Bleeding Heart
By: Alannah CarbonneauHow could someone love the child of the man who killed his parents?
I knew the answer. They couldn’t. And I knew, even though I didn’t know my father well, that if Calix killed him as he vowed he would, I would never forgive him. I could never love after such a crime.
I couldn’t imagine the torture it would be to spend my days with a man my soul loathed as deeply as I knew I would loathe him if he remained true to his word, and murdered my father.
That’s when I realized what I had to do, as impossible as it was. If it killed me - if it robbed me of every ounce of pride - if it abolished my dreams and slaughtered my future - I had to make Calix McKnight fall in love with me.
I knew that in order to find success in my mission, I would first have to lose my own heart to the dark monster within the haunted man.
Lifting my chin, I decided that I would really try with Calix. Fighting him had gotten me nowhere, but I knew I would have to take my time. In order for him to fall for me, I really would need to fall for him and that wasn’t going to happen at the drop of a hat. However, I was done pushing away his touch, fighting his kisses, dismissing the desire that bloomed in my body when he was near. I was done fighting him. I was hoping, with my entire soul, that in my love for him, he could find forgiveness for past actions. And if not forgiveness - than acceptance.
Calix had lived with revenge’s poison for far too long. Despite the fact that I didn’t agree with his actions in taking me against my will - or the ever-constant threat to my family looming over my head, I ached for him. I ached for the pain the little boy he’d once been had endured. Although he was a dark and haunted man, my heart bled for him and my soul wept for him - for all that was lost in the name of revenge for an action I would never comprehend.
Calix turned at the end of the dock to face me and I felt my heart race. His cold blue eyes were fastened determinedly on me. He didn’t say anything as he dropped his towel to the floor of the dock, exposing his navy blue swim shorts. I literally could not move as his eyes remained on me. My pulse was beating so violently, I could feel it.
Reaching out, Calix caught the tie of my wrap between his fingers. He tugged, opening the bathing suit cover to expose my pink bikini. I didn’t take my eyes off him - not once. At the sight of the bikini, the corner of Calix’s lip twitched into the formations of a grin and a little of the ice in his cobalt eyes melted away to a heat I was more familiar with.
My pulse raced.
His hands moved up to my shoulders, pushing the fabric of the cover from my body, it fell in a heap to the floor of the dock.
“You’re a very beautiful woman, love.” His voice was deep and smooth. It was surprising how smooth it sounded, actually.
I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing at all.
Calix seemed to expect my lack of reply, because this time, he did smile. “Are you ready for a swim?”
“No.” I hated the choppy uncertainty that sounded from my lips when his voice had flowed so smooth, without even a minuscule hitch. “I don’t want to swim.”
“Too bad.” He trailed his fingertips over the exposed flesh of my side and I hissed in a sharp breath. “I want to swim and I want you next to me.”
“Calix,” I moaned his name, both at the feel of his hand on my body and the thought of submerging myself into the currently black waters. “Please,”
“Please what, love?” Calix asked and I knew he heard the dual plea in my tone.
“Please don’t make me swim.” I replied.
“Why are you so against it?” He cocked his head to the side.
“I don’t like being in water at night - when I can’t see something coming for me.”
“There are no sharks in this lake, love.” He teased and I stiffened. He just had to go and put the image of a big human-eater in my mind. Great.
“There are other fish.”
“Nothing that will hurt you.” He stepped forward, circling his arms around the small of my waist until his bare chest was flush with my face. “You know I would never allow anything to hurt you.”
“I want to believe you, Calix.”
“Why don’t you?” He asked seriously, all the play that had been in his tone vanished.
