Chapter 47 - Heart to Heart

The universe and the night stars sparkling outside must have crashed beyond recognition as he spoke those words for Prisana to hear. Her heart soared knowing that the beast may be in love with her and she knew that she in return, was somewhat falling incredibly fast and hard.

They tread past the point of no return one too many times.

"...Mmh...Dane...."

"Yes?"

"Are you...in love with me?" she reluctantly asked, breaking away from their kiss as he once again had her carried into his arms.

They trudged along the stairs and as she asked him this, he paused in his steps to look at her in all due seriousness he could deliver her. Both looked at each other for a brief moment of agonizing silence. She held in her breath as the answer scared her.

"We've known each other only for a short time and I feel greatly attracted to you," came his reply. "If I'm being honest I don't want to love you. You shouldn't love me either...At least know this, I care for you deeply."

"I care for you too."

"Prisana, do you love me?"

His bold question struck her for a moment as she took the time to really think about this intangible thing called love.

Was it love or dependency? Prisana felt comfortable in his arms because she felt safe from the world as he was none other than her beast in shining armor. Yet she wasn't sure if this was love as the only love she believed in was Giovanni and that love failed miserably.

Now that she was faced with that question, it was like everything she thought she knew before about love, was wrong.

"It's funny...I used to think I loved Giovanni but now when I think back to our relationship to truths unveiled, I'm not so sure what love is anymore...Have you ever been in love before? To you, what is love? Ugh, I don't understand it well."

The wounded beast in shining armor wordlessly continued to carry her into a room. To her dismay, it wasn't the bedroom but it was a game room. The game room had a large flat screen television on the wall with different game consoles hooked onto it.

Her eyes skimmed over board games of chess and checkers laid out onto the table. In the center, a large pool table caught her eyes as it exuded a brown exterior and bold red velvet interior. How pleasing it was to the eyes. Even elements to the game room were fashionably lavish to the modern aesthetic of his den.

Only when he settled her onto one of the leather couches, did he take a seat next to her.

"Why did you take me here and not the bedroom?" she asked in disappointment.

"Because dearest, I can't concentrate clearly when I know I'll want to push you down on that bed and make love to you until it turns into mindless fucking, all night long which I don't think you can handle. At least here I'm in better control of myself...I think."

Before she could tackle another question on him, he spoke first.

"...Love, huh? Sometimes, I forget you're still a young girl taking on this ugly yet beautiful world."

"I'm not a young girl," she pouted. "I'm twenty. I'm almost legal to drink alcohol soon."

She heard a loud crash and found Dane lost his balance and sprawled out onto the floor. He quickly fixed himself and settled himself beside her once again. Then he coughed and turned away, not allowing himself to look at her.

"...This was something important I never even considered. I believed you were a bit older. God, I'm so sorry Prisana. I truly didn't know."

"It's not your fault. I was the one who kept tempting you into this relationship."

"I should be more responsible. You're so young and have yet to experience the joys of youth. Before I married you, I should have..."

Prisana shook her head as she grasped at his hands.

"Don't you dare go and regret this now. Not when we are this far in. I still...need to use you!"

He peered up at her and bitterly smiled.

"I'm only regretting this because you have a whole life ahead of you and like that fateful night, I took yet again another innocence away from you."

"You're right, I have my whole life ahead of me and you're only a fraction of it so don't worry," she began to lower her voice as she realized he winced at her words. "I still have my dreams to pursue like college."

"We should have you enroll in actual classes soon. Did you take the entrance exams yet?"

"Soon. This month, I'll be done with my general education courses and then I can register for the exam....Speaking of it, when did you lose your innocence?"

Dane almost spilled the truth to her as the conversation became casual but he caught himself in the act. He regarded her with a funny expression. His fingers ran along his hair as he looked away from her.

"Are we really having this conversation right now?"

"Yes," she said, scooting closer to him so that her determination burned a hole through him.

"Sixteen."

"...Sixteen?!" she shouted, then cleared her throat as she actually wondered how incredibly cute he must have looked at sixteen.

It made her mood darken as she realized that some other girl around his age was able to experience the shy and inexperienced Dane. Who was she? Did he love her? Suddenly, it dawned on her that she didn't know this man in front of her she came to care for, at all.

He was her husband yet still a stranger because their story came crashing down so suddenly without mercy.

"You asked me if I was ever in love. I was."

Disappointment washed over her. But, her eyes sparkled as she heard the beast open his heart.

"I was young and foolish and unaware of how harsh the world could be. It was a simple kind of love built on innocence and truths. I think, love is something you can't put into words. It's a gut feeling you have that renders you captive as you find yourself thinking about that person day to day. You long for their presence and not just the sex," Dane paused as he searched her for something in her eyes she was unsure of. "You long for...stories."

"The thing was, we lived different walks of life and eventually grew apart. The heart can sometimes stray off the right path. Hah, it's ironic how life works. When I finally tried looking for her after all those years, I found out she already passed. So you see? Don't love a beast like me. I'm cursed."

Cursed? She shook her head because she believed he was spouting nonsense.

"Too late, I don't care if you are cursed or whatever," she whispered, shyly gazing at him. "I'm falling so fast and so hard that—"

Dane stifled her words with a kiss. She struggled against him as she tried to get the words out but he pinned her down onto the couch so that she was held captive beneath her beastly husband. Her legs were spread opened as he ushered his arousal against her. A hot blush crept onto her cheeks, knowing he yearned for her.

Even though she craved the stories, she craved him just as much too. When their lips separated and she tried desperately again to tell him the beautiful truth, he gently put a finger over her mouth.

"Shh," he cooed, soon burying his lips over hers again and by now she couldn't even keep track of the amount of times he's kissed her. "Anything but that."

"I'll spare you my words only if you make love to me," she tempted him all over.

"Temptress lynx, don't be so hasty. After all, we have all night to make love...But right now, I find myself wanting the stories."

No way in the universe was this truly happening. The beastly husband who always pushed her away, wanted the stories.

There was an erratic pounding coming from her heart. Soon, her heart would fail to work because he attacked it so many times within the hour. Her heart or mind couldn't process it fast enough because for now, the way he purposely grind against her was making her abandon all rational reason.

"Dearest, can't stories wait? You've led me past the point of excitement and I want you."

Dane chuckled at how impatient she was. He then chucked the underside of her chin with his finger. She touched her chin in wonder, wondering what that whole chucking under the chin ordeal meant. Her beastly husband's large frame abruptly unglued their bodies and walked over to the pool table.

She stared at his back and blushed in embarrassment. Was she just pushed aside?

God, she was sounding desperate but he was the one feeding her promises of making love and seducing her by looks alone. It wasn't fair to look that ruggedly handsome even with a jagged brown scar at his eye. In fact, she thought the scar made him look even more dangerous and enticing.

Though, she would never admit that to him.

"As much as I want to delve into a sweet escape with you, I also want to know my dear wife more before our honeymoon night. And my devilish side honestly quite likes the conflicted desire painted on your skin."

What was her dear husband up to now?

He pulled away two pool cues off the wall before turning to smile at Prisana. She just looked at him and the pool table curiously.

"So, why don't we play a little game?"