulled the door open.
Ian smiled and held out his arms. “Surprise.”
She stared at him, dumbfounded. “What are you doing here?”
His arms dropped to his sides, and he chuckled. “Well, that’s not the greeting I had hoped for.”
It only took another moment before she stepped forward, grabbed his hand, and yanked him into the house. He snatched his suitcase and rolled it inside before she closed the door and immediately launched herself into his arms.
“That’s more of what I wanted,” he said into her hair as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.
“What are you doing here?”
He let go of her and took a step back. “Let’s sit down and talk.”
Her stomach plummeted. That didn’t sound good.
She took him over to the bed and sat on the edge. Being in a studio apartment didn’t allow her a lot of space for extra furniture, so the seating choices were limited. After they were seated, he turned to face her. “I didn’t feel right with the way we left things. You didn’t know I had just gotten out of a relationship, and in hindsight, I should have told you. At the time, it seemed so insignificant and didn’t matter, but I never meant to make you feel used.”
She sighed. “I didn’t feel used. I just kind of wondered if I was a rebound and it didn’t mean anything to you.”
“You were not a rebound. I promise you.”
“So why did you travel all the way over here to tell me that? Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to see you, but it must have cost a fortune to get on a last-minute flight like that. And where’s your dog?”
“Rex is fine. He loves the doggy hotel I take him to when I travel. I almost wonder if he loves them more than he loves me. He was ecstatic to go back there after only a few hours of being with me.” He chuckled and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Kelly, my ex, showed up at my place. She was waiting for me when I got home.”
Norah’s stomach clenched.
“She said she wanted me back and realized she had made a mistake.”
She schooled her features. “What did you say?”
“I told her I didn’t want her, to get lost, and lose my number.”
A laugh bubbled out of her. “You what?”
Ian took Norah’s hands and chuckled. “It made me realize I don’t want to be where you aren’t. I don’t want to be in New York if you’re in Washington. I want to be here, with you.”
Her breath caught.
“She made you realize all that?”
“I think I already knew it, but she helped solidify it.”
Norah stared at Ian, who was holding her hands and stroking the backs of them. “Thank you, Kelly.”
He chuckled. “Yes, thank you, Kelly.” He reached out and stroked her cheek. “I love you, Norah.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “I love you, too.” She sniffled. “So what does this mean?”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, and she melted into him. Once he leaned back, he whispered, “I think this means Rex and I are moving to Washington.”
