Sera waited in their room, feeling worse with each hour that passed. She shouldn’t have yelled at him. He was trying, she knew that better than anyone. She didn’t need to make it harder for him. She didn’t know what had gotten into her. Part of it was his mood; she felt him more than anyone else and today had been the darkest he had ever been around her. It was hard to feel all of his anger and not feel angry herself. She hated her gift sometimes and wished she could just turn it off. She also hated her weakness, she hated that she had succumbed to the anger.
She sighed as she continued to pace back and forth. She had actually been worried for a moment, near the end, she wasn’t sure if he would actually hit her or not. She was scared of what Ayden would have done if that had happened. He might have killed Matt on the spot, and the thought terrified her.
Even if Ayden and Tess had not been there, she would have worried about what Matt would have done afterwards. She knew that if he slipped and hit her, he would never forgive himself. And then, he would most likely leave her.
Sera’s stomach hurt with anxiety as midnight came and went. Where was he? He was coming back, right? She had felt his love for her even through his dark mood. That was enough, right? Of course it was. Right?
Then she thought of the woman following him out. She had felt his desire for the pretty brunette, as well as her desire for him. And Matt was new to having to control himself. A few months ago, if he wanted someone or something, he just took it. What about now? What would he do? Would he be with that woman?
Pain twisted in her chest at the thought. She pushed away her tears and let out a heavy sigh. She needed to stop thinking. She would just talk to him when he got back and not jump to conclusions. But why wasn’t he back already?
It was almost one in the morning when the door finally opened. She held her breath until he came in and she could feel his guilt, sadness, and love. She threw herself into his arms.
He held her close. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
“I am too,” she whispered, then had to ask, “I saw that woman follow you, and I know you wanted her…”
He leaned back enough to look down at her. “Nothing happened,” he promised. “I told her to get lost.”
She smiled, flooded with relief, knowing he was telling the truth. “Sorry for doubting you.”
He gave a single nod. “Sorry for scaring you.” He caressed her cheek. “I don’t want you to be scared of me. I was angry, but I could never hurt you.”
She kissed his hand. “I’ve never been scared of you,” she told him honestly. “I was just worried about Ayden hurting you if you accidentally slipped.”
“Angel, if I ever…” He didn’t want to say it. She felt his torment and saw it in his eyes. He shook his head. “If I did… Ayden better kill me.”
“Don’t say that,” she demanded softly, “especially not to Ayden. I don’t think you’d ever hurt me, but even if you did slip in a moment of anger, it wouldn’t be on purpose.”
She felt the hurt her words caused him as he kissed her forehead. “How could anyone ever hurt something so precious?” He sighed. “And what I said about changing me… I want to change, but sometimes I just feel…”
“Controlled? Caged?”
“Yes. Sometimes I just don’t want to hear it, but I know you’re only trying to help me.”
“It’ll get better,” she promised. “And I’ll always be here with you. Even if you yell at me and tell me to go away, I will never leave you.” She smiled adoringly at him. “I love you.”
“Don’t ever stop.”
“Never.”
“Even when I’m a bastard?”
She laughed softly. “Yes, as long as you love me when I’m not being nice, too.”
He scoffed. “When’s that?”
“I have my moments, like tonight. Would you do me a favor though?”
“Anything.”
“I understand when you need to get away, but could you just tell me that you’ll be back?”
He frowned. “You doubt it?”
“Sorry.”
“I’ll tell you, but I’ll always come back. I can’t live without you, Angel. Don’t you know that?”
She smiled and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him. What started out as sweet and gentle quickly turned into an urgent need, their high emotions turning into fierce passion, and she had his shirt off within seconds. Her hands ran over the hard contours of his body as her mouth left his to trail kisses across his chest. She set to work undoing his pants and then hardly noticed her dress falling to the floor a moment later.
She felt his hunger and it fueled the fire inside her. She felt a new wave of desire surge through him as he looked down at her and she smiled, loving that her body pleased him so much. Deciding the bed was too far, she pushed him backwards and he went willingly, trustingly, and fell into the chair.
It was one of those times when he forgot himself in the heat of the moment, when he a bit rough and didn’t keep the usual control over his strength. His fingers dug into her soft flesh but the pleasure was much greater than the pain.
After, she leaned her head against him and he held her close. She sighed blissfully and smiled against his neck. Once she was breathing normally again, she leaned back so she could look into his now gentle eyes. “I love you,” she murmured.
He pulled her lips to his with a hand on the back of her neck and kissed her, tenderly now. Then running his nose along her jaw, he whispered, “My angel.”
It was two words that, for him, said more then anything else could. It told her that he loved her, but also that she was his light, his warmth, his everything. And to make it more incredible, she could feel the emotions that went with the words, emotions that matched her own.
