Page 99 of Oh No! There's an Incubus in my Hot Spring
“That’s not what this is.” His eyes shift between mine. “Tell me.”
I squirm, trying to get out from under him, but he pins me down. My eyes burn and Apollo gets hazy.
“I just want to go to bed,” I whisper, begging the tears not to fall.
“Tell me,” he urges.
“Please, let me go.”
“Sylvia,” he whimpers, thumbing across my cheek. “Why is your soul bleeding?”
“Because this was a mistake.” My voice cracks like the growing fissure in my heart.
He watches me, his mouth agape.
Silent tears carve hot paths to my ears.
“A mistake?” he asks, his shoulders heaving. “Why?”
“Because…” I sob.
He’s still inside me, all around me, watching me intently and not letting me go.
“Because I’m breaking my own heart throwing it at your feet, knowing you can never love me back—”
His mouth is on mine, kissing me with a gentle urgency. I wail into the kiss, wishing I could undo my need for him. He squeezes me against his chest and water drops onto my closed eyes. I push him back and he reluctantly breaks our kiss.
He’s crying.
I scowl. “What’s wrong?”
“You love me.” He smiles through the tears. “I didn’t know if you could. If you would.”
Why does he want this? Does hewantmy heartbreak?
“But you can only love your mate,” I whimper.
“Sylvia,” he coos, kissing my salty cheeks. “I’ve been trying to tell you…I didn’t want to scare you by saying it outright.”
“Say it,” I squeak, my throat tight.
He grins, tears welling in his eyes again. “Youare my mate.”
I close my eyes against the pain. All this time spent pining for him while keeping myself guarded was for nothing. He can love me.
He can loveonlyme.
The lump in my throat strangles me and I cover my face as I silently weep.
“Oh, my love,” Apollo whispers, kissing my knuckles. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been waiting to feel your reluctance disappear, but itseemed to only grow stronger with everything I did. I’ve been waiting for you to let me kiss you.”
I laugh at the ridiculousness and pull my hands away. “I wish you would’ve told me. We could’ve been making out for weeks.”
He grins and presses me into a firm, needy kiss. I kiss him back, but I can’t breathe because of my stuffy nose, so I have to pull away.
He presses his forehead to mine and cradles my face, whispering, “My Sylvia,” over and over. No wonder he wanted to gut Jason. And the way he called me lovely from the start. He was a moth, and I was the moon, beckoning him.
I had it wrong again…
