All The Queen's Horses {Myrnin, Morganville Vampires}

Fight For Me!

I closed my eyes and explained haltingly, "I found that that block was particularly effective in numbing the pain of my past betrayal...And my almost certain future one."

He was quiet as he reflected on my words and then spoke softly, "Claire, look at me."

Reluctantly I opened my eyes and was a little overwhelmed by the magnitude of love I found there. He continued, "By the time we are done tonight, you will feel differently and that pain will ease."

I stared transfixed at his unfathomable gaze. He was making it very clear what he wanted from me – my unconditional willingness to give him all of myself. But I was also beginning to understand the depth of his promise – that every tiny part of me would be safe within his fierce care. I let the block slipped away. The pain remained, but I trusted him.

He nodded and murmured approvingly, "Good girl."

I reached to trace the outline of his jaw with my fingers and whispered, trying to understand what was going to happen tonight, "Myrnin, what exactly is this? I already belong to you. What more can there be?"

"Shhh..." He murmured, letting me know he wasn't going to answer that question. Instead, he nudged his head into my hand and kissed each of my fingertips.

Without warning, I felt his compulsion in a most excruciatingly sensual way. He infused his own desire into me. I yelped in surprise and then lost my mind, as he began to pleasure me in ways that made my head spin.

.........

Two hours had gone by.

Best sex of my life.

Myrnin and I were freshly showered and tucked back in bed together, but I knew our night wasn't over. It was fairly obvious by the fact that he was currently nibbling on my ear.

However, I was distracted. I tried to refocus but something had been bothering me. I kept pushing it out of my mind, assuming I was just being silly and insecure, but as the hours ticked by, I knew it wasn't a mistake – he hadn't called me Cariad.

Instead, he only used my given name, Claire, which he never did before.

In the past, he had always called me Cariad, particularly during our intimate times. It meant 'love'. Now, I worried that I might have broken his trust too much to ever hear it again. Before I could stop it, a single tear slid down my cheek, as I mourned the loss of that term of endearment. I quickly turned my head to the side, trying to hide it from him, but it was impossible.

He licked the tear gently from my cheek and murmured, "Tell me what the tear is for."

Embarrassment washed through me. What a perfectly meaningless thing to cry over. It was only a nickname, for Heaven's sake. And yet, it mattered to me. He was waiting for an answer. I knew better than to lie to him. Especially in the mood he was in now. But still, I tried to play it off and mumbled, "It's nothing."

He growled a low reminder, "Claire, I will do whatever it takes to get you to truly understand what it means to belong to me. You will deny me nothing."

I exhaled, and tried to pull myself together, knowing I didn't have a choice and whispered haltingly, "You haven't called me Cariad."

He nodded in understanding.

A second tear breached the crescent border of my lashes. I moved to angrily swipe it away, but Myrnin caught my hand and pinned it over my head. With the gentlest of touches, he kissed the tear from my cheek as he responded with a promise, "I will...When this is finished, I will."