Chapter 34-1

“So?” Claire had her hands on her hips while she stared at Heath as if she was the bigger one between the two of them. “Who’s Clarissa?” Heath snapped out of his shock and realized that her slap had completely brought him back to reality. His head didn’t buzz anymore and his vision was clear. It was unexpected but he dismissed it and answered, “I don’t know.” She glared. “Do you want to be slapped again?” He was unaffected by the threat. “I’m serious, Claire. I don’t know where the name came from.” When she gave him a look with suspicious eyes, he confirmed her silent question. “Declan told me about it. But Claire, you’re the only woman out there I want.” His words didn’t convince her and she stepped away from him with her back turned. The space between them unnerved Heath and he was tempted to reach out to her and close the distance once more, but he stopped himself when Claire glanced over her shoulder at him. “I thought I could be calm, but I can’t.” she said, making Heath twitch. “So much happened and I had so many things I wanted to ask you. But in the end, I realized that there was only one question I really cared about. Who Clarissa is…but you won’t tell me.” “Because I don’t know who she is.” He tried to get Claire to understand how genuine he was. “It could’ve just been a slip of the tongue since it sounds similar to your name.” Claire’s jaw clenched. “Don’t give me that ‘maybe’ explanation, Heath. I want the facts. Obviously, this Clarissa girl has some sort of impact on you since you called out her name.” “She doesn’t have an impact on me because I don’t know who she is. I don’t know anybody named Clarissa!” “Then why was did you call out her name and not mine?” Claire’s voice cracked and she cursed at herself for showing the weakness. Heath noticed as well and the sound of her voice made him want to do the honor of slapping himself. Why? Why did he call out the name Clarissa? Who was she? And what was she to Heath? Before, he didn’t care for Clarissa because he didn’t recognize the name. But now, he wished he knew who she was. At least he could answer Claire’s question and reassure her that she was absolutely nothing to him. Claire truly was the only woman that he cared about—that he wanted. When Heath saw Claire take in a shaky breath to calm herself, he immediately reached out and pulled her into an embrace. He had his arms wrapped around her shoulders with her back to his chest. Claire’s breath hitched and she stiffened from the warmth that Heath emitted. Though they hadn’t seen in each other in a while, her body hadn’t forgotten his. His firm grip and hard body was all too familiar and she felt a shiver crawl up her spine when Heath’s breath brushed against the nape of her neck. “Are you tired of me?” he whispered. “Do you want to break up with me?” Claire didn’t answer and Heath spoke through clenched teeth. “I already told you, Claire. I’m not letting anyone else have you. You’re mine.” After a slight tremble of her shoulders, Claire shouted, “I know that!” startling Heath. “I know that I belong to you! I do! I admit that! But do you belong to me?” She gripped his sleeve harder. “You said you belong to me, but do you really? Why do I not know about this other woman who you desperately called out for?” Heath’s eye twitched. “I wouldn’t exactly call it desperate.” He muttered, trying to defend his pride. She clicked her tongue at his light tone before she tried to get out of his grasp, but he held on. So instead, she just turned around in his arms and came face to face with him. Claire parted her lips to completely let him have it, but then he spoke the words which left her utterly speechless. “I love you.” he said, and Claire’s mouth remained gawking open from the shock. She didn’t close it and Heath smiled down at the expression on her face. He lifted one hand and closed her mouth for her. “I do belong to you. All of me belongs to you because I love you, Claire. I don’t love anyone else but you.” Claire’s mouth was now closed, but her eyes were still wide open, as if they might just pop out of their sockets. She didn’t know why those words affected her so much. Heath wasn’t the first guy to say he loved her. All her previous boyfriends told her they loved her as well, and she easily said the same back. Love was a word thrown easily back and forth between her and men, but when the word came out of Heath’s lips, she couldn’t retort back with the same ease or brush it away in dismissal. Why? Heath leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Claire’s ear before whispering, “I’ll repeat that phrase, over and over and over again until you believe me, Claire.” Claire flinched from his voice directly next to her ear and lowered her head. “I love you. I love you, Claire. The thought of another man whispering these words into your ear infuriates me. No one else can declare their love for you but me. I love you so much. I lo-” Claire raised her hand and slapped it on Heath’s lips, cutting him short. Slowly, she raised her head and Heath saw that her face was completely red while she refused to look him in the eye. Heath’s smile spread across his lips as he stared at how much she blushed. It was the first time he had seen her so embarrassed, and the sight pleased him. He raised his hand and placed it on top of hers before he kissed the palm of it. Claire twitched and tried to pull back, but Heath wrapped his arm around her waist, keeping her by his chest. “I love you.” he said again to the palm of her hand and she sucked in a breath as the tips of her ears also flushed with red. “Believe me. There is no Clarissa. Only Claire Sparks.” Heath chuckled when Claire still refused to look him in the eyes. “What about you? Do you love me as well?” Claire finally looked at him, but it was a glare. And after only a second of eye contact, she looked away again with her eyebrows furrowed. However, she was still blushing. “You’re so embarrassing.” She muttered. “How could you ask that without any shame?” Heath laughed before he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Then he kissed her on the temple, down to her cheek, the corner of her lips, and finally, her mouth. Claire gasped and Heath pulled back to grin at her. “What is there to be shameful about a man declaring his love to the woman he loves?” he asked with a teasing tone. Claire groaned and buried her face into his chest. “That’s right.” She said when it dawned on her. “You’re that type of person.” He placed his hands on the sides of her head before he raised her face up to his once more. Then he brushed the tips of their noses together—kitten kisses—as he gazed into her eyes. “What type of person is that?” There was a playful smile on his lips, and Claire knew that he was acting clueless on purpose.