Marion aimlessly flicked through the cable channels, watching as a succession of images flashed across the screen. Raven was out with friends, leaving Marion to wallow in her depression in peace. A depression that involved a lot of chocolate as evidenced by the pile of candy wrappers on the side table next to the couch.
She’d never anticipated how bad the downside of love could be. It felt like someone was hacking out her heart with a spoon. A task she wished them well at because, as far as she was concerned, she was better off without one.
She just wasn’t cut out for romance. Sure the broken wrist and bruised neck Eric had left her with had hurt, but the intangible pain of Aidan’s abandonment was worse. Much worse. There was no surgery to fix it. No police to put the source of her pain in jail. Although she was now convinced there ought to be a unit devoted to heartbreak justice.
The idea of falling in love again with someone else, made her stomach roil. Or maybe that was just a side effect from too much chocolate. At that last thought, Marion put down the chocolate bar she’d been about to open and pulled the afghan on the back of the couch down around her shoulders. Settling on a made-for-TV movie, she lay on the couch and let the screen work its mind-numbing magic.
A sharp knock on the front door brought her out of blissful apathy. With a sigh, Marion went and peered through the peephole, her heart going still at the sight of Aidan on the other side.
What was he doing here? Hope and then anger ran through her. Did he think she was going to welcome him with open arms? Not a chance in hell. She frowned and then jumped back as Aidan put his face to the peephole.
“Marion, are you there?” he asked his deep baritone muffled by the thickness of the door. “Let me in, please. I need to talk to you.”
She crossed her arms and stared at the door, debating. Should she pretend she wasn’t home and let him suffer? Or let him in and tell him exactly what she thought of him? In the end, she flung the door open and greeted him with a sullen frown.
“Marion.” The way he said her name made it a caress. He looked at her, an unspoken plea in his eyes.
“Aidan,” she said coolly and with a jut of her chin. His voice might be making her knees weak, but she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction. “I didn’t expect to ever see you again.”
“I know.”
“What happened? Another curse?”
He stepped into the apartment, shutting the door behind him. “I didn’t want to leave you, Marion. You have to believe me, but I couldn’t ignore the queen. My life was not my own.”
“You’re here now, why? To rub my nose in it?” Marion crossed her arms and glared at him.
“No, she let me go.” Aidan’s eyes went glossy with emotion as he said again, with wonder in his voice, “She let me go.”
“So basically, you lost your job and need a place to stay. Is that it?” She shook her head. “I’m not that easy.”
“Yes, I lost my job, but I got my heart out of it. And my freedom. I am yours, Marion.” He moved to cover the distance between them, taking her hands in his. “If you will have me.”
She went still, refusing to look at him, but not pulling away either. Hope fluttered inside her and she tried to squash it before it got her into trouble. “You're really free?”
“I swear it. You are my lady now.” He brought her close and gently kissed her cheek. “To love and honor.”
“I-I-I...” Marion was lost for words. The damn elf was getting to her. Again. And her aching heart was stupid enough to yearn for his kiss. Again.
Aidan looked deep into her eyes. “I understand if you don’t trust me. The thing is, I have all the time in the world to earn it back. Just give me a chance.”
He leaned in to kiss her on the lips and she didn’t stop him. Instead, she melted, her body melding into his. Aidan groaned and scooped her up in his arms.
“I love you,” he said between kisses.
“I love you, too,” she said, and pulling away from his lips she added, “But, if you leave me like that again, my exploding love potions will be the least of your problems.”
“So the potions are still exploding?”
Marion laughed, a light happiness tingling through her body. “Only when I want them to.”
“I’ll be sure not to make the same mistake twice,” Aidan said with a chuckle as he walked back to her bedroom and tossed her on the bed.
Watching him undress, Marion mused she’d been rather lucky to be so bad at love after all. Only in Vegas could luck like that be a good thing.
***
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