100 Lifetimes of Us (The Romantics #1)

by Maggie C. Gates

His eyes were kind as he reached for my hand again and squeezed. “Don’t worry, Just Annie. I’ll keep your hands warm.”

“You can count on one thing. I take my job seriously, and I am a professional.” Music jingled from outside. “Hell yeah! Ice cream truck!” I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. “You want some? My treat.” Annie raised a judgmental eyebrow. “What was that about being a professional?” “Fuck that shit. I want a lil’ treat.”

The smile I earned from her made me feel like I was king of the fucking universe.

“Books take people out of their everyday lives. They give them a moment to say, “wow.” It makes grown-ups believe in magic again. It makes us believe in possibilities. It makes us hold on to the belief that, at any moment, we could meet someone who changes our life and existence completely. It makes us see the best in our enemies. It makes us hold our friends closer. It gives us compassion and empathy. But most of all, it gives us hope that no matter what, everything is going to be okay.”

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out. “I—I got carried away in the moment. This isn’t me. I don’t just go around kissing people.” That slow, panty-dropping smirk slid up the corner of his mouth. “You should make it a habit.”

“If I kiss you, will you stop apologizing? Make us fair and square?”

I was so far gone for this woman.

“I think love can take on a lot of different forms,” Annie said. “Sometimes love is loud. It’s grand gestures, glowing social media posts, roses, and candlelit dinners. Sometimes love is quiet. It’s a listening ear after a long day. It’s showing up with a snack and filling a need. And sometimes love is sunshine. It’s a light that you don’t know how you ever lived without.”

“Because at the end of the day we aren’t measured by the love we hold back. We’re measured by the love we freely give without expectation.”

“About me as a client or me as your…” Miles grinned. “Say it.” I huffed. “Say it, superstar.” He pinned me against the countertop and attacked me with a ravishing kiss. “Say you’re my girlfriend. Tell me you’re mine.”

“This was a charity exhibition. How did the stakes compare to the championships you’ve won?” I clasped my hands on top of the table and leaned forward so my voice reached the microphone. “There are a lot of things worth fighting for in life. Trophies, championships, and accolades aren’t on the list.” “What’s at the top of your list?” I looked right at Annie. It was the spark in her eye that did it for me. It shone through her shyness, through her anxiety, through her demons. It was the beacon that grounded me. “She is.”

“Annie, you have the bravest heart, the kindest soul, the most beautiful eyes, and the most brilliant mind. You keep me on my toes. You surprise me in the best ways. I can’t get enough of you. Every part of you is magic. I’m enchanted by you every time you’re near. You’re the weight that balances my scales. You’re my calm. You give me peace and focus like I’ve never had before. Every time I think I’ve figured you out, you surprise me. You’re this beautiful question mark that I don’t think I’ll ever quite figure out. But damn if I won’t spend my life trying.” He took my hand in his. “You write love stories for the ages, and I promise you—I’ll spend every breath I have trying to rival them.”

Ever since the day we met, my soul recognized yours as mine.

I could write a hundred different stories and give them a hundred different endings, but none of them would ever compare to ours. If I wrote for a hundred lifetimes, I would always come back to us.