Mia rose from the bed and walked over to thetelescopes facing the wall of glass. Behind her, she heard Davidshift his weight as he sat up on the bed. “What are you doing?” heasked.
“Getting your gift.”
“I’m pretty sure you’ve gifted me right intodehydration these past couple hours,” he replied.
Glancing over her shoulder at him, she wasunable to stop herself from laughing at the satisfied smirk on hisface. “You pounced on me before I could give you your present, andChristmas is over now.”
“I didn’t hear any protests from you when Ipounced.”
“That’s because I like it when youpounce.”
“Damn right you do.”
Mia bent to press her eye to the eyepiece ofthe telescope. She adjusted it to point toward Ursa Major. Fromthere, she searched out a small star to the right of theconstellation and focused on it.
“Come here,” she said, then stepped awayfrom the telescope.
Rising to his feet, he stalked toward her.The predatory glint in his eyes had her biting her bottom lip tokeep from pouncing onhim.
“Aren’t you tired?” she asked as his cockstiffened with every step he took.
“I was, until you bent over in front of me.You have an irresistible ass.”
“Youarean irresistible ass,” sheretorted.
His teeth flashed as he stopped before her.Mia’s gaze ran over his honed body until she had to tip her headback to look up at him. He was magnificent, and every inch of himwas hers.
“I am,” he agreed.
Mia rolled her eyes and waved at thetelescope. “Take a look.”
Bending, he placed his eye against the lens.“The Big Dipper.”
“Yes. Do you see the small star in thecenter of the telescope?”
“I do.”
“That’s yours.”
He stared through the lens for a secondlonger before rising to peer questioningly down at her. “I have astar?”
“Yes.”
Mia clasped her hands behind her back, herfingers fiddling anxiously as she watched him. The stars were moreher thing than his, but she’d wanted to do something for him forChristmas. She had some money in her bank account, but she hadn’tdared to touch it. She had no idea how much the vampires who hadtaken her prisoner knew about her, and she wasn’t about to riskthem finding her somehow. Instead of using her own money, she’dapplied for a credit card under a fake name, fibbed about heryearly income, and bought a star for him.
At the time, paying off the card had been aproblem for another day, but David had given her access to his bankaccounts before they’d come to their secluded spot again. Aftershe’d gotten over the staggering amount of money in those accounts,and the realization that he really did want her to spend thatmoney, she’d paid off the credit card and set up a large, monthlydonation to the nearest shelter specializing in homeless teens. Assoon as she was more settled, she would start volunteering at thatshelter as often as she could.
“Yes. I… I had it named after you. I knowyou’re not really into stargazing,” she blurted out. “And nextyear—”
Her words were abruptly cut off when hewrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. Hestrode across the room to the bed with her locked against hischest.
“It’s perfect,” he told her. “Every time youlook at the stars, you’ll be thinking of me, looking forme.And you look up there pretty often.”
“You really like it?” she asked as sherested her hand against his cheek.
He turned to nuzzle her palm with his lips.His happiness thrummed through the bond connecting them as helifted his head from her hand and bent to nibble at her bottom lip.“I love it. You gave me a star.”
His tongue swept leisurely over her lipsbefore sliding in to take possession of her mouth.
