The Scarred Viking's Bride (On Temp. Hold)

Twenty-Three

"I love you."

Once those words were out in the open, I could not take them back. I could not snatch them out of the air and place them back in my mouth like they were never said. They were out and I had to face the consequences of those three words that held so much definition, feeling, and future.

Yet I did not wish to do so.

I loved Aderick Dahlsten. Who would have thought! The children of two rival clans together at the will of their own minds- not forced like I had thought initially.

This man, this brutal Viking warrior was the one to capture my mind and seduce my body to become completely his.

This brute that made me feel so many emotions after going numb, bringing me back from the dead and for that, I would forever be indebted to him. With his caring ways, loving words, and heated touches, there was no doubt how he won me over.

As I stared down into those mesmerizing sable eyes that swirled with numerous emotions, I realized my heart was full.

Scarred, but full.

I released a breath as the shock and warmth finally settled into his eyes. A flash of hesitancy went through me but quickly vanished as I watched recognition and tenderness swarm those dark brown eyes. I could see tawny flecks sprinkled sparsely in his irises, making me realize how beautiful his eyes were. That long white scar of his crinkled as he beamed with joy, the whiteness of his teeth shining brightly. Aderick let out a rumbling growl before rising up, our chests flush to one another to look me directly in the eye. His thumbs traced my cheeks before he leaned in and crushed his lips against mine.

Closing my eyes, I embraced the red hot passion racing through my blood and the energy that heated his touch against my flesh. Unlike his slow kisses that have transpired before, this kiss was unlike all the others.

'Twas a kiss of acceptance, love, and fiery passion. I believed as though I knew exactly how Aderick felt in this moment, the strong rise of emotion in him enough to realize that I did not need him to reciprocate the words.

After several moments of unrelenting kissing, I had to pull away before I blacked out from the lack of air. I opened my eyes to gaze at him, watching as he kept his eyes shut tightly and breathed hard from our passionate bussing. Some women may be turned away from his harsh features and that long scar, but that was what first pulled me toward him, that and his powerful aura. My fingertips grazed his facial hair that sprinkled along his jaw, craving the friction against my skin. I ran a hand through his braided hair to the bun that held his black hair away from his angular face. I pulled his hair hard enough to pull his face up towards mine, ready to start kissing those damning magical lips again until I could not breathe.

He let out a chuckle before responding to my hungry attack of his lips. His tongue swiped against my lower lip before he bit down, and I nearly released a sharp hiss at the sudden pain, but it turned into a deep moan as he sucked my lip into his mouth.

"By the gods, I love you so much," Aderick whispered out into the air as he continued to nibble on my lower lip.

The feeling love and desire only continued to spread, until it filled my entire being.

I pulled away, freezing, thinking about what I heard. His brow furrowed when I stopped kissing him and his bottom lip began twitching into a pout.

A giggle left my throat at his forlorned expression, but I gently caressed my thumb over his swollen bottom lip.

"Did you just say you loved me?" I murmured.

"Ja. I have loved you for a long time now, but I wanted to wait for you to say it. I knew if I said those words first, I would unknowingly make you pressured into saying it back. I wanted to let you say it first, for you to take your time, nothing around us pressuring you into saying those words. No matter how long, I would have waited for you to say those words," He let out a chuckle. "Unless it would take years...then I would have said it first. "