Running from His Claim (Beauty and the Beast #2)

Chapter 63

His brows shot up. He kept the smile but his eyes were guarded. "I'm to be punished?"

I grinned at him. "You're making my life very difficult so let's get this over with."

He grinned wolfishly, his eyes losing some of the fear, and pushed to his feet with me still wrapped around him. "And what, pray tell, do you desire of me?"

"I desire a lot of things," I teased. "But what you have to do is going to be no fun for you."

He laid me on the huge soft bed and sat next to me. I sat up as he rubbed my hand and waited.

I sighed and dropped my eyes.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

"I want you to talk to me."

He frowned. "Concerning?"

"All this, what's bothering you. And I want you to be honest with me."

"I have no desire to lie to you, my love."

"I know but I mean -" I ran a hand through my hair, trying to figure out how to do this. "Okay, I'll start. And maybe you'll realise what I'm trying to say then."

"Very well."

I dropped my eyes, twining our fingers. "It hurt me to watch you with Caitlin," I said quietly.

"Belle -" he began, moving to hold me, but I pushed him back.

"No, you don't understand. Just...let me finish?"

He gazed at me, his eyes unreadable, then nodded once. I noticed that he'd gone tense.

"Things had been a little crazy between us in the days leading to that. You were keeping a secret from me, shutting me out. Then you told me that someone was after me and it seemed like you were taking risks to keep me safe and I was helpless. I felt inadequate."

"My love -"

I shook my head, asking him to listen. "Then you disappeared and I was afraid that you'd get hurt or something, that I'd never see you again. And honestly, there was a small part of me wondering if you'd left me. I had no reason to think that of course, but Warren - I'm useless in your world. You guys face danger all the time and I'm just...here. I can't help you and I don't think that's what relationships should be like. We should be partners but I don't feel like I'm one to you."

He sighed and tightened his hold on me, but this time he didn't try to interrupt. I looked up now, smiling softly. "So that's how I was feeling when you came back on Monday. I was happy to see you, totally relieved that the scare was over, but something wasn't adding up. And when I found you kissing Caitlin... My world crashed. You destroyed me, Warren, and I'm still not all there."

He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. "Please, no more."

I hit his chest a little in frustration. "You think this is easy for me? I want us to deal with this! I want you to open up to me because right now you're not really with me and it hurts just as much as that did!"

He trembled and his voice was low as he murmured, "So this is my punishment. You force me to face my mistakes."

"I'm not forcing you," I said quietly. "You can choose to hide from what you've been feeling and thinking through this whole mess, or you can face it with me. I want you to trust me with yourself, but it's up to you." I leaned against his chest, silently letting him decide.

When the silence stretched, I fought back the tears. Maybe not tonight... But some day we'd have to deal with all this. I just had to figure out how -