I buried my head in my pillow as hot tears streaked down my cheeks.
A hand stroked my hair, and it just made my tears come faster. I didn’t deserve comfort.
Firm arms encircled me until my face was pressed to a bare chest. I soaked in the deep leather scent.
Bear.
I stiffened in his arms, bracing myself for whatever he was about to say.
“Fuck, I’m angry with you,” he said, running his hand down my back.
I nodded, my eyes still closed as the tears continued leaking out.
“But you know I still fucking love you, right?”
I froze. He’d said it last night, but hearing it in the light of day was different.
He tightened his arms around me. “Baby,” he murmured, the word a soft admonishment. “You’re mine. Forever.”
I blinked my eyes open. His eyes were soft as he looked at me.
“I’m sorry,” I croaked. My heart felt so fragile, like one harsh word would be enough to destroy me.
He cupped my face, his thumb rubbing away the tears streaming down my cheeks.
“I know you are, baby. I’m sorry, too. I was hurting, but I should have seen how much you were hurting, too.”
“I promise I never would have hooked up with anyone else,” I said.
He looked away, his scent turning bitter. My heart started pounding faster.
“I know I’m not good enough for you. So I guess I just expected you to replace me,” he finally said.
Fuck. I had made him feel that. I rolled on top of him, my hands on either side of his head. “Not good enough for me? What are you talking about?”
He just shrugged, and now it was my turn to be angry.
I gripped his face with both hands. “Bear, I don’t fucking care where you grew up, or that you served time, or any of it. You areeverythingto me.”
He closed his eyes and breathed in, as if soaking in my words. His hands caressed my bare thighs where the shirt I was wearing had ridden up. A lump in my throat formed as I looked down at my tough, vulnerable alpha. I vowed never to do anything again that would make him question my love for him.
“Do you think you can forgive me?” I asked.
He opened his eyes, a tear falling down his cheek. “Yeah, baby. I forgive you. You’re it for me.” A soft smile spread acrosshis face, and with it, the tightness in my chest eased. “I want to be your ride or die on all your adventures,” he added, echoing his words the first day he took me on his bike.
My lip trembled. “Even if I’m sick?”
He traced his finger across my lip. “Even then. Nothing could ever stop me from wanting you.”
I leaned down, taking his lips in a kiss that he immediately deepened. His hand was firm on the back of my head, his fingers entwining in my hair so he could pull me where he wanted. His tongue pressed into my mouth, and I groaned at the taste of him.
He moved his lips down to my neck, sucking and nipping as he held my head fast. “What’s it like?” he asked between kisses. “Knowing we’re mates?”
I ran my nose down his throat, taking in more of his scent, now rich with arousal. “It feels like coming home. Like these pieces of my soul I never even knew were missing are back where they belong.”
His arms banded tightly around me, pulling me flush against his chest. “So basically, how I feel being around you all the time.”
“Fuck, you’re romantic.” I sniffled as new tears threatened to fall. A purr started in his chest, and I relaxed further into him. His hard cock pressed against my core but for once, I was content just holding him like this. “You know, I realized something.”
