i love you

his eyes are on her now
she can feel them like a feather on the back of her neck
but she keeps hers closed.
the air stirs and he reaches out to touch her
fingertips grazing her exposed waist
she draws in a breath and presses her lips together
afraid of what she might say if she dares to speak
words tumble through her head
both terrifiing and thrilling
the bed shifts and he pulls her back against his chest
"tell me what your thinking"
his breath against her ear sends shivers down her spine
and she shakes her head
so petrified that if she breaks her silence it will break this fragile connection
but these words repeat them selves over and over in her head
till she's sure he must be able to hear them
he turns her to face him and the look in his eyes almost undoes her hard won self control.
"tell me"
she hides her face in his shoulder and breathes him in
"i cant"
he strokes her hair and she relishes the affectionate touch
his skin is soft against her lips
how can anything feel this good?
but it wont last she tells herself
she will be too needy and he'll tire of her touch
when the glow fades he'll see how plain she is and be ashamed of her
wont want to be seen with anyone so devoid of beauty
she closes her eyes and pulls herself back into that dark little place where she can hide
"what is it?'
"nothing" she says and raises her face to be kissed
their bodies fit together like those in ancient paintings
and for a  moment she forgets the pain, frustration, fear
wrapped in his warmth the world fades away
"i love you"the words seem to come from far away
she isnt sure who spoke them
and not sure that it matters.
his arms are still around her
he didnt pull away.
his lips are moving against her hair
but his words fall on deaf ears
for all she hears is those 2 words
echoing around her skull
her lips curl into a peaceful smile.
with her face pressed against his chest
he doesnt need to see her to read her expression.
he whispers softly
into her ear
"i love you"
the sounds of the traffic outside seems to dim
and the drunks on the street seem to be singing just for them
their intoxicated voices melt down to a wordless humming
"i love you"