Lover (Betrothed 3)

I just got my brother back into my life, and I didn’t want to push him away. “If you’d ever loved a woman, you would understand.”

“You killed our father point-blank, and I forgave you. You need to forgive this.”

I let a cold laugh escape my lips. “Not the same thing. Not even close.”

“Exactly,” Ash said. “It’s murder. It’s much worse.”

I wanted to blow up at my brother, but I managed to calm myself down. “I want nothing to do with him. When this is over, I’m done with him.”

He didn’t have another argument. He turned quiet, like he’d finally accepted my decision. “The person who suffered the most is Sofia. She forgave him.” He looked me in the eye for several seconds. “If she can do that, so can you.”

When I came home, I was in a bad mood.

I was relieved I finally had a concrete plan to get rid of that cockroach, but I was irritated that my brother didn’t understand my position. He loved Sofia in his own way, so I expected him to be on my side. Choosing Damien felt like a betrayal. I shouldn’t have to explain myself. I shouldn’t have to be patronized.

I got undressed in the closet, then came back to bed. My beautiful wife was asleep and waiting for me, pregnant with my first son, and I should be grateful she was there. The anger and resentment should melt off me like sweat. But I was stiff and rigid, the booze unable to freeze my pain.

I lay beside her without waking her up. I wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep, but I’d made a promise to her and I had to keep it. I turned over and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Baby, I’m home.”

It took her a couple seconds to understand because her mind was foggy. But when her eyes opened and focused on me, a dreamy smile moved across her lips and she cuddled into my side like she hadn’t seen me in weeks.

My arms wrapped around her, and I placed a kiss to her forehead.

“I’m glad you’re home.”

I ran my fingers through her hair and inhaled her scent. It was preferable to the smell of cheap perfume in the bar, the fumes from the drinks. The spot next to her was my safe place, my cloud nine. “Yeah, I’m glad I’m home too.”

She must’ve picked up on the slight annoyance in my voice because she pulled back so she could look at my face. She shared my home and my bed, so she was around my moods all the time. She could pick up on subtle cues other people wouldn’t notice. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Go back to sleep.” I pressed another kiss to her forehead so she would relax and drift off.

She wouldn’t let it go. She propped herself up on one elbow so she could look down on me. “You can talk to me about anything.” Her fingers lightly touched my chest, trying to bring me into a relaxed state.

“I know. I just don’t want to.”

Her voice became a little more forceful. “Well, you’re going to.” She leaned down and kissed me on the mouth. “Right now.” When she pulled away, she gave me an unflinching stare, waiting for me to get the weight off my chest.

I couldn’t deny her, especially when she was so cute and demanding. “Damien and I aren’t getting along, and Ash thinks I need to forgive him…before it’s too late.” My eyes shifted to the ceiling because I didn’t want to see her reaction. I just wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep.

She propped her head on her palm and ran her fingers up and down my chest. She didn’t throw her opinion out at me right away, letting the silence do all the talking. After she’d told me she loved me and I told her I felt the same way, our relationship had changed. We spent less time talking and more time living in the moment with each other. Like we’d both adopted an extra sense for understanding the other, we could communicate just by breathing. That seemed to be what she was doing now…just being with me.

My arm was wrapped around her waist, and my fingers moved under her shirt to feel her bare skin. Being in bed with her was far more comfortable than that leather booth at the bar. I’d rather drink her kisses than a full bottle of scotch.

She whispered in the dark. “Why don’t you forgive him?”

My eyes shifted back to hers, to a pair of the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen. I always looked deep inside them when I made love to her. With my other lovers, I barely gave them that kind of attention. “Because I don’t want to.”

Her fingers continued to caress me. “I was hoping the two of you would have resolved this by now.”