Beauty of the Beast

#11

Recap:

Letting out a weary sigh he clambered off the bed, taking her with him. Holding her to his body as though she weighed nothing, he pulled the covers off the bed. Placing her in the warm, soothing embrace of the bed; he pulled off his damp clothing and a nearly nude Balthazar climbed in beside her. Caging her within his arms, he draped himself over her. Head buried in her neck, right side of his body placed over hers, legs trapped in a tangle of limbs.

Nuzzling her neck, he let out a low rumble, akin to that of a purring cat. Even Sadie could feel the weariness in his limbs, he must have been bone-tired due to the search for her. Guilt chipped away at her as she recalled her brash and reckless actions. She shouldn't have panicked and run off, she should have confronted him about her problems and saved them both a world of worry.

"I will let you have your time, but only because you know, and I know.." He trailed off.

Leaning down, he captured her lips and kissed her to heaven and back. Breathless, Sadie broke off the kiss, desperate for air.

"That you're all mine." Balthazar whispered in her ear.

Chapter 11:

The bright and cheerful chirping of birds disrupted her sleep. Sadie could feel a warm body laying next to hers and internally sighed at the swift turn her life had taken. She couldn't believe that she was being so aggressively pursued by one of the most influential men in the current world.

On a certain level, she had accepted that Balthazar was now a part of her life, but she couldn't bring herself to take the next step. She had always been scared of the demands of commitment, and her family had not set the best standard for her in that regard.

Her parents weren't perfect and she respected that, for it was only human to err. Her father was a good man, who may not be earning a living, but did not let his family starve and did not resort to crime or deception to provide for them.

Fortunately for him, his ancestors had left him wealthy enough to never have to work a day in his life, and he had been the owner of several successful companies. However, lacking the drive to work and even maintain the heritage passed down to his hands, he had resorted to selling land and companies when in need of money.

He had been a fair husband to Sadie's mother, but had also never held any affection for his wife. And had mistreated and abused her on occasion. Witnessing the turmoil within the household, where both husband and wife put up a false front for the outside world, their marriage of convenience had driven away all of their children and left them both alone and bitter. All of Sadie's siblings had moved out at the earliest opportunity and visited rarely, and she had been the very first to move back into her parent's house.

As a result of which Sadie had developed a strong fear of commitment and relationships. Leaving your happiness and satisfaction in the hands of another was one of the scariest things she could imagine. If she had it her way, she would never allow someone to hold that much control over her. For in all her life, she had seen that people are never what they claim to be. Each is looking for their own gains, and not even blood relations hold that same significance as they once used to be. Her two older sisters and oldest of the bunch; her brother, had proved to her that people would only look out for themselves. Neither had felt any qualms about leaving her at the mercy of their parents. And had cut off all contact with her as soon as they left the house.

She didn't truly understand Balthazar's burning need for them to be mates. She feared the unknown, the abyss that was their future. What did it hold in turn for them? Would she be happy, or would she be a victim like her mother?