Eternally North (Eternally North 1)

Wait a cherry-picking minute! Glamorous cinema posters, asking for a sign, an exploding light bulb, one hot and muscled bad boy... could it be? Was that the message all along? Mighty Zeus! It must have been. Why didn't I put it all together before now?

I suddenly sat bolt upright and shouted, "Oh My God!" My hands covered my mouth as I tried to believe what this all could mean.

Tudor jumped beside me, worry etched on his face. "What, Sunshine?”

I turned to gawk at him. Why had I never thought of it before? I asked for a sign all those months ago, and I always thought it was everyone’s favourite author, Jane, from beyond the grave, but... I grasped Tudor’s handsome face in my hands. "It was you." I whispered in shock.

He looked at me like I had sprouted another head. “I'm confused."

I laughed hysterically and kissed his pouting lips. "Last year when I found Nathan with his PA, I took a walk and, in my despair, asked the universe for a sign, something to guide me, a sign that something good would happen in my life, that I would find true love.

“I saw a Jane Austen quote in a book shop window, and I thus took that as my message to live more care-free, you know, ‘Carpe Diem’, and that decision ultimately led me to Calgary."

Tudor nodded at me slowly like he was witnessing me losing my mind.

"Bear with me, babes," I urged.

He motioned for me to continue.

"Just before I saw the quote, I was looking at movie posters, thinking what it must be like to live such a fantastical life.” Tudor snorted loudly at that ridiculously incorrect assumption. I continued, “… anyway, a light bulb surrounding a poster popped, just like that one," I pointed to the mirror in the room. "At the time I put it down to bad electrics, but it wasn't, that must have been the message I was meant to receive, it was a sign about you."

He moved to speak and then shook his head instead. "I'm sorry, Tash, I'm still confused. Are you feeling okay? Is the stress of facing the press getting to you?"

"Tude, the poster was for The Blade Reaper. You were the actor in the picture. The sign must have been that I was meant to find you. My true love."

He looked up and smiled a full Hollywood happy smile, finally getting it. "So you're telling me that we were destined to be together from the beginning?"

My heart stuttered. "I guess so. Looks like we were written in the stars," I said in a hushed voice.

"I never doubted it. You're it for me. I knew it from the get-go."

The hosts of butterflies were back in my stomach and I moved to straddle his waist.

“So we are really doing it this time, for keeps? I’m just checking that we are both on the same page about diving in with both feet?”

Tudor’s lips rose into a smug smirk, delicious dimples out on full display and he pulled me down to his mouth. “For me it was always for keeps, and my feet have been knee deep in your love juice from our first meeting,” he announced cheekily.

Ugh… love juice? Let it go, Tash… but love juice? What a bad choice of words! It seems I’m not the only one who says inappropriate things... bloody love juice!

I giggled and he thrust a hand in my hair to pull me in to his awaiting lips just as Kate entered the room, spoiling the lovey-dovey moment.

On seeing us on the couch, heads bent together, my legs spread over his, she walked over and grabbed my left hand from Tudor’s arm and inspected my ring finger before looking up and barking the question. "When you said Natasha was permanent, just how permanent is she? You haven't proposed or anything stupid like that have you? Because I need to know if you have, I don't do surprises."

Tudor looked at her menacingly. "No, we are not engaged, but she is special to me and I don't intend to let her go. Marrying her wouldn't be stupid, Kate; not being with her would be stupid. Just leave it alone."

Kate tilted her chin. "Well okay. Not as permanent yet as I thought. At least that gives me something to work with," she muttered, not quite as under her breath as I would have liked and walked to the other side of the room waiting for our cue.

I looked to Tudor, who was biting his lip in embarrassment. "That woman is without doubt the scariest person I have ever met." I whispered, so she couldn’t hear me.

He ticked his head to the side knowingly. "Yeah, but the best at what she does."

I smiled, fully believing that no-one in Hollywood could stop that freight train from barrelling through.

"Right, you two. It’s time to move those saccharine-sweet hinies!" Kate interrupted again, and then peered at my backside sceptically. “Or is yours full-sugar?” she asked and laughed hysterically to herself.

Why I ought to… cower in the corner. Jesus, grow a pair would you, Tash?!

Tudor laughed at my glowering face and seductively squeezed my ‘full-sugar’ arse in both hands and licked his lips, his brows dancing suggestively.

I took a calming breath and took my curvy-arse-loving man’s hand. He leaned down and whispered, "If you get nervous just look at me, okay? I'll protect you. You look beautiful, by the way."

I tried to smile but grimaced instead, my nerves were beginning to take over. Tudor pulled me to his chest laying his chin on my head. "We had to do this eventually, gorgeous. We couldn't live in our private little bubble forever, not with what I do for a living."

I squeezed my arms around his back. "I know. But I loved being in that little bubble of love. It was cosy and only made for two. I like having you all to myself. I don't know how to be with you in any other way, how to share you with the world."