Page 78 of City of Love

“Exactly what I had in mind,” Gideon said, sending a wink to Lexi.

Lexi thanked each person as they came up to her in the bed, shaking their hands or hugging them as appropriate.

Julian bent to hug her. “Welcome home, little sister.”

“As soon as you’re able to peel Gideon from your side, come find Alana and me,” Vikkras said with a wink. “We’ll give you the secret manual on how to keep him in line.”

Alana bent to Lexi and held her for several moments, tears of happiness on both their cheeks.

Gideon helped clean up the room and then escorted everyone out, embracing each of them, gratitude pouring off him in waves. When he returned to the bedroom, Lexi had already finished the tea and was curled up on her side fast asleep. In his bed.

In their bed.

EPILOGUE

Six Months Later

The delicious smell of coffee woke her from a long, satisfying sleep. She took in the burgundy canopy overhead, the warm, rich colors of the room and the sun filtering through the huge windows, and giggled with joy. Just as she had every morning for the past six months. She was there. No, she was here. In his world, now her world.

Alone in the bed, she took a long luxurious stretch, still appreciating the lack of a timer on her wrist, and amazed at how quickly she’d recovered from the transition process. In fact, she felt fantastic, and knew that her body had already become stronger and more vitalized. That she’d already begun to age more slowly.

Gideon walked back into the room, nude and carrying a tray with coffee and biscuits. When he saw she was awake, he smiled at her. A radiant, relaxed smile he now wore most of the time. He set the tray down on the bedside table and climbed back under the sheets, gathering her in his arms.

“Waking up each morning to find you in the bed with me has got to be the most delicious thing ever.” He ran a hand down her length, caressing her hip and thigh.

She lay there reveling in his touch. “I don’t know. Right now, I’m thinking the smell of the coffee is the most delicious thing ever,” she said with a giggle.

He gave her a quick, gentle swat on her rump. “All right then, sweet Heroine, never mind the foreplay. Up out of bed with you. Time to eat and get dressed anyway.” He hopped back out of bed with a gusto Lexi barely recognized in him.

She thrust out her bottom lip, giving him her best pout. “What’s the rush?”

The twinkle in his eye told her something was up. “You’ve got five more minutes to lay there, sweetheart. Then get up, eat your breakfast, and pack what you need for a trip. I’m taking you on a little vacation.”

An hour later, travel bags over their shoulders, Gideon led her into an unassuming shop with a sign out front that simply said, “Travel Agency.”

“What is going on?” she asked. “Where are we going? How are we getting there?”

He shushed her. “It’s a surprise. You’ll find out when we arrive. Which will be in just a couple of minutes, so keep your pants on.” Then he gave her a mischievous smile. “For now.”

She gave him a harrumph in response, but watched with wide eyes as he spoke to the dapper, gray-haired proprietor of the travel agency.

“You already know my plans, correct?” he said to the man.

“Yes, sir. It’s all been arranged, on both ends. When you’re ready, step into the booth, shut the door, and I’ll send you on your way.”

Gideon nodded his thanks, took her hand, and they entered the closet-sized portal booth. Moments later, she heard tones being played and felt the familiar sensation of one space shimmering out and another coming up, though it was a somewhat different experience than she was used to with the portal between the two worlds. This time there was more of a sensation of movement, almost a feeling of flying.

“What just happened?” she asked when their new location took shape. “Where are we?”

“Come see.” He led her out of the new portal booth and into another shop where a stunning, dark-haired woman nodded to them in welcome, motioning for them to exit and enjoy themselves.

They stepped out the door of the shop into the golden summer sunlight falling on the beautiful stone walls of…

“The Piazza della Signoria!” she shouted. “We’re in Florence!”

His smile was so huge he couldn’t contain it, and he burst out laughing as she jumped into his arms. “Tuscany. The first item on your bucket list. We’ll tick all the items off, one by one, together.”

Lexi turned back to view the plaza before her, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery—everything exactly the same as in her world. “Oh my God,” she breathed. “Where do we even begin?”

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