He brushed a tear from her eye with his thumb, then licked it with his tongue.“I never rejected you, Stellina.It was your age.I am over five hundred years old.You were still a teenager, not even old enough to be considered legal.I knew the beast inside me would make it hard to stay away from you.That is what I was rejecting—the need to protect you from me.I didn’t want you to have to face the beast, Stellina, knowing that’s what I’d become by keeping away from claiming my bonded mate until you were older.
Chapter Thirteen
He didn’t mind layinghis heart on the line.Not when it came to claiming Starla.She was his soul.Scepter looked over at the female for what seemed like the tenth time, hopeful she would still be with him.
She lay on her side, propped up like she couldn’t wait to see what he unveiled next, as if he could show her what she’d wanted her entire life.
Scepter wasn’t a shy male, so getting undressed wasn’t a huge deal for him, especially if a gorgeous female was watching him, checking him out as if he were her favorite movie.Hell, it made his male pride want to stand taller.
This time, he wasn’t sure she understood how much her eyes on him affected him.Yes, he knew they were meant to be together for all time.She agreed and accepted the same.But acceptance and potentially claiming right then and there were different things.
“Starla, I’ve never been more sure of you and me,” he said again.“I think you need rest and time before we go further.I want to hold you this night.”
She hugged under her breath.“You’re so damn gallant.Fine, but I’m not wearing my clothes to sleep in.No, don’t look stricken.I do wear pajamas.”Her eyes danced with laughter.
He didn’t think he’d survive lying with a naked Starla pressed against him for a minute, let alone hours.
Bless the Goddess.As he stared at her, the clothes she wore changed into a pair of silky shorts and a matching tank top.Fuck, his dick jerked.He turned toward the chair where he’d placed his shirt, pretending to fold it as he kicked off his shoes with too much force.The leather loafer flew across the room, hitting the wall with a thud.He sighed and pinched his nose.
“Problems?”Starla asked.
Scepter flinched and rushed to assure her, “No, I have no problems.Well, none that can’t be handled.I’ll be right back.”He didn’t like her thinking she was affecting him negatively.He didn’t like it at all.As he fled into the adjoining bathroom, noticing the pink and gold décor, he couldn’t help wondering if Aurora planned the space for the sister she’d known, not the woman who’d returned.
He pressed his hands on the cold marble of the counter.The image staring back at him was one he’d seen for over five centuries.The time, put in those terms, was staggering.Truth be told, he never thought of his age when he’d been with a female.Not that he’d had any lasting relationships.He’d always known when he spent time with a female, she wasn’t his bonded mate.If she wasn’t the one Fate chose for him, he wasn’t going to waste their time.It didn’t matter if she’d been born in the century he’d occupied or one closer to his.
“So why am I freaking out over Starla’s age?”he asked himself.
“Because you’re scared,” she whispered.
He whirled around, startled by her appearance.
Scepter tilted his chin in her direction.God, she was fucking gorgeous.If she were fully human, she’d have been married with two point three kids, or a beauty queen.“You’re dangerous,” he muttered.
“I’m not.”She moved closer to him.
“Yeah, you are.I’m trying to control my baser instincts and give you time and space to get to know me and yourself before we go further.”Shit, he sounded like a fucking saint.
