His Shooting Star: A Steamy Standalone Instalove Romance Read online

  It’s his detective voice now. Good cop. ‘Tell me the truth and I’ll help. Lie again and I’m getting in my car and driving down to find out myself if I have to’.

  I feel myself starting to shiver. I can hear Xander in the kitchen and the smell of fresh coffee is where I’d rather be right now.

  “Gillian?” My dad asks again firmly. He only calls me Gillian when shit gets real, which is rare in our household.

  Like never happens kind of rare.

  I feel tears coming, but if I cry it’s worse than lying, so here goes.

  “I was walking Orion last night, and I forgot my glasses,” I start, but he interrupts straight away.

  “You were walking alone at night?”

  I shiver harder, remembering that’s something I guess neither I nor Mrs. Patterson told dad about, me walking Orion at night.

  My silence forces his own, and he calmly asks me to continue.

  “While I was walking Orion, I fell down a ledge and someone from campus happened by and helped me,” I blurt out quickly.

  There, no lies but plenty of holes in my very, very short story.

  Xander’s huge frame fills the tiny doorway, he has two mugs of hot coffee but I’m struck by how such a tall man could manage in what he makes look like a doll’s house.

  He casually stoops into the lounge, putting the cup within reach before moving off into what I figure is his study.

  His face is firm but fair.

  The college professor equivalent of my dad’s good cop routine.

  I suddenly feel torn, knowing I can’t lie to either of them and I still have so much to deal with, and all with a sprained ankle too.

  “Anything else?” Dad asks dryly, casually handing me that length of just enough rope.

  “Orion’s run away and the Patterson’s house hasn’t been cleaned for six months,” I whisper hoarsely, hoping Xander won’t hear, but the sound of his coffee mug being slammed down makes me jump.

  He heard me alright.

  “I’m coming down, Gillian. I’ll be on the next flight. I can get a cab to the Patterson’s.” He sighs heavily.

  Disappointed, I can tell, but coming to the rescue in his own mind.

  Kids.

  I can just imagine him saying it to himself, rolling his eyes. Quietly thankful nothing’s seriously wrong. Real life and death stuff I know he deals with every day.

  Stuff like fathers killing college professors once they find out what they’ve nearly been doing with their teenage daughters.

  “Please don’t come down daddy, I’m not even at the Patterson’s!” I yelp, suddenly shaking my head at just how stupid I’ve become overnight.

  I hear Xander’s heavy step before he curses loudly, banging his own head on a low beam in the next room.

  There’s a chilling silence from the other end of the phone, and Xander comes in motioning me firmly to hand him the phone.

  My eyes bulge out of my head, is he fucking kidding me?

  Xander Sexton, the man I almost kissed and did about a dozen other things with, on the phone with my dad?

  He calmly takes the phone from me, his whole demeanor shifting instantly.

  “Mr. Parker?... Oh, excuse me, Detective Parker. I’m Professor Sexton from the college. I helped Gillian out a little last night and was just about to take her to the medical center for a—”

  He pauses, completely deadpan as his eyes meet mine. I can hear the muted sounds of my dads machine-gun questioning while Xander nods calmly, only answering with short answers, little sounds of agreement, and loads of calming encouragement.

  Like a college professor would, talking to any student’s parent.

  I can only hear Xander’s replies but it sounds like he has my dad eating out of the palm of his huge hand already.

  “…Yes I couldn’t agree more, Detective. Oh, alright, Michael, and please, call me Xander…”

  I feel my jaw slackening from clenched teeth set on edge to a perfect ‘O’ shape. Utterly speechless as I watch and listen while Xander not only fills my dad in on what’s happened but just how ‘in hand’ everything is.

  “…Of course, we‘ve only just had Mrs. Patterson on the phone… Yes, she’s well aware…and you’re more than welcome to visit us anytime,” he laughs, even making a little snorting sound. “But I imagine a detective would have more to do than… Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more…”

  This goes on and on, and I almost scream when Xander actually wanders off with the phone, engrossed in the conversation, which he magically turns to my dad’s one true love. Fishing.

  He finally puts me out of my misery when he comes back, facing me again as he watches my eyes gravitate to his resting state pant bulge.

  “You know the funny thing, Michael? I’ve been here for years and despite the most perfect lake right in front of me, I’ve never had the pole out yet…” he says to my dad almost mournfully.

  If I catch his meaning, I’m the lake and well...We both know where the pole’s kept.

  I almost laugh out loud, signaling Xander that enough is enough, but I feel my anxiety rise again when he presses it all that little bit further.

  “When you do come down, Michael we should both go out on the lake. You can surely teach me a thing or two. It’s been so long since I’ve fished.”

  He expertly wraps up the conversation with my dad, none of which was a lie, but at the same time was all completely made up before passing the phone back over to me.

  “Why didn’t you just you had the Professor helping out, honey?” My dad gushes.

  “You really had me worried for a second there, but it sounds like you’re in expert hands,” he adds, suddenly wanting to talk up Professor Sexton’s heroics more than worry about him being alone with his only daughter.

  And that’s when it hits me.

  Xander isn’t just incredible to me in my eyes. I’m not just some star-struck teen under his spell. No.

  Xander’s a truly unique, one-of-a-kind human being. My own dad tells me so before hanging up, promising he won’t come down just yet and only orders me to keep him posted on how things work out.

  It’s his last compliment of Xander though that has me thinking as I hit ‘end call’.

  The incredible physical build and energy of the man. A house filled with books, charts, and equipment, all studying essentially unknown things about the stars and space. The universe. Other planets.

  I want to think more on it, to ask Xander directly about it, but his own look of satisfaction as he hands me my coffee is enough to make me forget, like amnesia I’m happy to have in place of another truth.

  “See?” he says, still standing over me smiling. “We’ll get everything sorted out, and there’s no need to tell tall stories about any of it to your dad.

  “What about Mrs. Patterson?” I retort, knowing her penchant for gossiping, even about what’s happening in her own life.

  If she calls dad again before they get back…

  I shudder, vowing to cross that bridge if and when we come to it.

  “Well?” Xander asks, beaming now, looking happy to see me a little happier.

  “I could just—” I almost say, but stop myself.

  Knowing he can probably read my mind anyway.

  I could just kiss you, Professor Xander Sexton.

  Chapter Six

  Xander

  So not only is her dad more protective of his daughter than I thought, but he’s also a detective.

  As I point out to Gillian, we haven’t lied to him. Just omitted certain truths, like the part where we didn’t tell Mrs. Patterson all about her missing dog and run-down house.

  Oh, and the part about how I plan to take his only daughter to the medical center instead of giving her a good dicking that she sorely needs.

  “We really should get that ankle checked out,” I observe, trying to steer my own mind away from what I really want.

  “It’s a lot better,” Gillian chimes, animating every part of her face a
nd body to prove her point.

  Every part except her ankle, which is still lifeless on the plumped-up pillow.

  “Show me,” I demand, inviting her to get up and walk around.

  I really hope it is better, it hurts to see her in pain.

  Gnawing at her lip she eases herself up into a sitting position on the couch, a look of I told you so on her sweet face already.

  I know she wants it to be healed completely, for me. But there’s no point pretending if it isn’t.

  I offer to help her up, but she shoos away my hand and lifting herself with all her focus on her good foot she...

  Collapses with a cry of pain into my arms.

  “I’m sorry, Xander. I really am. I wanted it to be better. I don’t want to be something you have to deal with,” she sighs.

  “You must have plenty of your own things to do,” she sniffs bitterly, trying to hold back tears of pain and disappointment, but in the end, we’re right back where we were not so long ago.

  My arms around her, comforting her as she weeps. Her hands pressing into my chest now and my own straying past the unspoken boundaries of comfort.

  Her tears slow but I can feel her breath quicken, and my heart hammers against my ribs.

  It happens like it should, with no words, naturally. Just our feelings.

  Lifting her face to mine, I gently press my lips to hers. She’s so soft, delicate.

  Her mew of relief, pleasure, and a little more arousal than I expect is met with my own low sound of satisfaction.

  It’s not the longest or most passionate kiss in the world, but it tells us both so much without any words.

  We sit quietly for some time in each other’s arms. I just look into her wide, deep blue eyes. Aware of my own reflected in them but seeing so much more of her the deeper I look.

  “I wasn’t sure you even wanted to...” she whispers and I take both her hands in one of mine.

  “Oh, I’ve wanted to,” I confess. “If it wasn’t so obvious.”

  “Then why didn’t you?” she asks with mock anger, stealing one of her hands back just long enough to punch my chest softly in protest.

  “Because I knew when I did, I’d never want to stop,” I tell her. “That I’d want you to be mine forever.”

  Her breath shivers under the weight of my words, because I mean it.

  “I want you, Gillian. All of you and all the time,” I add, stroking her hands tenderly, feeling the rush of warmth in my heart as I speak now, not just in my pants.

  Her cheeks flush and she looks down, unsure of what to say.

  It’s a lot to take in, I guess. But I vowed to tell her the truth and here it is.

  If there is true love, then it shouldn’t matter whether it blooms in one day or a year, or ten.

  If it’s true then it’s eternal. And I know a little bit about the distance and size of eternity. My love for Gillian is even bigger than that, making it true for me.

  I just need time to show her that, if she’ll have me.

  To make it true for us both.

  She’s so quiet for so long, I wonder if it is too much too soon. If maybe I am overreaching by thinking she really could be mine.

  I’ve never really wanted anything before, not like this.

  I can’t see my life without her in it now, and this kiss proves it.

  “What is it?” I ask, not enjoying the silence.

  “It’s just...” she starts but trails off, gets shy, and looks away again, confusing me all over.

  “Is it because I’m older?” I offer, figuring it’s maybe easier to help her let me down gently, but also so I can understand why myself.

  She shakes her head, her hands balling up under mine.

  “Is there already someone else, another boy?” I probe further, but she makes a face before telling me.

  “It’s just… You’ve put into words exactly what I feel. What I wanted to tell you as soon as we met. But still don’t understand how someone like you could want that from someone like me,” she manages to blurt out, looking down again, almost ashamed more than embarrassed.

  Looking into her eyes, into her. I saw a lot of pain, a lot of self-loathing. But I also saw the soul and heart of an angel.

  I think she has the body to match, but if she’s down on herself it’s not because of anything I think or have said.

  “But I do want you, Gillian.” I remind her. “And we can go as fast or slow as you like,” I add, trying to sound convincing, but she looks up with a coy smile playing on her lips, one brow rising slightly.

  One of her hands moving over to my aching tent pole and gently squeezing it as she gasps.

  A daring move in her eyes, but means worlds to me to have her want me in the same way I know I want her.

  “And what about this?” she reminds us both. “This seems to have a life of its own,” she adds, trying to giggle but another sound takes its place, and in seconds our mouths join again.

  Harder this time, and with a heat and intensity that I feel rising from her body into mine.

  The first kiss was is anyone home?

  Our second kiss has kicked the door in.

  I think I have my answer, but I need to know, need her to know.

  This isn’t a game, I want her to be mine and I want her to pledge herself to me as I pledge myself to her, forever.

  “Tell me you’ll be mine, Gillian,” I gasp as we both come up for air, my hands having found the inside of her T-shirt, with hers exploring me through mine.

  “I will… I am,” she whimpers, letting her hands stray to my straining cock again, but I sit up, pressing her hands against the center of my chest.

  “I want you here too. Be mine here,” I plead, and leaving one hand on my chest, she moves one of mine to her own, giving me my answer as our mouths lock for the third time.

  Each second of having her so close, each time I touch or kiss her feels more intense and more powerful than the last.

  “Xander…” she whimpers, suddenly, moving my hand between her legs, making me groan loudly.

  She shudders under my touch, and I can feel how hot she is, how ready.

  Her whole body starts to tremble and she begs me, pleads with me to do something.

  I ease her back onto the couch, favoring her injured leg, but she’s past that I can tell.

  Her eyes roll back and she moans loudly, opening her legs while I try to pull her track pants down gently.

  Her hips start to rock and both her hands reach for my hair, grabbing it in clumps as I feel my body slide down hers as those pants reveal smooth, thick thighs that make me growl with a hunger I thought I was already familiar with.

  I’m yanking at her clothes now, we’re both oblivious to her ankle, with something much more urgent needing instant attention.

  In a frenzied movement, her pants are off and I run my huge mitts up the inside of her legs, finding the soaked warmth of her mound with the thick ends of my fingers, circling her already quivering opening as she swears loudly, calling my name already and pulling my head down closer.

  With no thought for my own arousal anymore, I can see how desperate she is to come and I’ll have her do it now and with my mouth over her sweet pussy.

  I groan loudly, but her moans and whimpering sounds drown mine out as I tease the thin fabric of her panties at first, until she grunts and curses again, ordering me to suck her until she comes.

  In a single movement, I tug her panties fully to one side as she swears again, one of her hands in my hair, the other raking what she can reach of my back with her nails.

  But it’s her hand in my hair, firmly and deftly steering the rudder of our ship swiftly towards her climax.

  Her whole body is jerking and twisting, with her wild animalistic sounds and sweet free-flowing essence making me feel my precome flowing freely from me now.

  But it’s her I want, and I eat her greedily. Drink from her like a man who’s been dying of thirst his whole life until finding her, my oasis.


  My queen in the desert.

  Mine.

  This is our fourth kiss, and as I feel it rippling across her lips, down her thighs, and through her whole body, we both know it won’t be our last.

  Her breathing is so rapid and her body still jerking with spasms after so long, I wonder if she’ll ever stop but I relish every second.

  Every drop from her, every shiver and moan. Every clinch of her fingers and every gauge left in me from her nails.

  “Holy. Fucking. Shit,” she finally manages to gasp in short bursts as her climax gradually starts to subside.

  I keep my mouth over her as long as I can, like her, never wanting this moment to end but knowing it never will now.

  I’ve staked my claim and Gillian Parker will be mine.

  Forever.

  Chapter Seven

  Gillian

  Everything with Xander just gets better and better.

  There I was so hung up about him kissing me or me kissing him, and then yeah. It just happened.

  I think between us we were both worried the other would reject us if we went first, but my god. Can the man kiss?

  If I thought kissing was his strength though, aside from his soft and tender touch and the way he looks at me sometimes, it’s what else he can do with that mouth that has me growling like a wild cat.

  I’ve never, ever felt anything like it.

  Truth be told I’ve only ever really touched myself in the shower to wash, and never, ever in my whole life have I used language like that.

  Anyone else and I would have had my doubts, I’ve had so many pranks and fake dates set up that I convinced myself that nobody could ever want me, let alone a man as amazing as Xander.

  He doesn’t just want a fling either, which I admit was a little left field for me.

  I’ve never even kissed a boy, let alone a real man. Let alone. Well. I guess it’s time he knew.

  We both lay there, my body spent and our breath slowly returning to normal. His hands run over my body, giving me little aftershocks and shivers which still make me moan softly.

  I figure this is the part where guys want to have their end of the bargain taken care of, and only having just graduated from kissing school and the college of eaten out by Xander, I’m really not sure what’s next.