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Darling Hercules sent the image of himself as a handsome young man, looking glum.
“Why didn’t you tell me that before?”
“With your attack on her, certain…restrictions have lessened.” He shifted as if uncomfortable.
“Do you need to rest your arms?”
He raised an eyebrow at me, some of his usual supercilious self showing through. “No.”
No. Of course not.
“Are you uncomfortable?” The thought seemed to occur to him and he scrutinized me with unusual solicitude.
Warmth fluttered through me, a furry feeling that faded when I realized what must be behind it. “Are you asking because of the pregnancy?”
His face hardened and he looked down the road again. “I’m sorry for what happened. That I didn’t protect you from that.”
“Protect me? Aren’t you the wounded party here?”
His lips quirked, a little bitter, a little amused. “I can’t escape that I wanted this—no matter how it came about.”
“You tried to stop me and I—”
He squeezed me gently. “I tried to stop you because I knew how bitterly you’d regret it. I don’t want you to hate the child. Or me. Or yourself.”
“Lots of hate to go around.”
“Yes.” His cobalt blue gaze scanned my face, his mind brushing mine. “Will you ever be able to forgive me, do you think?”
“Again—I should be asking you to forgive me.”
He stopped me with a shake of his head. “No. You were forced as surely as I. Ultimately it’s my fault that you’re here.”
“Why is that, Rogue?” I asked softly.
“Because I wished for you.” He said it with a light tone, but I felt the depth of emotion beneath it. The way he held me gave me a different perspective, the way the black lines climbed down his jaw and neck, his sharp profile etched against the impossibly brilliant blue sky. A sweet relief filled me to know that. That he truly had wished for me. It made everything better. Not logical, but there it was.
“What’s done is done. No sense dwelling on the past.”
“Your reasons for not wanting this baby still stand.”
“Yes, but we’ve gone from hypothetical to real. As you pointed out, that particular battle is over. This is the aftermath.”
“True.” He shifted again and I thought he’d rather be pacing. “I can feel that you’re angry.”
“Oh, yes. Yes, I am.” I took a moment to let it simmer down again, push the cat down, my fingers throbbing anew. Darling Hercules sent an inquiry from where he must be riding behind Rogue and I reassured him that I didn’t need another dose. “But I think it would be a mistake to be angry at you.Sheraped us both.”
“I feel ever so much better now,” Rogue replied in a dry tone, but the relief coursed through him strongly enough for me to taste, like fresh snowmelt. Like mine.
“You know what pisses me off?”
He looked wary. “What?”
“I finally got to have sex with you and it sucked.”
“I was attempting to break Titania’s compulsion, not pleasure you,” he retorted, clearly stung. “Besides, you were in charge, as I recall.”
“Well, it still sucked. First I couldn’t remember it and then when I did…” An involuntary shudder racked me. Rogue halted the horse and pulled me up, embracing me carefully, burying his face in my hair.
