I groan as my orgasm consumes me, my vision blurring, my entire body shaking from my release. “Fuck, B. There’s no doubt you were made for me.”
“Is that so?” She smiles through stilted breaths, and it hits me in the chest.
“Actually, no. You were made to shine. I was made to worship the ground you walk on.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Zane
Iwake up to the sweet song of a bird filtering through the open window and Blair’s naked body intertwined with mine. Her head rests on my chest, her legs wrapped around me, her beautiful curls tickling my chin.
I run a hand along the curve of her back, as the other strokes through her hair.
Last night was incredible. I’ve had sex many times before—I’ve even had sex with Blair. But what we did, what we shared, was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced.
If I was questioning my feelings—not that I ever had—last night would have been a game changer. As corny as it sounds, I felt it in my soul. Blair is my person.
Nothing could possibly ruin this moment.
My phone buzzes and I laugh incredulously.Something’s going to try.
With my sappy loved-up smile still locked in place, I grab my phone to silence it and find a message from Keeley.
KEELEY: Landon’s death has hit the news and someone leaked that you were in lockup yesterday. We’ve got this. I’m not worried and neither should you be. But we’re going to need to talk
And so it begins.
My stomach knots as I slip out of bed, my pulse pounding with the blood coursing through me.
I probably should be thankful that we got a night of peace—they could have been surrounding our car as we left the Stevens residence, or hounding us here at the hotel. But I wanted more time.
“What is it?” Blair’s sleepy voice startles me and I’m quick to wave her off.
“It’s nothing. Go back to sleep.”
“Zane,” she warns, covering herself with the sheet. “We’re in this together, remember?”
My head drops as an internal war rages inside me. “How am I supposed to protect you, if you insist on knowing everything?”
Blair smiles as she stands, her steps light as she makes her way over to me, the crinkled white sheet secured tightly around her, reminding me of our night together. “I don’t want you to protect me.”
“Well, sometimes you don’t know what youneed, Little B.” I raise an eyebrow in challenge and she raises one back, making me finally crack a grin. “Fine. I’ll tell you. But I’m not agreeing to this no protection bullshit. I’ve been living most of my life to protect you. I can’t stop now.”
“Alright.” She huffs adorably. “I’ll allow some protection. You can step in when it comes to spiders, or wild animals stalking melike prey. I’ll even let you come to my rescue if someone tries to hit on me, or I fall off my surfboard and get lost in the waves. But when it comes to words on a page, or gossip about our lives, past or present, I want to be called into play. We’re better off facing that together.”
I frown. “How did you know?”
“Because I may or may not have set up alerts for your name.” She glances back to her phone lying on the bed. I hadn’t even noticed it in her hand. “I’m here. And I’m going to need you to promise that you’re going to let me help. That’s the only way this works.”
I swallow back my emotions as my entire future stands before me, her wide eyes staring up at me, her perfect pout making me whole.
“I promise,” I say honestly. And while my stomach sinks from the idea of any of this hurting her, it’s the easiest promise I’ll ever have to make. Because if it comes to working as a team, or losing her completely, it’s a no-brainer. “This is forever, B. And forever starts now.”
We head back to San Francisco later that day, and for the next week, every time Keeley calls to chat, Blair’s there, ready, her media alerts never once failing her.
She’s steadfast in her promise to get through it all together, and despite the fact that I know some of the things they’re saying are hard for her to read, she’s never once wavered.
Even after the last headline.
