He wrapped his arms more firmly around her and kissed the sweetness of her hair, loving the sweetness of her soul.
“Damian, there’s something else I’m dying to know. How did you kill off Roy?”
“Why, I exorcised him, of course.”
“What?”
He laughed at the incredulity in her tone as he hugged her to him. “Yes, Kay. You see, Van Pratt was right when he said that only the mind that created a personality can really destroy it. When I finally understood what Roy was, I knew the only way to extinguish him was in a manner consistent with his identity. I also reasoned that if properly approached, the mind that knew Roy was a devil would cooperate with his being exorcised.”
“This just keeps getting more fantastic. I wonder what else will come up. Are you going to continue to see Lee and Lyle?”
“Yes. Lee is aware of Lyle now. They’ve begun to have internal conversations, and I can see some exciting positive changes in Lee. Their future is full of wonderful possibilities for self-exploration. I hope they’ll let me be a part of it.”
Kay sat up in his arms so that she could look directly into his rugged, charming face. “I love you, Damian. Because of the way you think and feel and the way you make me think and feel.”
He brought her to his chest and rocked her as the sweetness of her words rocked him. “Oh, God, I love you, too, my beauty. I think I fell in love with you that first moment I saw you standing behind all that starched legal formality and knew you had erected it to keep all us beasts at bay.”
She laughed into a happy sigh, thrilled to hear his words. “I’m so glad it didn’t keep you at bay.”
“No, if anything, it brought out the real beast in me. Kay, you have my heart, always. But you know I can’t offer you—”
“Damian, before you say it, first tell me why you didn’t kill Croghan.”
He exhaled a heavy breath. “I’m...not sure. I wanted to. When I saw Croghan holding a knife at your throat and kicking you, Kay, all the horror of my father’s abuse of my mother flashed back. My uncontrollable rage took over.”
“If it had, you would have killed Croghan. You didn’t, and I know why. Your father may have taught you rage, but your mother and your grandparents taught you love. Love is stronger than rage. The love in your heart, Damian, will never let the rage be in control. What a wonderful legacy that will be for you to pass on to your son one day.”
He smiled as he looked into her tender blueberry eyes. She could make him believe it. She could make him believe anything.
“Kay, would you really take such a chance?”
Her chin went up as her spine straightened. “Chance, nothing. We lawyers know a sure thing when we see it. Besides, as long as I’ve compromised your honor on both local and national news, I figure the least I can do is make an honest man of you.”
He smiled at her belief, at her love. “All right,” he said in a tone purposely gruff. “But only if loony Aunt Luddie will be at the ceremony so I can congratulate her on giving you such a perfect name.”
She wrapped her arms around him, needing all her discipline to put pique in her tone. “You beast.”
He held her to him as though he would never let her go. “Your Beast, my Beauty.”
He kissed her then, very warm and very long and full of his growing belief in the brightness of their tomorrows.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-8383-1
Beauty vs. the Beast
Copyright © 1995 by Mary Johnson
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