Opening up to Travis like that had been eye-opening for me. Sure, I had already shared with Brooke how I felt about her, but saying it out loud to them, with her sitting on my lap, somehow made it real. When she silenced me with her finger, taking control like that, my body instantly took notice, a fact that I’m sure she became aware of when Natalie had pressed us closely together like that. She never gave an outward reaction, which surprised me at first, because any other time her face would have turned the cutest shade of pink. Maybe she hadn’t noticed. Or maybe she had but wasn’t affected. That was the question that would haunt me the rest of the afternoon.

After Travis and Natalie had left, we sprawled out on the sofa, holding hands, and talked about my rehearsal and how her lunch had gone. We lay there face-to-face, our legs tangled together, and as I talked, her thumb traced circles around the pad of flesh on my palm. It both tickled and enticed. Her breath came in short bursts that felt hot against my chest, her lips merely half an inch away.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about anyone before,” I admitted.

“Not even Charlotte? You knew her so much longer than you’ve known me. You were with her for a year, Sebastian.”

“I know, and believe me, I hear what you are saying. But I was only twenty-two when I met Charlotte. I didn’t know what it meant to be in love, not true love. Not like this.”

“Are we crazy for falling so fast? Are we really feeling this, or are we both just lonely?” Her words hitched as they slipped past her soft lips, almost as if it hurt to speak them. I understood what she was asking, had wondered the same thing; it was probably why Travis had asked us what he did. Travis knew what I had been through, what I had just come out of. He had seen me at my worst. Seeing me at my best, as I felt I was when I was with Brooke, wasn’t something he had seen a lot of over the past two years. Hell, I had avoided looking in a mirror for so long, even I didn’t recognize the reflection staring back at me today. The smile I now wore had long been absent from my face. This morning, after Brooke told me that she was falling in love with me, I caught my reflection in the window, and for the first time in longer than I can remember, the smile looked natural, almost as if it had been there all along.

“I know. I wondered the same thing, but somehow it just feels right. I don’t know how to explain it other than we were meant to be together. Right now, I would do anything for you, Brooke, anything you ask. I want to take care of you, love you, teach you things, share my entire world with you. I feel like we are just getting started, and you are leaving. I don’t want to let you go.” She looked up, resting her chin on my chest, and tears were falling from her beautiful blue eyes. “Oh, baby.” I swiped at them with the tip of my thumb. “Don’t cry. We’ll find a way to make it work,” I promised, praying like hell that I had the strength to make good on it. In two days’ time, more than a thousand miles would separate us. I found myself wondering how soon she would be ready for me to fly out and share her world. My heart ached at the thought of watching her leave. The mental vision of her small hand waving good-bye hurt almost as if a knife had replaced the space that her chin now rested on, twisting and turning until I clamped my teeth on my tongue, biting back a strangled cry. Did she have any idea how much of myself I had already emotionally handed over to her? Could she even comprehend the amount of healing her gentle touch had offered?

“I love you, Sebastian,” she whispered. “I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you, maybe even longer. I just wanted you to know that.”

The ache in my heart subsided as her words once again filled the hole that had long ago taken up residence. I pulled her to me, needing to taste her sweetness, and covered her mouth with mine, filling her with the love I felt for her. Soon, nothing else mattered, the world around us ceased to exist, and the only important thing was what was taking place right here between us.

* * *

Two hours later, I was awakened by the sound of a doorbell ringing. I started to move and realized that Brooke was snuggled against me in the crook of my arm. We must have fallen asleep together on the sofa. I rolled my right shoulder and cracked my neck, the slight kink it now held evidence of the position it had lain in for the past two hours. Looking down at her sleeping face, it had been worth it. I could grow used to waking up to that sight each day. The sound of the chiming bell rang throughout the house once again, and I tried to quietly maneuver myself out from under her small frame, which apparently was easier said than done. She had staked claim over my limbs during her slumber. I finally managed to wriggle free, and as I stood up to answer the door, her eyelids fluttered open.

“Umm, that was a nice nap.” She smiled sleepily. “Where are you going?” Her hand reached up to pull me back to her. I grasped it tightly and chuckled at her sudden possessiveness.

“There’s someone at the door, babe.” I kissed her knuckles and backed away to the door. “You may want to think about waking up too. With that wild hair someone might think we were doing a little more than sleeping.” I winked and made my way out the door, missing a pillow as it flew past my shoulder, and I couldn’t help but laugh at her bad aim. I opened the door to find my family standing on the other side. My mother was smiling so hard I thought her face might crack. I knew right away that she had been on the phone with Natalie.

“Oh, sweetie, I heard all about your happiness! Where is she? Where is Brooke?” Mom gushed, hugging me fiercely in the process. What was it about a mother’s hug? How was it that it could be sweet and tender yet bone crushing all at the same time? I didn’t care what age I was; that feeling would never get old. They made their way into the house, around where my mom and I stood embracing.

“She’ll be right out. We were just taking a nap.”

“Sebastian!” Mom scolded. Travis and Nikki both giggled hysterically as I felt the tips of my ears turning crimson. Being with Brooke was starting to wear off on me in more ways than one.

“Mom, we really were taking a nap. We fell asleep talking in the den. It’s been a hectic week for her.” I felt her mom radar bore into me, seeking out the truth, finally seeming to accept my explanation. Honestly, even if we had been doing more than napping, I was a grown man. I certainly didn’t need my parents’ permission for that. I saw the smirk on my dad’s face and knew he felt my pain.

“So, all of you came over here just to congratulate us? What gives? I mean, don’t get me wrong, you are always welcome,” I stammered. It wasn’t that I didn’t want them all here. I just wanted to be selfish of the little time we had left.

“There she is!” Mom pushed away from me and went over to share the bone crusher with Brooke. I almost wanted to warn Mom to be careful. Brooke was too delicate for that much force, but then I saw the look on Brooke’s face when it hit her what was taking place. The single tear that streamed down her cheek said it all. The acceptance of my family, or any family, was what she had been missing her entire life. I looked at her and wanted to bottle this moment forever. I vowed then and there to make sure that she never felt anything less than love and acceptance for the rest of her life.

* * *

BROOKE

“There she is!” I had just rounded the corner into the foyer when I was swooped up into the loving arms of Tracy Miles. At first, I was caught off-guard, unaware that they had been the ones ringing the doorbell while Sebastian and I were snuggled up on the sofa. We had been talking about our feelings, how we were going to make our love work in spite of the distance. I didn’t recall falling asleep, but I did remember him cradling me in his strong arms and kissing me senseless. When he woke me and told me we had to get up, I had been disappointed, not ready to break the spell that we had gotten caught up in since early this morning. But when I felt Tracy’s arms wrap around me, when I heard her exclaiming her joy at our newfound love, and when I felt her acceptance of me as the love of her son’s life, I couldn’t help myself. I cried. I didn’t bawl, that would have created a scene, but I was aware that a tear or two escaped before I could suppress them.

“Okay, enough already. Let me have a turn.” Thomas smiled. When he hugged me, I could no longer hold back the tears. It had been so long since my father had paid any attention to me, let alone hug me. Unfortunately for Thomas, he hadn’t been filled in on my lack of a loving parent. To his credit, he responded by squeezing me tighter, patting me reassuringly on the back as I continued to pour out my pain. This was a loving family. They were supportive and encouraging, a concept that had been so unfamiliar to me, but I longed to share it. I craved it even. It wasn’t until he held me like that, the way a father would, that I even realized exactly what it was that I had been missing.

I felt a hand on my back and instantly recognized Sebastian’s touch, always light but protective and reassuring. “Hey, Dad, why don’t you let me take over?” Thomas eased his hold on me and smiled warmly as he looked down into my tear-filled eyes before handing me over to his son’s waiting arms. Sebastian wrapped his arms around me lovingly, pulling me against his lean body. We fit together perfectly. “You okay, honey?” he whispered quietly. My body shook quietly against his as I tried to hold back the sobs. “It’s okay. It’s just love, baby. Let them shower you with it. You deserve to have it rain down upon you. As long as you are in my life, you will always be surrounded by love, I promise you that.” That was the second promise he had made me today, not that I was keeping track, but I hoped like hell that he would be able to make good on them, because so far everything he had promised sounded like something I could get used to.

“I’m good,” I sniffed, wiping under my eyes to make sure there weren’t mascara smudges. “It’s just all new to me, that’s all. I wasn’t prepared for how wonderful it would feel. It made me realize what I have been missing all my life.” I took a cautious glance around and noted that there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Even Sebastian’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“Okay, what do you say we stop all this crying and enjoy a nice meal together? Brooke, I hope you like barbecue,” Natalie quipped as she went about busying herself, pulling take-out containers out of the assorted bags strewn all over the counter.

An hour later, we were sprawled out around the man cave, trash littering the surrounding tables. Tracy had gone out of her way, picking up food at a local barbecue joint known for their burnt ends and macaroni and cheese. I had been famished; I hadn’t even realized it until the containers were opened and the delectable fragrance of smoked meat and melted cheese permeated the air. I loaded my plate with pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, and baked beans before throwing in a warm biscuit for good measure. In the end, my eyes had been bigger than my stomach, and I pushed my plate away before finishing, an act that garnered a set of raised brows from Sebastian. I knew I was wasting food, and it made me feel bad, but not as bad as I would have felt if I had kept eating.

“So, Brooke, what time does your flight leave on Sunday?” Tracy asked as she slipped her arm through the crook of my elbow, leaning her shoulder into mine.

“Just after noon,” I sighed. “When I booked the return flight a week ago, I had no idea it would be this hard to get on that plane. Part of me wishes I could just stay locked up here forever. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?” I guffawed nervously.

“Well, sweetie, that’s what love does to you. It makes you a little crazy.” She chuckled and nudged me gently with her shoulder. “I’m sure you’re nervous about how to maintain a relationship with that kind of distance between you.”

“Yeah, that is weighing heavily on my mind. It’s easy to get caught up in all the mushy feelings when we are together, but what happens when we are apart? He meets loads of women on a regular basis who would love to stake their claim. How do I know he won’t move on to the next one after I’m gone?”

“Well, Brooke, I’m afraid I can’t answer that directly, even Sebastian can’t do that. One never knows when they will fall in or out of love with someone. That’s part of the risk you take when offering your heart to someone else. What I can do is tell you that in all the years he has been in the public eye, he has only had two relationships, and you, my dear, are the first one we’ve ever had the honor of meeting.” She turned, taking both my hands in her own, and looked me directly in the eyes. “I guess what I’m saying is that Sebastian doesn’t fall in love every day, no matter how many girls throw themselves at him.”

“Thank you,” I whispered as I leaned in to hug her again. I found myself wondering if she had any idea how much her words of wisdom meant to me.

“Oh, sweetie, you don’t need to thank me. I should be thanking you.” She turned a sideways glance toward Sebastian, pausing a moment to watch him as he laughed at something Thomas was sharing. “I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time. Whatever it is that you are doing, don’t stop.” She hugged me tightly, stroking my hair before pulling back and looking at me. “I’m going to miss you.”

I chewed on my bottom lip, partially because of how it felt when she spoke those words to me, but mainly to stop the quivering that had taken over. “I’m going to miss you too,” I sniffed. “I hope I get to see you again soon.”

“If I know my Sebastian, and I do, we’ll be seeing you sooner than you think.” She winked.

A short time later, after another round of warm embraces and a few more tears, the front door closed behind them and Sebastian and I were left standing in the middle of the room, neither of us quite sure of what to say.

“I think it’s safe to say that your family likes me,” I said hopefully.

“Like? You call that like? Sweetheart, that is so far beyond like.” He came over and placed his hands on my hips. “The way I see it, I could run away and marry you tonight, and they would be ecstatic.” My body stiffened, and he immediately picked up on it. “Calm down, Brooke, it’s just a joke. I just meant that they already think of you like family. You’re one of us now. And you’ve already been introduced to Mom’s bone-crushing hugs and survived, so I think you’ll fit in just fine.” He winked.

“I like bone-crushing hugs,” I quipped playfully, though I meant it with my whole heart.

“You do, huh?” he asked, brow cocked as his arms slipped further around my waist before drawing me tightly against his chest, effectively mimicking his mother’s technique.

“I like your hugs too.”

He chuckled lightly. His breath felt warm against my scalp. “Mom may be the master, but she taught me a thing or two about giving great hugs. It’s all in the wrist.”

“Wrist?” I asked, pulling back slightly.

“Yeah.” He repositioned himself, giving me a quick instruction. “You wrap your arms around the waist, clasp one hand firmly over the other wrist and pull in tight.” He squeezed me again. “And that is how you perform a proper bone crusher.” I pulled back from his embrace.

“Let me see if I get this straight,” I spoke coyly, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth. “Arms go around the waist. I grasp one wrist with my other hand. Then I pull tightly, like this.” I drew him in roughly, eliciting a soft chuckle, and he clasped his hands behind my back.

“Now you’re a master too,” he replied breathlessly, before his lips covered mine in one swift motion, making me forget the world around me. All that mattered stood right here in this room.