Page 8 of A Little Christmas: Star
I laughed. It wasn’t the first time Davis had taken one for the team. Out of all the people in my work life, he was the only one that wasn’t in it 100 percent for himself and I appreciated that. “Thank you. I’m good for tonight and I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”
“Mm-hmm. Have a very, very good night.”
“Stop that! Bye.”
I disconnected and got up from my comfy spot to see what Caelum was up to in the kitchen. I leaned on the doorframe that separated the kitchen from the living room and took him in. He’d changed over the years but not in a bad way. Not at all.
He had a beard now, something I wouldn’t have liked before but now made him even sexier. Once he changed out of his suit, I got a glimpse of his shoulders and those powerful arms that had caged me in before. Caelum was right out of one of my fantasies. He always had been. It was my fault we hadn’t stayed together. I let fame and busyness get in the way of what was the best thing that ever happened to me.
He must’ve been so hurt. So heartbroken.
And now I was here, in his home, seeking shelter from the one person in this world I had no business bothering.
“I can feel your eyes on me, Star.”
“My eyes are right here in my head, thank you.”
He looked at me over his shoulder and damn it if my cock didn’t heed his unspoken call. “Sure they are. I hope you like extra marshmallows. I had a few slices of pound cake left as well.”
“How could anyone say no to extra marshmallows?” I asked as he carried a tray toward the living room. I followed him, inhaling the decadent chocolate and vanilla as he passed me. How long since I’d had a cup of cocoa or a slice of cake? And that comforting little dinner? I couldn’t even remember.
“Come sit.”
I obeyed immediately, caught up in the perfection of this night. “How am I going to sleep after all this sugar?” I asked. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“I’m sure you’ll manage. It’s been a long day for you.”
I nodded, taking a sip of the thick chocolate drink. It was the perfect temperature. The marshmallows had begun to melt into the liquid and I felt some of it stick to my top lip. “I really need a napkin.”
My eyes met Caelum’s and as I reached for a napkin, he stopped me with his hand over mine. “May I?” he asked, and my tummy erupted with a thousand butterfly flutters.
“I…yes.” I had no clue what he was asking permission to do but I wanted it. All of it.
Caelum leaned forward after carefully putting his cup aside. The sofa depressed between us and as he grew closer, my body lit up and my cheeks flamed. He muttered something under his breath and I swore he said, “I’ve waited so long.”
This man. He did nothing wrong. Certainly nothing to deserve me ghosting him the way I did. I regretted it before but now, as his eyes darted down to my lips, I did so even more. I wanted to say I was sorry. To heal any hurts I’d caused him. But before I could say anything, his lips grazed my top one and I fell into a bliss I hadn’t known before, not even when we were together.
“You taste so good, Star,” he said, pulling back. I said nothing, still trapped in the haze of his touch. “I’m sorry. Was that too forward?”
I managed to shake my head. “No. Not at all. Not forward enough if you ask me.”
He sucked in a breath and leaned back. A smile graced his beautiful lips. “I couldn’t believe my luck when you stumbled into my life again. It’s been years, but it feels like maybe you were with me all along. I feel like this bubble we’re in is going to burst at any second.”
Iwas going to burst at any second if he didn’t kiss me again.
“I’m glad you know all about me now,” I said. “Everything about me. That I’m a little. It’s hard to share those things. It’s hard to share anything in my line of work. I never know who I can trust or who is out for the fame of it all. The last thing I want is to end up on a magazine with my most private self as the main headline.”
“I understand. Your secret is safe with me. I just want you, Star. Not your fame. Not your money. Not any of those things. Just you.”
I shuddered with the power of his words. He was so sincere in anything he said. “You’re sure you’re okay if I spend the night?” I asked. “I don’t want to interfere in your life any more than I already have. Hell, I haven’t even asked you if you’re with someone. Maybe you have someone else.” I began to spiral untilhe reached out and pulled me closer, somehow managing not to spill my hot chocolate in the process.
“There’s no one else.” Caelum brushed his lips against mine again. “How could there ever be anyone else, Star? What we do with the rest of the night is entirely up to you.”
“Is it?” I teased, this time capturing his mouth with mine.
“Absolutely.”
Chapter Seven
