Lucifer's Bride [Complete]

49

    He freezes, his breath nearly halting. "You want me to be damned and rejected forever?"

I shake my head. "No, but I like you like this. It's the only way I know you. If you did redeem yourself and went beck to your old glory, I might not recognize you as my husband." My lip trembles a bit. "You might not recognize me."

His arms squeeze me thing, his lips pressing into my hair. "No, no, no. I would never forget you, even if I did go back. I couldn't. You've done so much to break me down and tear me to pieces. I wouldn't forgive myself if I lost my memory of you."

"But you'd leave." My voice starts to break, my mind beginning to envision his ascending into Heaven and leaving me behind.

He freezes again, understanding my fear and anxiety. We both know he'd jump at the chance to return to his birthplace, so there's no point in him trying to deny it. Silently, I pray that he keeps being his evil, manipulative self so he can stay here with me.

"I would, but I'm not sure I could leave you behind."

I look up at him, a mix of relief and confusion in my eyes. "Meaning?"

He gives a soft smile a shrugs. "I may have to bargain with the old man so I could take you along. I'd go insane without you." He leans forward and kisses me. "Besides, you're too much fun to leave behind."

I smile and return his kiss. "You're way too crazy for me to leave you alone."

He grins. "Good." He shifts and settles into the soft bedding, reaching down to pull the blankets up to my shoulders.

"We done for the night?" I ask sleepily. All this sex has left me exhausted.

"Yep. We do the same thing tomorrow."

I shift against him and close my eyes. "Good." On an instinctive self-dare, I kiss his chest. "Love you."

He inhales sharply and stills against me, then relaxes. "I...love you, too."

The tremor in his voice gives away his discomfort, but also his sincerity. It's probably been forever and a day since he's admitted he loved someone, so saying those four words must be like pushing Mount Everest a few feet eastward. I smile and settle in against him, letting sleep claim me as my husband begins to snore softly into my hair.

It's not the earth-moving change I've been looking for, but it's a start.