Damen stilled halfway to the bedroom. The question had him looking down at his wife, who looked like she wanted to take the words back. He asked gruffly, “Shouldn’t I have?”
That he had to ask made her swallow, and Mairi said tremulously, “It’s not that. I…like it.” That was the most she could allow herself to admit. “But…I never thought this whole traditional groom thing was you, you know?”
Damen only continued to gaze at her, long enough to make Mairi squirm. Had she said the wrong thing? When he finally spoke, she could have expired in relief—
“Would you rather I just f**k you here?”
—until she realized what he was suggesting and Mairi laughingly choked out, “No! Drake’s downstairs—”
His tone cooled. “You’re only giving me another reason to do it.”
“I’m serious.” Her voice and laughter were muffled as she hid her face in the crook of his neck while tightening her arms around his neck.
Her laughter was a sweet sound, and he treasured it because for a very long time, Damen had thought he would never have the ability to make Mairi laugh again. Having reached their room, he balanced his wife in his arms so he could open the door. After kicking it shut, he slowly lowered Mairi to her feet. When she looked up at him, a smile was still playing on her lips.
At that moment, never had a woman looked so beautiful in Damen’s eyes.
It wasn’t because of what she wore or how she looked tonight.
It was that smile.
That smile alone could bring him to life. Mairi was his life, what could be more beautiful than life itself?
Bemused at the way Damen was gazing at her, Mairi asked, “What is it?”
Damen said simply, “I love you.”
Mairi froze.
“I know you don’t believe me now, but I’ll find a way to earn back your love and trust. I did it before, and you know – Mairi, deep inside you know – that the reason you love me so much is because you know I’m the only man for you.”
His hand shaking a little at the effort he was exerting to keep his emotions in check, Damen reached out to caress one pale soft cheek with his knuckles. “I will always be sorry for hurting you – for being so f**king cruel.”
“You’re making me cry,” Mairi whispered almost resentfully. But it wasn’t really the tears she didn’t like. It was how Damen’s words made her forget her promise to herself.
Her words made him smile, but he continued in the same sober tone, “I vow to make it up to you every damn day of my life. Nothing will give me greater joy than to spend the rest of my life lov—”
Unable to take it anymore, Mairi threw herself at Damen, cutting off the rest of his words by plastering her mouth to his. She didn’t think she could avoid breaking down if he told her he loved her one more time.
For a moment, Damen was stiff and unresponsive. Mairi feared he would resist, but then just as sudden his arms locked around her, his mouth taking control of the kiss, and she could have sobbed as she surrendered complete control to his command. Their kiss was hot, wet, and passionate. It had the most bittersweet taste of desperation, like they only had finite time with each other even if they had just been married.
Damen felt the same thing, and fear and resolve made him break the kiss. Breathing hard, he looked down at Mairi and even though it was clear she wanted him as much as he wanted her, Damen knew it was not enough.
“One day,” he said fiercely, “I will make you believe.” He didn’t give her time to answer. She didn’t need to anyway. Both of them knew where they each stood. She didn’t believe he could ever love her, and he knew she was only with him out of pity.
But for now, none of it mattered.
For now, they were simply Damen and Mairi, and tonight was their wedding night.
Damen kissed Mairi again, this time holding nothing back. He poured all his love and longing for Mairi in his kiss, and he was rewarded not a second later by her whimper. He did his best to be gentle, not wanting to accidentally hurt her as he took off her clothes as fast as he could. She did the same for him, and his need for her only became greater when he realized that her fingers were shaking as much as his was.
Soon, all their clothes were gone, and as if their minds were one, both of them slowly ended the kiss and pulled away to gaze at each other.
Mairi’s throat dried at the sight of Damen’s splendid nakedness. It had been so long since she had seen his body and a delicious shiver of awareness went through her, something she wouldn’t have been able to stop even if her life had depended on it.
He had become noticeably thinner in the months they had been apart, but he remained as beautiful as ever in her eyes, every glorious inch of his long, hard body perfectly sculpted. His broad shoulders, his beautifully muscled chest, six-pack abs, his well-toned legs, and his thick and blatantly aroused c**k –
Oh God.
Mairi’s eyes squeezed shut as her mind was suddenly filled with visions of a na**d Damen on top of her, his smooth muscled back arching just before pushing his c**k inside her, his bu**ocks flexing as her hands dug into his behind—
Beautiful.
The word played over and over in his mind, for it was truly the only thing Damen could think about as he slowly and thoroughly took in the sight of his resplendently na**d bride. She had her arms crossed over her br**sts, but they were ample enough for a hint of pinkness to show up on top. That tiny glimpse of her ni**les was more than enough to have Damen’s c**k jutting up even more insistently, and his desire became more and more uncontrollable as he took in her long bare legs and that sweet little pu**y.
It was moist and dewy, and the fact that she was already aching and wet for him when he hadn’t yet touched her was the clincher.
With a groan, Damen snatched Mairi into his arms, and his need heightened as Mairi came to him not just willingly but with unrestrained eagerness. Their mouths fused, their tongues danced, and their arms clasped each other as their bodies became one.
Mairi moaned in his kiss, and Damen groaned with her, the sheer explosive heat of their passion making him wonder if he would even make it to the next minute. It had been so f**king long. Too long than what was right.
His arms tightened around hers. Never again, Damen thought as he kissed her harder the same time he moved them towards the bed. Fucking never, Damen vowed to himself as he guided Mairi to lie on her back. Never would he allow them to be apart from each other, and he didn’t give a damn what he had to do to keep them together.