Miracle On 5th Avenue (From Manhattan with Love 3)

Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t love.

His body might be well and truly seduced, but his heart was untouched by anything they’d shared. Frozen? Damaged? He didn’t know.

Some of his tension must have communicated itself to her because she snuggled into him and yawned. Her limbs tangled intimately with his. “You’re quiet. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

He was thinking that she was a woman who looked for, and expected, happy-ever-afters and nothing they shared could end that way. He knew nothing about happy-everafters. All he knew was that she wanted love, and he didn’t.

“I’m not thinking anything.”

“You are. You’re wondering what this means and where it leads.”

“It doesn’t lead anywhere, Eva.”

“Because you never want to fall in love again.” There was a long silence. “You think you’re such an expert on love, but what if you’re not?”

“You’re saying I didn’t love my wife?”

“No, I’m not saying that.” Her voice was soft in the darkness. “I’m saying that there are as many different ways to love as there are people in the world. No two relationships can ever be the same. If they were, then there would only ever have been one love story written.”

“You’re telling me that Romeo didn’t feel the same way about Juliet as Heathcliff did about Cathy?”

“Why must you always pick doomed relationships as examples? I’m saying that love is as different as the people who feel it. You could say that bread is just flour and water, but with a few subtle tweaks you can produce something different each time. Love doesn’t have to be a tragedy. It can be happy.” She hesitated. “Don’t you believe in second chances?”

“Failing in a marriage isn’t like failing an exam. You don’t get to do it all over again and aim for a better grade. At least, not in my case.”

“Is that how you see it? As failure?”

“There was something fundamental that was missing in our relationship. Something I failed to give her.”

“Maybe no one could have given her what she needed. Maybe what she needed was something only she could find.” She paused. “You’ve decided you don’t ever want to love again, but what if there is a different type of love out there for you? One that lifts you, instead of crushes you? You don’t want to miss that. Life is too short and precious to be lived without love, Lucas.”

Did she really believe that?

Hearing her words cemented his belief that this was a giant mistake. “How have you made it this far in life without being thoroughly disillusioned?”

“You’re assuming you’re right and I’m wrong, but what if I’m not the one who’s wrong?”

“I’ve been in love, Eva. I know what love is.”

“You know what love was for you last time, but you don’t know what love could be. Next time it could be different. Just think about it.”

He didn’t know whether her view on the world was inspiring or terrifying.

“What I think,” he said, “is that you’re living in fairy-tale land again.”

“My friends call it Planet Eva. But it’s nice here.” Her voice was soft and breathy. “Maybe you should join me, even if it’s only for a minibreak.”

Despite all the warnings in his head, she made him laugh and he lowered his mouth to hers and pressed her back against the bed. She was luscious and succulent, like her food. “Maybe I will.”

“There’s only one rule. No baggage on Planet Eva. We travel light here. Hand luggage only.”

* * *

Eva slept through the alarm twice and woke grumpy and flustered.

She found Lucas in his bathroom, shaving. A towel was knotted round his waist.

“It’s late. Why didn’t you wake me?”