Page 75 of Stars May Burn

Kasten seemed to be waiting for something, and he wasn’t meeting my eyes.

“Kasten, I’m sorry. I?—”

“Sophie,” he interrupted and there was a tense edge to his voice I’d never heard before. “May I…may I kiss you? But only if you’re comfortable with it. Only if you want to kiss me. I don’t want you to kiss me because you feel you have to. But if you would like me to…”

I stared at him in surprise. His words shook every belief I had about our marriage. Maybe Callum was right after all.

He released one of my hands so he could rub the back of his neck. “Ergh, I’m saying the wrong thing again, aren’t I?”

My chest constricted, and I felt a little giddy. How had he come through so much pain and darkness and still have such a kind heart? My mouth went dry, and I didn’t think I was capable of forming words in response. Instead, I lifted my free hand to his cheek. It felt so outrageous that I could touch his face, feel the slight roughness of his stubble, the sharp line of his jaw. The feared and loved General Kasten Batton. That perfect, solemn, unreachable man.

Again, he froze under my touch, but this time only for a moment before he leaned his face into my palm, sending a bolt down my spine that was both hot and cold. My breaths suddenly contained no air. I stood transfixed as he slowly lowered his lips to my wrist. The warmth of his breath tickled my palm. As he kissed my wrist, everything inside me melted.

I’d had no idea it was possible to feel like this, like every part of my body could respond to the smallest of movements, the smallest of gestures.

It was beautiful. And terrifying. And intoxicating.

I had been taught how to charm a husband with smiles and conversation. But nothing had ever prepared me for this. It was too much and not enough all at once.

His lips pressed against my inner wrist again, and I shivered. I was rooted to the spot. I couldn’t move.

“Kasten,” I breathed.

He lifted heavy lidded eyes to my lips. I swallowed. He leaned in and brushed his lips ever so lightly across mine. Like a whisper. A secret. An admission.

He stepped back. “You’re so beautiful, Sophie.” The breathless, sincere way he said it made my toes curl. I was under his spell. Under his control. Captured by the way his shadowed eyes seemed to drink me in. “I know I always say and do the wrong thing. I don’t know how to do anything right, but I want you to know how beautiful I find you. Just…incomparable.”

His words were hard to believe, but there was such raw honesty in his voice that I had no choice. I didn’t know what to say, how to put anything I was feeling into words. I couldn’t match this new Kasten to the one I knew who stayed as far away from me as possible.

He stepped back, breaking the tension by looking down and shifting his feet. He seemed to be searching for words.

I licked my lips. “I know you’re busy, but will you join me for dinner tonight? Again?”

Something I couldn’t read flickered across his eyes. “Do you really want me to? Not just because you were forced to marry me?”

I took a deep breath. “Kasten, it would make me so incredibly happy if you joined me for dinner tonight.”

The only way I could interpret his gaze was wonder, caution, and maybe nervousness. But I still couldn’t make sense of it all.

“I’ll join you.”

Joy rose quickly within me, and I beamed at him.

Again, he seemed taken aback, his lips slightly parting as he inhaled softly, transfixed.

I looked down, starting to feel self-conscious under his gaze. “I’ll see you in a few hours then. Though, I will understand if you have too much work or something else comes up.” I stepped toward the door.

“I’ll be there, Sophie.”

I smiled at him again, my whole body warm, and left his study.

I stood with my back against the door and caught my breath, still trying to process what had happened. We had kissed. He’d called me precious. Beautiful. And we were having dinner together.

Was this real?

I pressed the palms of my hands into the door behind me. I couldn’t mess this up. Not when I was starting to believe that maybe I had a real chance of happiness with the best man I had ever met.

Kasten

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