"You will not lose me," Eilika murmured against his lips. She kissed him again, deeper this time. They lingered in the kiss until both were breathing hard, then slowly drew apart.

But Damian was far from satisfied. He lowered his head and pressed his mouth to the side of her neck, then lower, trailing slow kisses along her warm skin. Eilika pressed her lips together, struggling to stifle the small sounds rising in her throat.

Without warning, Damian slid one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back, lifting her cleanly off her feet. Eilika let out a startled breath as he turned and carried her across the room. Before she could gather her thoughts, he laid her down on the bed.

He loomed over her, one knee braced on the mattress, his fingers already unfastening the buttons of his vest with quick, practiced movements.

"Damian, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice unsteady as her heart hammered against her ribs.

He bent down, brushing his lips against her cheek. "Taking another step toward you, Eilika," he whispered. His nose traced the line of her jaw, then he caught her earlobe between his teeth and gave it a light nip.

She yelped softly at the sharp sensation.

"Many people are still in the house," she protested, though her breath had already grown ragged. Her fingers twisted tightly in the bedsheets. "You said so yourself."

"They won’t disturb us," Damian replied, his gaze locked on hers. "They believe you are resting, and Roman is occupied with his friends." He paused, studying her expression. "If you don’t want this, I’ll stop."

He straightened and turned as if to leave.

’What has gotten into me?’ he thought.

"Don’t go." Eilika’s hand shot out, catching his wrist before he could step away. "And I don’t want you to stop," she whispered.

Eilika tugged him down until his face was barely an inch from hers. For a moment Damian remained still, and a flicker of doubt crossed her mind. Had he lost interest? Her shyness kept the question locked behind her teeth; she could not bring herself to ask.

He lifted his hand and gently caught her chin, tilting her face up to meet his gaze.

"Why don’t you initiate?" he asked quietly. "Unbutton my shirt."

Eilika’s breath caught. She stared at him for a heartbeat, then felt him take her hands and guide them to the front of his shirt. Beneath the fine fabric of his open vest, she could feel the solid warmth and hard ridges of his chest. Swallowing hard, she slowly worked the buttons free, one by one.

Her own chest rose and fell quickly with anticipation. When the last button came undone, Damian took her hand again and pressed it flat against his bare skin.

"You can touch me as well," he said, his voice low. "I am your husband, after all."

Eilika bit her lower lip and pressed her palm flat against his chest. Beneath her hand, his heartbeat felt quick and uneven. The discovery sent a rush of warmth through her; he was as unsettled as she was. Her eyes lifted once more to meet his.

"Damian," she said softly, "do you love me?" She hesitated, cheeks warming with embarrassment. "I know it is absurd to ask such a thing. It is far too soon for you to feel any such depth for me. And yes, you clarified me about your feelings just two days ago. Still... I wish to know what feelings you hold for me."

"I do," Damian answered without hesitation. "And it is more than love. I respect you, Eilika." His fingers brushed along her cheek as he leaned in, his lips close to her ear. "This is the second time I have realized I cannot imagine my life without you. You have awakened these feelings in me again. What I feel for you is not easily put into words."

She felt his heartbeat quicken even more beneath her palm.

"It would be foolish of me to keep lying to myself," Damian said. "I was a man with a broken heart, spirit, and everything else. You have rebuilt me, Eilika. If this is not love, then I do not know what else to call it."

The quiet sincerity in his words gave her the courage she had been too afraid to summon before. Eilika leaned forward and pressed her lips to the side of his neck. She lingered there, sucking gently at the warm skin for a long moment before nipping the spot with her teeth.

"You’re mine, Damian," she said. "And you cannot step back from this now." She tilted her head slightly as she declared her ownership on him.

"I won’t," he said, smiling.

~~~~~

"Really? You have a little sister now?" Roman asked, seated beside his friend Henry on the garden swing.

"Yes. She is only one month old and very tiny," Henry replied. "Mother says she is delicate, so I’m even scared to hold her."

"So when will you hold her?" Roman asked, his curiosity piquing.

"Maybe when she grows a little bigger," Henry said with a small shrug. "But trust me, having a sister or brother is great fun. Sometimes Mother asks me to watch her when she has work to do. I sit with her, and she stares at me with her big eyes and even smiles. It gives me such a warm feeling, Roman." He smiled brightly. "When you have a sibling one day, you’ll understand too."

"Oh. I will ask my mother for a sibling then," Roman said with a big smile. Suddenly he recalled how Eilika and Damian told him that they wanted to focus on him. ’What if Mama gets angry if I ask for a sibling again? But she’s sweet. She won’t be angry at me.’

He jumped off the swing when Henry shouted, "Where are you going?"

"To talk to my mother. I think she’s awake now. I’ll be back soon," Roman answered back before running inside.