Page 31 of Hollywood Fairytale

“If I’d told Mason that we were living together he wouldn’t have understood why you weren’t there. He’s only seven. Even after all this time he’s still getting his head wrapped around the idea that his parents no longer live together, and that he has to go be with his dad every other weekend when he doesn’t want to.” Rubbing my thumb over the back of his hand, I felt tears prick at the back of my eyes. “I promise you that I didn’t do it to hide or hurt you. It’s killing me to know that I hurt you. I’m so sorry, Luke. I hope that you know that I’d never intentionally hurt you.”

Smiling sadly at me, he pulled me onto his lap. “Maybe I’m overreacting. I never thought of any of it from your point of view. I’ve been shouting it from the rooftops that when I finish filming that we’re going to be together and living in Fairlane.”

Straddling him, I brought my lips to his, my arms around his neck as I spoke. “This isn’t how I planned our reunion. I was going to jump you the minute we got in here. Now, I feel like I’ve let you down and I’m a failure.”

Resting his forehead to mine, he sighed. “If anyone’s a failure here it’s me. Not once did I think about Mason and what he’d make of our relationship. We slept in the same bed when I was there last.” He shook his head. “I never thought that he wasn’t ready or might have a problem.”

“I don’t blame you and as you saw earlier he doesn’t have any problems. He really loves you. Every day for the last two weeks he’s been asking when we were leaving to come here. He missed you.”

Holding me tighter, he rested his head against mine. “Sounds like he wasn’t the only one.”

“I never denied that I missed you.” Closing my eyes, I soaked in his body heat, his smell, and the fact that I was in his arms once again.

“No, you told me, but not that you were crying.” Kissing the side of my head, he rearranged us until we were laying down on the bed with me cocooned by his body.

“You knew I cried some, but no, I didn’t tell you every time because what was the point. It would only make you feel worse and I didn’t want that.” I closed my eyes as a tear escaped and dropped to his shoulder. “It was much harder than I thought it would be, even talking every day. There were so many times where I wished I could kiss you or even hold your hand. I just wanted your touch. To feel your presence.”

“We have a whole week together, but I promise we’ll do better this time around. I’ll try to get a work schedule while you’re here and we’ll make plans and book plane tickets. At least once a month, we’ll either be here or in Fairlane. Deal?”

“Deal. Now, how long do you think Leo can entertain Mason?” I asked looking up at him through my lashes.

“I think he can handle him for a little while longer. Why? What were you thinking?” he smiled mischievously.

“I’m thinking I need you inside of me. I want you in my mouth and for you to stop the need that’s been building since you left. Having the real thing is so much better.”

Sliding down, I unzipped his pants, taking him in my mouth, and finally letting Luke sate me for the first time in two long months.

15

The bed dippedon my side, slowly rousing me from a deep sleep. A soft brush of lips woke me even further. “I’ll be back as soon as possible. Leo’s coming with me today and maybe tomorrow you can visit.”

“I’d like that,” I whispered, closing my eyes as I started to fall back to sleep. “Love you.”

Luke brushed the strands of hair from my face. “I love you, too, beautiful.”

The next thing I knew, I sat upright as a shrill alarm woke me.What the hell was going on?

Mason’s little feet pounded down the hall along with him crying.

Jumping out of bed, I ran to meet him and swooped him up in my arms. I had no idea what time it was, but it had to be early because Mason never slept late, and the sky was barely beginning to show a small amount of light through the downstairs windows.

Luke had installed blackout curtains in his bedroom, so it was impossible to tell what time it was in there without a clock.

Closing and locking the door to the bedroom, I raced to the security panel by the bed to turn off the alarm. I could barely think from the shrill noise and I hoped that once it stopped Mason would calm down.

My phone rang, and I scrambled to pick it up once I saw it was Luke calling. “Hello? Luke?”

“Alex,” he said my name in a calm but tense tone.

“I’m here! The alarm’s going off. It’s so loud I can’t even remember the code. Can you walk me through it, please?”

“Is Mason with you?” he asked with a strained but composed voice.

“Yes, we were still asleep, but we’re in your bedroom now and he’s crying.”

“Okay. Great. I want you to do everything I tell you. Take Mason into the closet with you and close the door. Go now and tell me when you’re in the closet.”

Gathering Mason in my arms, I followed Luke’s instructions and told him when we were in the closet. Up until that point, I’d thought the alarm going off was a mistake, but there was no reason for us to be in the closet if it was a false alarm.

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