Climax by Lauren Smith

Author:Lauren Smith
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Forever Yours
Published: 2016-05-02T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Tristan held two small wrapped parcels as he strode down the hall toward the TV room

He found her nestled on the couch with two small plates of cookies in her hands. A fire roared in the redbrick fireplace. The scene was welcoming, homey, and with Kat sitting there waiting for him, he was having trouble walking due to his sudden state of arousal.

“You look good enough to eat,” he murmured as he joined her on the couch.

The soft, breathless laugh she gave warmed him inside. “Charmer.” She handed him his plate, then kissed him.

“I’m your charmer.” He brushed the back of his knuckles over her cheek.

They ate their cookies in a pleasant silence that fascinated him. She fascinated him. It wasn’t just the sex, although he’d told himself that at first. It was everything about her. Just sitting next to her on the couch and eating decadent chocolate, listening to the snap and crack of the logs in the hearth, was magical.

“Let me take the dishes.” He rose from the couch and carried the plates to a nearby table. When he returned to the couch, he cuddled her against him and placed his present in her lap.

“Go on, open it.” Tristan curled his arm around her shoulders as he watched her carefully unwrap the gift to reveal a small black velvet box. Her eyes lifted to his, questioning.

“I know you don’t normally wear something like this, but I thought it might be worthy of an exception.”

She bowed her head as she cracked open the box and her little gasp made his heart race. It had taken him a week to acquire this present. He’d hoped to win her back, to show her how much he believed in her, how much he adored her. It was supposed to be a promise of what their future could be. Butterflies and stained glass. Seemingly fragile, but outlasting everything.

“Tristan…” She whispered his name, emotion breaking her voice slightly. Kat lifted her gift out of the box and held it up. It was a gold bracelet with seven charms hanging from the links. Each one was a tiny butterfly, their wings shimmering with the color of precious gemstones. The eighth charm was a small pendant carved with the Pembroke family crest.

“I wanted to give you butterflies that would never die.” And a piece of me to take with you.

When she turned to look at him, the bracelet clenched in her fist, he came undone at the expression in her eyes. There it was again. That look of a princess born in a garden who lived her life among the colorful blooms. Yet there was a sadness in her expression that tore at his heart. Their dreams would not come true.

My dream. The haze of a growing pain spread in his chest. I won’t ever be able to have her in my life, not in the way I wish.

“How are you so perfect?” she whispered, her words catching. “Why couldn’t you be someone I could live without?”

Did she know she’d said that aloud?

“I can only be me, Kat.

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