Page 48 of Keeping London (Flawed Heart)

“It’s fine. I’ll be heading to bed here shortly. No worries. Tell me, how are you?”

“Great. I’m heading to the airport in an hour. Georgia and I are flying into Kentucky to spend Christmas with our parents.”

That’s right. It’s Christmas Eve.I forgot, yet the second I woke up this morning, I remembered that it was steak and lobster day.

“That’s great. How long will you be there?”

“I’ll be back in Michigan on the twenty-ninth, so not that long. I wanted to return in time to do something with Paige for New Year’s. Actually, we’re thinking about flying somewhere. Probably somewhere in Cali, so Georgia can join us. This is her first New Year’s being twenty-one, so she can get into a real club. Anyway, I’m bringing my laptop to my parents’, of course, so we’ll be able to chat. We need to plan a time to Skype tomorrow. It is Christmas and all. Do you know your schedule?”

I think about my agenda for the next day. I’ll be free after dinner, so that’s about seven in the evening, which would be ten thirty in the morning for London. “I’m free anytime after ten thirty in the morning, your time.”

“All right. We’ll probably just be finishing opening presents then. So, how’s noon, my time? Will you still be up?”

“Yeah, that works.”

“Great. That will be in between presents and our early Christmas dinner. Everyone kind of does their own thing then, so I can head to my bedroom and give you my complete attention.” London smiles wide.

“Do you have your own bedroom there?”

“Of course. Why do you ask?” London tilts her head to the side, an adorable smile lighting up her face.

“Well, I was talking to Cooper today—”

London cuts me off before I finish my thought, “Interesting because I was talking to Maggie yesterday.” She puckers her lips together.

“Oh, yeah?” I chuckle. “And?”

“She was telling me about a certain Skype activity that she and Cooper do that we have not yet tried.”

“Huh. You know, that’s kind of a coincidence because Cooper was telling me about a Skype activity as well.”

“So, you want to do it tomorrow?” She quirks up an eyebrow and bites her bottom lip.

“It would be a great Christmas present,” I say playfully. “Will that be weird? In your parents’ house?”

“No, believe me, it will be fine. First, my room is on the opposite side of the house of the main living area where everyone will be. Plus, I have a lock. No one will know. It’s a huge house. Seriously, it will be totally great. No worries.” She claps her hands together before yelling, “Oh my God…I’m so excited!”

“You’re so beautiful,” I say with a laugh.

“You know, I’d rather actually be with you on our first Christmas. But, since we can’t, Skype sex is the next best thing. Have you ever done it before?”

“No.” I shake my head.

“Me neither. Another first for us.”

“That, it is.”

“So, what have you been up to? Any exciting plans for Christmas?”

Her deep brown eyes fringed in long black lashes threaten to steal my breath from over six thousand miles away.

I can’t get over how much I love her. I never knew this love, these feelings, were possible. It’s both terrifying and amazing at the same time.

Love…

It’s so strange, surreal, and completely undeniable.

I blink hard, breaking the fog of adoration that had me momentarily paralyzed. “Um, not much. It’s a typical day here. I’m sure the dining hall will serve something ‘special’”—I use air quotes around the last word becausespecialis subjective—“for dinner, probably roast beef or something. A change in the food menu is about as much celebration as we get here on base.”

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