24. Chapter Twenty-Four
And the internet quiz says, “Will it last? Yes, or No?”
* * *
Loki and I have had a long talk. He’s to mind his manners. He’s not allowed to pee in her house. And barking must be saved for when he gets home.
Of course he agrees to all my terms, but I’m not sure I trust him after he jumped on her yesterday after we had a talk then, too.
Christina buzzes us through the gate, and I park in the designated space for her condo. I put on Loki’s leash and let him out before I gather the bag of groceries that I brought and the bag with his travel items in it.
I knew I couldn’t trust him. Loki starts barking the moment he sees her standing in the doorway, watching us climb from the car.
“We had an entire discussion on how he wasn’t going to act like this,” I say, my hand gripping his leash as he tries to run away from me and to the woman he’s been taken with.
She’s dressed casually in a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. I’m glad she feels comfortable with me and doesn’t need to be dressed up every time I see her. That’s something for sure.
Why that makes me nearly giddy, I don’t know.
When Loki can’t get away from me, and is headed straight to Christina, I let go of his leash.
I laugh as she braces her stance for the incoming dog.
When he reaches her, he lunges. His paws come to her shoulders, and she hugs him as she tries to balance herself.
“You’ve made a friend,” I say as I reach her door.
Christina is now crouched down and playing with Loki, who is still barking his excitement.
“Loki,” I say sternly. “Quiet.”
Christina laughs as she unclips his leash and he runs around the living room, sliding on the marble floor.
“I’m sorry about him.”
She shakes her head as she stands and folds the leash. “He’s fine. I’m glad to see him.”
She watches him run circles, and I watch her. There’s a glow to her that I don’t think I’ve ever seen. Dogs will do that, but I wonder if there’s something more.
She hands me the leash, and I tuck it into Loki’s bag of items.
I follow her to the kitchen with our bag of groceries and set them on the island.
“I opened a bottle of wine. Would you like some?” she asks.
“I would.”
She pours us each a glass as I unpack the bag.
Christina hands me a glass, and with her glass in her hand, she looks over the items on the counter.
“What are we making?”
I look at the items and wonder what she thinks I’m going to make.
“I didn’t know if you had a grill, so I decided we’d be better off just making pasta. It’s an easy meal.”
She worries her bottom lip. Will she even consider eating pasta? But I have convinced her to eat hamburgers, fries, and pizza, so I suppose anything is possible.
“I did bring a salad, too,” I add.
The corners of her mouth lift into a smile, and she sips her wine.
“I’m a little closed off when it comes to cooking,” she admits.
“I’m a little adventurous when it comes to cooking.”
“You don’t say?” She lifts her brows.
“My mother loves to cook. She made it look fun.”
Christina takes another sip of her wine. “I’m not sure my mother knows where the kitchen is in her house.”
After she says it, she tucks her lips between her teeth and watches me for my expression.
I have to admit, I don’t have great opinions about her parents, but that doesn’t reflect on her.
I lift my wine to my lips and watch her over the rim of my glass.
She’s watching me. Even though she’s trying not to smile with her mouth, she’s smiling with her eyes. Do I do that to her? Is it Loki?
“How were your fittings today?” I ask as I sip my wine.
She shrugs. “Boring. Yvette doesn’t have an extensive wardrobe,” she says, mentioning her character’s name.
“I suppose William will be the same,” I say about my character as I take another sip of my wine. “I’m guessing I’ll have my share of suits. Another CEO romance story.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “You still believe in it, though?”
“I do. But I think it’s our charm that makes it work.”
Christina laughs hard enough that she covers her mouth with her hand to stifle it.
“That must be it,” she says through her fingers.
Watching her enjoy herself makes me want to kiss her again.
Loki won’t have any of that, though. He bounds through the kitchen, plowing himself right into my legs when his paws slide on the marble.
“You’re a menace,” I say to him as he looks up at us. “Where can I set a water bowl for him?”
She looks around. “I guess anywhere.”
I take his bowl out of the bag I brought with a few of his toys and a couple of snacks.
Christina watches me as I fill the bowl with water and set it by the door that leads to her patio.
“Do you take him to visit women often?” she asks, and it’s innocent enough.
I give Loki’s hind quarters a small pat as I walk back to the island and pick up my wineglass.
“Loki usually only gets to see my mug—and Milo’s. I don’t take him too many places.”
“So, this is a special outing for him?”
I have to tread lightly here. She’s searching for something.
“It is,” I say, moving toward her.
Christina holds her glass with both of her hands. “I’m not sure I’m worthy of being considered a special outing for him.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not special,” she says matter-of-factly.
I study her. She believes that.
When I agreed to say we were dating, it was for selfish reasons. It’s still for selfish reasons, but the woman needs to know that she’s more than just a face on a TV screen, or the image of her parents’ marriage.
I can’t say that I ever thought she was special either, but it’s all different now.
Setting my glass on the island, I reach for hers. Taking her glass from her hands, I set it on the island next to mine.
Her lips part, and she watches me with great interest as I cup her face with my hands.
“You need to know something,” I say, and her tongue darts between her lips as if to moisten them. “This thought that you’re not special is crap. Whoever let you believe that was wrong.” Though I know exactly who made her believe that.
She blinks hard. “I thought you believed that.”
I try not to wince. “Well, I was wrong.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. You’re so much more,” I say, and I watch as her lips turn up into a smile.
“Thank you,” she says softly.
“I have to admit, I was only going into this with the expectation that I’d see you in public and do what I had to do to fulfill this agreement.” Her eyes dart away from me, but I place a finger under her chin to direct her attention back to me. “But now I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“Really?”
“Really,” I confirm, and press my forehead to hers. “Don’t ever think you’re not special, because my dog and I, we seem to like you a lot.”
She lets out a breath, and her eyes grow damp. “Well, shit.” She laughs.
Her lips part again, and this time I ease in and press mine to hers.
Her eyes close instantly because she trusts me now, and her arms lift around my neck.
I turn her so that she’s pressed against the counter. My tongue sweeps through her mouth and against hers as her fingers lift into my hair.
It’s not the first time I’ve kissed her, but this kiss is different than any other.
It’s hot, quick, and desperate.
I press my hands into her hips and take as much as she’ll give me. My fingers grip into her as she presses herself to me, taking everything she needs from this kiss.
No stage kiss will ever be the same between us. And maybe that’s what Sal and Sandra were going for when they decided that we should embrace the rumors.
I can’t even care.
All I care about is letting this woman know how important she’s become to me in the past few weeks.
Christina eases back, her breath labored. “Are you always going to kiss me like that?”
“I want to,” I say.
She searches my eyes as if she’s waiting for me to tell her I’m kidding, but I’m not.
Everything has changed.