Page 60 of Legendary

He reached his arm out and rested it on the door frame. He leaned in casually and furrowed his brows. He didn’t speak, he just stood there, acknowledging me like I should know the answer. I rolled my eyes and pulled the door open more. I swung my arm out in front of me, ushering him inside. He tentatively stepped over the threshold, walking past me and further into the room.

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, putting as much space between us as I could. I didn’t want to fully admit it, but even this amount of proximity was suffocating. The amount of tension he could gather into the room was insane. I wasn’t angry at it, but it wasn’t fair that he made me extremely hot and bothered whenever we were alone together.

“You wanted to talk, so talk.”

He looked down at the floor, then around the room and then right at me. “I did want to start off by saying I’m sorry, again. I’m sorry for making you feel like I wanted one side of you or that your demon side was unneeded or unwarranted.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, taking a few steps towards him. “I hear you and I already said that’s fine, Nicholas. You don’t have to keep apologizing when I’ve told you that’s not…” He cut me off.

“I know, I know.Fuck, I know. I honestly didn’t know what you wanted from me. I thought you wanted actions, so I gave that to you but maybe you wanted words, so…”

“So, you decided to leave me alone for three months, while you wallowed in your thoughts about me and what I wanted?” I said, tilting my head to theside.

He shrugged. “I didn’t think you wanted to talk to me. I was giving you space.”

“That’s understandable, but you didn’t even try, Nicholas. Going there would have been an action and then you would have given me words. You don’t have to give me one without the other, you’re allowed to provide both.” I gave him an incredulous look like what I was saying should have been an obvious statement.

He let out a loud sigh and his shoulders dropped. “I get it. I’m not going to go back into the past and try to fix anything because that’s done. All I can do is give you what you want right now. I’m here, Dani, this is my action.”

I ruffled my curls, taking a large section and moving it to the other side of my head. “I’m impressed you’re in Purgatory, but that’s not…”

“Let me finish.” His eyes bore into mine and just the act of that small assertiveness was enough to impress me just a little. I closed my mouth and nodded towards him to continue.

“I know just me being here isn’t enough and I just…I’ve been thinking so much about how I could fix this, that I never really thought about what you said in my room that day. I heard you, but maybe I didn’t listen hard enough or maybe I didn’t read between the lines.”

“Nicholas, it really doesn’t matter…”

“Fuck, Dani, it does.” He walked over to me but stopped when he felt like he was close enough. “You matter, alright. You want actionsandwords, so that’s what I’ll give you.”

I blinked over at him, not really understanding. My eyes went wide as I watched him slowly but confidently get down on his knees in front of me. It was a sight to see and not because most stubborn men wouldn’t even consider doing this, but because he was being vulnerable with me. Even in this state he was tall, meeting me now just an inch above my stomach. He looked up at me, sliding a hand across the back of his neck. I waited patiently, watching as his chest rose and fell, his cheeks were a little red, but his eyes were as sure as I’d ever seen them.

“Dani, I’m sorry for making you feel like you weren’t enough…because you are. You’re so much more than just an angel or just a demon, okay. None of that matters to me and I should have made that clearer. You’re confident, a little scary and sexy as hell and I should have never told you that you could be better or that youshouldbe better. I should have just told you what the truth really was and that’s that you’re fucking perfect. You can choose to be whatever you want, whoever you want, and I’ll be there, so long as you’ll let me. I need you to trust me again, please, with whatever you’re willingto give me. I’m literally begging you to believe me. I’m on my knees here.”

I forced my expression to remain neutral when all I wanted to do was break out into a face splitting grin. He was pleading and honest and would probably be on his knees for hours if I asked him too. I didn’t truly know how I would react whenever he finally said what I wanted. Everything was moving in slow motion now. We stood like that staring at each other for what felt like hours and hours when I knew it was only a few seconds.

I held his gaze a little longer and watched as he swallowed in a nervous way as if he was waiting for me to turn him down and walk away from him. I couldn’t even get myself to consider doing anything like that. My heart thundered in my chest, so loud I was surprised he couldn’t hear it. “Are you finished?”

“Yeah,” he answered in a small voice, almost like a whisper.

I couldn’t hold the smile in anymore and I let it blossom on my face as I stepped closer to him, reaching my hand out and letting my fingers fiddle with his hair. I guided my fingers down the side of his face and under his chin, letting my thumb graze back and forth over his skin. “Took you long enough.”

His shoulders immediately relaxed as his eyebrows rose slightly. He looked relieved. “I’m aware.”

I let my thumb pull his bottom lip down and his tongue snuck out a small bit and licked at the tip of my finger. I bit my lower lip as I let his lip go and patted his shoulder. “You’re very sexy on your knees, Nicholas, and as much as I love having you at my mercy like this, please get up.”

I helped him up and didn’t try to move back when he was at his full height and looming over me. Placing my hands on his shirt, I squeezed the material in my fist. The sound of our mutual breathing and the pure smell of his need for me was overwhelming my senses. I was on a high from his words and I had to admit to myself that trusting him again had me turned on in a way that I knew only he could understand. I noticed his hand reach out and tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear and I shivered slightly. He’d obviously done that move before but after his little speech this time was different.

He let out a slow breath and started to caress my cheek. “Can Ipleasekiss you?”

I giggled and nodded. “Yes.”

He leaned his head down instantly, while I got on the tips of my toes to reach his lips. It felt like the room was all of a sudden too hot when I felt his lips touch mine. He was slow about it and tentative as if he was treating me like I was timid. We both knew I wasn’t in the slightest. He kept onehand on my cheek and placed the other on my waist. His lips were soft and skillful, just like I remembered them.Fuck, I missed his mouth. I moved mine against his and I heard the very small groan that came from his throat. He gave me one small kiss when he pulled away. When I looked up into his eyes, he looked genuinely happy. As he should be.

I leaned towards him and pecked him on the lips again, lingering for a minute. “Now,pleasekiss me like youwanttoo?”

His mouth opened as if he was looking to challenge me. This man hadn’t kissed me in months, he couldn’t really expect me to believethatwas the kiss he wanted. One corner of my mouth lifted up as he pressed his forehead to mine and found my lips again. This time though his mouth was more urgent and needy. I had to regain my composure when he bent down to place his hands behind my thighs and lifted me up, causing me to wrap my legs around his waist. We were moving and I felt a wall behind my back as he pressed me up against the cool wood. His lips never left mine as he explored my mouth with his tongue. This kiss was so much more aggressive and impatient, filled with longing and desire. I let my own tongue play with his as he pressed more of his weight against me. A soft moan escaped my lips at the feel of his hardening cock between my legs.

He broke the kiss to slide his lips down to my neck, nipping and sucking at my skin as if he couldn’t get enough. He kissed that place on my neck that had me pushing against him, rubbing myself where he was rigid and stiff. He gripped my ass with his hands, holding me up with ease. I felt his body let out an audible shudder as he kissed my skin. I heard him breathe me in as if my scent alone was comforting, as if he could just do this, be this with me in a little bubble of our own. He dug his lower body into me, and I reciprocated the movement as he nuzzled his nose into my hair. “Fuck, Dani, I...” He let his words dissipate as he pressed his forehead to mine. The look he gave me told me there were a million things he wanted to say, but none of them wanted to be spoken.

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