As Dark As Dusk( Dangerous Stranger Book 3)

Chapter 26

I felt a little light filter through the little basement opening. I moved my hands. They were free. My legs were free as well. And I was no longer shackled to the wall. My dress however lay in pieces in ruins. My hands have little blood over my nails where I had hurt him. I turned around to see how many marks were on his back. I touched them and winced; fresh nail marks were all over his back.

He turned around and his eyes met mine. And I saw the look in them. He was ashamed, he was guilty. "You can leave me Katherine. I will let you go. I will not bother you again. I will even arrange a ball to marry..." I kissed him. He was shocked. "Shut up, Christin. This is our bed and after showing me how it can be used effectively, how can you think about me going to someone else?" I asked.

"I was angry when I saw him touching you. How could he touch you? How dare he touch my wife? And you did not push him away. Why haven't you? Why?" He placed his hand over my cheek. "I am sorry, it happened suddenly. I was not ready for that. I should have known; it is your ship and..." "It is still your ship my love. It is a wedding gift from me to you. And this house, till our own gets prepped up to host us and our little Katherine and Christin, this has to do." I looked away.

"I apologize, I have hurt you, Christin. I have angered you; I have..." "No Katherine, I have angered myself, I have trust issues, I should have known better that my Katherine would never let anyone else get this close to her. Because she is mine, she was made for me. I have hurt you a lot. I apologize for my behavior. You can punish me, my love, you can hit me and whip me and..." I pulled him closer. "No Christin, I will never do that. What happened to you? Why you are talking this way?" I asked him.

"He touched you, Katherine, Crawford had also marked you, Judah is after you, William's had his son almost married to you. How hard is it for me, do you know? How hard is it for me to see that you have always seen everyone but me? You had that warmth, that light I wanted, I am only cold, I am the dusk, the darkness, and thus can never ever meet." I embraced him in my arms. He was shaking.

"They are going to take you away from me, I have no one other than you, Katherine. I cannot, I cannot..." "Shhh...I am here, I am yours, I am only yours Christin. I am only yours." I stroked his hair and he relaxed little by little in my arms. He had broken down twice this way in my arms. I wonder, what can break a man like Christin Ace Rodriguez, how it feels not to let any emotion out.

He pulled back and I wiped his eyes. "Katherine I am sorry for what I did last night. I should have asked if you wanted it, I should have given you a chance to decide..." "You can make it up for it love," I told him. "How?" He asked. "You ruined my dress," I told him. 

"You did not like it." "No, I haven't but then, it seems like a perfect wedding night present for you. And you have asked if I like to obey for one night. Shall I call you Master as well? Were your plans contained shackling me to this bed?" I asked he pushed my hair back. 

"It was never my intention, I was angry and instead of hitting you, I thought, this is how I can sublimate my anger. I apologize, I was not thinking clearly."

"No, you weren't, but then, I have not consented to it," His face fell. The guilty look returned. "But, Christin, I love that monster in you, like you love the monster in me. It is a part of you and I am not running away, even if the king of freaking England proposes to me." He laughed again. I love his laughter.

 "Well, I know a certain prince who is fond of you, My love. There is a special shipment he sent for you. A token of appreciation? A love proposal?" "I like the envious you, the jealous you, but no, it is not a love proclamation or anything like that, it is a few beautiful dresses, and jewelry and yes an armada of best French sword with an invitation of another sword fight," I told him.