Page 14 of Chasing Christmas

I exhale, relieved she won't be dashing off across the country yet. I know it'll happen eventually. If she gets the part in the action movie she's auditioned for, she'll be filming in Canada. That's going to drive me up the wall. But I won't stand in the way of her career. Hell no. I'll swallow my own tongue before I tell her no.

"Take it, princess," I murmur, brushing my thumb across her soft bottom lip. "A Christmas movie is right up your alley." She's got me watching the damn things on the Hallmark channel every time she gets her hands on the remote. Last night, I dreamed we were stuck in one of the fucking things.

"I love Christmas movies," she whispers. I'm trying like hell to tone down my dislike of the holiday for my little star, but I don't think it's working much. My surly attitude about the holiday riles her up, which means I get to calm her back down. Which means we end up fucking. Gotta say…it's not a lot of incentive to change my Scrooge-like ways.

Any excuse to get her naked is a good excuse in my book.

I want this year to be magical for her, especially since her parents aren't here to celebrate with her. Especially since it's our first year together. I already know what I'm getting her. But like I said, I'm not good with flowery shit, and Ineedthis woman to fall in love with me.

I know what life is like without her, and I can't go back to that. She's the best part of every day. I don't know why the fuck she chose a man like me when she's lightyears out of my league, but she chose me anyway. I'll walk through hell to keep her now that she's mine. Whatever it takes.

"Are you ready to tell me what's been bugging you?" I ask.

"Nothing is bugging me, Kaiden."

"Are you tired of me, princess?"

"What?" She gapes at me in shock. "Of course not! I could never be tired of you."

"Then what's going on?"

"Nothing." Her gaze darts to her laptop and then quickly away.

Whatever is going on has to do with her computer.

I pick her up from her seat, depositing her on the island beside her laptop. She grumbles under her breath about me being a caveman, but I ignore the comment. I am a caveman when it comes to her, and I'm not apologizing for it. She fucking loves it, and we both know she does.

I slide into her seat and flip open the lid of her laptop.

"No!" she cries, trying to slam the lid closed again.

I shoot her a quelling look and gently pry her hands off the lid.

"Please don't look," she whispers.

"Tell me why I shouldn't," I growl.

"It's going to make you mad."

"Why?"

"Because it's just stupid gossip."

My blood pressure spikes. "Who are they saying you're fucking?"

"What?" She blinks at me in obvious consternation. "No one."

Well, that's surprising.

"Tell me what they're saying about you," I say, my voice soft.

She stares at me for a moment, and then her shoulders slump. "They're saying I keep missing events and haven't been seen out in a while because I have body image issues," she whispers, tears welling in her eyes. "They think I had weight-loss surgery."

"Jesus Christ," I mutter in disgust, my blood pressure spiking higher.

"It's not true!" she cries as if I'm not already well aware of that.I'mwhy she's been missing events and hasn't been seen. I'm the only thing she's been hiding. And they're fucking gossiping about her, tearing her to shreds as if she isn't a real person with real feelings who has to read the shit they write about her.

I wiggle the mouse attached to her laptop, bringing the screen to life. She has a web browser open to an article onCelebrity Teatime. I skim the article, fury pulsing through me as I read their hot take on why she's been MIA the past few weeks. It's all bullshit. And it's all my goddamn fault. She's been keeping a low profile to protect me, and this is what they spin it into. This is what they do to her.