Page 30 of Chasing Christmas
I jerk my chin in a nod of thanks, not sure what to say to that. Scarlett doesn't wait around for an answer. She sails past me, her heels clicking across the floor as she continues on her way to wherever she is going. I watch her for a moment and then expel a sharp breath.
Shit. Maybe she's right.
I let this fucking town and the people in it chase me into the shadows last time, let myself become a shell of the man I used to be. My scars defined me; their words buried me. I lost myself. Lost everything.
But I'm not that man anymore.
I'm Laura's now. She dragged me out of the shadows and breathed life back into me. Little by little, she reminded me what it means to live…totrulylive. I'm on a film set again because of her. I'm facing my fears because of her. I remember the man I used to be because of her, the one I buried long ago. And that man? He wouldn't slink away. He'd fight.
He'd fight like hell.
So where the fuck is he right now?
BythetimeLauraemerges from the set an hour later, the wild tangle of emotions running through me has cooled. The yawning pit of anxiety has settled, my doubts falling silent again. I'm settled, my course set. I know what I need to do now, and the framework of a plan is in place.
Laura may kill me when she finds out, but it needs to happen. To protect her and the baby, it's the only thing I can do. It's what Ineedto do.
"Hey," she says, walking straight into my arms.
I pull her into me, cradling her gently. "I missed you."
"Having someone else's hands on me didn't feel right, Kaiden." Her somber eyes meet mine. "I didn't like it."
I brush my lips across her forehead. "Then maybe I should erase the memory of them, hmm?"
"Yes, please."
I chuckle at how politely she says this. She's so full of grace that it bleeds out of her. I hope to God she never loses that. No matter what the world throws at her, I hope it never turns her bitter or hard. I hope she's always this fiercely gentle and powerfully bright. I hope our child is just like her.
I sweep her up into my arms and stalk toward her trailer, more than willing to erase this memory for her. If this is the last time I get to touch her before everything changes, I want it to be here…in the place where she reminded me that there is magic in this world.
She sighs in contentment, wrapping her arms around my neck.
Scarlett was right. She is glowing. Goddamn. How did I miss it? She's the brightest little star in this town, but every day since I met her, that shine has intensified. It pulses in the air around her, stamping her with a luminescence that's impossible to miss.
Please, don't let her lose it, I pray.
"I love you," she says, reaching up to cup my cheek in her palm. She doesn't shy away from my scar. Since day one, she hasn't shied away from it. She places her hand over it, her fingers gentle, her gaze soft. As if to remind me that she loves all of me, that she accepts all of me.
I don't say anything until we're in her trailer and she's sprawled across the bed in her elf costume. She's supposed to look adorable in it. Instead, she looks entirely too sexy. I yank my shirt over my head, kick my boots off, and crawl onto the bed with her.
"You're my magic," I murmur, leaning down over her.
Her lips curve into a soft smile. "Your magic?"
"My Christmas magic."
"You hate Christmas." She runs her fingers through my hair, tousling it.
"I hated the reminder of everything I lost," I murmur, raining kisses across her face. "I hated being alone. I hated watching the world go soft when it felt so goddamn cold to me."
"Kaiden," she whispers.
"It's not cold anymore, princess." I kiss each corner of her lips, lingering as I reach for the buttons on her top. "I'm not cold anymore."
Her eyes light up, my little star glowing brighter than the sun. "Then burn with me, Kaiden," she breathes, clutching me to her. "Make me forget everything but you."
"Gladly." I seam my lips to hers, undressing her between long, languid kisses that have her eyes turning dark and her lashes fluttering. I take my time, running my hands over every inch of skin, worshipping her the way she deserves. I don't fuck her. I love her.