42. What Did She Say?
What Did She Say?
Fly
“What did you just say?” My body starts to shake at the pent-up rage building at the possibility of what I just heard.
“I said you can’t promise that it will never be violent. Sometimes people who love you hurt you. It just kind of happens.”
Rage takes over my system, filling me with the desire to hurt those who hurt Sheri. To destroy those who caused her one iota of pain.
Rein it in. You’re going to scare her. “Who hurt you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” the calm innocence she says that with drives me out of my mind.
“Who hurt you?”
“It was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter.”
“Sheri, who hurt you?” My voice sounds way too quiet even to my own ears.
“No. You need to hear me when I say it doesn’t matter. Most of them won’t hurt me anymore.”
Them…more than one person hurt her…My hands tremble. “Let’s start with the one who might hurt you again.”
“I can’t. I can’t go there with you today. It’s too much.” She starts to climb out of the lounge chair.
“Then we won’t.” I reach out and touch her arm. “We’ll leave it alone. As long as you promise me you’re safe. They won’t hurt you.”
“I’m safe. Here in Urbium, I’m always safe.”
That wasn’t a no. But she’s safe now. We’ll worry about the rest later. When both of us have slept in the last twenty-four hours. “I think it’s time for that nap.”
She turns around with a hint of a smile. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a determined man?”
“Occasionally.” I lift the blanket with one hand and open my arm, hoping she’ll slide over.
“I can be pretty determined myself.” Sheri twists all the way around until she’s facing me. “What if someone finds us napping?”
“Would you care if your friends found out? Because I have to tell you, I don’t care. But if that’s an issue, we can go find a private spot somewhere inside the castle.”
She tips her head to the side, staring at me for a long moment. “No. I don’t care if they know. Most of them helped with our first date, so we aren’t exactly running around in secret.”
“Do you wish we were?” That question is probably pushing too much.
“No. At first, I wanted to keep it secret. Mainly because it was my first kiss, and I didn’t want all of them asking questions or pitying me for never having been kissed before.”
Hearing her say the words is vastly different than guessing that was her first kiss.
“Why are you grinning like that?”
“Like what?” My face feels like it might split in half, but I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want to hear why.
“Spill, my prince.” She pokes me in the side.
The sharp pain is so unexpected that I groan.
“What’s wrong? Why did that hurt? That shouldn’t have hurt. I didn’t poke you that hard. At least I didn’t think I did, but I must have. I’m so sorry. See what I mean? I never meant to hurt you, but I did.”
“You didn’t hurt me.”
“Yes, I did. I heard that groan. They probably heard it back in the castle.” Tears fill her eyes.
“Sheri, you didn’t hurt me. I was already hurt.”
“What?” Her eyes get big as they move to my chest.
“I have a few bruises from last night.” That's a bit of an understatement, but she doesn’t need to know.
“Show me.”
What? “They’re nothing.”
“Show me.”
“Sheridan—”
“Show me.”
“They’re not as bad as they look.”
She shakes her head. “I can handle it. Show me. I need to understand how much this means to you.”
I unbutton the top button and stop. “This isn’t a normal thing. I haven’t had a bruise in a couple of years.”
“So this was different. Enough that you got hurt and are trying to pretend it’s nothing. Show me.”
“Are you sure this isn’t because you want to see my muscular chest?” I slowly undo another button.
“I can’t say I won’t enjoy the view. But no, that’s not what this is about. It’s about understanding who you are.”
“You know who I am. You don’t need to see a bunch of bruises to confirm the man you think I am.” Why am I fighting this so hard?
Because you’re afraid of freaking her out again.
“I think I know who you are. But what happened to you was to protect a stranger. It’ll help me to imagine what you’d do for someone you love.”
“For someone I love—” I reach up and brush a strand of her hair off of her face. “—I would do anything.”
“You’re not supposed to say things like that.”
A grin spreads across my face at her consternation. “What am I supposed to say?”
“Not super romantic things that make me want to kiss you until we’re both dizzy.”
“Offer accepted.” I lean forward.
Sheri holds a hand up but doesn’t touch me. “Nope. You’re not distracting me with your wily ways.”
“Fine, if you want to kiss me.” I lean back with a Cheshire grin on my face.
“No more talk of kissing and take your shirt off.” She freezes for a second, then a blush steals up her face.
“You’re beautiful when you blush.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“So you don’t want me to take my shirt off so you can kiss me.”
“Fly!”
Even though her face is on fire, I feel the need to tease her a little more. “Because I completely agree with that idea.”
“Just take it off.”
Is she really as innocent as that blush makes her seem? It could just be me projecting my desires on her. The idea of being the only man she’ll ever kiss is heady indeed. Not that I’d expect that from any woman. It’s not like I’m coming to the table without a history.
Her hands go to her hips as the blush fades away. “Please, I need to know.”
“You don’t.” But I take the shirt off.
Tears pour out of her eyes as she stares at me.
“It isn’t as bad as you think.”
“Don’t lie to me. I don’t lie to you. Please don’t lie to me.”
I love that about her. “It’s not as bad as you think. There aren’t any broken bones or anything with long-term damage. The bruises hurt, but not enough that talking to you doesn’t distract me from the pain.”
With wet eyes, she lifts her gaze to mine. “You promise?”
“I promise. Now, how about we put this behind us and take that nap?”
She nods. “But we’re switching sides. I’m not laying on all those bruises. And would you mind keeping your shirt off, or is it too cold?”
Too cold? Is she oblivious to her effect on me? Probably. “No, it’s not too cold.”
“Good.” She scrambles over to my side.
“You could act as my blanket if you’d like.”
“No teasing me. Go.” Sheri points to the other side of the lounger.
“Would I ever do that?” I scoot over, smiling at her.
“Yes, you would.”
Fair. I lie down, lifting the blankets up and holding out an arm to her.
Sheri lays her head down on my shoulder with a sigh. “Everything about this freaks me out so much.”
“Growing pains.” I kiss her hair. “You’ll get used to us and realize there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
She doesn’t respond.
A little snuffle brings a smile to my face. Your head might be afraid, but your heart already trusts me completely. That’s more than any man in my place could ask for right now.
***
I pop awake when the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. There shouldn’t be danger around at a party like this. But I’ve learned to trust my senses.
Standing a few feet away from our lounge chair is Vex. If looks could kill, I’d be dead right now. What does he expect? My woman was tired, so I made sure she took the nap that she needed. I meet his gaze with my own irritation.
He gives me a chin lift and walks away.
What was that? I don’t think I want to know, but it kind of felt like he was giving me a nod of approval.
It doesn’t matter what he thinks. This woman belongs in my arms, and I’m going to make sure she stays in them. I kiss her temple before closing my eyes again.