Page 124 of The Sun and Her Star

On his right buttock is a raised, pale scar in the shape of an S. And next to it is a tattoo in the shape of the sun, pierced by an arrow with a multitude of rays coming from the circle. I crawl to the edge of the bed and look closely at it.

“Oh Graham,” I whisper.

He looks over his shoulder at me. “You okay?”

I nod, but really, I’m not. “Can I touch it?”

“I’ve been waiting for you to touch it since I got it.” My fingers tremble as I trace the scar and imagine the pain he went through. “Oh God, how could he do this?” I ask, my voice breaking.

“He thought he was punishing me. But for me, that S stood for Star,” he says, his voice not in the least bit sad. I blink away my tears and clear my throat.

“What about the tattoo? When did you get it? What does it mean?” I trace the outline of it.

“Nowthatis a different story.” He pulls his pants up, sits beside me on the bed, wraps his arm around me and hauls me into his lap. I rest my head on his chest and press a kiss to it. “I’m listening.”

“I got it on my birthday two years ago. It had been a rough month. I had just started filming the second season of my show, and I already hated it. To top it all off, I was spending my birthday without my very best friend.”

“Oh my God. Graham …”

“Shhh, listen.” He strokes my arm absently.

“Okay.”

“I missed you. I was fucking miserable, and I just wanted to feel close to you. So, I went to a tattoo parlor and had that sun put next to the S. Those arrows—it’s the same reason you have yours. I knew I’d never love anyone the way I love you. It made me feel better. My sun was next to her star. Even if it was just on my ass.” He chuckles.

I lean back to look at him, but there’s a lump in my throat, and I can’t speak. What did I do to deserve him?

“I know it was fucking weird, but it made me feel better,” he says, glancing away nervously.

“It’s not weird. It’s so beautiful. I love it. Thank you. I don’t know what to say. I’m just sorry you suffered like that.” I cup his strong jaw and press a kiss to his mouth. He kisses me back and presses me back into the mattress and then balances his weight on his forearms.

“I didn’t show you my ass to make you feel bad. No matter what it looked like, you are my sunshine. My world was dark while you were gone. Just like the day you fell into my life. You being here now makes everything feel like it’ll be okay. You’ve always made me feel that way. Like I was more,” he says, and my heart breaks a little.

“You shouldn’t need me to make you feel that way. Look at your life. Look at what you’ve achieved. Look at what you’ve been able to give your mother. Yourself. Me. Do you think the empire you’re building is all because you’re hot?” I ask with a raised eyebrow. “You’re smart. You work hard. You’re selfless. You love so completely.”

* * *

GRAHAM

“Hmmm, flattery will get you everywhere,” I tease her before I slide off the bed. I reach down and grab her by the waist and throw her over my shoulder.

“What are you doing?” she shrieks. I squeeze her ample ass cheeks and then swat it. “Ow, Graham,” she says but her voice is a purr now.

“You like that?” I ask as I walk us into the bathroom.

“Why don’t you touch me and see for yourself?” she asks.

“Well, if you insist.” Keeping her balanced on my shoulder with one hand, I slip the other one between her legs and hiss when I feel how wet she is.

“Damn, you feel amazing.” I bring my wet fingers to my mouth and suck. “Taste even better.”

She squirms on my shoulder, her hands roaming my chest and setting off fireworks everywhere she touches.

“Put me down,” she says in a voice that brooks no argument. But I’m not planning on arguing. I’m planning on fucking. I slide her down until her feet touch the ground. She kneels down right where she lands and yanks my shorts down. That hot, soft mouth covers the crown of my cock, and I grip the counter behind me with one hand and the back of her head with the other. When she cups my balls, I gasp and start to fuck her mouth. It doesn’t take long. Her lush mouth as it moves up and down my cock is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. But I want inside her.

I hook her under the arms and pull her to stand.

“Graham, I wanted—”

---