Page 45 of The Live-In Temptation (Steele Brothers of Starlight Cove #2)

CHAPTER FORTY

CHLOE

I should’ve known something was up from the looks the girls kept shooting me in the car. And by how dressed up they were—like, full makeup, hot-as-fuck clothes, not a ponytail or messy bun in sight.

“What are we doing again?” I asked from the back seat of Sutton’s car. Because surely they had something more planned than what they’d already told me, which was one drink and then all-we-could-eat carbs at whoever’s house was closest.

“Grabbing a drink at the bar,” Luna said. “Then we’ll see where the night takes us.”

I could’ve sworn I heard Quinn snort, but when I glanced her way, she was staring out the window, not even a smirk on her lips.

“Hmm. And why do you all look hot as shit while I’m over here looking like I just got off a bender?”

“You look perfect.” Sutton glanced at me in the rearview mirror and shot me a smile.

“Uh-huh,” I said, skepticism heavy in my tone because I had working eyeballs, and what I looked like was a hot mess.

And that was because I hadn’t had the desire to get out of Xander’s hoodie in far too many days. I was definitely smuggling that thing into my suitcase when it was time for me to leave.

Just the thought of my inevitable departure had that ever-present ache throbbing a bit harsher in my chest. I was mere days away from my official disappearing act, and I still hadn’t figured out how to say goodbye to this weird little life I’d built here in only a couple short months.

The truth was, I didn’t want to.

By the time we pulled up in front of One Night Stan’s, my radar was screaming that something was off.

It could’ve been the line of cars parked out front or the music blasting from inside or how the girls dragged me to the front door, their smiles infectious, their bodies practically vibrating with excitement.

“Seriously, what is going on?” I asked, glancing between the three of them, my eyes narrowed.

“Just a little Chloe celebration.” Luna shot me a grin and opened the door.

Before I could ask her to clarify just what the hell that meant, we stepped inside, and the whole place erupted in a chorus of “ Surprise !”

Confetti cannons went off from every corner, raining colorful flecks of paper into the space. A pink-and-purple balloon arch framed the hallway leading to the back room. And Mabel—bless her sequined soul—stood on a makeshift stage, holding a sparkly pink microphone and shooting me a wink.

My mouth hung open and I glanced around, taking in everyone as people swarmed me. People I’d met at a preschool event or one of my many adventures around town. People I’d laughed with and sold lingerie to and hosted pleasure parties for. People I’d grown to love.

They were all here. For me.

“Told you she’d be speechless!” Mabel said into the microphone before doing a little shimmy. “Now, someone get the birthday girl a LoLee Sparkletini, and let’s get this party started!”

I breathed out a laugh and accepted the martini glass filled with something pink and delicious and didn’t shrug off the plastic tiara Sutton placed on my head.

“You okay?” she asked, her hands on my shoulders as she darted her gaze over my face.

I swallowed hard, glancing around the room filled to bursting, and nodded. “Yeah. I just…didn’t expect this.”

She grinned, wide and beautiful, and hooked her arm in mine. “That was kind of the point. He went to a lot of work to make sure of it.”

I froze and stared at her, my mouth dropped open in shock. “ He …?”

Instead of answering, she just gave me a soft, knowing smile and tugged me into the crowd.

From there, the night blurred together in the most beautiful way—friends pulling me to dance with them, shouting over the music to toast me with smiles and heartfelt words, and hugging me so tight, I felt it in my bones.

Hugging me like they didn’t want me to leave.

My girls were all here, along with everyone from the Love Yourself evening and every pleasure party I’d ever hosted.

Atlas and Declan and Lincoln were running things behind the bar like they…

well, like they owned the place. Holly brought Emma over to me, and the three of us danced and laughed, and it felt so good to be in the middle of all this love.

And through it all, I felt him. Even in the commotion. Even through the noise.

Xander leaned against the far wall, his body half in shadow, arms crossed over his chest, his eyes locked on me.

Every time I laughed, he watched, his gaze skating over my wide smile and my tipped-back head like he wanted to memorize the shape of me.

Wanted to take every bit of me inside himself and never let go.

It was all too much and not enough, and I needed a damn breather.

I told the girls where I was headed and slipped away into the back hallway, the sounds fading the farther I went. The bathroom was open, thank god, and I stepped inside, locking myself away.

Leaning back against the door, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then another and another, hoping, somehow, it would abate this ache that had set up camp in my heart.

Because while this night was beautiful and wonderful and so, so sweet, it was only temporary.

The problem was, I didn’t want it to be.

I’d let all these people in, and I’d fallen in love with this town. Worse? I’d let Xander in, and I’d fallen in love with that structured, rule-following, color-coded-schedule kind of man.

Me —chaos in a hoodie—fell in love with the one person in the world I shouldn’t click with but somehow did.

I shook my head and wiped under my eyes, blowing out a deep breath to get myself together. Then I smiled into the mirror like my heart wasn’t breaking and turned to head back into the party.

I took one last deep breath and opened the door, and then I stopped short before I could step out into the hallway.

Xander stood there, leaning against the frame like he had every right to be there. Every right to wait for me. Like he knew exactly where I’d be. Just like the last time he’d found me back here.

“You planning to fuck me in the bathroom again?” I asked, going for light and flirty, except my words came out shaky and frayed around the edges.

His eyes darkened as he ran his gaze over me, hunger and intent clear in his expression.

“Actually…” He gripped my waist and stepped forward, backing me into the bathroom before shutting and locking the door behind us. “I was hoping to do that tonight. In our bed. In our room. Once we get home.”

I could only stare at him, my breath freezing in my lungs, lips parted and heart racing like a thoroughbred. I swallowed, attempting to impart some moisture into my too-dry mouth, and croaked, “Home?”

He nodded, slow and sure, his gaze never leaving mine. “Home.”

That wasn’t the first time he’d said that word to me, but I’d always laughed it off.

Swatted it aside. Assumed it didn’t mean anything.

But I couldn’t do that now. Not with the way he was looking at me.

Like I was everything he’d ever wanted—everything he’d ever need—wrapped up in one hurricane of a package.

Before I could say anything, he handed me a slim, wrapped box. “Happy birthday, chaos.”

“What’s this?”

“Open it and find out.”

With trembling fingers, I took the gift and unwrapped it, peeling back the paper and lifting the lid. Inside were two beautiful silk scarves—not at all like the ones I’d lost in the fire, but somehow even better.

“I couldn’t pop over to Marrakesh to replace the ones that burned, but I hoped these would work,” he said.

I licked my lips and curled my fingers into the scarves, needing them to anchor me because I felt like I might float away. “Work for what?”

“To make our home feel more like yours.”

He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket and opened it, smoothing it out—so much like I’d done with my résumé the day I’d set us on this very path.

“Starlight Cove doesn’t have an elephant sanctuary or a mountain goat retreat.

It’s not Sedona or Marrakesh or Monaco. But we do have the ocean outside our back door and goat yoga and Mabel.

And about five dozen other things that are just your brand of chaos. ”

I took the paper from him, my gaze skating over everything written in his neat, block lettering. He hadn’t been lying—there were five dozen activities on the list, at least.

Find the best lobster roll within fifty miles

Teach Emma how to ice skate

Skinny dip in the ocean at midnight

Dance in the rain

Start a tradition that’s just ours

Get snowed in during a Nor’easter

Catch fireflies with Emma

Cliff dive (but only if I’m with you)

Have sex somewhere we absolutely should not

Go kayaking at sunrise

I scanned the rest, tears filling my eyes with each item I read, chosen and handwritten by Xander.

And then I got to the last items on the list, and the tears I’d been holding back lost their will to cling to my lower lashes, and they rolled down my cheeks.

Slow and steady and at complete odds with the racing beat of my heart.

Run—but only if it’s for adventure, and only if we’re together

Fall asleep every night and wake up every morning next to someone who loves you

“Xander,” I whispered, my heart so full it felt like it was going to burst straight out of my chest. “What are you saying? What does this mean?”

He stepped forward and cupped my face, brushing his thumbs along the curve of my jaw as if I were the most precious thing in the world.

“I’m saying I want to add to that list for the rest of my life, Chloe.

I want to give you adventures every day—whether we do that in Starlight Cove or we continue your yearly trip to Sedona or we swing by the elephant sanctuary in Thailand.

It means I want you to go on the greatest adventures of your life.

But I want you to experience them with me and Emma. ”

I closed my eyes as he pressed his forehead against mine, his breath ghosting over my lips.

“I’m in love with you, chaos.” He kissed me then. Slow and sweet. Full of intent and devotion and the love he just confessed. “And I’m asking you to stay.”

“What if I get restless?” I whispered, my bottom lip quivering as I admitted what I was really scared of.

Scared I couldn’t do this.

Scared I was going to fuck it all up.

But he shrugged like it was no big deal.

Just another adventure. “Then we buy a ticket to the first place that sounds good. We hop on a plane or a boat or a train or we jump in the car, and we go wherever that wanderlust heart of yours wants to go. But then we come back. Because this—you and me and Emma? This is home.”

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat continuing to grow with every passing second. “I’ve never had a home.”

“Baby…” he murmured before tugging me to him. He gathered me in his arms and dropped his face into my neck, inhaling deeply like just the scent of me was everything he’d ever need. “You do now. Your home is with me. With us.”

I’d never known what home felt like. Not a real home.

Sure, I’d had a house with four walls and a roof over my head.

I’d had food and clothing and all the necessities, but I’d never had this.

Promises whispered against my skin and arms that didn’t let go and a list of ridiculous little adventures written in block letters just for me.

I’d spent my whole life running—toward or away from something, I wasn’t sure.

But maybe I’d finally found what I’d always been searching for.

Not found in a place or an escape plan but in the steady heartbeat of a man who saw all my broken pieces and called them beautiful.

A man who knew every chaotic, unpredictable piece of me and loved me, not in spite of them, but because of them.

Maybe, finally, I was home.