Kristie Cook - Promise

He glowered at me. " They sent you, didn't they?"

"No! I'm here for us ! I love you! And I know you love me, too! And that means you did not fail at this life! You belong with me . Stay for me ." I lost the edge as tears burned my eyes.

"How can you say that? You don't even trust me, Alexis. You can't love me!"

"But I do , Tristan. I love you! I trust you! You are everything to me." I stared at him as he glared back with those fiery eyes. Oh, God, please help me. I can't lose him! I knelt by my bag and pulled the broken frame out. I held it out to him. "Here! This comes from my heart. It still holds true. It always will ."

He ignored it.

I put it on the floor and pulled the note out and waved it. "Your letter! I cried over it for days. You said you wanted me back. I'm here!"

No reaction. I pled my love to a boulder.

" Please , Tristan," I begged. "Please listen to me."

I wiped the tears out of my eyes with the heel of my palm. His eyes narrowed, but he didn't budge. I pulled the manuscript out of the bag and held the folder open.

"My novel. I want you to be the first to read it, Tristan."

I thought I saw a slight change in his eyes. The fire dimmed just a bit. I stood up and held the manuscript at him, but he didn't take it.

" Please . I've shared it with no one else. I want you to be the first."

He didn't budge. I tossed it on a side table standing next to the three remaining kitchen chairs, waiting to be hauled onto a moving truck. His eyes followed the folder, then flew back to me. I took a deep breath, trying to think of what to do next. I fished the ring out of my pocket and held it up.

"I will keep this forever, but only when you put it back on my finger."

He still didn't move, but his eyes softened.

"I want to marry you, Tristan. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Forever with you. You and me together. You can't leave me!"

I put the ring on the manuscript and pulled a chair over in front of him. I stepped up on it so I could look directly into his eyes. The flames still flickered, still bright, but I'd seen worse. I touched his cheek and flinched from the powerful electric pulse, but I didn't let it stop me. I put my hands on each side of his face. He stood completely still. I looked deeply into his eyes, noticing the flames dimming more.

" I love you, Tristan Knight. You will not leave me!"

Still no reaction except that slight change in the eyes. Give him everything . I knew it was risky, with that fire still burning, but I didn't know what else to do. I'd already offered him everything I had. The book had softened him and I knew there was one last thing he wanted. One more way to show him I could give him all of me. I unbuttoned my blouse and let it fall to the floor. I scooted my skirt down my legs and stepped out of it. I unhooked my bra and let it fall, then slid my panties off. I stood naked on the chair right in front of him and held my arms out wide.

"You have all of me now. I am all yours!"

His eyes traveled up and down my body.

"You're being really stupid," he growled. His hand twitched. Finally, a reaction . "I could kill you right now."

I lifted my chin and firmly set my voice. "If you're going to leave, if you're going back to them , then I want you to kill me."

The fire dimmed, though, instead of brightening. I knew it was okay. I took his face in my hands again, ignoring the shock this time.

"But you're not going to. You love me and you won't hurt me," I whispered. I pressed my lips against his. He remained unresponsive but I continued to kiss him, looking into his eyes the whole time. " Please , Tristan. I know you love me. Please show me you're still here with me."

I slipped my hands back into his hair, tugging at it, and moved my lips over his cheekbone, to his ear and down his neck, then back up around his jaw.

"Please, Tristan."

When my lips returned to his, he opened his mouth slightly and I tasted him. I traced my tongue over his lips and slipped it between. He started to respond, moving his lips slowly with mine, tasting me. I moved my mouth over his face and neck again, kissing and sucking. I undid the buttons I could reach and gave up and tore his shirt apart, pressing my naked breasts against his bare chest. I felt his hands on my back, sliding down over my butt and back up again. I shuddered. Our mouths crushed against each other and we hungrily kissed and bit and tugged.

He pressed his hand against the small of my back and pulled me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he turned and sat in the chair. I traced my hands over his chest, down his torso and back up and over his shoulders and then pressed myself against him, electricity jolting through my body. My lower abdomen and groin tightened with excitement and anticipation. He unclipped my twist and let my hair fall, then pulled back on it, forcing my neck and chest up. His hand slid over and around my breast, squeezing it gently and then holding it as he kissed and licked and sucked, pulling my nipple tight, making it erect. He did the same with its twin. I ground my pelvis against him and I felt him hard underneath me.

"Ah, Lexi," he groaned. He looked into my eyes and the fire burned in his. But I felt safe.

I started working frantically on his belt, getting it undone, then his jeans button, while I ran my mouth around his jaw. "Make love to me, Tristan," I breathed.

He slid his hands down my sides, over my hips and under me, his fingers so close to that one area throbbing the most for his touch.

"Argh! No!"

His hands suddenly grasped my waist and he lifted me up and tried to set me on my feet. But my knees buckled and I fell to the floor. Tears pooled again as I looked up at him.

"You really don't want me?" I whispered, a tear slipping down my cheek as that fear of rejection started to wrap itself around me like a black cloak.

He stared at me for a long, painful moment and then slid off the chair, down to his knees in front of me. I watched his eyes as the flames dimmed and the gold started to sparkle. He smiled as he put his hand under my chin and rubbed his thumb across my lower lip.

"Oh, I want you, my Lexi, ma lykita . I want you more than life itself."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm ready. I'm ready to give myself to you. I trust you."

"You don't know how happy that makes me." He bent over and kissed me, long and gentle. "But…I don't know that I'm ready and I'm not taking any chances with you."

I stared at him as my heart settled down. I knew he could control himself. After what just happened, when the monster had been closer to the surface than I'd ever seen before, I knew he'd be fine. It was our love and my trust in him that would bring him through. That's what he'd needed all along.

He looked into my eyes, his full of love. "We had a deal."

"What?" Why did that matter now?

"We're waiting until we're married."

I shook my head. "That wasn't our deal. Our deal is we'll get married when we're ready. But if we're ready, why wait?"

He smiled. "Because we're going to do this right."

"Then let's get married."

He sighed. "You have another deal…with Sophia."

"It's done. The novel's over there." I flicked my hand toward the table where the manuscript lay.

"You won't submit it without anyone reading it."

I searched his face. "Why are you making this difficult?"

"Because I need more time." He pulled me onto his lap, wrapped his arms around me and kissed me again.

"How can you just cut things off like that?" I asked, still feeling the warmth and pulsing throughout my body.

"Hundreds of years of practice. I've mastered control over that part. It's…the monster…I have to worry about."

A chill ran up my spine, cooling the heat that remained. We sat there for a few more minutes.