Page 114 of A Summer of Stars

I took a step forward. “That’s not what I asked.”

“You have no idea what type of person I am when I’m in a relationship and how much I let everything—”

“Luna—”

“Kieran,you don’t understand, there’s so much you haven’t—”

“Luna Aldridge, do you love me?”

“Yes!” she shouted with grit. She exhaled. “Yes, I love you.” It came out in a soft breath. Her chest dipped and rose. My shoulders did the same. Fighting for air, absorbing her answer.

“Good, because I’ve loved you for quite some time, and I’ve been waiting to say anything about it until I was positive that you didn’t absolutely hate me.”

Her mouth fell open. Then closed. Then opened. “But you don’t know—”

“God, you’re so damn stubborn.” I groaned, putting my hand on the back of her neck, pulling her in, and pressing my lips against hers. My hands traced the exposed skin on her back while she gripped my hips in a mind-numbing motion. “I want all of you. I want to be enough for you.”

Fifteen days. Fifteen days I had gone without touching her, smelling the vanilla along her neck, letting her nails sink into myhair, and feeling her skin under my hands. Knowing she loved me amplified everything. To be loved by her was to be the sun in the moon’s life. But in reality, she was the sun, and I’d follow her the same way the moon did.

“I love you,” I mumbled between our lips.

“Say it again,” she sighed.

“I love you, Luna.” I pulled her hips against mine as she tilted her head, deepening the kiss. I ran my tongue along her bottom lip. Satisfyingly, she moaned in response, pulling me in closer by my belt loops.

“What are the chances this door locks?” She sighed.

“I will hold the doorknob myself if it means I can take this dress—”

Light wafted in as the door clicked open. We separated suddenly.

“Dear lord, I feel like I shouldn’t have seen that,” a woman with long blond hair protested.

“It’s about time!” another shouted, followed by whistling.

I pulled away, ready to step in front of Luna. But she twisted.

“It’s fine, we weren’t in the middle of something,” she grumbled. There were five women poking their heads in.

A woman with a dark bob stuck her head in next. “We need to get going now before someone comes in and kicks the two of you out for harming a guest. Let’s get moving before you make front page news tomorrow.”

“Will Luna Aldridge Disappoint in the US Open Final Again?”

—Tennis Today

HOW WAS Isupposed to stop staring at him now? He was the most ravishing man I had ever seen, and now he loved me. He loved me. Kieran loved me. Beautiful, handsome, ridiculously witty Kieran loved me.

The thought draped over me like a linen picnic blanket on a bed of grass. I wanted to fall onto it and sip on the words as pink clouds passed overhead. But at the same time, his hand on my thigh was the equivalent to an oil lamp switching on in a dark room despite the strong winds coming in through the window, trying to blow it out.

“Is there something on my face?” he asked, glancing at me before focusing on the stack of cards in front of us.

I shook my head, turning my own gaze forward after accidentally memorizing every freckle on his neck. There was a large pizza in the center of our carpet circle that we ordered the moment we got back from that fiasco of an event, along with two stacks of Uno cards.

“All right, Kieran, be honest. Are you scared of boats?” Cecilia asked, putting a red five down.

“What?” he questioned.

“Oh, finally, we can ask questions now.” Serena sighed, putting a green five down.