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Blake raised a brow. “She was protecting you. I suppose I owe her an apology and gratitude. Well, where is she?”
“We had to keep her away from your room because she kept jumping onto your bed with the full intention of lying on your broken ribs. I think she wants to heal you. But the doctor said to keep your ribs bound and to not touch them, so she had to go.”
“I have broken ribs?” Blake grimaced. So that’s what that burning pain in his chest was.
“Yes.”
Blake expelled a painful breath. “Thank you for watching over me.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“Yes, I do. I’ve never done anything for you to be so good to me.”
“Well, you did save my life.”
“After putting you in peril.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” she said gently.
“If I wasn’t a selfish arse, you wouldn’t have left. And none of that would have happened.”
“You can’t know that.”
Blake shook his head. “All I wanted to do was spare you the pain. Instead, you’ve had a peek at my gruesome past. But trust me when I say the rest is worse.”
“Blake.” Annalise squeezed his hands. “I never expected there not to be any hardship. I know what you went through was awful. I’ve seen your scars. I just wanted you to share your problems with me. All I ever wanted was a true family. I have never had one. My parents barely talk to each other; they never cared about me. I was always alone, with nobody to rely on. I wanted our marriage to be different. The fact that you wouldn’t speak of your past hurt me, but it didn’t hurt as much as your lack of interest in my affairs.”
“My darling, wife. Perhaps I have been selfish. But only because I was so embarrassed with the way I left things: you and me at discord, the estate struggling, you uncared for. I felt helpless and powerless thinking about it. I just wanted to move on. I wanted to forget the past, and I never took into consideration what you wanted. I never imagined you had far darker memories of your own.” He brought her hands to his lips and kissed her fingers. “I want you to always be able to share your thoughts, your joy, and sorrow with me….” He cleared his throat. “If that is something you still want.”
Annalise frowned and tugged her hands out of his hold. “When I was in that dungeon, frightened and alone, I kept thinking,if I ever get out of this place, I shall give Blake a piece of my mind.” She laughed.
“I am in desperate need of your mind,” Blake said gently.
“The fact is, I think we have a lot to work through. But I do not think I am ready to never see you again.”
Blake let out a breath. “Does that mean you are not leaving me?”
Annalise bit her lip. “Perhaps? But I don’t want to start at the beginning; I don’t want to forget the past. I want to learn from it.”
Blake tugged on her arm until her lips were hair’s-breadth away from his. “Deal.”
He kissed her tenderly, sipping on her lips, devouring her taste. She ran her hand against his stubbly cheek, then lowered it, caressing his chin.
“Blake,” she breathed as she pulled away. “The doctor said you should rest.”
“I can’t imagine a better rest, darling.”
She kissed him again, running her sweet tongue over his lips, and he groaned. His breaths accelerated, making his chest burn even more, but he didn’t care. He wanted to marvel at her taste. He needed to feel her on him.
Blake fought to throw off the covers then reached to undo his underdrawers. Annalise helped him take them off.
Blake lay there naked, other than the wrap around his torso, his cock throbbing, begging for her touch, already fully erect. Annalise got off the bed, and Blake whimpered. She smiled and slowly, torturously drew her dressing gown off her shoulders, and it fell to the floor. Off went the nightgown, and she was completely naked before him.
Blake devoured her beautiful form with his eyes, his hands itching to touch her.
Annalise crawled on top of him, straddling his hips, and lowered her mouth to his. Blake kissed her while his hands worked to free her hair from the pins. When he was done, he ran his hands through her locks as they fell, creating a curtain around them.
“You are beautiful,” he croaked.
