Love Like Ours

She kissed him, savoring the taste of him. There was something different now in their kisses. A greater intensity. Now she was on home turf, everything had become very real. He’d made something of a commitment and that changed things for the better.

“I suppose you’ll be wanting to see my room soon?” she asked, using her sultry voice.

Cristiano picked up her tone immediately, raising his eyebrows in excited anticipation. “I definitely would.”

She stood from the couch and reached down, offering her hand.

“Then you’d better follow me,” she purred.

Looking like the cat who caught the cream, Cristiano did exactly as she said.

Chapter Six

Keira woke the next morning feeling groggy. But the moment she rolled over and caught sight of Cristiano’s gorgeous face, she sighed with content. Last night had been wonderful, and put all her fears to rest. It was just a shame that she would have to leave him and go to work!

She slid out of bed, careful not to wake him, and headed out into the corridor. Everything was very dark as she padded across the floor towards the bathroom.

Showering at her mom’s felt so strange. Keira couldn’t remember the last time she’d had cause to stay the night here. It certainly hadn’t happened in the last two years because she’d been living with Zachary.

As warm water ran over her skin, Keira wondered if her mom was right. Maybe she didn’t pay her as much attention as she ought to. Cristiano’s relationship with his parents was admirable. It was only the fact Keira put her career at the forefront of everything she did that she didn’t share a similar relationship with her own mom. There was a lot she could learn from him, she realized.

She finished showering quickly and emerged with sopping wet hair, then wrapped herself up in one of her mom’s bamboo towels before heading back out into the hall. As she shuffled through the apartment, a noise caught her attention, coming from the kitchen. Curious, she walked over and peered her head around the door.

“Mom?” she asked, when she saw her mother standing there in her robe.

Her mother yawned. “Morning, darling. Coffee?”

Keira smiled at her mom. “Did you wake up early just to make me coffee?” she asked, touched. She’d just been planning on grabbing one on the way to work.

“It’s not every day I get the chance,” Mallory replied.

Keira went into the kitchen and kissed her mom on the cheek. “That would be great. Thank you,” she said.

Mallory looked surprised. “I think Cristiano is a good influence on you,” she said.

“I think you’re right,” Keira replied.

She went back into her room and dressed in the darkness as the smell of coffee began to seep in from beneath the door. As she emerged back out, daylight was just beginning to break.

“Is he still sleeping?” Mallory asked as Keira came back into the kitchen.

“Yes,” she confirmed, taking the coffee her mom offered her. She took a sip. It was a bit bitter but she could hardly expect her mom to make a perfect cup at this time of the morning! “You won’t bombard him with questions when he wakes up will you?”

Mallory make a tsk noise. “Darling, we need to know who he is. You can’t just declare your love for a new man every month and expect us not to be a little bit suspicious.”

Keira sighed, a little exasperated. “Okay, mom. I get it. I’m acting all crazy lately. Just don’t scare him away.” She downed her coffee then kissed her mom on the cheek again. “I love you. Thanks for dinner.”

Then she hurried off to get the subway to work.

* * *

An hour on the subway was never the best way to start the day. When Keira finally disembarked, she felt grubby, as greasy as if she had not even showered that morning. And her clothes were creased. It wasn’t the sort of impression she wanted to give off on her first day back at the office.

But when she walked in through the large glass doors of Viatorum she needn’t have worried about her appearance at all. Her colleagues leapt up from their seats at the sight of her and hurried over.

“Keira!” Denise cried, hugging her tightly. “You did it.”

“Did what?” Keira asked.

“Saved all of our jobs!” Denise replied. “Now we’re turning a good profit, Lance doesn’t think we need to change anything. No advice columns or recipe pages.” She grimaced.

“Well that’s great,” Keira replied, smiling, not really certain her one article could be held entirely accountable for that.

“When do we get to meet him, then?” Denise asked sounding eager and excited.

“Him?” Keira asked.

“Cristiano!” Denise cried.

Keira noticed the way she swooned as she said it.

“Well, I wasn’t planning on bringing him to the office,” she quipped, a little bemused.

Denise frowned. “But you have to. You can’t make us fall in love with the guy and then not let us meet him! I mean, from your description he sounds gorgeous. Is he gorgeous?”

“Well, yes, but…” Keira began.

“Then you have to let us meet him!” Denise continued. “Please, Keira!”

Keira frowned. Cristiano wasn’t just some prop for her article. He was her real life lover. She felt like Denise had blurred fact and fiction. Had Keira accidentally turned Cristiano into some kind of romance protagonist?

Just then, she noticed Nina at her desk, tapping away at her keyboard, and waved. Nina finished what she was doing and came over. They embraced.

“Nice work of the article, Keira,” Nina said. “Again.”

Keira blushed. “Thanks.”

“It’s nice to have you back.”

“It’s nice to be back,” Keira grinned. “It’s been so long I even enjoyed doing my laundry.”

She went to head towards her office but Nina took hold of her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

“Not so fast,” she said. “Elliot wants to see you.”

“Oh?” Keira asked, glancing towards the open door to his office. She couldn’t help but feel anxious. Even though she and Elliot were on good speaking terms, he was still an imposing figure, thanks in no small part to his huge six foot something frame. “Now?”

“Yup, now,” Nina said, smiling.