Falling Like Stars

by Eve Kasey

  A few hours later, Elle entered her silent apartment still smiling. Between nails and tacos, which they’d grabbed to go and finished at a nearby park, she’d had a lot of fun with Quinn. They’d chatted until the sun started to set and the cool desert air forced them back to their cars. Quinn was whip-smart and more soft-hearted than her tense persona implied. She’d purchased frozen treats for every single person at the park when an ice cream truck came by. Not a gesture from OrbitAll or even from the Geier Group, just an impulse of a woman who liked to do good.

  Elle hung her purse on the coatrack near the door and opened a bottle of Bordeaux to breathe. She’d have a glass, then surprise Chen with a visit. They hadn’t spent a night apart since Palm Springs, and now that she knew their relationship had an end date, separate sleeping arrangements weren’t an option.

  Chen’s news about not being able to stay in the States had hurt. But just as her heart broke, his declaration of love started stitching her torn pieces. His constant presence, unending grin, and soft touches started to heal her before she even had a real chance to break.

  Her new plan? She’d stretch her creativity like never before for Tate, and give the rest of herself to the man she was falling hard for. Work-life balance.

  She moved to her bedroom to change into the sexiest pajamas she owned—a snug, silky nightie—before heading up to Chen’s apartment. Of course, she’d need a robe in case she ran across any other OrbitAll employees in the stairwell. Clothes folded and put away, she glanced at her neatly made bed, startling as she noticed an object clearly out of place.

  A magenta beanie baby holding a note sat nestled among her pillows.

  “No way,” she breathed.

  She picked up the velvet bear. Stitched on its chest was a sun rising over the earth. The Millennium Bear was rare and expensive, and she had coveted one since she was eight years old. She unfolded the note.

  I hope you had fun with our favorite ball of stress. We’re lucky to have you, all of us. I love you. —Chen

  Tears blurred her vision. Seriously, she’d have to let this man go? She wiped her cheeks, grabbed her robe, and sprinted upstairs without locking her door or grabbing her wine. She was in Chen’s arms seconds later and naked in his bed mere minutes after that.

  34

  Chen stepped out of Elle’s car fighting an uncharacteristic wave of nerves. He smoothed his chambray shirt as Elle slipped her hand in his. “You’re gorgeous,” she told him, squeezing his hand. “And my dad’s going to love you.”

  The boys had seemed to like him when he’d visited their school. Betti, Elle’s stepmom, had trusted Chen enough to divulge information about beanie babies, information that had already served him wonderfully. One bright pink bear on her bed and Elle had rewarded him with an entire night full of hot, gratitude-filled sex. She’d surprised him while he’d been scrolling his phone on his couch, ripping his clothes off and climbing on top, his absolute favorite position with her. Her untamed hair tickling his skin and perfect tits in his face had become his new standard of bliss.

  All of which he needed to put out of his mind since he was within walking distance of her dad. He’d never met a girlfriend’s father before. So much of Elle was entirely new territory. He wondered for the millionth time on this trip to Vegas if he was the kind of man, Max, her dad, would want for his daughter. And if what Max thought really mattered since they were only temporary.

  They threaded through the massive parking lot and rows of packed bleachers on the sidelines of the sprawling athletic fields.

  “There they are.”

  Elle’s family made her so happy. Her love for them was apparent in her face and voice and willingness to drive to Vegas to sit on bleachers all day watching a sport Chen had never heard of until a few days ago.

  He spotted Betti’s diminutive figure, her ebony skin and hair in stark contrast to the man next to her. Elle’s dad waved, a move both Chen and Elle returned in unison. They excused themselves past a row of people as they dropped into seats Betti and Max had saved for them. They’d even brought cushions. And popcorn. Betti pulled Chen into a hug as Elle greeted her dad. “Hi, baby. You taking care of our girl?”

  “When she lets me,” he replied.

  “I know that’s right,” she said with a nod. “You keep trying.”

  “I plan to.” Chen smiled at the woman who so clearly loved Elle.

  Max reached past Betti to shake Chen’s hand. He was a head shorter than Chen, with handsome features, a strong handshake, and assessing eyes. “Max. Thanks for coming to support the boys.”

  “I’m Chen Lew. Nice to meet you. I’d never heard of lacrosse until Elle mentioned it last week. Apparently, I’m in for what she calls ‘beast mode.’”

  Max chuckled, then touched his wife lightly on the shoulder. “Switch me so I can talk to Chen, will you?”

  Was that a good or bad sign? Chen wouldn’t let his smile slip as Elle’s parents switched spots on the bleachers. Elle settled on the other side of him, shading her eyes as she searched the field for her brothers. “Duke’s a goalie,” she explained. “Nat is an attacker. He could be anywhere.”

  “The boys are in crimson, over there on the far side. Score’s five to seven right now. The Crushers are behind,” Max told him. “Duke’s blocked some real strong plays and Nat has scored twice. They’re doing great.”

  “How does the scoring work?” Chen asked.

  His nerves disappeared the longer he talked to Max. He was quickly able to follow the game, though details were hard to see from where they were sitting. Elle had grabbed a bag of popcorn from her parents and was snacking as she craned her neck to see the game.

  She and Betti shot to their feet, yelling loudly. Nat had scored again. Max stood and clapped, so Chen did the same. When they were seated again, Max turned to Chen. “The boys tell me you’re an astronaut. No shit?”

  Chen chuckled. “No shit. I was a military pilot in China, then in the space program there for two years. I have a master’s in aeronautical engineering. Now I’m flying for OrbitAll. That’s where I met Elle.” He didn’t know why he felt compelled to rattle off his accomplishments like he was at a job interview.

  “Why space?”

  Chen paused. No one had ever asked him that. His pilot friends just got it and his own family never asked questions. “Becoming an astronaut wasn’t a lifelong dream for me like it is for others. The testing for the program was put to me like a challenge, and I love a challenge.” He turned to Elle, nudging her with his shoulder. Transforming her view of him from annoying coworker to indispensable love interest had been his favorite challenge so far. Her amused expression told him she knew exactly what he was thinking.

  He turned back to Max. “But once you’re up there, everything clicks. Life, what it means, what it takes. That knowledge is addictive. The view even more so. The prestige, too,” he admitted. He’d come from a country of billions, unremarkable in every way, not meant to be noticed. His time in space literally brought him above the pack. Breaking through the barriers of his place had been no small part of his motivation during training and testing.

  Elle threaded her fingers through his as he finished his monologue.

  “Damn.” Max shook his head. They watched the game in companionable silence for a few minutes. Finally, he said quietly, “Elle’s always loved space. I’m sure she’s told you. She wouldn’t let me put curtains on her window as a child so she could see the stars at night. I got a blow to my ego when, for a while there, it seemed like Rosie’s dad became her hero, since he’s the planetary science guy.”

  She hadn’t shared any of that information, actually. If possible, the knowledge made him love her more.

  “I’m not surprised she ended up choosing an astronaut,” Max said.

  “I am,” Chen confessed, thrilled with what seemed like a blessing from Max. “I didn’t make choosing me easy on you, did I, Elle? You’re just so easy to torture.”

  Max chuckled. Chen could pra
ctically feel Elle’s eyeroll and definitely heard her sigh. Betti grabbed his attention next, asking him about Xiaoming. The four of them fell into a comfortable rhythm of chatting and sharing popcorn and yelling for Nat and Duke.

  “I wish I’d thought to bring binoculars,” Elle told him. “Let’s get closer.”

  They excused themselves and made their way down to the bottom of the stadium. There were no open seats, so they perched on cement steps closest to the field where the boys were trying their hardest to even the score.

  He tucked their tangled fingers into his lap, following the quick-flying ball with his eyes.

  “Nat’s an animal,” he commented. The stockier of the twins had a preternatural ability to find holes in the defense and bomb his way through. Elle tensed next to him as Nat yet again snatched the ball midair and twisted to lob it toward the opposing goal. The angle looked off to Chen and the goalie lurched forward, but the ball somehow hit the net. He and Elle leapt to their feet, cheering.

  Chen didn’t sit after that. He paced near the barrier and yelled his heart out for Elle’s brothers. Duke blocked three more attempts. The Crushers scored two more times. Chen was hoarse from yelling. Lacrosse was brutal and energetic and he loved it.

  With seconds left, Nat made one last move to score. He checked two players on his way, his solid frame knocking them off balance. A spectacular jump shot later, the Crushers pulled ahead by yet another point. Chen hollered through cupped hands as Elle joined him.

  He glanced down at his girlfriend. Happiness radiated from her dark eyes and sweet, upturned lips. “You are the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen,” he said, nuzzling his nose near her ear. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  She brought his mouth to hers with a gentle hand and kissed him languidly, seemingly unconcerned by the surrounding crowd.

  “How much you want to bet Betti is watching us through those binoculars?” he asked.

  “So? She already knows you’re mine.”

  Mine. Chen never knew how much he craved that designation. He never expected anyone to claim him as fully as she did. His stomach flipped. “Fuck, Elle. You have no idea how happy being yours makes me.”

  But if that sensual smile was any indication, she did.

  35

  Husband.

  The word first surfaced in Elle’s mind during the game. Then the concept took hold, twisting her stomach in the best kind of knots.

  Chen had actually jumped up and down at Nat’s final scoring move. He was louder than any of the lacrosse moms. He teased Betti and shared popcorn with her dad like they’d been friends forever. The spot he now occupied with her family, in her life, fit him so perfectly it was as if they had always been waiting for him. Now, walking with Betti on Fremont Street, catching snippets of his animated conversation with the boys about the game, she couldn’t get the word—the concept—out of her head.

  Husband.

  “I like him,” her dad said, appearing at her side with three yardsticks of booze for her, Betti, and himself. Chen and the boys had nonalcoholic versions already.

  She fought a yelp, her heart pounding. She took the drink and sucked a giant mouthful through the crinkly straw. Of course, her dad couldn’t know what she was thinking. Elle didn’t even quite know what she was thinking.

  “He’s perfect,” Betti gushed. “Elle, he adores you. That’s all we want, isn’t it, Max?”

  “No.” He scoffed. “Fathers have more expectations than that, Betti. Sorry to break your romantic heart. What I hope you find in your partner, Elle Bell, is someone who can take care of you when you can’t take care of yourself. And I mean that in every sense. Money, chores around the house, sickness—all of life’s challenges. And I want someone who makes you laugh. And it wouldn’t hurt if he liked to surf.”

  Elle laughed. “Noted.”

  Though she was positive Chen had never climbed on a surfboard, she glowed with the knowledge that her family saw him as a good partner. He fit what her dad described and more.

  Husband.

  She was deeply, achingly in love with Chen. Elle wanted the fairy tale. The cottage with the secret garden. A rewarding job. Kids. The husband who’d be by her side. Often, fairy tales involved rescue, the plucking of the girl from a hard situation by a man. But what if Elle could be Chen’s hero? Chen had said he didn’t want a marriage of convenience. What if theirs was more than convenience? Much more?

  She could picture him in her dream cottage, making jook for breakfast and love at night. Her heart squeezed at the thought of babies with his almond-shaped eyes and full, squishy lips. Elle was sure the teasing, confident, intelligent man would make her happy forever. But could she convince Chen that she felt so much so soon? And would his parents approve? He changed the subject whenever she brought them up.

  So many questions. So many unknowns. But a few irrefutable facts: She loved him, he loved her, and there was a way for him to stay. Marriage was that answer. If she didn’t take this step for them, they’d be separated. Cleaved apart.

  She needed to tell someone. She needed an opinion on this very big idea. She hung back from her parents to type out a quick text to Rosie. I want to propose to Chen. Tell me everything wrong with the idea. And don’t call. I’m with my parents. They love him, by the way.

  Her phone vibrated immediately. A row of heart-eyed emojis filled the screen. Elle smiled to herself. You love him enough to marry him? Truly?

  Truly, Elle replied. Of course, the timeline was absurd. They’d been dancing this tango for only two months, admitting their feelings mere weeks ago. Their entire relationship was unconventional. But what in her life had been conventional? Not her birth or upbringing, nor her blended family or career path. She and Chen hadn’t been dating for years, but conviction flowed like blood in her veins. Love and sex and trust and respect. Chen was the whole picture, and she wanted to paint them both inside it.

  You’re not a rash person. If proposing to him is culturally acceptable, I say go for it. And then tell me what color dress to buy for your wedding. Followed by, Holy crap, Elle! Is this happening?!

  Elle pressed her lips together against a nervous giggle that was forming. We’ll talk soon, okay?

  A series of bright red hearts appeared.

  Elle brought her gaze in front of her again. The five of them, Chen plus her family, or Chen as part of her family, had paused to wait for her. The boys were pointing up at the videos reflected in the canopy that covered Fremont Street. Her dad had an arm around Betti’s waist. And Chen? His beaming smile warmed her from the inside out. When she reached his side, he cradled her face in reverent hands. His full lips found her forehead. Elle gripped his smooth forearm as she leaned into him with a happy sigh.

  “You must be starving,” he said, studying her face with that sexy, taunting grin.

  “I am. More for you than for food, though.”

  He groaned softly. “Don’t think you’re safe just because we’re with your family. You keep teasing me like that and they’re going to learn how irresistible I find you.”

  “Big talker,” she challenged.

  “That’s it.” He pivoted his large body so her family couldn’t see her, then leaned down and captured her bottom lip between his teeth. She hissed at his sharp nibble. “Just for that, I’m going to fuck you in your car on the way home. I don’t care what you say about the leather.”

  “Is that so?” She could barely whisper the question.

  “Yes. You’re going to love it,” he whispered back. “And so am I.”

  Easy. She loved everything Chen did to her, including flipping her fairy tale future on its head.

  36

  Chen had underestimated how she would feel about fucking in her car. Elle didn’t just love it. That particular orgasm, with his hands all over her body while he unraveled in two languages on the side of a darkened Highway 15, had shot her into fucking space.

  She’d still been glowing when they’d arrived home hours later and tumb
led into bed exhausted. When she was jerked awake by Chen’s phone at four a.m., she’d been dreaming about fucking him in the bleachers at the lacrosse stadium. He’d turned her libido up full blast the moment his skin first touched hers.

  Chen startled awake a few seconds after she did, gripping her reflexively and dropping a kiss on her bare shoulder before knocking everything off the nightstand while fumbling for his phone. Elle chuckled sleepily as she flung an arm over her eyes.

  Shouldn’t his family be used to the time difference by now?

  Chen missed the call in his groggy fumbling. “It’s Fei,” he said, voice thick from sleep. His former superior officer in the military and boss at the space agency. Elle rolled to her side and explored the impossibly smooth skin of his back with loving fingers. He moaned and shot the sexiest smolder over his shoulder as he held the phone up to his ear. His eyes set her on fire, her nipples tightening in excitement. When he was done, they’d be taking full advantage of this ungodly early wakeup. The effects of her dream still lingered.

  She listened to the quick cadence of Chen’s voice while he talked to Fei and wished she understood even a little bit of what was said. He’d been trying to teach her Cantonese words, starting with food, of course.

  Because she was studying the muscles of his back, she saw the moment he stiffened. He bolted to his feet, his voice dropping nearly to a whisper. “The space station? Are you serious?”

  Elle understood that because he’d slipped back into English. He shoved a hand through his hair and dropped back on the bed, his broad back to her. The conversation, again unintelligible to her, seemed to go on forever. His hunched form and tight voice were full of foreboding.

  Finally, he hung up and tossed his phone on the bed. Both hands disappeared into his hair as Elle drew up against his bare back. She splayed her hands on his waist. “Chen?”