Song for the mood: you pick. :) This scene is an endearing one, so songs vary depending on personal taste. Mine is "I Found" by Amber Run. Here's a snippet of the lyrics:

And I found love where it wasn't supposed to be
Right in front of me
Talk some sense to me

Vera

Have you ever seen a grown man cry? I have. Two men in my life have wept openly in front of me. The first was Julian, and the second was Alistair.

Alistair's eagle eyes didn't miss the faded scars on my abdomen when I revealed myself to him. Nor did he hide his tears, listening in sorrowful silence, when I told him my story.

I watched him lose control and unleash his emotions when he smashed a glass against the wall, cursing Doctor Holly James.

Every muscle of his body, in all its naked beauty, shook when he kneeled on the floor and wept with anguish. This pillar of strength fell like a heavy load of bricks, wrapping his arms around my waist, refusing to let go.

His face pressed against my abdomen, connecting with my scars as we lamented over the heinous assault orchestrated by a monstrous bitch who inflicted cruelty on my life.

"Forgive me," Alistair sobbed. "Forgive me for not taking better care of you." His throat bobbed with pain as tears spilled from his eyes, flowing down to his firm, square jaw.

"You're here now," I murmured, caressing the curls that crowned his head.

Alistair's forlorn face, reddened and stained by the sadness of his tears, looked up at me. "I failed you," his hoarse voice faltered.

"The world failed us, Scotty. Or maybe we failed ourselves. Whichever way we look at it, it doesn't matter anymore because we're here now. Together." I offered a faint smile and cupped his face with my hands. My thumbs rubbed the prickles of his jaw, feeling it clench tightly.

"I'm going to find every person who did this to you, Vera, and there will be no mercy. Not for hurting the woman I love," Alistair vowed, still on his knees. His earnest green eyes gazed up at mine with devotion, almost as if he prayed to a deity.

"Love?" I asked, intrigued.

"Your eyes are as wide as saucers," Alistair teased with a grin. "I said it though, didn't I? I love you."

I wanted to say the words back, but I was still processing everything that had happened in the past few hours. Was our relationship risky? Perhaps. Was it worth the suffering? I didn't believe in regrets.

Moments later, Alistair's body shifted on top of mine under the silky cover of our bed. The sex was vanilla, but ever so sweet and flavored with unbridled energy.

Our kisses were insatiable, and our bodies connected as one energetic force, sweating profusely from the outbreak of our rabid fever for each other.

"I belong here!" Alistair proclaimed, pushing deeper inside me as his body approached the brink of an orgasm.

"I feel you! Every inch," I gasped, bucking my hips into his, bringing the rhythm of our bodies to a faster pace, until I reached the tipping point.

"Come, sweetheart. Let yourself go," Alistair moaned, pushing my most sensitive spot with his hard length.

"I'm coming, Scotty!" I hollered, feeling the orgasmic waves of lust rise.

Alistair instinctively bit my left nipple, claiming victory over my body as I arched my back, screaming his name. My sex contracted violently, pulling his cock into a torrid tightness.

His body momentarily paused and stiffened before ramming harder into me at jet speed, working every muscle, from his shoulders to his buttocks.

"Vera!" he shouted, finally releasing his hot tension to flood inside me.

He let out one last grunt, relaxing his shoulders as his sweat-coated body collapsed into mine.

What we made that night was soul-shaking love more powerful than the darkness that threatened me months ago.

***

"Good morning, sweetheart," Alistair's deep voice resonated into my ear while the scent of roasted coffee infiltrated my nostrils.

"Mmm, do I smell something delicious?" I asked, waking from deep slumber after an energetic night of passion.

I stretched both arms out and opened my eyes to my lover's face, which matched the serene and playful mood of Chopin's Nocturne in E Flat Major in the background. The musical notes of the legato melody connected with the rhythm and pace of his fingers, which played with my naked body's curved outline.

The bedroom air's coolness contrasted with the blond sunlight that shone from the windows, highlighting a sprinkling of freckles on Alistair's tanned, smooth shoulders.

"Here you go," he said, offering a warm cup of the dark, rich drink. "It's a fine Italian roast."

I grinned, inhaling Alistair's manly scent as I kissed his shoulder. "I love the drink, but I'd choose you over coffee any day."

He took a sip of his coffee before placing it on the bedside table. "I was hoping you'd say that," he replied with a wink and a grin.

I drank my coffee as he and I chatted in bed, learning more about each other's lives. I told him more about growing up fatherless with an overworked mother and an overprotective brother.

Alistair revealed the pain of being bullied at school for having ADHD. "It didn't help to be a small and scrawny teen either," he said. "I had a late growth spurt."

We paused for a moment while I admired his angel eyes. They smiled at me before hovering at the peaks of my breasts, then gazed at my abdomen.

"Vera, sex with you isn't about making a child. It's about being close to the woman I love. These scars that you bear are the scars that I wear," he said, lowering his lips on each faint wound mark.

"Your scars are mine too. Scotty?"

"Hmm?" Alistair gave me a lazy smile.

"We may not have to worry about having children."

"Vera, I'm very sorry about the things I said in New York. I would take those words back if I could. I would do anything for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Children or no children, money or no money, for all you know, the world may turn upside down. Whatever comes our way, I know one thing for sure. I want a life with you."

"The world is upside down already." I sighed, stroking his beautiful curls.

"Do you want to know a secret?"

"What's that, darling?"

"I've had women come and go in my life. In fact, I've never needed a woman before. However, I think we both know that I need you more than you need me."

Stroking Alistair's chin, I hummed, "I think you're right, Mister Scott."

I then glanced at the ceiling and frowned. "I forgot to ask you something important last night. When was the last time you had a check for your sexual health?"

Alistair sighed and closed his eyes. "After what happened with Erin, I've been careful. However, I'll make it a priority to get checked for you," he promised, opening his brilliant green eyes.

"Thank you," I replied. "I'm not immune to sexually transmitted infections."

Alistair nodded, and his hand tightened on mine.

I ran my finger along his back, tracing the eagle and the scar with my fingers, ever so curious about his story. He flinched and closed his eyes, then removed my hand.

"Vera," he murmured, planting a kiss on my scarred earlobe. "I would die for you."

A/N: Would you die for someone you love?

Please comment and vote; it motivates me to keep writing. Thank you for the boost.⭐️