Page 272 of Night's Fall
“What’s wrong, baby?”Iasked, reaching out to stroke.
Comet ducked his head, stepped away and shot me the evil eye.
“I woke him up,”Alekseitold me.
Oh boy.
Comet took his naps seriously.
“SillyDaddy,”Isaid toComet.
He jumped to the arm of the daybed, over to the snack cupboard, and as payback for his nap being interrupted, batted at the glass straws in their holder, making them clink.
“Stop him from doing that, he’ll break one,”Idemanded ofAleksei.
“He’s fine,”Alekseirefuted.
Now look who was spoiling the children.
“Those straws probably cost twenty marks each.”Ormore.
“He’s fine, darling.”
I heard more clinking.
Whatever.
Time for other things.
I reached out and ran my finger along the side seam ofAleksei’strousers at his thigh.
He looked down at me.
“Bissi,” he groaned when he saw my face.
“I’m not a flower,”Iwhispered. “Abruise doesn’t scar me.Afierce wind doesn’t tear my petals off.Theend of a season won’t make me wither to nothing.I’ma star,Aleksei.I’llshine bright until the day, a long time from now, whenIblink out, which will be the second before or after you do.Youknow it hasn’t always been good for me, butIdidn’t survive.Ijust lived.That’swhatIdo.Iget on with things.Idon’t understand the power behind your drive to protect me, butIknow it’s there.AndIpromise to be cognizant of it.However,Ineed you to understand thatI’min thiswithyou.Icount on you, andIneed you to count on me too.Don’tshut me out again.Please.”
He kept hold ofNova(of course) even as he caught my hand and bent to it, pressing his lips hard against my engagement ring.
He kept hold of my hand (andNova) when he promised, “Iwon’t do it again.”
I squeezed his fingers. “Okay.”
“Do you need me to run you a bath?” he asked.
I totally did.
That was some intense, awesome, crazy sex, and momma needed some soothing oil and a hot soak before she had to drag herself to dinner with a family torn asunder with all of us pretending they hadn’t been torn asunder.
“Will you get into it with me?”Iasked.
“Yes.”
“Then yes.”
He smiled at me. “Ilove you,Laura.”
Gods.
