Page 35 of This December

“Are you kidding me? I mean look at this, December.” Cole turned the page around and waved it at me. “You’ve got a gift. This is fucking amazing. This is what you’re meant to do. You have to go all in on your art. I won’t let you talk yourself out of it.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off of Cole’s expression in the drawing. The intensity in his eyes.

The burning look of love.

The same expression Cole was currently wearing.

My heart thudded unevenly and my breath hitched. “You looked at me just like that when we were talking to Jace this morning about what to say in the statement to the press. That was when I knew.”

“Knew what?”

I smiled tremulously. “That was when I knew I was falling for you, Cole the man. Not Cole Jackson, pop singer superstar. But Cole, the barefoot man in his kitchen who looked at me like that then…and right now.”

Tears blurred my vision for a second, and I swiped them away.

“Fuck.” Paper crinkled around us as Cole came down on the bed. He crawled across until he was on top of me, arms braced next to me, holding his weight as he looked down at me with tears welling in his eyes. He shook his head, his lips quivering with emotion. “Well you better catch the fuck up because I’ve fallen the whole way. I love you, December James. The woman. The artist. The clutzy grocery delivery woman. My lover. My everything. It happened so fast, but when you know, you know. And I know that I love you so goddamn much.”

Then we were kissing. Wildly. Passionately. Hands clutching. Hips grinding. I had to get closer to him. I had to feel him inside me.

In the distance, a bell chimed. The lyrical sound rolling through the mostly empty home.

We kept kissing. Tugging at each other’s clothes. Hands caressing.

The bell came again.

Cole pulled back with a curse. “Dammit. I think your family is here.”

“What?” I kissed his firm, stubble covered jaw. “I bet if we’re really quiet they’ll go away.”

“December.” He groaned. “We promised the kids sledding. And snowmobiling.”

My phone trilled from wherever my pants had ended up. No doubt my mom calling.

I groaned and my head fell back onto the bed. After a beat, Cole rolled off and grabbed my phone from my pants. He handed it to me then pulled his shirt back on.

“Hey Mom. We’re coming, I swear. Cole’s house is just ridiculously big. We’ll let you all in in just a sec,” I babbled as I shimmied into my pants. I was hoping if I bombarded her with information, she’d let the awkwardness go.

I should’ve known better.

“Honey, if you guys are—” she paused and whispered loudly, “having sexwe can take the kids for hot chocolate or something. Your sisters aren’t even here. They’re coming over later to pick up the kids. They’re probably enjoying some one-on-one time with their spouses too, if you know what I mean.”

“Gah, Mom.” I shuddered. “Pretty sure the owls behind the house know what you mean. It’s a huge house, and I’m, uh, just getting out of the shower. We’ll be there in a second.” And then I hung up on her, tossing my phone onto the bed.

Cole’s lips twitched like he was fighting a smile. “So I take it your family is here…”

I groaned and shook my head. “How much of that did you hear?”

“Enough to know that our moms are totally going to be best friends. Mine is just as crazy as yours. Actually, I’d say more.”

I snorted. “Impossible.”

“Mine has been impatiently waiting for me to bring a serious girlfriend home to her for years. She even started hinting that she knew some guys she could set me up with.” He laughed. “Like I don’t know any gay guys in LA.”

I smiled back then something he’d said niggled in my brain and my smile fell away. “You make it sound like you’ve never been in a serious relationship. When was the last time you’ve dated someone? Like in an actual relationship,datedthem. Because the media makes it seem like you’re with a new girl every month.”

Oh god. My breath seized in my chest. I was actually thinking about putting my whole life on hold while I chased after this man, who was the definition of a bad boyfriend bet. Was all that before just lip service? Did he really love me?

What was I thinking? Of course he didn’t—couldn’t—it’d only been like a week. Who fell in love in a week? I was so stupid.

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