Page 154 of Crimson Promises
Only the night before, which had felt like an eon ago now, I had delivered her a similar reaction when she was finally ready to let me in. When she believed that I wouldn’t walk away like everyone else always did for her, I squashed it.
“I understand.” I took one last look at the one woman who dared to look past the chaos of pain I typically left in my wake. She had hitched her hip over the back of the sofa, her head turned away from me. I shuffled towards the door.
The cool pewter of the doorknob didn’t absorb much of my sweaty palms. My hand braced at the lock. I screwed my eyes shut. The moment I walked out of this door, any chance of a future with us would be destroyed.
Fight for her, you idiot. Prove to her what she means to you.Jos’ voice reverberated through my skull.You said you’d be willing to walk into the light with her, and for her, that may mean leaving everything she’s ever known. She never said ’no’.
Whatever gift that was, it was precisely the kick in the ass I needed. Apparently, Jos did too. The guy always was my better half. Instead of shoving the ache down as I always did when I thought of Jos, I took a moment to feel the pain of having lost him and the absence of his presence in my life. I gave myself a silent moment of gratitude to have been lucky enough to have had him in my life. He was one of the burning bright spots of my life. Without him, there’s no telling how I would have survived.
I pushed myself off the wall and stalked towards Aurora. My hands gripped her shoulders.
She swung her face to meet mine. Her eyes were shiny. She drew in a deep breath, likely to ask what I was doing.
But I was done talking.
Before she could get any words out, I brought my mouth to hers with a soft kiss.
My hand reached out, gently brushing against her cheek. My fingertips traced the contours of her skin as if committing every curve and nuance to memory. The warmth of her touch sent shivers down my spine.
I nipped her bottom lip gently. That was her undoing as she melted into my arms. As our mouths moved together, her taste lingered on my tongue—a bittersweet mix of desire and vulnerability.
In that kiss, I poured out my heart and let down my defenses. I wanted Aurora to see my vulnerability and unwavering love. Everything I had, everything I was, it was hers. All hers. She pressed closer, and I reveled in the feeling of her body against mine. The heat of her lit me ablaze in an inferno of passion.
I was a fallen angel, stripped of my military ranks, with only scraps of power, and left with a thirst for vengeance that nursed me through the years.
It was in her arms I found my salvation.
Aurora drew back, her voice reserved yet hopeful. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“With what?” I said as I massaged her scalp.
She released a tiny moan and arched her neck further into my hands. “With you,” she sighed.
Unable to respond, I was caught up in this fundamental switch occurring. Something gargantuan and yet so miniscule. Blood pumped through my body, and my heartbeat accelerated as if readying itself for battle. For one moment, it felt as though everything fell out of focus. That’s what I had been doing my entire life, always in a constant state of fight or flight. Fighting for the right just to exist at all.
I deserved to live without being restricted by rules, classes, and societal barriers. It didn’t matter if I was an angel or mortal. I had a right to choose my own happiness, just like Aurora had the right to choose the future she wanted. I was no longer going to push her towards a path Michael wanted her to follow. We were each responsible for our lives and our own choices.
I studied Aurora. From the beginning, she had been different with me. She challenged me, called me on my shit, and wasn’t afraid of the tough exterior that prevented everyone else from getting too close. To her, it was just another layer to peel back and discover. The day she saw my wings, she never treated me any differently, never punished me for the actions of my past. She believed in me and trusted that the decisions I was making were because I genuinely thought they were for the greater good. Aurora trusted me with her secrets, her nightmares, her dreams. She never played the victim. Like me, Aurora was a survivor. She had endured loss and heartbreak and never let it harden her. All Aurora had wanted was to be seen and heard. I had seen her grow up from a distance, but being around her these past few weeks, interacting with the woman she has become. It was an honor.
And I trusted her with everything. Everything I could give to her at this moment. There were things in time I’d share with her, but for now, we’d been through enough.
I stared at the golden flecks in her blue gaze, the color of sapphires. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to be without her for one more night than I already had. I didn’t want to wake up without her—the love of my existence.
What I wanted was to finally choose life. My own future.
“Aurora?”
She tilted her head in response.
My heartbeat was galloping once more. “Can I stay with you tonight?”
Her lips tipped up in a small smile. “I would like nothing more.”
My eyes pierced hers. “I know that I’m not a good enough male for you. I’m not worthy of you, but I’m too selfish of a creature not to hang on to you. You make me want to be better. So, understand that you letting me stay. There isn’t a chance in Hell that I’m not not going to peel those elasticized tracksuit items off of you.”
Heat charged in her eyes as she stared at me. “I know.”
I drew in a sharp breath. “Do you?”
