“What the fuck!” I cry out, not even caring that I’m swearing right now, even though the last time I did that, he did in fact carry out his threat and wash my mouth with soap. Which turned us both on, and the sex afterward was some of the best we’ve had. But right now, I’m not turned on at all, and he doesn’t seem to be either. He merely looks at me quietly as I yell, “Of course I fucking care! How could you fucking do it?! How could you leave me all alone in the world?! I’m so in love with you,Damien. How could you leave me to get ki—”
He interrupts me with such a passionate kiss that I emerge from it utterly breathless.
“Say it again,” he demands.
“Say what?”
“That you’re in love with me.”
I look up at him, startled. “I… I’m in love with you. I’ve told you so, haven’t I?”
He holds me to him. “You absolutely have not, you silly girl. Keep saying it. Go on.”
“I… love you,” I hesitate.
“Again.”
He crushes me to him, listening to the words I repeat over and over in his ear, his hand wrapping itself in the coils of my hair, holding me still.
At last he frees me and I inch back so I can look up at him. “But you knew. You must have known.”
“I knew a lot of things,” he says, lying back on the mattress and stroking my back. “I knew you weren’t thrilled to be marrying me…”
“Which didn’t stop you,” I cut in.
He clasps a hand over my mouth teasingly and pulls me to his chest. “It would take a lot more than a little thing like you to keep me from doing anything,” he rumbles.
In the past, I would have taken offense to such words. But now, my whole body thrills at his ownership of me.
“And you certainly spend a lot of time resisting me for someone who’s in love with me,” he continues, freeing my mouth to sink his fingers once more in my hair.
“Oh, that…” I look away, bashful. “I don’t really mean to, but…”
“But?”
“Well…” My face grows redder than ever and my voice dropsto a whisper. “Well, I guess I kind of like it. What you do to me when I resist you.”
I keep my eyes resolutely turned away from him, knowing he’s probably got the world’s biggest smirk on his face.
“And do you…” I swallow. “Do you love me?”
I can’t help the crack in my voice as the doubt I can never quite keep entirely buried creeps back in.
He barks out a laugh, but I manage to resist my first instinct. Ever since I bruised his chest, I’ve done my best to not give in to my anger. I don’t always succeed but I’ve gotten a lot better at it. Now, he sees my inner struggle and rewards me with a deep kiss.
Then he laughs again softly, but I can tell it’s not directed at me.
“Look at us, a couple of middle school romantics,” he chortles, before adding forcefully, “You mean the world to me, Seraphina, and if I have to dangle you over the balcony every day for the rest of your life for that fact to enter your thick skull, that’s just what I’ll do.”
I swallow again as the heat that never seems very far away creeps right back into my core, making me clench my thighs together.
“Should we go do that right now?” he snickers, noticing my squirming.
“Maybe…” I hesitate. “Maybe I’d prefer another form of punishment.”
He chuckles. “Really? And what are you thinking of?”
I blush. “Uhm… I like it when… well, when you flog me… or… well, when you hit me… with your hand…”
