by Sabrina Sol
Her heart pounded like crazy. She wondered if he could hear it over the phone. “That’s such a big investment. Aren’t you moving kind of fast?”
“On the property or on you?”
She heard the hardness in his voice. “Don’t get mad. It’s just…”
“Just what, Celina? Haven’t I proven to you that I’ve changed? These last few days haven’t been part of some grand scheme just to sleep with you. I want us to try this … for real.”
Part of her wanted it, too. But another part was still afraid to let him in. That part had been burned before by men who’d promised her happily ever after one night, then disappeared by the next. At least with Luke back then, she’d held no illusions about what he could give her. That helped her protect her heart, in a way. But this Luke seemed too good to be true. This Luke could hurt her. Badly.
“Why do we have to figure it out now? Why can’t we just see how things go first?”
“Because I’m falling in love with you all over again. And I want more. I want to go places with you and do things together like a normal couple. I want to sleep in the same bed as you and wake up next you in the morning. I can do the long distance thing for a while, but eventually it won’t be enough.”
“Because you’ll realize I’m not the one.”
“No! Fuck!” he said. She could feel his frustration through the phone. “Because I know you are and I’ll hate every moment that I can’t be with you. Why can’t you let yourself believe that I can love you? Why can’t you trust yourself to love me back?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you think you’ll ever know?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
“Then maybe I’m just wasting my time.”
She couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe. Tears streamed down her face. But it wasn’t until she heard him hang up that she finally let out the sobs.
Chapter Eight
“Yes, you can bring Dot the Elephant with you on the plane. Just remind abuela to put her in your backpack so you don’t forget. Did you already put in your coloring books and crayons?”
“Yes, Mommy. And abuelo bought me a new book today but I haven’t colored in yet because he told me I have to wait until tomorrow. Do I really have to wait, Mommy?”
Celina tried not to laugh into the phone. “Zoey…”
“Alright mommy. I’ll wait. I’ll promise.
“That’s my good girl. I’ve missed you so much and I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Now, you have to leave early in the morning so make sure you go right to sleep, okay?”
A little yawn on the other end of the phone told her she’d be out in a matter of minutes. “Goodnight, baby. I love you and I’ll see you soon.”
“Goodnight, Mommy.”
The line clicked and she was alone again. The twenty-minute phone call with Zoey had kept her mind off the fact that there was no package waiting for her at the front desk when she came back from the last signing. But as she sat there on the edge of the king size bed in her empty hotel room, it was all she could think about. She should’ve just driven the hour home rather than stay at the hotel. Part of her had hoped Luke had sent her something. She sighed. The tour was officially over. And possibly so was any chance she ever had to be with him.
It was time to move on and get back to her life.
About thirty minutes later, she emerged from the Jacuzzi tub refreshed and somewhat relaxed. But before she could change into her pajamas, there was a knock on the door. She threw on one of the hotel’s white terrycloth robes and shuffled barefoot into the front room.
After checking the peephole and seeing the concierge from earlier, she opened it.
“Good evening, Ms. Luna. I’m sorry to disturb you, but this just arrived for you by messenger.”
The brunette concierge handed her a package wrapped in plain brown paper. A grin tugged at the corner of her lips and she thanked the woman and closed the door.
Her heart raced right along with her legs as she ran to the bedroom and plopped onto the bed. She took a closer look at the package and frowned. There was no mailing label. No fancy Anderssen’s ribbon. But it had to be from Luke. It just had to be.
Anticipation and hope swirled through her veins as she peeled away the wrapping and unveiled a familiar cube-shaped box with thin strips of yellowed tape hanging off the sides.
She sucked in the air around her. It couldn’t be. Could it?
Her eyes watered and her throat knotted as soon as she lifted the top. The plastic San Diego snow globe she’d bought for Luke ten years ago came into focus through a haze of unshed tears. She’d bought it as a gag gift—a sarcastic send off before he left for his round of interviews with financial firms in New York. He’d gone on and on about how much he wanted to move there that she thought it would be funny to give him such a cheesy reminder of San Diego. But when she went to write a note to go with the snow globe, she couldn’t think of anything witty to say. Instead she’d simply scribbled, “So you’ll always have a little bit of home close to you.”
With trembling fingers, she lifted the object out of the box to check if her note was still there. There was a piece of paper, but after unfolding it she knew from the handwriting that it wasn’t hers.
She took a deep breath and started reading:
Celina,
The night of your book signing you asked me about this box and I am ashamed to admit that you were right—I hadn’t opened it. At the time you gave it to me, I was angry at myself and at you for the way things were between us. I thought your heart belonged to someone else and at that moment, I didn’t want anything from you. It was childish, I know. Yet despite all of that, I could never bring myself to throw it away. Instead, I put it on a shelf in my old room and tried to forget about it and you. And for a few years, I did a good job of doing just that. And then I didn’t. Well, you already know the rest.
After you left the shop the other night, I ran straight to that box and finally opened it. It was the sign I needed to do whatever I could to remind you about the feelings you once had for me. I know I meant something to you back then and I want to prove that you mean something to me now.
I’m hoping that if you’re reading this, it means I was successful. And if I was, then I’m giving this snow globe back to you because I don’t need it anymore.
Home is wherever you are.
With all my love,
Luke
Tears finally escaped and splattered like raindrops onto Luke’s letter. She held the snow globe in her hand and shook it. Colorful specks of glitter danced in the liquid and splashed against the cartoonish cityscape and beachfront.
She laughed. Not at the silliness of having a snow globe for a city where it never snows, but at the realization that much like the glittery flakes inside the toy souvenir, her feelings for Luke hadn’t changed in ten years.
She still loved him. And this time—this time—she could trust that he loved her back.
Wiping away her tears, she stood up from the bed and set the snow globe down on the desk. Then she ran to her purse that still sat on the sofa in the front room and searched for her phone. She needed to hear his voice. She needed to tell him how she felt.
She needed to find her damn phone.
As she dumped the contents of her bag onto the coffee table, there was another knock on the door. This time she didn’t even bother checking the peephole. Her heart knew who was on the other side.
She flung open the door and found Luke staring back at her. All she could do was laugh through her tears. He said nothing out loud, so she silenced the questioning in his eyes by reaching for him. It was all the permission he needed. He rushed toward her and their bodies slammed together underneath the doorway. As they inhaled each other, she walked backwards into the hotel room, stopping only to shut the door. She clutched at the lapels of his suit jacket. Afraid to let him go.
“Celina, Celina,” he whispered against her skin, moving his lips to her cheeks and
neck.
“I’m here,” she said as she pulled him into the bedroom. And when the back of her thighs hit the end of the bed, he tugged on the sash to her robe. The reality of what they were about to do finally hit her. She covered his hand with hers.
“What’s wrong?”
Suddenly, she couldn’t bring herself to face him, couldn’t let him see the self-doubt she knew would be reflected in her eyes. He cupped her chin with his other hand and tilted her face up to him. No more hiding for either of them.
“Tell me,” he prodded.
“You’re perfect. Your body is anyway. And mine isn’t. It’s been ten years since you’ve seen me naked. I’ve had a baby, I’ve gained….”
“What are you talking about? You’re fucking beautiful.” He put his hands on both sides of her face and brought her in for a kiss. It started off slow, even sweet. But as their desire built, so did the pressure of his lips against hers. Luke moved one hand to the back of her head, tangling his fingers in her hair, pulling her further into the kiss. Soon, his tongue pushed through and they both moaned. He tasted sweet, he always did. No wonder she couldn’t get enough him—then and now.
She moved her hand away and let him slide the robe off her shoulders. He put his lips to her breasts and kissed them one by one. “Gorgeous,” he whispered. He slid lower and landed another kiss just above her belly button. “Lovely,” he said. Then he knelt in front of her, his hot breath blowing against her mound. “Sexy,” he said right before he spread her outer lips with two fingers and licked her clit.
“Oh Luke,” she cried out in pleasure. Her thighs quivered. Her knees shook. It was all she could do to keep from collapsing on top of him.
He stood up and grabbed her hand and pushed it against the thick, hot bulge between his legs. “This is what you do to me, Celina,” he said. “Don’t ever doubt how sexy you are and how much I want you.”
They kissed again, harshly and passionately. Still holding her hand, he moved it back and forth over his erection. It made her wild with lust and she craved to feel him without any barriers. To taste him like he had tasted her.
“Get naked,” she said. Within a minute, he was standing bare before her. She motioned for him to lie down on the bed and he eagerly complied.
In the past, Luke was the one who controlled the when and the how when it came to sex. Celina allowed it because he was more experienced and because he always made sure it was good for her, too. But standing there at the edge of the bed and looking down at her former lover, she knew she was the one in control this time.
“What’s with the evil grin?” he asked with a laugh.
“I’m just contemplating how I’m going to ravage that body of yours.”
“Oh, you’re going to ravage me, huh?” Although he tried to sound like he doubted it, she could tell by the tone in his voice and the twitch of his cock, that he knew full well she would do it and do it well.
“Condom?” She assumed he’d be prepared given the last time they were together.
“Pants pocket.”
She found three and smiled to herself. Not only was he prepared, he was hopeful. She crawled onto the bed and put the square foil packet between them. Then she curled her fingers around his shaft. She took her sweet time licking it from base to tip. He moved his fingers to the back of her head and she took him inside her mouth.
“Fuck me,” he said.
“I plan on it,” she said after one long suck. Satisfied that he was ready for her, Celina sheathed him with the condom. She situated herself above him and then slowly lowered herself onto his cock. They both gasped.
“So tight. God, I’ve missed this,” he said.
She couldn’t speak. Didn’t know how. Words failed to describe the pleasure of being filled by Luke after all this time.
They began to move together. Careful at first, as though he was afraid he’d hurt her. But with each thrust, she opened further for him and soon he was completely inside—her body and her heart. All the old hurts of the past fell away. She trusted. She forgave. This was more than just sex. It was a new beginning.
She leaned forward and he caught her hands. Their fingers entwined and they pushed off each other as Luke picked up his pace. Their breaths grew ragged, their moans grew louder. She let go only to move her hands behind her as she arched her back. He palmed her full breasts before bringing his hands to her hips, pulling her down harder with every thrust.
“Come for me. Will you do that for me, baby?”
She nodded and he took one hand from her hip and put it where their bodies and souls joined. The pressure against her clit was almost too much to bear. An explosion was imminent.
“Harder Luke, harder, please,” she cried. He grunted unintelligible words as she rode him fast and dirty.
And then she came … undone. Completely. Forever. Amen.
He thrust himself upward one more time as the walls of her sex milked his cock with spasm after spasm. Luke grabbed her hips to hold her down in place and she felt him jerk inside her.
When their mutual quaking stopped, he pulled her down onto his chest and wrapped his arms around her. He nuzzled her hair and brushed the bare skin on her back with his fingers. “You know I’m never letting you go, right?”
“I know.”
“You’ll just have to get used—wait, did you just say what I think you said?” He lifted her chin so she could look at him.
“I did.”
“So does that mean what I think it means?”
She nodded and smiled. “It means we’ll figure it out. But, yeah, I don’t plan on letting you go either. Besides, thanks to your little seduction plan, I’m expecting you to give me sex and chocolate for the rest of my life.”
His laugh made her bounce against his chest. “I can definitely do that. And what do I get in return?”
Celina thought about it for a few seconds. What on earth could she give a man who made her feel so loved, so cherished? There was only one answer.
“How about a Luke junior?”
His hand stilled and he took a deep breath. “How about a Christopher instead?’
Her heart melted at the thought of naming their future child after his dad. She looked up at him and saw the emotion in his eyes. “I love you, Luke Anderssen,” she said as he tenderly touched her cheek. “And thank you.”
He smiled and raised his eyebrow. “For what?”
“For giving me the ending to my next book.”
“Does that mean Lucas and Anna are going to live happily ever after?”
“Yep,” she said and moved in to kiss him. “And so are we.”
The End
www.sabrinasol.com
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