"I do not know how to answer you, Raven. I am not nearly the forgiving man you believe me to be. I want to be that man. I want to be better for you, but I fear I will never get the sight of you lying there with all these deep wounds bleeding from my mind." He kissed each one of them, and then blazed a trail to the underside of her breast and kissed her even more possessively. Raven didn't protest; she simply cradled his head to her, offering him solace, seeing into his mind. This was what he wanted for them, lying together, close, his hands and mouth in a leisurely exploration of her body while they came to know one another intimately. He wanted the soft laughter and stimulating conversation. He wanted chess matches and visits together to the priest where they could drink herbal tea and enjoy the wisdom of his friend. "I want to take you into the forest, Raven, forest, where the trees are thick and few people have ever set foot." Mikhail's tongue flicked her nipple, and then his mouth settled for a long, heart-stopping moment while he suckled."