you want to be fucked while they watch and comment, far be it from me to prevent you living out your exhibitionistic desires.” I straightened against the tree trunk and reached for her leather armor, fingers sliding underneath straps to undo the fastenings.
But Annabel reached up to grab at my wrists, pausing my movements. “You don’t have to pretend with me, Grim,” she said so softly my heart shivered. “I get it. They pecked at you when you were small and vulnerable. I’m not going to ask you to be vulnerable in front of them again.”
And with that, she leaned forward again, this time placing a chaste kiss on my lips before she rested her head on my shoulder. Her slow breaths raised goosebumps along my skin, doing nothing for my still-straining cock nestled firmly against her covered groin.
“I didn’t know that he saw me with her,” I said. I hadn’t meant to; the words just slipped out.
Annabel pressed in harder against me. Her hands came up around my neck, stroking through my hair, but she remained quiet.
“I guess he didn’t know that it was… unwanted. If he had, he would have tormented me with it. I don’t want…” I fell silent, already regretting having opened this door.
But Annabel asked, “What don’t you want, Grim?” so softly, I had no choice but to answer.
“I don’t want them to see us together, because they will take any softness and pick at it until it’s a raw, open wound. It’s their nature,” I answered
Annabel was silent for a long time, until she finally breathed, “Hold me.”
Slowly, somewhat reluctantly, I obeyed. She felt so solid in my arms as I tightened them around her torso. So alive, despite what I’d done to her. But she wasn’t. She should have been warm under my palms, and her beautiful, haunting scent should have filled my lungs with every slow breath I drew in against the top of her head.
“I love you,” she said, her voice quiet but not weak. She didn’t move her head from my shoulder—simply let the words hang in the air around us.
Everything inside of me went still.
“You don’t,” I said, my voice rougher than expected.
She flicked my earlobe with a finger, but otherwise didn’t move. “Yeah. I do. And once you trust me enough to let me in, you’ll know I’m telling you the truth.”
I expelled a breath that should have been a laugh, but only came out like a hollow bark. “If I truly let you in, believe me, Annabel, you would not love me. What you feel is biology and Fate’s manipulation. And that is fine. I am not small and vulnerable any longer. I do not need you to tell me fairytales.”
She finally pulled back to look at me, into my eyes. There were shadows in her gaze, but also steel. “You are not unlovable. You are not broken, or wrong. The people who should have cared for you let you down. They hurt you. And you did not deserve that, Grim. All you’ve done that has been dark and awful has been to protect the people you love. You were willing to turn yourself into a literal monster to save your brothers from Ragnarök. However misguided that was, it tells me everything I need to know about your heart. You can keep your shield in place until you feel ready to trust me, but I see you, my mate. And I love you.”
It took more effort than it should have to twist my mouth into a wry smile. “That human heart of yours—even in death, it’s so soft.”
Annabel didn’t so much as blink at my mocking tone. She simply leaned in and placed a lingering kiss on my mouth before she rested her head against my shoulder once more, wrapping her arms loosely around the back of my neck.
When I glanced down at her face, her eyes were closed, her expression peaceful. It wasn’t long until she was asleep, safely nestled in my arms.
I woke up to the sensation of being watched. But instead of alarm bells, a sense of utter peace flowed through my body in languid waves paced to the steady rise and fall of my chest. I cracked my eyelids open, only to stare into a dark mass of messy hair still semi-bound into a long braid.
Annabel. I tightened my arms around the solid form resting on top of me, and sighed when something soft and tender slid into place in my chest as