"Always," Eve murmured, already half-asleep.
"Always," he agreed.
He watched her slip into sleep, her face peaceful, her body relaxed in his arms.
This.
This was what he was protecting.
This woman. This love. This life they were building together.
And he'd do anything....anything to keep it safe.
Even if it meant going to war with his own father.
***
He waited until Eve's breathing had evened out completely before he carefully extracted himself from the bed.
She stirred slightly but didn't wake, just burrowed deeper into the pillows.
He stood there for a moment, watching her sleep.
God, she was beautiful.
Even now, after hours of sex, her hair a mess, her body marked with his kisses and his teeth and his hands...
She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
And the thought of losing her...
The thought of someone hurting her the way his mother had been hurt....
It made something cold and terrible settle in his chest.
