The-Wrong-Bride-Ares--Raven’s-story-(Maura,-Catharina)_bibis

short of amazing. You’re perfect the way you are. And no, I’m not saying that to placate you. I’m
telling you that because it’s true. You have a sense of loyalty so strong that you married me and
sacrificed the future you envisioned for yourself. You’re fucking beautiful, and you’re smart, real
smart. How many women do you know that have a full-time modeling career and a thriving business?
Fuck anyone who can’t see your worth, Rave. Fuck them all.”
“Including you?”
I blink in surprise and smirk at her, my cock involuntarily stirring at her words. “Yeah,” I whisper,
a wicked smile on my face. “Fuck me too.”
She bites down on her lip, her sorrow making way for something that looks a lot like lust. Fuck. I
drop my forehead to hers in an attempt to steer the conversation back to where it was, but having my
lips so close to hers isn’t helping. This chemistry between us… it’s always been there, but it’s
inescapable now.
“In all seriousness, Rave… I’m sorry I was one of the reasons you were upset today. I’m so
fucking sorry, you have no idea.” I pause and inhale deeply, her signature cupcake scent sending my
heart into overdrive. “I want you here, Raven. There is no one I’d rather have in my bed than you. No
one. You may not believe that, but it’s true. From the moment I married you, you’ve had my loyalty
right down to my every thought. There’s no one on my mind but you. When I look at you, all I see is
my wife. Nothing else. No one else. There’s no space for anyone but you — not in my mind, and not in
my heart. This may all sound like pretty lies and a poor attempt to console you, and I get that, but
baby, over time you’ll realize that it’s the truth.”
I shift on top of her, my lips brushing over her forehead as I press a chaste kiss to her skin. “I
never meant to make you feel like you’re unwanted, because you aren’t. Do you have any idea how
much it means to me that you chose to marry me? You could’ve walked away from everything and left
me to deal with the consequences, but you didn’t. You were there for me when I needed you most,
Rave, and I’ve done a really shitty job of thanking you for it. I’ll do better, okay? I just… it was hard
for me too, and I was foolish to assume I knew what you needed. I’m learning the hard way that I only
ever knew a small part of you, and it’ll take me a little bit of time to discover the rest. Will you give
me that, Rave? Will you give me some grace? Will you forgive me for fucking up?”
She buries her hands into my hair, and I swallow hard. The way she looks at me… yeah, she’s got
my heart racing in a way it never has before. There’s so much trust and hope in her expression, and it
fills me with a deep need to give her the fucking world. I never want to let her down, and from now
on, I won’t. I’ve never felt something so… intense. I want her desperately, but my entire fucking heart
is in it, too. My need for her transcends the physical, and it’s something I’ve never experienced
before.
“I’ll give you some grace,” she murmurs. “On one condition. Honor my request, Ares. No
assumptions, no overthinking. Please, Ares. Please communicate with me. Do you know how hard it
was for me to admit how I’ve been feeling? I just… all week I’ve felt like I was losing you, and I… I
just don’t want to be kept guessing. Please don’t do that to me.”
I tilt my head and press a soft kiss to her cheek, just on the edge of her lip. “I’m sorry,” I tell her
as I hold myself up on my forearms so I can look her in the eye. “I promise to communicate from now
on, no matter how hard it is. It’s just… I’m so used to all these fucking mind games that this is… it’s
new to me, Rave.”
She reaches for me and cups the side of my face. “You give me honesty, and I’ll give you grace.
How about that?”
I nod, my heart racing. I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment that felt this real. Not with anyone.