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“Because you're my mate. I love you! I don’t want anyone but you. Why else?” he asks with a shrug. He finishes making the hot chocolate and leans against the counter while I finish washing the dishes. Him watching me is awkward as I finish cleaning.
Casen sighs heavily, making me glance at him. “What?” I ask and he shakes his head.
“Nothing,” he says, his voice low and thick with emotion.
I know him well enough to sense that something is bothering him, but I also know better than to push buttons, so I don't push for an answer. I reach for my cup and blow on the steaming liquid.
“Are you going to keep making this awkward and treating me like a stranger?” he asks. I turn to face him, my eyes searching, studying every feature of his face, tracing the lines etched around his mouth and eyes. “It's just… I've been trying to remind myself that you're not the same Rose as before, that I need to be patient with you. But being around each other like this is extremely hard when you do everything to avoid me. Using Casey as a damn shield while all I can think about is touching you.”
I feel a rush of guilt wash over me at his words. Of course he would be scared, after everything we’ve been through – my betrayal included – how could things ever just go back to normal? How can I make up for what I did? How could I forget what Vince did?
“No,” I say firmly. “What do you want from me? Do you expect me to just forget about everything that happened? To pretend that it never happened at all?”
He presses his lips into a thin line as he looks away. “Of course not,” he said quietly. “But you don't need to treat me like I'm some stranger that is here to hurt you. I am not Vince!”
He sits down his cup and reaches for mine, taking it from my hands.
I flinch, afraid of what he’s about to do when he takes my hand into his. Pulling me closer as his scent wraps around me, his body is firm and familiar beneath my touch and I feel my heart start to beat faster. I should pull away, but I don’t. Instead, I look up at my mate.
“You never need to fear my anger, I would kill myself before ever hurting you,” he promises. “Love shouldn't hurt. Losing love hurts, but to love someone isn't to endure them. Love is being willing to sacrifice everything so you can continue to love them....” I swallow, hearing the truth behind his words.
“I didn't come back because I was afraid doing so would hurt you. Not because I didn't want to, but because I couldn't bear the thought of if you didn't love me back. I love you, Rose, that hasn't changed. It never lessened, even after all this time, it only grew stronger. I didn't need a bond to love you. Loving you is second nature to me, as easy as breathing, for my breath wouldn't be worth taking if it wasn't for you,” he murmurs.
His thumbs brush gently across my face, his hands warm, and I lean into his touch. He won't hurt me despite me hurting him. “I love you too. And I'm sorry–” His lips find mine, cutting off what I am going to say. Despite the growl of possession, his lips are gentle and warm, stealing the air from my lungs for a different reason, not out of fear, but out of relief.
The hands resting against his chest unfist, flattening across the plains of his hard chest, no longer bracing for but embracing his touch, and my body relaxes. I kiss him back, knowing he meant every word he spoke, knowing my safe place was always with him. “Mine,” I murmur against his lips.
“Always! Always yours,” Casen whispers as my hands trail higher to his shoulders, my hands gripping, not shaking, my body yearning, not paralyzing under his touch. My heart swells, not bleeding as I kiss him back, wanting to feel his love, knowing it won't hurt.
Casen stumbles forward as if I am the air he breathes, and I bump into the counter, my hands move frantically, wanting to feel skin as I claw at his shirt.
My fingers graze beneath his shirt and sparks dance across my fingertips, something I never felt with Vince. Touching him made my skin crawl, the sparks died the moment I woke up, yet touching Casen is like having a live wire beneath my skin, electrifying, the sparks coming alive.
A whimper escapes me as desperation and longing take over when he suddenly grabs my hips, placing me on the counter. Yet, his lip barely leaves mine as he removes his shirt, knowing how desperately I need to touch him.
ChapterSeventy-Two
Rose
I watch with bated breath as Casen's hard, muscular chest is revealed, my eyes trailing down his abs and stopping at the waistband of his jeans. I bite my lip in anticipation as he steps closer to me, pressing himself against me.
I run my hand down his chiseled chest, feeling each muscle as if memorizing them. He leans in to kiss me again, and I can feel his heat radiating. As our lips part, he trails kisses down my neck, hitting just the right spot that makes me quiver.
With a moan escaping my lips, I wrap my legs around Casen's waist, pulling him into me tightly so there's no space left between us.
“Is this what you want?” he whispers huskily into my ear before trailing kisses down my neck. His fingers find their way under the hem of my shirt, tracing circles on bare skin until it rides up, exposing more of myself to him. Without hesitation, he tugs off my cami.
I'm left in nothing but my lace bra. His eyes drift across my body, and I feel his desire radiating. Gently, he unhooks the clasp, releasing my breasts, then presses his lips against them, sending a shiver down to the lower parts of me. “Yes,” I whisper, although the sound comes out more of a desperate moan.
“Not here. Casey might wake,” I murmur as his lips wrap around my nipple, his teeth grazing the hardened bud teasingly.
My hands run through his hair, pulling him closer to me as I moan in response. Casen slides his hand beneath me without skipping a beat to cup my ass. He lifts me up once again and carries us both towards the bedroom.
As soon as we reach our room, my clothes come off hastily as he strips me bare - leaving nothing between us but raw desire. His touch sends shivers down every inch of my body. My back hits the soft mattress as Casen's body covers mine, making my heart race with anticipation.
I'm completely exposed to him, my breathing shallow as I wait for what will come next. His lips find their way down my body, trailing everywhere but the spots that ache most when his fingers graze across them, and finally, he reaches between my legs. He moves slowly but purposefully, taking his time teasingly kissing every inch along his path, leaving my skin searing with heat.
Casen settles between my legs, his hot breath sweeping across my folds while his tongue trails a path along my inner thigh, his fingers digging into my flesh as he spreads my legs wide, giving him better access. My breath hitches in anticipation as I savor the way his soft touches make me feel.
