Page 98 of It Must Be Fate

“Will he be mad?”

I brush back her hair and kiss her forehead gently. “No, little star. He won’t.”

She doesn’t look convinced. “Okay then.”

The air is crisp and the sky is clear, not a cloud in sight. A perfect night for stargazing. As we look up at the black canopy of the skies, I see stars that I haven’t seen in a long time.

“Do you see that little star right there? Just off to the side of the Big Dipper?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s my star.”

Astra looks at me with a face full of childhood wonder. “Yourstar?”

I nod. “Do you know how many stars I own?”

She shakes her head vigorously back and forth. Looking down into her small face, I can see the sky reflected in her one black iris, almost as if it’s tattooed there.

Conspiratorially, I whisper, “Five thousand.”

“Fivethousand?”

“Well, five thousand and sixteen to be exact.” I grin. “Your father can be sentimental.”

“Daddy bought you the stars?” I can hear it in her voice, that her awe of her father is growing even wider with this revelation.

“He did. He buys them for me all the time, for the little milestones like the big ones. I think he’d buy me a planet if it was possible to purchase those.”

The sound of a flap being thrown back echoes, followed by, “Make no mistake, I’ll get you a planet if you want one, wild girl.”

My husband appears as if I conjured him by wishing for him upon that shooting star.

And maybe I did.

Maybe I did.

Phoenix is shedding his coat and striding across the tent in the same breath, and then he’s lifting the covers back and sliding in besides me, wrapping his warm arms around my middle and burying his face in the crook of my neck with a throttled, almost pained-sounding groan.

“Back home at last,” he mumbles into my throat, inhaling deeply.

I reach back and cup his nape as my heart settles, running my nails up and down the slope of his head and neck just the way he likes.

“Nix,” I sigh.

“Daddy, come over here!” Astra demands on the other side of me.

“In a moment, little star.” He licks my throat and nibbles my ear. “I have to say hi to your mum first.”

She pouts discontentedly but I barely register it. Phoenix’s hand slides underneath my sweater, runs up the expanse of my stomach and cups my breast.

“Fuck, baby,” he mutters against my skin.

“Missed you,” I breathe.

“You have no idea.” His hands are everywhere. Feeling me. Caressing me. Reacquainting himself with me as if a couple nights away has made him forget my curves. “I’m buying you a planet next.”

I gasp softly and turn into him, my back facing Astra. She’s used to witnessing lengthy reunions between us so she doesn’t interrupt further, merely clutching her stuffed astronaut to her chest and continuing to stare up at the sky.

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