“I couldn’t live with myself if anything had happened to you.”
She felt his hot breath on her face. She wanted to say something, anything, but her voice was frozen, still processing the recent events.
He pulled away her wet jacket, undressing her slowly. Bending down, holding her ankle he slipped off her shoes. He stood once again facing her, he held her gaze while his hand slipped down the back of her pulling the zip down on her dress.
He reached both her hands up still holding her gaze steady, pulling the dress off her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. He gently pulled her stockings down, careful to hold her steady so she didn’t fall. He rose to meet her gaze and moved forward, he was close to her now, but not close enough for their bodies to touch. He moved his hand to her back and unclasped her bra, slowly pulling it off.
His hand slid down her stomach, her body respond to his touch, as he pulled down her underwear. He lowered himself, carefully moving the tiny bit of fabric down her body as he pulled it off her legs, one by one.
Her heart beating fast now, she had almost forgotten that only a few minutes ago she was shivering, his touch had warmed her in every way.
He stood once more, she felt like she should have been embarrassed, standing there naked in front of him while he looked at her intensely, studying her features. He closed in on their gap and gently found her lips. No words needed to be said, he had saved her in every way possible.
With him, she felt complete. She returned his kiss feeling his tongue press into her mouth softly caressing hers. He picked her up into his arms, walking to the bathtub, he broke their kiss and placed her down into the water.
The water was warm, she let her body sink into it. She watched him as he sat on the corners of the bath, determined to watch her every move. She assumed he would come in but he just sat there. He grabbed a loufa from the side of the bath and started rubbing it over her arms. She watched as the muscles in his arms flexed as he went up and down. She wanted him in the bath with her, she wanted to feel his body against hers, touching her.
“Are you coming in?” she asked, finally finding her voice.
He shook his head, deep in concentration, he paused. “I should have had someone with you.” She watched as he clenched his teeth like he was trying not to let the anger take a hold of him. “It was the paparazzi following you. They must have figured out you were seeing me.”
The paparazzi? Stella thought to herself. “How would they know?”
“That’s their job, they find these things out.” He looked at her now, his face strained. “I’m sorry Stella. This is all my fault.”
“It’s ok,” she softly spoke, her words trying to reassure not only him but also for herself. What kind of world had she stepped into? Could she no longer walk the streets without fear of being harassed?
They were silent now as he continued washing her body. She didn’t want to think about what had just happened, she couldn’t think about it, not with Tristan there. Not like this.
His hands lingered over her chest, pausing, his eyes fell to her bare breasts. He quickly pulled his hand upwards. She wanted him, she needed his touch. She placed her hand over his, moving it back down, gently stroking her breasts. His hand trembled beneath hers, her nipples hardening. Tristan looked at her now as she bit her bottom lip, not able to hide the sensations in her body.
He leaned over and placed his lips to hers, her reaction was simultaneous as she grabbed his shoulders, pushing their kiss deeper. He immediately pulled back. “I can’t Stella, I promised we’d take things slow.”
She held his arms tight, not wanting to let him go. “I want you Tristan. I want you now.” She pushed herself up from the bath, grabbing a firmer grip on him and pulled him forward hard, his balance giving way as he fell into the bath on top of her.
“Shit Stella!” He quickly reached into his pants pulling out his phone before it went into the water and threw it across the room. She stroked his jawline with the back of her hand, loosing herself in his beautiful blue eyes.
“Are you sure?” Tristan asked, his voice sounding hoarse.
Stella smiled, “Nothing has felt so right in my life.” She grabbed his shirt with her hands and pulled him closer, locking their lips together. His hands slid down the side of her naked body, then reaching for his shirt he pulled it off, breaking their kiss. She rubbed her hands over his bare chest, feeling the lines of his body.
“I love you Stella.”
She looked at him, her heart warming at his words. She had been trying so hard to push her feelings away to try and not rush anything, but she had fallen so deeply in love with him too. He had touched her soul in ways no other had.
“I…I….”
Somehow she couldn’t say the words he longed to hear. She wanted to tell him she loved him, wanted to scream it to the world, but she wouldn’t. Nothing she did would change her past, erase the events that changed her life, drained her of all the love she thought she had. She’d only ever said those three words once before, in a moment of pure happiness that was quickly replaced with everything she once had never thought existed, the grief and emptiness of what loving someone meant when it was all gone.
Tristan placed a finger on her lips, gently silencing the fear. “It’s ok. You don’t have to say it.”
“I want to, it’s just...”
“Stella, I said its ok.”
Stella felt herself choke back tears. “Thank you,” she said, knowing this is exactly where she needed to be, with Tristan. All questioning and reasoning was now gone. She wanted Tristan, and she was no longer going to hide from it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Tristan traced Stella’s arm back and forth as she lay there next to him, her leg wrapped around him, cuddling into his warmth. He could feel her breath on his chest as she held him tight, he didn’t dare move, the moment was too perfect to ruin. Never had he felt the way he did with her.
The sound of the rain falling outside, it all seemed too perfect.
Tristan thought back to all those times he had thought he couldn’t have been happier, now in this moment with Stella he knew exactly where his happiness lay and with Stella he felt like he’d never known true happiness until her.
Being famous had its advantages, Tristan never had to worry about trying to pick anyone up, and he always had a line of women just waiting to be with him. Looking back now he realised how immature and ridiculous he had been. He had loved all the attention, especially the women, but at the end of the day they never stuck around. The ones that did never lasted long. Tristan had tried even dating celebrities, thinking that because they knew what it was like being famous, and everything that comes along with it, that it would work, but it never did. Regardless of whether they were famous or not, Tristan never felt like he connected to anyone, he had begun to realise how lonely being famous was. He’d never felt anything beyond lust for them. Sex had always just been sex and at the end of the day they were gone and he would be alone again.
Stella was different though, he felt a connection with her, being with her was anything but just sex. It was like an outer body experience, nothing like he’d ever felt before. The feelings for Stella didn’t just stop at the never ending need to touch her, to feel her against his skin, igniting his inner flame. He felt a protection over her, to never want anyone or anything to hurt her. He wanted her to be content with her life, be everything she wanted to be. He’d found himself thinking thoughts he’d never dreamt of having, thoughts about a life with her, marriage, children. He wanted it all with her, she made him want to be a better person.
He felt Stella move against him. “You’re not watching me sleep again are you Tristan?” she grumbled, sounding half asleep.
Tristan smiled. “I can’t help it.” He continued to stroke her arms as he hummed the words to a song.
Stella looked up at Tristan and burst into fits of laughter. “Are you humming the words to Aerosmith’s ‘I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing’?” she
laughed, clearly amused by Tristan’s attempt to be romantic.
He shrugged, “It seemed fitting.” He laughed with her, pulling her tighter so she rested back on his chest. “Anyway I never thought much of those words, until I met you. Now I know exactly what they’re talking about.”
He felt Stella’s face smile against his skin. “You’ve written love songs before though Tristan.”
“Not really. I mean I wrote about love and all that, not really knowing what it truly was though. That was of course until I wrote Forever Yours, the song about you.”
Tristan had never written something that meant so much to him. He’d felt inspired by Stella, drawn to her, but she had never called him back. He wanted her to know how much she meant to him, little did he know when he debuted the song that Stella would be at the concert. He hoped when it was released Stella would hear it and know how he felt, never in his wildest dreams did he imagine she would hear it at his concert and the events that followed after.
“Sing it to me.”
“What, now?” Tristan replied stunned.
Stella pulled herself up, carefully tugging the sheet over her exposed body. “Yes now.”
Tristan shook his head. It was one thing to sing in front of a stadium full of screaming fans who didn’t know you, but another to sing to the only person whose opinion mattered. “No I don’t think so.
Stella leaned her body forward, delicately brushing his lips with hers. “Please,” she breathed.
Tristan’s body tensed, she knew he wouldn’t be able to say no to her, not when she asked him like that. He took a deep breath and replied, “Ok, but only if you don’t laugh.”
Stella smiled. “My lips are sealed,” she said as she pretended to pull a zipper across her lips.
Tristan pulled himself off the bed, turning to Stella he spoke. “You stay there. It’s going to be hard enough to sing to you, let alone with you lying naked next to me.”
Stella raised her eyebrow and grinned at him playfully while he walked across the room, knowing Stella had a perfect view of his backside.
Tristan grabbed the guitar resting on the chest of drawers and pulled it against him as he sat on the chair across the room. “Here goes,” he whispered so only he could hear, hoping his words were enough of an encouragement for him to sing.
He cleared his throat and started strumming his guitar keeping his eyes on Stella as she leaned on his pillow, watching him closely.
“I knew the moment I met you, you were something special.
Your eyes spoke of mystery and intrigue,
And all I wanted was to get to know you.
Little did I know you would steal my heart away,
And I’d be left here, yearning for more.
Wasn’t it you who once said,
Everything happens for a reason, accept it and move on.
If you’re not happy, then do something about it.
Well my beautiful girl,
I’m doing something about it, I’m taking a chance.
I’d do anything to hold you again,
To love you.
I’ll be your forever,
Forever yours, if you’ll have me.
Stella I’m yours.”
Tristan continued to sing the rest of the song, watching the way Stella looked at him. He knew he shouldn’t have been worried what she thought, she’d heard the song before, only this time she wasn’t looking at him in fear or uncertainty, she looked at him with love, the love that binds two souls together forever. The love he knew he felt for her, and he would do anything to hold onto it forever.
***
“Tristan,” Stella whispered into his ear. “Wakey wakey.” Tristan let out a growl as he stretched out his body on the bed. Clearly he had spent more time watching Stella sleep then sleeping himself.
Stella had managed to pull herself from Tristan’s strong grasp around her waist, dragging herself up to face him. She had watched him for several minutes sleeping soundly, undisturbed. She now understood why he had watched her for so long, she could feel herself wanting to stare at him for hours. He looked so peaceful and content. But she had become restless, she couldn’t remember the last time she had slept in past eight in the morning. It was nearly midday and she felt the day was nearly over. Stella enjoyed her weekends and definitely didn’t want to spend it in bed, as much as being with Tristan was very tempting, come Monday she would have to be back at work and they wouldn’t get a full day together again until the next weekend. She had no intention of wasting the time she had with him now.
“What time is it?” Tristan yawned, his eyes opening and pulling Stella closer to him.
“Late. Come on, get up. I’m hungry and I don’t plan on being in bed all day.” She pulled his arms, but it was no use, they were like dead weight not budging.
“Mmmmm. But being in bed has its advantages…” He squeezed Stella’s naked backside. She quickly swiped his arm away, she knew his touch would cause her to forget her purpose.
“No Tristan, please. I want to do something with you today. I want us to experience being a real couple and go out. We’ve been confined to this hotel all week. I know we tried going out before and it didn’t work, but I want to try again.”
The look of concern crossed his face, making him frown. “But I thought after last night, you might not want to go out?”
She felt embarrassed by last night’s events. She thought they were trying to attack her, but all they were doing was trying to get a good photo of her. “It’s bound to come out eventually about our relationship. So it might as well happen now. Plus I think it would be good for us if I got more of a feel of what your life is like.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Tristan, we can’t stay locked up in this hotel forever. You know that,” she said. She silently wished Tristan wasn’t famous, life would be a lot easier if he wasn’t. But she knew she couldn’t change it. She was taking a chance with him, a chance she never thought she’d take with anyone again and she prayed she wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life.
“I know. But what if my life is too much for you, the paparazzi, the fame, everything.”
She sighed, “Then that’s the chance we have to take.” She paused. “For us to truly know if our relationship is even possible we need to do this.”
She watched Tristan contemplate her words. “Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She smiled as she watched him jump up off the bed, baring his naked body. He had the most admirable body, every inch of him she craved to touch, his muscles flexed as he walked over to his walk in robe. She giggled at herself, who would have thought she would be here now, perving on Tristan Wood’s sexy body. He turned to her. “Well up you get then, don’t want to waste the day away,” he smirked.
Stella rolled her eyes at him, two minutes ago she had been trying to convince him to get out of bed, and now all she wanted was him to get back in it.
“I’ve got a TV interview tonight so afterwards we can go out to dinner, like a real couple,” he said as he grinned at his words.
She hated his grin. Ok, secretly she loved it. But he knew she couldn’t ever be mad or say no to him when he smiled. His smile was infectious, just like every other part of him.
***
“Does this look ok Tristan?” she questioned Tristan as she walked into the open lounge room. Tristan sat on the nearby couch resting a guitar on his lap while he scribbled notes. He was looking gorgeous as ever in his dark denim jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. He looked up at her, a smile instantly touched his lips. Stella was wearing a black strapless dress that hung tightly to her body falling to her knees and her hair had been curled and loosely fell over her shoulders.
They had gone back to her hotel to get a change of clothes for the night, after Stella repeatedly denied Tristan in letting him buy a new outfit for her. She was still dead set against him helping her out and letting him buy her things, something he hoped would change. Wh
at was the point in making all his money if he didn’t have anyone to share it with?
“You look stunning,” he said, standing up and placing the guitar against the couch, walking towards her and he gently kissed her lips. “Are you all ready to go? Ben wants us to be ready to leave in five.”
“Yep, ready when you are.” She smiled confidently, he could tell she was trying to hide the nervousness, this would be the first time they would be seen in public together.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this? You don’t have to come. Our relationship can still be secret.”
“After last night, I doubt it.” He saw the pained expression in her face. He knew he would never let anything like that happen again. Even if he had to hire personal security for her. The thought of Stella in trouble didn’t sit right with him and made him cringe in discomfort.
“Anyway, it’s bound to happen eventually and we might as well do it now,” she added.
“Only if you’re sure?” There was no way he was going to ever let her do something she wasn’t completely comfortable in doing.
“I’m sure”
“Great, I’ll let Ben know.” He walked towards the coffee table, picking up his phone, dialling Ben’s number.
***
Stella’s hands were shaking as she stood backstage with Tristan, waiting for him to be called out to stage. Her nerves were getting the better of her and she couldn’t stop it. She didn’t know what she was more nervous about, Tristan going on live television in front of an audience full of women, the realization that she was in fact dating a celebrity, or that he was about to tell the whole world they were together.
On the way to the television studio she had called her parents to tell them about Tristan, she thought it was better that they found out from her before hearing about it all over the media in a couple of hours. She didn’t need to tell Claire as she had already clued in on it earlier in the week.
When they arrived she’d undergone many security checks, making her even more nervous, Tristan continued to reassure her that it was very normal, but nothing would prepare her for what was to come.
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