Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“Oh, I know who he is—I know all about him. I learned everything when he put down roots inside me and took over my body,” he said grimly.
“And I’m so, so sorry for that!” I said earnestly. “Look, I was on my way back from The Red Lion with some candles to try and do a banishing spell to get rid of him. I thought you were going to be gone long enough for me to take care of it before you got back. I never dreamed you’d show up and get possessed like that!” I bit my lip. “I guess it was pretty bad, huh?”
“Pretty bad?” He ran a hand through his thick black hair. “It was fucking horrible. I could see everything I was doing—everything he was making me do—but I couldn’t stop any of it! I could feel myself choking you…hurting you and I knew he wanted to kill you. I thought…I thought I was going to fucking murder you because I couldn’t fucking stop myself!”
His voice broke on the last few words and I was startled to see that his golden eyes were suspiciously bright.
“So…you’re not mad at me, then?” I asked, hoping for clarification.
“No! I’m mad at myself!” He pounded one big fist on the granite countertop, making the pie plate jump and rattle. “I should have been stronger! I shouldn’t have let him in—should have kept him from making me hurt you!”
“Rath, you couldn’t help it—it was the curse. It was Milas James!” I said earnestly. “He did that over and over again—he possessed ten of my male ancestors and killed them all. I’m just happy you’re alive after what you went through!”
He shook his head.
“I don’t see how you can be so forgiving after what I did to you.”
“Because it wasn’t you who did it. And because I know you never would do anything like that under any other circumstances—you’ve always been so careful not to hurt me, ever since we got to know each other,” I pointed out.
“You’re so little…so fragile.” He stroked my hair. “Hurting you like that just about fucking killed me, baby.”
Standing on my tiptoes, I reached up and took his face in my hands.
“I love you, Rath—you’re my Heartmate. Of course I don’t blame you for what happened. Of course I forgive you…if you forgive me.”
“Oh, baby…” He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. “There’s nothing to forgive—not on your end,” he whispered into my hair. “I’ve been sitting over here thinking you probably never wanted to see me again,” he added, nuzzling my cheek with his own.
I gave a laugh that was more than a half sob.
“I was thinking the same thing! I thought for sure that you’d blame me for you getting possessed.”
“No, baby—it wasn’t your fault.” He cuddled me close for a moment and then drew back to look down into my eyes. “I just still feel so bad about those bruises I left on you!”
I lifted my chin.
“I don’t because you didn’t leave them—Milas James did. And that’s the last time I want to say his name,” I added. “He’s gone now—he can’t hurt us anymore unless we let him. And I don’t want to let him.”
“I don’t either.” He sighed and stroked my cheek. “I just want to be close to you…I want to prove that I’ll never hurt you like that again.”
Being so close to him, breathing in his warm, spicy scent and feeling his big, warm, muscular body pressed against mine made me want to get even closer to him. Suddenly, I had an idea.
“You want to prove it?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Mmm-hmm. Don’t know how I can though.”
“I do.” Wiggling out of his arms, I left the kitchen, throwing a look over my shoulder as I went. “Come on—I’ll show you.”
Rath followed me, a bemused look on his face.
When I got to the living room, I began shedding my clothes. I hesitated for a moment when I got down to my panties…then I took a deep breath and pushed them down as well.
“Baby, what are you doing?” Rath came over to me, his golden eyes curious and half-lidded.
“Showing you how you can prove to me that you’ll never hurt me…and how I can prove to you that I trust you,” I told him. I liked the warmth of the fire against my bare skin, but I liked his eyes on me even more. I loved the feeling of being desired by the big Orc and believe me, the bulge in his sweatpants let me know I most definitely was desired.
“And how exactly are we going to prove all that to each other?” he murmured, raking his golden eyes over my bare body.
“Like this.” I went to the huge leather couch. Climbing up onto it, I got on my knees and leaned my forearms against the rounded leather arm. Then I spread my thighs and tilted my hips back, giving him a look at my naked pussy.