His eyes were pained. “Sunshine, please don’t apologise. You had every right; you were trying to move on. I was too, but it wasn’t working out so well on my end. I won’t lose you again. I want you forever if you’ll have me.”

He lowered his hips and moved himself between my legs, silently asking for my permission to make love to me. I nodded, and he pushed forward, his head seeking comfort in the crook of my shoulder and neck, groaning as I arched at his welcome intrusion.

He reared up clenching his jaw, breathing harshly through his nostrils. “I have to have this forever. It feels so right… God…” I wrapped my arms around him tighter and replied, panting, “It will be forever, babes, I promise. This is one girl that isn’t going anywhere, and no-one on earth can take me from you. I made you mine, remember? Plus, I’m a stubborn cow and will kick the shit out of anyone who tries. These fake nails are not just for show: they’re my bitch-fighting claws, and I sharpen them regularly!”

He tried to smile but instead bit his lip at the incredibly intense feeling of us joined together and picked up the speed of his thrusts. Comforted by my reassuring words, he reached for my hands, clasping them tightly in his and rolled us over, placing me on top, tipping us both over the edge quicker than you can say ‘Holy Orgasms!’

We laid in bed, sated, my limp body sprawled over his, happy to just be together in the quietness of the night. His hand moved to my hair and he ran his fingers through it, unknotting the tatty strands. I felt like purring. In fact, I think I actually did. I was a thoroughly petted pu**y. Ahem.

I was dozing off when I heard, “It was love at first sight for me, you know. Right from the beginning, I was crazy about you, I realise that now,” he whispered, so low I almost didn’t catch it.

I lifted my head to his chest and folded my arms, staring at him with my mouth open. “I-I… I don’t know what to say,” I said softly, unable to respond any further.

He shrugged, nervously. “You asked if I thought about why we were so serious so quickly. But everything with you was like a whirlwind and kinda bowled me over. When I saw you at the restaurant, something in me changed, and I couldn’t breathe. I loved you right then; even if I was being a stubborn dick about it, I knew deep down it was the truth.”

“You didn’t know me,” I replied in a hushed tone, still shell-shocked by his confession.

He focused on me with sure eyes. “My soul did.”

“Tudor!” I sang shyly, feeling all mushy inside.

He giggled and kissed my forehead. “Chew-da!” he said, mocking my accent. “I love how you say my name. I just love everything about you.”

I am now a puddle on the floor.

“You, Mr. North, are a whopping big slice of Canadian Cheddar. Who knew you were so cheesy?”

He frowned and pouted. “I’m not cheesy. I’m a body builder, ‘The Blade Reaper’. I can’t be cheesy; I have a reputation to protect,” he sulked.

I tickled his ribs, making him squirm. “Cheesy, cheesy, cheesy. But I’ll allow it as it makes me love you more. Hard shell for the world, soft gooey centre for me – the girl you love. And I promise it’ll be our little secret, okay? No-one will ever know you’re a soppy baby bear. You got that, Yogi?”

He restrained my wrists from the guerilla tickle assault, trying to maintain his moody face, but I just ignored it and wiggled from side to side on his body in happiness and sang, “He loves me, he wants to kiss me, he wants to hug me…” He shut me up by kissing me senseless and pulling me next to him, cuddling me securely in his arms.

Who’d have thought that we’d ever be here like this? At least the secrets were put to bed – literally – and now I knew the truth, it shed some light on some of Tudor’s strange past behaviour.

That was it! It suddenly makes sense!

I drew back to face him, realisation dawning. “All of this, your past, your dad, everything, is why you acted all weird when Gage said to call him if we didn’t work out, isn’t it?”

He swallowed cautiously and nodded his head once in confirmation. “I’d just got you, eventually, after I never thought I would. I was already stressing about losing you. When… Gage.”

I shook my head in disbelief at how he couldn’t say his name without gritting his teeth. He glared back, clenching his jaw. “Hey, I’m still a stubborn, possessive ass, that won’t change, and he likes you which means I. Don’t. Like. Him.”

“Tudor!”

He shrugged unapologetically. “When he told you he’d be waiting for you if we broke up, all these insecurities came back to smack me in the face, and all I could picture was the wannabe-hippy wanker taking you away from me. I have never been allowed to have anything I truly loved, Sunshine, and I loved you even then, whether you believe me or not. I freaked. Not to sound weirdly obsessive, but you’re mine and I don’t intend to let you go. I’m going to work on my issues, maybe talk to someone or just talk to you for now, but no more secrets, I promise. I just want to be with you more than anything in the world, and now you have me and I have you, I won’t let anything break us ever again.”

I placed my palm on his rough and swollen cheek. “I thought you couldn’t get emotionally attached to women, Mister? You seem to be doing better at that with me – I feel like you may spout poetry at any second!”

Tudor squeezed my knee until I was squirming and giggling, but he quite quickly lost the humour. “Tash, the women I slept with before were just toys. I know that sounds harsh, but they may as well have been blow-up dolls. I felt nothing for them, and most of the time I was beyond drunk. I had to be to face being intimate with them.”