I pushed myself away so I could see into his eyes. “You didn’t sleep with another woman?”
Cal shook his head. “No one can replace you.” He pushed himself up from the floor, all the while keeping a tight hold on me. “It was foolish of me to even think it. I want to be with you and only you.” He leaned down and tenderly kissed my lips. “You are my Huntress and I should never have tried to deny that bond.” He kissed me again, this time with more passion before pulling away. “It’s what you wanted, I know, to be free of me. I understand why, I do, but I couldn’t bring myself to break the bond.”
“That’s not what I wanted, Cal.”
“But you said…” He paused and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath before opening them again. “Never mind what you said, I was wrong. Can you possibly forgive me?”
I hesitated, my body saying yes, forgive, forget, while my heart still ached from his actions. “You pushed me away.” I gulped. “You left.”
He flinched, pain flashing across his eyes. “I did and I’m sorry, more sorry than I can possibly tell you. I’ll live my life making it up to you. I promise.”
He wasn’t telling me why he left, why he pushed me away as he had, and I wasn’t asking. Not yet anyway, not while this moment lasted, in his arms, my body craving him more than I could understand. “We need to figure this out, stick with it even if it’s hard. Give whatever this is a chance.”
He nodded.
“You’re not allowed to leave me ever again.”
“I’ll never spend a moment apart from you, not unless you demand it,” Cal whispered, his tone earnest, no lies hiding there.
Believing the sincerity of his words, I sighed as I latched onto him and snuggled against his chest, pressing my ear to hear his heart thudding there. We would figure things out. We would mend what was broken. “And why in the world would I want to do that?”
He sighed as he lowered his face, burying it in my hair for a moment before lifting me in his arms and gently placing me on the bed. He climbed on after me, hovering over my body, his massive arms holding him up
“I’ve missed you.” His voice was a delicious low rumble that rolled over me and sent tendrils of desire racing through my body. “Oh god, I’ve missed you.” He moaned as he lowered himself down to capture my lips, suddenly and fiercely plunging his tongue into my welcoming mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck, lacing my hands in his hair and loving the feeling of his weight pressing into me and his erection prodding my belly.
He rolled to the side, pulling me along with him, never once breaking his kiss as he slid his hand under the oversized T-shirt I wore. He groaned when he realized I wasn’t wearing underwear and then groaned again as he cupped my breast.
“You’re mine, Morgan,” he growled as he rolled my hardening nipple between his fingers, his eyes blazing with the truth of his feelings. “You’re mine and I’m not going to let you go without a fight.”
He was so overwhelmed with relief to have Morgan back in his arms again that it took little effort to push that annoying voice away, the voice that had been chanting to him from the moment he’d discovered Morgan might be Lazarus’s bride. The voice of duty to the Order that reminded him of his vows. Thou will honor the Order above all others.
Well, this time Cal was breaking the rules.
Morgan lifted her leg to wrap around his hip as her lips trailed down his jaw. She nuzzled his neck and pressed her body closer to his. “I’ve missed you so much, Cal,” she whispered, the edge of her pain still lingering on her words.
His heart thudded with excitement and remorse. He wanted to erase that hurt he had caused and, although he knew it might take a while for her to truly forgive and trust him, he could at least distract her from the pain for a while.
He ran his hand along her calf and up her thigh, moving under her shirt to grip her ass and bring her even closer to him. “I need you to be naked.”
Morgan nodded as she pulled her lips away from his skin.
He sat up with her and helped to lift her shirt over her head, allowing her hair to cascade down around her bare shoulders. She was kneeling next to him, watching him intently. Her face showed the bitter aftermath of time spent crying with little sleep. Dark circles lined her eyes, tracks of tears dried on her cheeks. He kissed her gently, pulling away to look into her eyes once again. “I’m so sorry.” He’d almost broken the bond, thinking that he was doing what she wanted, needed from him. He’d been so wrong and he’d almost lost her for good. His stomach bottomed out at the thought. So close to ruining everything with his stupidity.