Elderflower Island Books had always been the perfect place for the Sullivan family to converge. It helped that it was directly across from the pub, of course, and Charlie had never minded having the lot of them clogging up his shop. Mari seemed just as happy as her father had been to see them all on a regular basis and was always ready with freshly baked brownies and scones, a cup of tea, and a comfortable chair to sit in.
Malcolm found himself in the shop more and more often these days. It used to be that he rarely left his office in the city before nine in the evening, and then it was on to a cocktail bar or restaurant opening until the wee hours of the morning. But the nonstop work and the glittering dresses and jewels of the women around him had lost their luster.
Some days, he felt like he was simply going through the motions, making the same calls, doing the same business deals, having the same meetings over and over, faking the same smiles. Whereas Owen couldn’t stop smiling real smiles. His brother and Mari were the real deal, in the same way that Malc’s parents were.
Malc had once thought he had that same magic with the woman he’d fallen in love with so many years ago in the States.
Malc hadn’t thought about her in years. At least, he’d tried not to think about her.
Funny thing about memories, though…it wasn’t always easy to hold them at bay. Especially late at night, when he was alone in his fancy apartment, with his fancy view and his expensive glass of wine, wishing he could turn back time and be seventeen again so that he could get things right this time.
He raised a hand in greeting as Owen walked in. His brother headed for the register, where Mari was helping a customer. As soon as she’d bagged up the woman’s book and thanked her for stopping in, Owen reached across the counter, threaded his fingers into Mari’s hair, and kissed her as though they were alone, rather than surrounded by customers—with Malc looking on.
Good for them. Just because Malcolm hadn’t found his own happy ever after didn’t mean he wasn’t happy that they had found theirs.
Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw that it was a US number. One he didn’t recognize, which always made him wonder—and hope, despite knowing better—whether it could possibly be her.
He accepted the call, then listened with surprise to what the caller had to say…
* * *
Thank you so much for reading AS LONG AS I HAVE YOU! I hope you loved Mari and Owen.
If you love reading about sinfully sexy billionaires, you will love meeting Bella Andre’s Maverick Billionaires! Self-made men from the wrong side of town who survived hell together, they now have everything they ever wanted. But when each Maverick falls head-over-heels for an incredible woman he never saw coming, he will soon find that true love is the only thing he ever really needed. In the first book in the series, BREATHLESS IN LOVE, Harper’s love is the one thing Will’s money can’t buy. Can he convince her that he’s not the rich playboy the world thinks he is?
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Turn the page for excerpts from BREATHLESS IN LOVE (Maverick Billionaires) and THE LOOK OF LOVE (The Sullivans)…