Emily no longer shied away from Theodore. His caresses albeit fleeting were scorching and addictive, his eyes simmering and full of dark promises.
The only reason she hadn’t fallen for him yet was because he was supposed to leave the estate in a few days, and thus she guarded her heart.
As for the reason why she had yet to sleep with him, that was because between her insecurities and his fast approaching departure, the choice was taken out of her hands. Admittedly, he wasn’t pressuring her either, and that was both a relief and a disappointment. She was sure that he knew his way enough around a woman’s body to persuade her should he really want to. Did that mean he didn’t want her half as much as he claimed he did?
She was dusting the furniture in his room when he emerged from the bathroom in nothing but a towel.
Good god, what a fine specimen! Her inner vixen purred although she should have grown used to the sight of him shirtless or so scarcely clad.
“Morning dorogaya,” he greeted her with a smirk.
“Morning,” she said breathlessly, and inwardly cursed when she saw his smirk widen.
“I picked an outfit for you already,” she pointed at a light blue linen shirt and some jeans which she had placed on the bed. “I’ll be outside. Call me when you finish.”
And before he got to respond, she had left the room.
She leaned back on the wall next to the door, and put a hand on her chest as if that would calm her wildly beating heart.
“What are you doing to me, Theodore King?” She whispered after some time.
The door opened right at that moment and he said, “Nothing you aren’t doing to me already, dorogaya.”
A blush crept up her skin at having been caught.
“I love it when you blush,” he told her in a lighter tone.
“Stop teasing me,” she hit his shoulder lightly.
“Who would I tease then?” He retorted jokingly.
She gave him the stink eye.
He made her body yearn for his touch. He also made her heart ache at the thought of the upcoming separation. She didn’t know how she would go on with her life after him.
So much for not getting attached to the man, she inwardly scoffed. Get a grip girl. There are many fish in the sea. So what if he doesn’t want you by the end of the month of August? There are plenty more men who wouldn’t be opposed to dating you.
“Are you okay, dorogaya?” He asked all of a sudden in a tone so soft, she would have missed it had he not been standing so close.
She nodded at him.
He raised his hand and caressed her cheek, wiping away a tear in the process.
“Why are you crying then?” He asked her in much the same tone.
“You don’t want to know,” she said in between sniffles.
“I wouldn’t be asking then,” he retorted matter-of-factly.
She pursed her lips and shook her head negatively. She angrily wiped away the tears that carried on making a fool of her. And then, she looked up into his face. “It’s better if you don’t know.”
“Better for whom?” He asked, not missing a beat.
Better for my sanity, for my peace of mind, for my dignity… you name it, she wanted to tell him but refrained from doing so.
“Just drop the subject, Theodore, please.” She implored with her eyes as well.
“Stop crying then,” he commanded her.
She nodded, smiled through her tears, and then resumed working.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Theodore didn’t know how to deal with a weeping woman, and his mate was no exception.
Admittedly, he never bothered to try to calm down a wailing woman, but his mate was the sole exception to that.
He didn’t know why she was even crying. And if he didn’t know that, how was he to help her make it all better? Where had he gone wrong? What did he do?
He tried to rewind the events that led up to this point, and could recall no event of importance.
“Dorogaya,” he called after a moment of deafening silence.
“Hmm?” She said in acknowledgment.
“Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry if I upset you…” It was better to apologize for something he didn’t do instead of having her crying again.
She turned around to face him and shook her head negatively. “You did nothing wrong.”
“Really?”
“I’m the fool,” she went on.
“You’re no fool, dorogaya,” he argued right back.
“No. I am,” she insisted before sighing. “I shouldn’t have gotten involved with you to begin with.”
Her sullen words broke his heart. He didn’t know what to say for some time there. He just stood frozen like a deer caught in highlight, unable to move, at a loss for words.
Should he beg for forgiveness? What the hell did do? If only, he could remember his wrongdoing.
“Why? Do you regret it?” He asked and braced himself for the rejection to come.
“Not really. I don’t regret knowing you or even dating you,” she didn’t saying loving you or anything like that, and that stung some more. “I just wish you didn’t have to leave so soon. This countdown from hell is infuriating me and making me doubt everything.”
“Leave?” He frowned.
“Yeah,” she said dejectedly as her eyes misted with tears again. No! No! NO! Not again. “August will becoming to an end in four days. Only four days remain…”
“Oh,” he said with a small smile. He realized he never told her of his intention to remain at the estate.
“Yes, oh…” she mocked him, angrily wiping at her tears. “big oh!”
“But I’m not going to leave, dorogaya,” he told her softly.
Her eyes widened at that. But then, she shook her head negatively. “Don’t toy with me. Don’t give me false hope.”
“I’m not,” he assured her. “I plan to stay here. And if I were to leave, know that you’ll be accompanying me.”
“You can’t just decide that on your own,” she said in between sniffles. “What if I don’t want to accompany you?”
“I’ll find some way to convince you,” he chuckled as he stroked her face softly. “I’m good at winning people over, I’m told.”
“Don’t you mean you’re good at frightening people and bribing them?” She retorted daringly, an eyebrow raised in a mocking manner of sorts.
“Well, aren’t you a sassy little one?” He pinched her cheek briefly as he said that.
Oh, how he loved her! If only she’d return his feelings. Already he couldn’t wait to come clean about his being a dragon prince. He also apprehended the revelation. He just hoped it would be well received by her.
“I can be,” she retorted as she caressed her cheek.
He chuckled anew at her antics. And she smiled at him. Genuinely this time around…
He lived for that smile!