Page 16 of Monsters in Love

“I am,” I say glumly. “I’m so sorry about last night.”

Bronn cocks his head to the side. “For placing your finger in my—”

“No!” I say, cutting him off before he finishes his sentence. My face already feels like it’s on fire. I don’t need to relive details from last night. “I mean, maybe? Was that too forward?” I wonder out loud more to myself than to him.

“I was surprised, but I thought I made it obvious how well I liked what you did.”

He did indeed. Many, many times.

His heavy hand rests on my shoulder. “Is there something else, Karis? You seem upset. I did not do anything to hurt you? You will tell me if I did.”

His voice is insistent, and I look at him. Worry creases his brow, and a little light retreats from his eyes, as if he is bracing himself for what I may tell him. “Hurt me? Of course not. I mean, we didn’t even…”have intercourse, but those words die in my throat. There were enough body parts put into various holes that to deny we had sex seemed like splitting hairs for no reason. “Anyway, no, you did nothing wrong,” I say, flailing my hands as if to ward away his words. I’m not good at articulating what I want to say when I want to say it.

“Then what is it? You are upset. You cannot deny this, and as I am the only other person here, I must have been the one to upset you. Do not feel you need to shield me from my mistakes. I can handle it.”

He looks like he’s about to face a firing squad, and I can’t help but laugh. I place my hands on either side of his face. “You did nothing wrong.” I pronounce each word slowly so he can hear me. “I am not upset at you. I was upset with myself. That’s all.”

Bronn looks at me as if truly confused. “Why?”

“Why?” I cover my face with my hands. He’s really going to make me say it.

Bronn draws me against his chest, a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Yes, I really am going to make you say it.”

Dammit. If I weren’t so nervous, I wouldn’t be blathering on with barely any control over what words tumble out of my mouth. At least nestled against him like this. I don’t have to look at him. I take a steadying breath, and it seems Bronn does the same.

“I’m upset at myself because I forced myself on you, and made you do…things. And I’m so sorry.” I stop talking because if I keep going, I’ll likely start crying.

“Is that all?” Bronn asks tentatively. His chest rumbles and his body shakes all over.

Gods, what have I done?

“I know one apology can’t cover everything, but I’ll try really hard to—are you laughing?”

That flips a switch in Bronn. He throws his great head back and laughs a deep belly laugh. The kind that has tears leaking from his eyes.

I stare at him with various degrees of shock and awe. He’s usually so reserved, so proper, even in the few hours of knowing him, I know that laughing his ass off isn’t a common occurrence for him. I am unnervingly turned on by the way his entire demeanor changes when he smiles.

He is striking for sure, but when he smiles and certainly when he laughs as he’s doing now, his entire face glows.

My heart stutters at the sight of him, so happy. And then it sinks in that he’s laughing at something I said. I narrow my gaze. “I didn’t realize I said something amusing.”

Bronn sobers up, at least attempts to. “I did not mean to laugh. Truly. I was just so relieved. I was expecting something heinous or dire. Look, look, I am serious now.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “You’re about to die laughing again!”

His mouth twists to maintain a straight face before succumbing to the inevitable. “I am sorry. I am not laughing at you, though. I am laughing from relief and happiness.”

As if I wasn’t confused before… “Because you’re so happy I forced you to be with me?”

Fire blazes in his eyes as he reaches a hand out to tug on my chin. He waits until my gaze locks onto his. “You force nothing, my sweet mate. Hear me well. From the moment I saw you, I wanted you. I knew you were mine. I carry your heart beats within me. I want nothing more than to have you mount me and take all of me inside of you. That is what my happiness stems from. It is from knowing that my mate hungers for me as well. I have never dared to hope for such a thing happening to me.”

I barely breathe. His words wash over me, the intensity behind them searing into my soul. One word stands out like a beacon.Mate.

“So you force nothing. You are always welcome to me whenever you need. In fact, I will insist that whenever you need sex, you get it from me. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” I say, then launch myself at him. I don’t care that my kisses are sloppy or that Bronn somehow maneuvers me, so I end up straddling his face.

His silver tongue can do more than just say pretty words that turn me on.

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