The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn

~ALARIC~

My intention was only to watch Clara sleep. I tried my hardest to send her away from my office earlier because I didn't want to hurt her. But I couldn't sleep. Especially not with Nicole constantly coming into the guest room and trying to seduce me any chance that she got.

When we were married, she never wanted me like she wanted me now. She confused the hell out of me. Why would she want to make things work when I wanted nothing to do with her?

I had no other choice but to come here.

The second that I reached Clara's home and saw her holding my shirt in her hand like she often did at night to fall asleep, I completely lost my mind. She's been doing this for a while now. I've watched her so many times at night without her knowing that I could confirm for myself that she did this. I didn't need anyone to tell me because I saw it with my own eyes. Each time, she didn't know that I was looking. It always sparked my curiosity and increased my need to have her. I had no idea why she did it. I never got the chance to ask her and actually have her tell me the real reason. Maybe a part of me was afraid that I wasn't ready for the answer. But now, tonight, I wanted to know. I wanted to ask her many questions, and I was hoping she would be willing to answer me after what happened earlier. With my luck, she might want nothing to do with me. I deserved everything that she threw my way.

"What are you doing here?" she gasps.

My body was pressed against her back as she lay on the bed with her face against the pillow, still holding onto my shirt.

"I told you, Clara. I can't stay away from you." I answer her. "It's not the first time that I've watched you sleep. I've watched you sleep multiple times. I've seen you holding onto my shirt each time. I told you that there's plenty you still don't know. You have no idea what you do to me. I swear to you that you don't have a single clue about my feelings."

I could hear her breath hitch at my words.

"I wanted to do the right thing earlier." I try to explain. "I thought I was doing the right thing by sending you away. And even though I still think it was the right thing to do, it doesn't change the fact that right now, what I'm about to do is fucking wrong."

I feel her shiver beneath me, "what are you about to do, Alaric?"

I push her hair away from her neck as I lean down and place a soft kiss behind her ear. "Something I've been dying to do for a long time now, Clara. Something that I wish you'll allow me to do for the rest of my life."

My hands travel to her waist as I pull her closer to me while pressing myself against her warm body. "You can stop me anytime you wish."

"Is that what you want?" she whispers. "For me to stop you so that you'll have an excuse to run away again?"

A low growl escapes my mouth as I slowly turn her around so that I can get a good look at her face, "no." I answer her. "I do not want you to stop me. Not now. Not ever. I know you may think that I'm going to run away from this again, but I can promise you that I'm done running. Whatever happens after today, I will face it head-on."

Her lower lip trembles as she stares into my eyes, "I was so close to finally letting you go." She confesses. "I felt like I didn't know you anymore. I was beginning to think that everything I thought I knew about you was a lie."NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

I place a hand on her face as I gently stroke her cheek with my finger, "I don't ever want to disappoint you again, Clara, even though I know it is not something I can avoid. But I can promise you that I will fight to keep you in my life; I'll do everything in my power to make sure that you stay close to me."

The fact that I was so close to losing her bothered me. If I hadn't shown up tonight, it would have been the end; she wouldn't have let me into her life again.

Fuck.

If she was already this close to giving up on me, what would happen when she found out that I got Nicole pregnant?

She leans into my touch, and I love the way her body melts against mine. It's enough to make me forget about Nicole and the mess I made out of my life.

"Please, Alaric, please make love to me." She whispers with dreamy eyes that make me weak to my knees.

She didn't need to repeat herself. I wanted this even more than she did and she was about to find out just how badly I wanted it.