“I know it must seem very strange,” Nikolai conceded.  “Perhaps even insane.  But sometimes people know when they’re meant for each other.  My father was a very rational man -- a soldier in the tsar’s army.  He did not believe in magic or superstition.  Yet, while he was stationed in my mother’s village, he saw her and instantly knew that they would soon be wed.  She was the only woman he ever loved.  Perhaps the only person he ever loved.”<br/><br/>Gently cupping Lilith’s face in his hands, Nikolai held her gaze as he tried to explain why she meant everything to him.  “You are kind, caring about my sadness even when you have so much grief of your own.  You are brave, although I do not think you realize it yet.  And when your body quakes beneath my touch, when you moan my name with such desperation, I suddenly have a purpose that means something -- making you happy.”<br/><br/>Belatedly, Nikolai realized that Lilith’s cheeks had darkened to a deep crimson.  “You are blushing,” he murmured.  “Would you feel more comfortable if I got dressed?”