Page 55 of Love Me Forever

He ran a tender finger down her cheek. “I had not meant to frighten you.”

She tugged at his braid. “I frightened myself, and besides, I have told you I care not for looks.”

She focused on his face for the first time in days and noticed that his wounds were healing nicely. She could also see that beyond his scars there appeared good-looking features and the thought that he might be more handsome than she had considered made her tense.

“What is wrong?” he was quick to ask when her body grew taut against him.

She would not admit her fears; she could not, for she would sound foolish. Why would any woman turn down a handsome man? She had hundreds of reasons and yet not many that would sound sane to others; therefore, she would keep her thoughts to herself.

‘Tell me,” he said firmly.

“Nothing is wrong.” She returned her head to rest on his shoulder, thinking it would bring his questioning to a close.

He would not be denied. “You tell me you trust me, and then you will not tell me what troubles you when obviously something does.” He gave her waist a gentle squeeze. “This is trusting me?”

He was right, but she remained reluctant. “My thought was silly and unimportant.”

“Your thoughts are important to me. Tell me.”

She raised her head and smiled. “You are relentless.”

He grinned. “Determined.”

She hesitated.

“Would you not tell me the same? Would you not wish to know what troubled me so that you could help ease my concern? Is that not what two people in love do for each other?”

She placed a hand to his chest. “You continue to teach me much about love that I did not know.”

“You knew,” he insisted. “You were denied what you deserved, but no more. You will have all you deserve, for I will make certain of it.”

“You are good to me.” She sounded as though she could not believe her own words.

“And you are good to me, another trait of two people in love.”

She whispered, as if revealing a secret. “We must be very much in love, then.”

He leaned down closer to her face. “Very much.”

She giggled with delight when he brushed several kisses across her face.

“Now tell me what troubled you.”

“I thought you had forgotten.”

He playfully poked her in the side. ‘Trying to divert my attention, were you?”

She grabbed for his playful hand and took a firm hold of it. “I thought I had been successful.”

“I do not wish to see you troubled and will do anything in my power to prevent it or help you through it.” He eased his hand from her grasp and laced his fingers with hers.

She held on to him as he did with her. “I am so very glad the heavens sent you to me.”

“Fate works in strange ways. To question it would be foolish; to accept it would be wise. I accept us without question.”

“You forever say things to me that make me realize how truly blessed I am that you love me.”

“Remember that.” His words were firm.