Beautiful Pain

Chapter 8

Novalee

     The smell of cinnamon and cloves surround me. I turn my face into the source and take a deep breath as I stretch and allow myself to wake up. I feel vibrations in my face and hear a deep, masculine chuckle. My smile takes over my face as I remember what happened the night before. Deacon came for me, he actually came.

I pull back enough to look up at his face. His hair falls down into his eyes and I reach up and push it back. He grabs my wrist gently and leans his face into my palm, kissing it with a smile.

"I still kind of can't believe you're real." He whispers against my skin. "I've been dreaming about you for eighteen years, and now suddenly you're here."

His words make me frown in confusion. "How old are you exactly?"

Deacon chuckles and sits up, pulling me onto his lap. "I'm twenty four. When I was six, I was getting ready for bed on May thirteenth and suddenly I saw a faint little scratch mark appear on my cheek. Like I had scratched myself with my nail, but I knew I hadn't done it." He rubs my back as he tells his story, and I just stare at him in awe. "I remember I ran out of the bathroom and into my parents room and jumped on their bed. My dad was in the closet getting changed and came out to scold me, but I turned right around and pointed at my face and said "Daddy, look!! It's her birthday!" He was so proud." He chuckles softly.

"I don't understand, why was he proud that I was born?" I stroke his cheek absentmindedly, I have to admit, it warms my heart greatly to hear this story. I couldn't have been given a better mate, and I haven't even known him a day.

"The other boys my age all complained the day they got their first marks. They weren't excited about having a soulmate. My parents have taught me from the day I was born about the sanctity of this bond. They taught me how we are not only meant to love each other and grow old together, but we are also meant to protect each other. In every sense of the word. It's a great responsibility, to be the soulmate to another person, but it's also a great honor. He was proud because I was so excited to have been chosen to be yours." He smiles at me again, a full happy smile that shows both his dimples and lights his electric green eyes up. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. Other than to let you know that I promise I will always take care of you. Forever and ever."

"I know, Deacon." I whisper, and somehow I do. I can feel it in my bones that this man would never do me any harm. "You make me feel safe, I almost forgot what it felt like." I lay my head on his shoulder and take a deep breath. His arms wrap around me and hold me closer, his warmth seeps into my body and I melt into him.

"So we should probably get going. We have a long drive ahead of us." He kisses my temple, and then helps me to my feet. "Why don't you go take a shower and I'll go get us some breakfast?"

"Ok, Deacon." I just love saying his name. I lean into him and press a soft kiss to his lips, pulling away before he can get his arms around me. With a smile on my face, I walk into the bathroom and turn on the shower.

***

Deacon

By the time I get back from the bakery I found in the lobby of the hotel, it's 8:30. If we leave within the next thirty minutes we could be home before midnight. A smile takes over my face as I think of my house now. Now that Nova will be there with me, I can finally call it home. I wonder how soon is too soon to bring up marriage and children?

I freeze when I walk through the door, pastry box in hand, and see Nova standing in front of the bed in nothing but a towel. Her skin glows from the hot shower she just took, and her long auburn hair is still damp and curling at the ends.

I quickly avert my eyes and try to give her privacy by turning my back.

"Deacon, what are you doing?" She asks curiously. Shouldn't she be angry at me for walking in on her changing?

"Sorry, I didn't know you weren't dressed." I take deep breaths to try to calm myself, all I want to do is throw her on the bed and keep her there until neither of us can move.

"It's ok, Deacon. And you don't have to turn away. It's not like you're never going to see me naked." She laughs and I hear her pull clothes from her bag. "Might as well get it over with quick, right? Like ripping off a band aid. Otherwise I'm pretty sure I'll always be too nervous and put it off. Huh, I guess I still ramble when I'm nervous. Good to know some things never change." I can hear the smile in her voice.

When I still don't turn, she sighs. I hear cloth sliding on skin and a snap before her soft foot falls approach me. He scent gets stronger, and I just want to bury myself in it.

"Ok, we'll make it baby steps." She whispers and steps around to my front wearing a black bra and matching boy shorts. My mouth goes dry, and my hands immediately go to her hips. It's like we are magnets, constantly pulling each other closer together. "Can you help me zip this?" She holds up a short, black floral dress with thick straps. She turns her back to me and steps into it, pulling it up her body before she moves her hair across her shoulder to give me clear access to her back.

I hold my breath and grab the zipper and slowly pull it up, deliberately letting my fingers brush her back on the way up.

"It looks beautiful on you, Nova." I kiss her shoulder and wrap my arms around her waist tightly.

"Thank you. It was my mothers. I've been hiding it in my closet for years." She murmurs. I kiss her neck, and then head into the bathroom to take a fast shower, and then pack up our things. Nova makes it difficult on me by sitting on the bed and watching me when I come out of the bathroom to grab my clothes. No way was I going to tell her to look away, but damn this woman was making it difficult to be a gentleman.

In just under an hour, we were checked out and in my car headed east towards home. Nova holds my hand as I drive, tracing patterns into my skin as she sings along to the radio.

A/N

So this one is a bit of filler/fluff. I wrote this last night with a killer migraine so I kind of remember writing it, but also kinda don't. 😅 It was a bit of a surprise this morning to go to write and find a chapter and a half I didn't even realize I wrote! 😂