* * *
Food was what we were after.
We had just stepped out of the apartment, the fresh air outside an attack on the perfectly warm world we had created inside. He stared at me long and hard as I stepped out of the building—I had changed into a silk navy blue blouse, soft ruffled details on the arms, and skintight black jeans that came to my ankles.
His eyes lingered just a moment too long on the heels, before he swept me off my feet, a loudwhoop!radiating through the hallway as he carried me back up the stairs.
“Brando!” I laughed. “We’re hungry, remember?”
“I remember,” he said, his breath coming easy, not even breaking a sweat.
“Do you think it’ll always be like this?” I searched the profile of his face. “Even after we’re married?”
He stopped, shifting me in his arms some when he came to our door. He set me closer against him.
“Yeah, Ballerina Girl. I’ll want you even more.”
“How can you be so sure? Perhaps I should rethink this marriage thing.”
The remark was meant to be good-natured, but I could feel the shift in his energy.
“You should,” he said, his tone serious.
The arm I had around his neck tightened. “How can you be so sure?”
“I know how it feels to want but not have.” The sincerity in his eyes made mine water. “I’ll never forget the time we spent apart.”
“Will you really love me no matter who I become?” My voice came out soft.
“You’re too good for me, too good for any man in this world. That intimidates boys. It’ll drive a man to do better. I'll always do whatever it takes to keep up with you. I'll be a better man because you're a better woman. I need a girl like you.”
Dear God.How did I get so lucky? He had no idea what a treasure he was. Here was this rough and tough alpha male, a man beyond gorgeous, a man that could ignite an ache with his eyes alone, and still he considered me the superior one because I washiswoman.
It struck me like a blow to the heart—this man could have any woman he wanted. And he wantedme.
“You never have to be jealous,” I breathed out, thoughts not all that conscious. “You have me forever.”
“Jealous,” he smirked. “I’m jealous of no man, not with who I have in my arms. Call it preemptive measures. Consider the heart a priceless diamond. You carry mine within yours. If a man looks too long, I know what's on his mind. It's not always physical. You are worth much more than that.”
I couldn’t have gone more limp if every ounce of blood had been spilled from my veins. Going slack in his arms, I sighed as he stepped over the threshold and into our private world once again.
* * *
At some point I claimed to have low blood sugar and told him I could go no longer without sustenance. I locked the bathroom door behind me, then unlocked it after he ordered me to, dolling myself up before stepping out.
We held hands as we walked. He refused to allow an inch of space between us, but I kept my eyes averted until we had arrived at the restaurant. The setting was a formal affair. Gold damask walls, chandeliers, and a ceiling that slid back to reveal a glimpse of a sky full of stars.
Our server approached and we both placed our orders—fillet of beef for Brando and sea bass for me.
The wine was a gift from Dionysus. The bread was manna from heaven. I pulled apart a warm piece with deft fingers, alternating between pleasure and pleasure. Every server who passed came with anticipation and speculation.
I shifted in my seat some, every muscle and what felt like bone sore with the aftereffects of strenuous exertion. Although we had been holed up behind closed doors for a while, we had only made love a few times because of the intensity of… him.
I smiled a bit into my wine glass, the reminder a welcome one. I loved that he lingered inside of me both in pleasure and pain. I loved that he had left something behind, like the roses full of thorns he sent to me on the eleventh of each month, as reliable as time. The reminder was simple and clear.The beautiful in life comes at a price.
Lifting my eyes, I met his.
The look I found on his face bordered on arrogant.He knew with absolute certainty what he had done to me and that I still felt it—in everything that I did. Grinning, he ran a finger along my cheek.
