"No, my love," she said with a small sigh, her small hands cupping his neck. She kissed his forehead, although her brows were furrowed. "I appreciate that you were keeping a promise, and it sounds like he was being unreasonable anyway, but..." She sighed, looking down at him. "You gotta be careful, you know? He was in the military. I mean, I know you're really strong and capable, but he could have killed you if he wanted to."
"I know," she said hastily, her hands resting on his chest. "I know. Trust me, Craw, I'm well aware of your strength. It's attractive. But his job was to kill people for a while. Even if he couldn't kill you, he could have hurt you. Badly. What would we have done if something had happened to you?"
She sighed, a little irritated. "I know, Francis. You don't seem to be understanding the point I'm making."
She sighed, her auburn hair messy in the early morning. She didn’t meet his gaze, instead looking down at his chest, her hands curled against his skin. “I worry,” she said eventually, her voice quavering slightly, “that one day you might get in a fight with someone you can’t take. Someone you can’t beat. I’d be lost without you, Francis. I’ve been without you enough times. I wouldn’t be able to stand it if our separation was permanent.”
He blinked before wrapping his arms around her. "Don't worry. I'm smarter than that. Plus Derrick wouldn't hurt me."
Her hand came up to run through his black, messy hair, and she sighed, resting her forehead against his. “If you’re sure,” she said after a moment. “Please just be careful, okay?”
She tapped his cheekbone with her pointer before sighing, her hands sliding down to rest on his bare chest. “I should probably get off your lap now, huh?”
She sighed wistfully, giving him a slow kiss before slipping off his lap. “No, it’s the right thing to do. I’m going to go make breakfast, okay?
She gave him a small smile, her fingertips brushing his chest. She leaned down and kissed his earlobe lightly. "I really did miss you," she murmured quietly, pulling away to head for the door.
