And that resulted in eight years without her.
That was my regret.
My one regret in this otherwise seemingly perfect life.
I wanted Blaire.
I wanted to come home to this goddess every day of my life.
I’d never felt that with anyone else. And I didn’t want to give this girl up again. I couldn’t lose her. Not for anything.
“Blaire,” I said as I felt everything crest inside of me, “I want this. Us.”
She pressed her hand to my face and kissed me. “Yes.”
It was the word that broke the dam. I felt her contract all around my cock.
“Fuck,” I spat. “God, you’re coming hard.”
She writhed underneath me, trying to get closer, digging grooves into my back with her nails. A keening emanated from her voice as her orgasm hit her like a ton of bricks. And all it did was trigger my own.
I let out a string of curses as my body went rigid, and I unleashed deep inside of her. She milked me for every single drop as we came together. Everything shook inside of me, and then I collapsed forward.
Kiss after kiss I pressed across her shoulders and chest. “My goddess. My queen. My everything.”
She laughed softly at my words. “So, it was good for you?”
I met her wild blue gaze. “Perfect.”
“I’m glad you liked the lingerie.”
“You are perfect. The lingerie is just a bonus,” I said as I kissed her collarbone.
She threaded her fingers through my messy, dark hair. “I want to stay like this forever.”
“Me too.”
I laid my head against her chest and listened to the rhythm of her heart slow to a steady drumbeat. Then, I hoisted myself off her and discarded the condom. She headed into the bathroom and returned a few minutes later to crash back down on the bed.
“How was the studio?” she asked as she snuggled up against me.
“It was work.”
“Sorry about Michael.”
I shrugged. “We tried. We’ll figure it out. What did you do today other than shop?”
“Work,” she said, glancing up at me dreamily. “I edited a ton of videos and talked to Nate.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Nate?”
She laughed at my expression. “English thinks he should do a video on Saturday to congratulate us after we announce our relationship. She thinks it’ll go a long way toward goodwill.”
“Ah,” I said. “That English is smart. How did Nate take that?”
“He didn’t care. We’re just friends.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, tipping her chin up with my finger and pressing a kiss to her swollen lips.
“Girls and guys can be friends.”
“Sure. Just not ones we recently slept with.”
She swatted at me with a laugh. “Even those.”
I took her hand and kissed each individual finger. “Blaire, you know you’re important to me, right?”
“You’re important to me, too.”
“I know that my job isn’t ideal for a relationship. Seeing Michael today showed just how problematic it can be.”
“It’s new, Campbell. We don’t have to decide all of that today.”
“I know. But I’ve realized that I can’t live without you.”
Her eyes were wide with that statement. “Is that so?”
“I made a mistake, not letting you make a decision. Not being there the way you needed me in the past. I don’t want to be that guy this time.” I took a deep breath before saying, “I love you.”
She gasped softly, as if she hadn’t been expecting those words. Truthfully, I hadn’t known that I was going to say them. I was in love with her. She was my entire world. And the last thing I wanted was to be separated from her. I just couldn’t have her not knowing that.
“I love you, too,” she said, pushing to her elbows for another kiss.
“You do? It’s not too soon?”
She shook her head. “I can’t deny it either.”
She snuggled down against me, her breathing going even again. She repeated the words, as if she couldn’t quite believe we’d said them, “I love you.”
And as she fell asleep in my arms, I repeated them back to her. Three words, one promise. “I love you.”
33
Blaire
Campbell Abbey loved me.
Again.
It felt surreal to even think that we could be here. After everything, we’d made it back to this point. And somehow, it was both easier and harder than before.
Easier because we were older and knew the extent of our feelings. We knew precisely what it would be like to be without the other. How difficult it was. But more difficult for so very many reasons. Not the least of all, his celebrity status and the fact that…while it was amazing to be here, I’d eventually have to return to Lubbock.
My life and friends were there.
Campbell’s life was here.
But I believed we could find a compromise. I just didn’t know yet what it was.
Even though I was in LA with him now, he was at the studio at all hours of the day. It wouldn’t always be like this, of course, but then he’d be on tour and promoting and award season. It would be difficult but not impossible.