Breaking Stars (The Celebrity 2)

“Here in the South, we know how to make you feel about this big.” She held her fingers almost an inch apart from each other. “And we do it all with a smile on our face.”

“You ladies scare me,” I admitted with a tight laugh.

“Me too,” Tatum chimed in.

Dinner was uneventful and Brina didn’t act out anymore. Matter of fact, she barely spoke to us unless absolutely necessary. I think Mrs. Montgomery scared her. After paying for the check and tipping Brina more than she deserved, I noticed Tatum’s eyebrows pull together as his eyes got that faraway look in them.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“I think I left the office door unlocked at the shop. I need to run there real quick and make sure I locked it all up.”

“This is a dangerous town. You should definitely dead bolt everything,” I teased.

Mrs. Montgomery chuckled. “You two go check on the shop, and I’ll go wait in the car,” she offered with a smile.

“Thanks, Mama. We’ll be right back,” Tatum said before giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

As we closed in on the shop, I noticed the side door hanging completely open. “Tatum, you didn’t even close the door!”

He shrugged. “I was in a hurry.”

“For what?” I asked as we entered the dark space.

“To see you.” He wrapped an arm around my lower back as his lips met mine softly, his tongue gently begging for entry. I opened my mouth, allowing him in and greeting his tongue with my own. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged as I deepened our kiss, his lips all over mine, tasting me, wanting me. But then he broke our kiss just as slowly as he started it. “Stop distracting me.”

“Me?” I pretended to growl and walked through the office door out into the garage. Even in the dark, my eyes immediately found my beautiful black car, gleaming as it sat in one of the garage’s two bays. I walked around it, noticing all four tires were intact and in place.

“Uh, Tatum?” I shouted toward the back office where he was doing God knows what.

“Yeah?”

“Is this my car?” I asked, knowing full well that it was.

“Yeah,” he drawled out.

“How long has it been fixed?” I asked with a small smile playing on my lips.

He exited the office and stared at me before answering, “Pretty much since you got here.”

My mouth fell open. “What?”

Tatum stalked toward me, wrapped his arm around my waist, and pulled me against him. “I didn’t want you to leave. I still don’t.”

His lips came down on mine and I lost myself in the feel of his tongue slowly exploring my mouth. His heart raced and beat against my chest, filling me with more passion. A moan escaped my lips as I leaned closer, my hands pulling at the back of his neck and winding in his hair.

“I miss you when I don’t see you,” he murmured against my lips, and I pulled back slightly to make eye contact with him.

“Me too,” I admitted before closing my eyes and pulling his lips back toward mine. A few moments later, we started for the exit, hand in hand. “Wait.” I stopped short and his hand jerked against mine. “I want to bring my car back to your house.”

“Now?”

“Why not now?” I paused before waggling my eyebrows and adding, “I’ll let you drive it.”

“Really?” His eyes lit up.

“Really. I’ll head back with your mom and you can bring my car back with you.”

“Deal.” He placed a quick kiss on my lips before grinning wide. “Let’s go home, babe.” He said like it was the most natural thing in the world and I nodded, as if his home was where I belonged.