Chapter 101 - Hundred And One
She broke the kiss, pulling back as if she had been burned. The single, spontaneous act of affection had overwhelmed her, and her defenses came crashing back into place. Eric touched his own lips, his expression a mixture of surprise, happiness and a deep, aching tenderness.
"Delia," he said, her name a soft, questioning sound in the quiet, rain-swept room.
She stood up abruptly from the bed, needing to put space between them, needing to escape the raw emotion that was threatening to drown her. She wanted to leave, to retreat to the cold, safe logic of her own thoughts, but he was faster. He caught her hand and gently but firmly cornered her, his body blocking her path, her back pressed against the cool, solid wall.
"I can’t return your feelings, Eric," Delia whispered, her voice trembling, her gaze fixed on the floor.
"I’m afraid I will hurt you so bad when this last petals fall. I don’t want to hurt you." She thought to herself.
"But I can return yours," Eric murmured, stepping closer, his presence warm and all-encompassing. "The ones you are too afraid to feel."
"It’s not the same," she choked out, a single, hot tear escaping her eye. She finally looked up at him, her own eyes a reflection of a lifetime of pain. "No one can love me without eventually hurting me. It’s impossible."
"Then teach me," he said, his voice a low, earnest plea, his breath warm on her cheek. "Teach me how to love you the way you deserve to be loved. Show me the wounds, and I will learn how not to touch them. I promise you, Delia, I am a very quick study."
When she stayed silent, lost in the sincerity of his words, he sighed, a soft, contented sound. A gentle smile played on his lips. "It’s alright," he said. "You don’t have to teach me. You don’t have to do anything."
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to an intimate whisper that vibrated through her very soul. "Just... use me, Delia. For anything you need. If you want money for your revenge, you can ask the treasury for the keys to my entire vault. Take as much as you need. If you want power, use my name as your own. It is already yours. And if you want security, I’m ready to protect you even at the verge of death. I will protect you with my last breath," he paused, his gaze dropping to her lips, "and if you want love or lust, then please, use my body."