If the Sun Never Sets (If Love 2)

“Trust me, I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” Leo raked a hand through his curly dark hair. “Actually, there’s something I want to give you. Another wedding present, though nowhere near as extravagant as a weeklong trip to Shanghai.”

“It’s okay. I think Kris has the market cornered on extravagant gifts.” Curiosity pricked at Farrah. She had not expected a second present from Leo, of all people.

Leo pulled a thick, bound stack of papers from his weathered brown messenger bag. “It’s the first draft of my next novel. Written under a pen name.” He flashed an abashed smile. “The story has been in my head for a while, but I lacked the will to finish it until I received your wedding invite a few months ago. I wanted you to read it first.”

Farrah’s brow furrowed. “Why me?”

“Read it,” Leo said simply.

The next day, Farrah curled up in a seat by the window and read the manuscript from front to back, until the sun sank beneath the horizon and moonlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the tear-stained pages of a story about a girl and a boy who fell in love, in a city long ago and far away.

Blake liked his friends. They were great.

But after a week of their nonstop company, he was sick of them. He wanted alone time with his wife. He wanted to kiss her without other people interrupting, and he wanted to make her scream at night without having to deal with seven sets of knowing eyes and shit-eating grins the next morning.

Kris really needed to soundproof her rooms.

So on their last day in China, Blake moved their shit from Kris’s penthouse to a suite at Z Hotels Shanghai. He had downright wicked ideas for what he and Farrah could do in that massive hotel bed, but first, they needed to complete their nostalgia walk.

Farrah had insisted on visiting all their old date spots—Moller Villa (that hadn’t been an official date, but they’d had their first dinner alone together there), the M50 art district (again, not a real date, but close enough), the ice-skating rink they went to on Valentine’s Day—and Blake indulged her. At first, he did it because Farrah wanted to, but as the day wore on, he found himself enjoying the walk down memory lane. It reminded him of how far they’d come.

They ended their night at the Bund. Five years later and the Shanghai skyline was still a fucking beauty. Ageless, timeless, and so dazzling it hurt to look at it.

Blake remembered staring at the spires rising above the city when he was twenty-two and feeling so tiny, so insignificant. Now, when he looked at the sprawl of glittering buildings across the river, he felt like he was on top of the world.

He had a booming business, amazing friends and family, and the woman of his dreams in his arms. He had everything he needed.

“It’s like we never left.” Farrah sighed, lacing her fingers with his as they continued their leisurely stroll along the waterfront. “God, I missed this place.”

“This city has seen some things.” Blake’s dimples made a sneaky appearance. “Do you remember what I asked you when we came to the Bund for the first time after we kissed?”

Farrah’s smile matched his. “You asked me to be your girlfriend. In the clumsiest way possible, I might add.”

“It was not clumsy. It was adorable.”

“Sure it was.” She patted his cheek; he caught her hand in his and brought it to his lips.

“Five years ago, I asked you to be my girlfriend in this very spot. Now, you’re my wife.” Blake stopped walking and pressed his forehead against her. “We’ve come full circle, haven’t we?”

Farrah’s eyes shimmered brighter than the symphony of lights behind her. “Yes, we have.”

“Are you happy?” His lips brushed hers as he spoke. Of all the things in the world, that was what mattered most.

“Yes.” Simple, confident, no hesitation or explanation needed.

Blake cupped Farrah’s face with his hands and kissed her, a deep, lingering, breathless kiss that had them melting into each other beneath the beaming smile of the city that had changed their lives.

They’d kissed before, many times. But this time was different.

This time, it was forever.

THE END