Page 37 of Demure
“Tell me what’s wrong,mo ghrá,” he whispered, pulling her into his chest and resting his head on hers.
“I…” Sierra started, but then stopped. She wanted to explain, but she was sure Aodhan would laugh. “I’m sorry, I’m just not in the mood.”
“No,” Adohan said, sensing her dishonesty. “Don’t lie to me, Sierra; you were in the mood, then I took off your shirt, andthen you felt insecure and stopped. So, let’s try this again: why did you feel insecure without your shirt?”
Sierra could feel the tears gathering in the corner of her eyes, and she pushed them down. She was stronger than this. “I was just worried that you were going to see my skin and then decide you didn’t want me.”
She waited for him to yell or tell her she was being dumb. But instead, he took her chin in his hand and turned her face to look up at his. He used his other hand to grab hers. “Listen to me, Sierra, I desire your body because of who you are, not because of the way you look.” He took the hand that was holding hers, pressing them both into his lap, where she could feel he was still hard through his jeans. “I’m attracted to your heart and your soul, and no matter what you look like on the outside, you are beautiful to me. Understand?”
Sierra’s emotions bubbled to the surface, and although she tried her hardest to press them back down, a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. Somehow knowing she couldn’t find the words to speak, Aodhan pulled her back into his arms as more tears spilled from her eyes. “I’ve got you; everything is okay,” he whispered into her hair as she cried.
Sierra didn’t know if it was all the stress from the past few months, or the fact that no one had ever been so accepting when their relationship had gotten to this point, but the tears she was crying relieved some of the pressure she felt in her soul, and once she started, she couldn’t stop. Aodhan didn’t mind though. He simply sat there, holding her body against his, running his hand down her hair and her back, which was still bare.
She let her soul weep, and she must’ve needed it because, at some point, she drifted off to sleep, having her first restful sleep for as long as she could remember.
Chapter Twenty
Sierra woke to the sunlight streaming in through the single window in her apartment. For a moment, she just looked at the blue sky (which was rare for Dublin) until the events of the night before came rushing back.
Sitting up straight in bed, Sierra looked down to see she was still wearing her jeans and bra from the day before, and before her mind could follow that concerning thought further, Aodhan set his hand on her shoulder.
“I didn’t want to cross any boundaries, so I put you to bed in what you were wearing.”
Sierra nodded mutely before turning to find Aodhan tucked into bed next to her, still wearing his shirt from the day before. “I also thought it might scare you to wake up next to me in nothing but my undergarments, so I am still clothed too.”
Sierra let out her breath. It was like Aodhan already knew all her anxieties without her having to explain them and had taken steps to make sure she woke up as comfortable as possible. The thought made her warm inside, even though she knew his extreme attentiveness was likely thanks, for the most part, to his gift.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “I thought about leaving, but I thought that might also cause you stress.”
Sierra swallowed before answering, her mouth dry from crying the night before. “I’m okay. I’m sorry about…that.”
Aodhan shook his head. “You never have to apologize for having emotions. It’s part of being human.”
The word ‘human’ caused Sierra’s eyebrows to shoot up. “Is it different for Fae?”
Aodhan shrugged. “Yes and no. I think, as Fae, we are more in tune with our emotions and their causes than humans are, but we also have more time to figure them out, so it’s not a fair comparison. As to feeling the same emotions, I think humans and Fae feel all the same emotions, yes.”
“That makes me feel better, I guess.”
“Listen, Sierra,” Aodhan waited until her eyes rested on his before he continued, “I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide your emotions from me, okay?”
“I won’t.” The corner of Sierra’s mouth ticked up. “You’re like no man I’ve ever met, Aodhan.”
“I know.”
The air in the room felt a bit heavy, especially after her breakdown the night before, so Sierra decided it was time to lighten the mood a bit. “Who knew this whole time all I needed to do to find an emotionally mature man was to date someone a little older.”
“Hey now,” Aodhan said teasingly, a smile dancing across his lips. “I don’t want to see you dating any other Fae, understand?”
“Why?” Sierra stepped out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, looking at Aodhan over her shoulder. “Jealous?” Even though she was just in her sports bra and jeans still, she found that the insecure voice in her head remained quiet.
Aodhan’s eyes darkened. “Yes,” he replied honestly. “Plus, the only Fae I know in the area is Braan, and that would cause problems for numerous people.”
Once she was out of view, Sierra pushed the door closed, leaving it open a crack so they could talk as she undressed. “I would never do that to Kaye,” she replied in earnest.
“I know,” came Aodhan’s answer from the other side of thedoor as Sierra turned on the shower and stepped under the spray, washing away the shame and anxiety of the night before. Today was a new day, and Aodhan was still here.
She washed quickly, wrapping herself in her favorite extra-large towel, which covered most of her torso and legs, before reentering the bedroom. Aodhan was right where she had left him, sitting up in bed with her blue comforter covering his lower half, his bare chest on display, giving Sierra the perfect opportunity to ogle the impressive abs she had felt during their previous make-out sessions. “Do you want to shower?”
