Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Either Nick Saint is a genius, or love is in the air this holiday season.
"You mean that, don't you?" Laura whispers, awe in her voice.
"I do." I rain kisses across her face, drying her tears with my lips. "I've got something worth fighting for now. And she won't let me hold onto the bad shit."
"That's because she loves you."
"Lucky me," I breathe against her lips.
"Lucky her," she whispers back, looping her arms around my neck.
When I let her up for air, she isn't crying anymore. She's glowing again.
Precisely like a star should.
Chapter Fourteen
Laura
"Wake up, princess," Kaiden rumbles, his lips drifting across the back of my neck in nibbling passes. His strong arms surround me, holding me tight against his massive body. His hard cock nudges insistently against my folds. "It's Christmas."
I shiver, pressing my ass back against him in silent invitation as my body responds, heat flooding my system. Waking up this way is better than waking up nauseous any day.
"There you are," he breathes, lifting my leg to drape it over his, effectively opening me up to him. One hand slips between my thighs, a soft growl of pleasure rumbling against my back when he finds me wet and ready for him. "You were dreaming about me."
"I'm always dreaming about you," I moan. It's nothing but the truth. My sleeping mind is as consumed by thoughts of him as my waking mind is. He owns me, mind, heart, body, and soul. And I know he feels the same way about me. I'll never question that. He changed his entire life, faced his past, and let go of the things still haunting him. He's not the same man who stepped from the shadows four weeks ago. He's mine now.
"Good," he rumbles, grinding his thumb against my clit. "Because I'm about to make a few of those dreams come true, little star." His cock nudges at my entrance.
We moan together when he tilts his hips, slipping inside. I bite my lip, my nails digging into his arm as his length stretches me. God, he's so big, so hard. No matter how many times he's in me, the first thrust always takes my breath. I hope it never stops.
As soon as he's buried balls deep, he reaches for my hand.
"Marry me, princess."
"Kaiden." I stare in shock as he slips a brilliant round-cut diamond ring on my finger. Smaller diamonds are pavé set in the platinum band and in elegant swirls all along the side. It's stunning.
"I've been holding on to this since you asked me to spend Christmas with you," he murmurs. "I wanted to make our first Christmas together one you'd never forget."
I'd say he's more than accomplished that. As soon as we wrapped yesterday, we left Los Angeles in the rearview and headed to Lake Tahoe. We have an entire cabin to ourselves for six whole days. There are no cameras trying to take our photos. There's no internet connection. No long days on set. It's just the two of us until the New Year's Eve wrap party at Avalon Hollywood. It's already the best Christmas I could have asked for…and he just made it a thousand times more magical.
"Yes."
"You can't tell me no, princess," he says, getting worked up. "You're mine. Our baby is mine. You have to make an honest man out of me, so the goddamn press doesn't think I got you pregnant and expect you to live in sin for the rest of your life."
They were too busy gossiping about Abel to worry about us too much, but they haven't left us alone entirely. Our pictures have been splashed across every gossip website in existence for the past few days. Despite Kaiden's fears, they've been…kind. Their story about my weight disappeared as soon as news about my pregnancy broke. They're too busy trying to figure out how long Kaiden and I have been together, how far along I am, and whether I was MIA because of pregnancy complications. They're shameless, honestly. But they aren't talking negatively about Kaiden, so I don't really care what they say. Damen's statement about what happened to Kaiden embarrassed a lot of people. They're facing a public reckoning over how they treated him and the horrible things they've printed about his scars and body in the years since.
I have no sympathy for any of them. Perhaps I should. Maybe I should be gracious and forgiving, but it takes zero effort to be kind. They had ten years to treat him with the respect and dignity he always deserved. Regardless of what happened to him or how he was hurt, words and what we do with them have power. It shouldn't have taken the truth for people to realize that he deserved better. He always deserved better.
"Say yes," Kaiden growls.
"I already said yes!" I cry, laughing softly. He's so bossy. Lucky for him, I don't mind. There's something damn sexy about this man when he's being all commanding and demanding.