His hands tightened on her as his eyes flashed with rage. “ShitIsabelle, why can’t you ever just listen to what I’m saying to you! Must you always fight me?” he hissed.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. “I don’t mean too, I just... I’m jealous,” she confessed, her lids lowering to shadow her eyes again as a fierce blush crept into her cheeks.
The confessionshota bolt of pure male satisfaction through him. He was glad that she was jealous, even if it did upset her. It helped to assure him that she truly did care for him, and he was happy to realize that he wasn’t the only one in this relationship who became easily jealous. He smiled softly as he brushed her hair off her cheek, gently pushing it behind her ear. “I can’t change my past Isabelle, but the minute that I met you I didn’t want anyone else.”
Isabelle’s temper flared. He was lying to her, and if he would lie to her about this, than he would lie to her about anything. Her eyes flew back to his, narrowed with fury asshe stiffened. “Don’t lie to me.I smelled her on you!”
His eyes flashed with rage as his jaw clenched, and a vein popped out on his forehead. She glared defiantly back at him, refusing to back down. “I am not lying to you,” he grated.
Isabelle’s eyes flared with fury as she struggled to break free of his grasp. He pulled her tightly back, his hands tightenedupon her, rigid with anger as he clung to her. She ceased struggling as she turned toward him, her eyes burning a brilliant shade of red. It was the first time he had ever seen her completely lose control of thedemonwithin her, and it shocked the anger out of him.
“If you would lie about this, then what else are you lying about?” she yelled. It took him a moment to realize that it was more fear than anger that had her so riled up, and out of control. He sighed softly as he reached up to brush her cheek. She slapped his hand away as tears filled her eyes. “Don’t!”
He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. She was hurt, and angry, and scared that he didn’t care for her.Anger was not going to help ease any of that. The only thing he could do to ease it, was to tell her the truth. That was the last thing that he wanted to do. She already wielded enough power over him, without handing her another weapon. “I went to bed that night with Jess, but I didn’t finish. Hell, I barely even got started. I couldn’t get you out of my head Isabelle. I got no satisfaction that night, or any afterward, until you. That is the truth.”
She sat silently, her head bowed as she thought over his words. The burning jealousy in her made her want to lash out at him, but she held her tongue. She didn’t want to argue with him, but hurt, and fear, were eating away at her. There were so many women in his past, how could he possibly be happy to settle down with just her for the rest of his existence?A tear slid down her cheek, he gently wiped it away as he turned her head to face him.
She lifted her lashes slowly to meet his tender, loving gaze. It melted her to the tips of her toes. He smiled gently as he stroked the tears from her face. “Besides, what about all the men in your past, maybe you’ll run off with one of them?”
He tried to keep his tone light and teasing, but the thought damn near drove him over the brink of sanity as a fierce surge of possessiveness tore through him. He would kill anyone that ever thought of taking her from him, of touching her. Her eyes widened as all the color drained from her face. He frowned at her in perplexity as she tore her chin from his grasp.
“There are no men in my past!” she snapped, her eyes flashing violently. “You are it!”
He sighed softly as he realized that she had completely misunderstood. “Isabelle, I know you were a virgin, but you’re a beautiful woman I’m sure you had boyfriends in high school,” he soothed. She lowered her lashes, but not before he caught the shimmer of tears in her eyes. “Isabelle...”
“There was no one else,” she whispered so softly that he barely heard her. The tips of her lashes were wet against her skin as another tear slid free.
He frowned as he stared at her. “What are you saying?”
Her face flooded with color as she shifted uncomfortably in his lap. She was certain that she had never been this humiliated in her life. This whole situation was so unfair! She fervently wished that she had flung herself at every boy in high school, and every guy she had met since then, just so she could be on somewhat of a level playing field with him. Then again,evenif she had slept with every guy in high school, his side of the field would still be a lot fuller than hers.
“Isabelle,” he prompted gently. He hadn’t thought it was possible, but her face turned even redder as she stubbornly refused to meet his gaze.
“You’re the firsteverythingStefan.”
Again he had to strain to hear what she was saying, but when the words sank in, they knocked the breath out of him. He stared at her in awe, as supreme conquest flooded him. No one, but him, had ever touched her.Hissatisfaction vanished as another tear slid down her scarlet face. It was then that he truly began to understand what she had been going through, why she was so unsure of herself, and his commitment to her. Where her past was a blank slate, his was a scroll that could cover miles of land. It had to be veryintimidatingand frightening to know that.
He sighed softly as he took her chin again and turned it to him. “Look at me Isabelle.” She bit into her bottom lip as she shyly lifted her gaze to his. The humiliation was clear, and vivid, so was the fear. “There are a lot of people in my past, but I have never felt about anyone the way that I feel about you. Never. You are it Isabelle, the only one that has ever mattered tome. The only one that willevermatter.”
She stared doubtfully at him before lowering her lashes again. He forcedaway hisanger, and nudged her chin gently. When she looked back at him, he continued speaking. “We are soul mates Isabelle, butthe bond isn’tcomplete yet. That’s the reason why you have any doubt in me, the reason that it hurts you, and me,when we’re not together.Once weforgethe bondwe’ll be able to communicate with each other all the time. It won’t hurt when we’re apart, and you will never again doubt the way that I feel about you.”
She licked her lips nervously, Stefan felt himself harden against her as he watched the delicate tip of her tongue in fascination. “How?” she whispered tremulously.
“We need to exchange blood.”
Her face went white as fear blazed in her eyes. “No!”
“Isabelle, listen to me. We have to do this. It makes the bond complete.”
“I believe everything you say!” she cried. “I do!I trust you completely.”
He sighed softly as he forced himself to remain patient. “It has to be done Isabelle. I need to do it, and soon. I would rather have you be willing, than snap and take it forcefully from you one day.”
“You won’t,” she breathed.
“Yes, I will. I haveto;the demon in me has too. I have to mark you as mine, I have to establish that connection, otherwise I will snap. I’ve been holding back because I know that you’re scared, but it’s getting harder to control everyday, with every moment that goes by. As long as you don’t fight me, it will only hurt for a second, and then it won’t hurt anymore.”
She studied him apprehensively, her eyes dark with dread. “Do you promise?” she whispered tremulously.
