“You have your own bathroom that is connected to your room.”
“Wow. This home is beautiful. I can see why your parents wanted to live here.”
“We have had some wonderful memories here.” His tone was softer than his usual you-must-obey-my-orders tone. It made me want to dig deeper into his fond memories, but I knew he wouldn’t respond.
“Well, I have to go get ready for a few conference calls, so I’ll see you later.”
I nodded as Damien turned away from me and I did the same. I walked farther into the guest bedroom after shutting the door behind me. Although I was tired of uprooting my life on a whim, I’d be staying here for a period of time and I needed to make the best of it.
I unpacked my things for what felt like the millionth time before walking into the bathroom and gasping. This bathroom belonged in a luxury suite of a hotel. The vast bathroom was big enough to fit my entire bedroom in it. Ridding my body of the clothes that had long since worn out their welcome, I turned the showerhead on to what I suspected was closer to hot than cold. I was right and when the water’s temperature was where I wanted it, I stepped into the shower and almost swooned. Inside, the water beat down on my body and I felt as if I were under a warm, powerful waterfall. The force from the water felt so good, I could almost compare it to the massages that I had gotten when I stopped by Ellie’s job for a session. I didn’t know how long I had been in the shower when I swore that I saw something out of the corner of my eye and I was surprised to see Damien leaning on a door jamb. I cracked open the shower door and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Just because we’ve switched locations doesn’t mean the circumstances have changed. You belong to me and I get to do whatever I want.”
“Even if that means interrupting a shower.”
“Even that.”
“Don’t you have a conference call to get ready for? I wasn’t expecting to see you for another few hours.” I was looking forward to having some time alone, but I wasn’t about to admit that out loud.
“When you’re the boss, you can do whatever you want. Right now, my cock wants to get inside that smart mouth of yours and I’m happy to oblige.”
21
Damien
I closed the nightstand after stashing a box of condoms and walked to the bathroom. It would have taken no time for me to ditch my clothes at the door and enter the shower, but I didn’t. I took my time removing them, letting the anticipation build because Anais didn’t know what I was going to do. I kept my eyes on her naked form, thankful that Mom hadn’t bothered to install frosted doors for this shower. Instead, the glass of the door was clear, allowing me to get as much of an eyeful as I wanted. Once I finished that task, I stepped into the shower.
“Get out of here. Can’t even take a shower in peace.” I didn’t think she was trying that hard to fight me on this. It might have to do with her not being able to keep her eyes off my cock for longer than a second.
“I’ll do you one better. You’re going to suck my cock and you can sit on that marble bench right there and do it. No hurt knees, right?”
I could see an argument was at the tip of her tongue, but I preferred that something else was. She flipped her hair back and wiped the water from her eyes, and they landed on mine. I dipped my head, letting her know it was time. She drifted toward the bench before sitting on it and I could see her lick her lips as she came face-to-face with my dick. Her first move was to lick the head of my dick and I closed my eyes as I enjoyed the light sensation. Another lick almost made me buck my hips, hoping that she would take me deeper in her mouth.
As if she could read my mind, she took me in her mouth and gagged for a moment before she relaxed. She took me deeper than the previous time, realizing that she needed to relax her mouth in order to calm her gag reflex so that she could take more of me in. It worked. She took more of me and I could feel when my cock hit the back of her throat. I sucked in a deep breath and groaned in satisfaction.
She looked up at me as she was taking my cock and I nearly lost it. The feel of her mouth on me made my knees buckle slightly. Her tongue glided over the tip and alternated between that and taking my throbbing member into her mouth. Each time she started this cycle over again, she sucked my cock harder and I threw my head back with my eyes closed. She chuckled and that led to more vibrations heading straight to my dick. She moved her mouth back and sucked the head of my cock harder. I looked down at her again and the image was a lot for me to handle.
“I can’t wait until you swallow every drop, Spitfire.”
That and the fact that my hands had found their way into her hair seemed to give her a kick because she started enthusiastically alternating between sucking me deep, licking the head of my dick, and massaging my balls; all things that had me creeping closer and closer to the edge.
My hips moved involuntarily trying to get closer to her so she could take me even deeper than before. I groaned again before I took control over my body and plunged it in and out of her mouth. If I thought the image of her sucking me off was too much, seeing me pump my dick into her mouth was unbearable.
A roar preceded my orgasm and I watched as she made sure not to miss a drop. She looked up at me, a hint of a smile playing on her lips as she stood up and smirked.
“Now, I would appreciate it if you let me take a shower in peace.” Her smirk betrayed the tone of her voice. I ignored her words and watched her for a moment before leaning down to pick up the shampoo and poured some of it into my hands. The light coconut fragrance hit my nostrils and I knew she must have smelt it too because she looked at me, water dripping down her face.
“Turn around.”
She did as I asked without an argument and I placed my hands in her hair and began washing it, covering every inch. A low groan left Anais’s lips as I massaged her scalp.
“Feels good?”
“You have no idea. Okay, I’m going to rinse this out and then you can do whatever you need to do under the showerhead.”
“I’m getting out,” I said, not offering an explanation. I knew it was time for a phone call that I needed to take, and this distraction took longer than I planned. I glanced at Anais and exited the shower. Her mouth was slightly open as she narrowed her gaze and turned away from me. I got a quick look at her ass, which was much appreciated, and grabbed a huge fluffy towel. I dried myself off and wrapped the towel around my waist before I grabbed my clothes and walked out of the bathroom.
It didn’t take me long to get from Anais’ room to my childhood room that had been revamped a couple of times since I had moved out. My parents kept the dark navy-blue color that I had liked as a teenager in the room but had changed some of the furniture out to flip it into a guest room if need be. Gone were the posters I'd hung on the wall, replaced by some of the paintings my mom had taken a liking to and wanted to be displayed in her home.
I tossed the clothes that I had been wearing previously into the hamper and checked the time on my phone. I had about twenty minutes until I had to be on a phone call that I didn’t want to take. I threw on my trademark black suit and tie and styled my hair. I checked myself in the mirror and headed out the room and down to my father’s office.
Of course, he was already there when I entered and briefly glanced at me before holding a finger up. He was on a call with a member of the board that I assumed would wrap up pretty soon.
“Thanks, Don. I’ll talk to you later this week.” Dad hung up the phone with a decisive click and stood up, grabbing his suit jacket, and putting it on.
“I thought we had a call with the twins and some potential organizations that wanted to expand their horizons in good old New York?”
Dad walked around his desk. “Change of plans. We're headed out and I’ll explain it in the car.”
22
Anais
After my shower, I looked for Damien, but didn't see him, so I went down to eat on my own. His mom joined me for only a moment then had a phone call she needed to
take, and I didn't see her for the rest of the day. The evening was low-key, and I had to admit, I preferred it that way. I spent the evening alone, mostly resting and reading books on my phone. I thought Damien might come in and check on me, but he didn’t. I was partially relieved and disappointed, but I didn’t want to go seek him out. I went to bed early and felt rejuvenated the next morning. That was until I forced myself to text my father.
Me: Hey Dad. I’m doing well. Just wanted to get away for a bit, but I should be back in time for Christmas.
Dad: Sounds good. Mom and I were worried about you.
Me: No need. Everything is fine and I’ll see you soon.
Dad: Okay and don’t forget to call your mother.
I rolled my eyes but still sent a message back.
Me: Will do.
Once I rolled out of bed and was presentable, I headed down to breakfast and found Selena in the dining room. It was bright with its white, beige, and gold décor and the similarly colored table sat fourteen. Selena matched the sophistication of the room with her black slacks, cream sweater, and her pinned-up hair. I wasn’t shocked to see that Damien wasn’t there. When we were back in his place in the city, he rarely was home for breakfast anyway. What was interesting was that Martin wasn’t there either. I glanced at the chair next to me and sat down at the only other seat that had a placemat and utensils in front of it.
“Like father, like son. Am I right?” Selena smiled, which told me that she had read my mind and was used to the absences too. “I hope you don’t mind that I had Maddie fix a few different dishes. I wasn’t sure what you liked, and I forgot to ask you before we retired for the night.”
“Oh, no, that’s completely fine. I’m not a picky eater anyway, so I’m sure whatever you have will be fantastic.”
She smiled at me again and made me wonder how Damien turned out to be the exact opposite of his mother in that regard. She was friendly whereas he was intimidating. Though, like his mother, Damien was caring. The way that he took care of me when someone broke into the townhouse, when he found me in the panic room, and how quickly he took charge to get us out of there. The way he made sure that I orgasmed during sex before him. These were just a few of the things that made me see him in a different light, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it.
“Did you sleep okay?”
“Ah, yes, I did. I slept like a baby.” That was only partially true. I always had a hard time falling asleep when I was in an unfamiliar place and staying here was no different. When I did eventually get to sleep, it had been fine, but it was pointless to divulge all of that.
“That’s good. I was hoping you would get some rest. I can only imagine how you must feel having had to deal with a break-in.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it and in addition to that, we aren’t sure who did it.” At least I wasn’t sure. As soon as the words left my mouth, Maddie walked in with breakfast.
My stomach growled as I smelled the freshly cooked bacon that was sitting on the plate. Maddie also made Eggs Benedict and had cut up an assortment of fruit that she quickly retrieved from the kitchen once she left the hot foods for us to eat. She also brought out coffee. It seemed as if the coffee was an alarm because Martin and Damien walked into the room when she placed the hot pot in between Selena and me.
“Is there anything I can get you two?” Maddie asked, looking between Martin and Damien.
“We came in to get another cup of coffee and it seems like we were right on time,” Martin said. That’s when I realized that both of them had mugs in their hands.
“You could have rung me up and I would have brought it in there. That wouldn’t have been a problem,” Maddie replied.
“Coming in here wasn’t a hardship. Trust me,” Martin said as he strolled over to his wife and planted a kiss on her lips. Although he whispered his next words, I heard parts of it.
“How are you doing? I missed you this morning…” They continued to have a private conversation and to anyone looking on, you could see how much love and compassion was between them. Just watching as he gently massaged her shoulders as he spoke to her and the way her eyes lit up when she looked up at him. It almost made me wish that I could find the person to share that kind of connection with. I looked back down at my plate, feeling a little weird for having intruded on such a private moment between the two, before shoveling a forkful of eggs into my mouth.
“Ahem.”
I almost forgot that Damien was there between watching the elder Crosses and deciding that food was the most important thing in this world right now.
“Yes?” I asked as I looked up at him.
“Did you have a good night’s sleep?”
“I did. Thanks for asking.”
“If you need anything, you know you can call—”
“Bernard,” I said, finishing his sentence. “I know.” Having a chef at Damien’s house who came and cooked was weird. Getting used to having a butler that people repeatedly told me I could ask for help was weirder.
Damien gave me a peculiar look and walked around my chair and grabbed the hot pot of coffee. Martin leaned over and placed his mug near Damien’s and Damien poured the coffee for both of them. They didn’t linger around the dining room for much longer and once they both left I went back to eating the food.
“Mm-hmm,” I said just as I grabbed my napkin from my lap and wiped my lips. “I need to go thank Maddie when we’re done. This is so good.”
“She always does such a good job. It’s why I ask Martin to pay her whatever she wants because if she ever leaves, I don’t know what we’ll do. And he knows he didn’t marry me for my cooking skills, and he could burn a pot just by boiling water. That literally happened when we were dating.”
Thankfully, I hadn’t eaten anything when she said that because the snort that I let out was so loud that it almost hurt. “That is hilarious.”
She waited a moment before she asked, “What are you doing for the holidays?”
“I’ll spend Christmas with my parents and then maybe go out with some friends for New Year’s.”
“That’s what we usually do for Christmas too. Early in our marriage, I made Martin promise me that no matter what, he wouldn’t work on Christmas. I wanted us to spend it together as a family and that was it. He’s kept that promise every year. So that’s what we do, and it has been ingrained into my boys’ heads that unless something happens, everyone comes home for Christmas. I can’t wait for them to bring their own families here too. We have so much room in this big house and I can’t wait to fill it up with more of our extended family.”
I said nothing about that as I took a sip of my coffee. I looked up from my plate and found Selena looking at me, before going back to eating her food. Was I reading too much into it or was she alluding to me? I had a feeling that me coming here might give Damien’s parents the wrong idea, so it made me wonder why he had done so.
“You should make Damien bring you up here for our New Year’s party. I know it’s short notice, but I promise it will be a lot of fun. Plus, maybe it will make it more bearable for him. He, Broderick, and Gage have been trying to get out of the party for years because it’s just a gathering of a bunch of stuffy suits, as Gage affectionately told me one year.”
I chuckled. “Maybe I’ll be able to make it.” I couldn’t make Damien do a damn thing, but I’d let her live under the illusion that I could.
“I’m so happy that you’re spending some time with us.”
“Thanks for having me,” I said as I sat down in their great room, with the fireplace adding even more warmth to the room. Selena and I had been spending a great deal of time together over the last few days when I wasn’t working because of Damien’s and Martin’s busy schedules. It included watching movies and television shows and doing a few workouts together in their home gym. We even got Maddie to teach us a few things in the kitchen, which both Selena and I appreciated. It was nice to socialize with someone in person. Just talking to Ellie and my parents on
the phone or by text message and my coworkers by email had sucked.
Selena crossed her legs and said, “Sometimes it gets a little lonely because Martin works a lot. I have my projects that I do for charities here and there, but with it being winter and having poor weather more frequently, it makes it harder to get around. Sometimes some of our staff jokingly get offended when I try to help out. It’s because I want to keep busy and I want that social interaction, you know?”
I couldn’t believe that Selena was telling me this because we hadn’t known each other for very long.
“I’ve also noticed some changes in Damien since you’ve been here, and it’s been wonderful to see. There is a light back in his eyes that I haven’t seen in a very long time.”
I wondered where this conversation might head as I thought of what to say next. This might be the perfect opportunity to connect the pieces of the puzzle that had existed in my mind.
“What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Hm?”
“What made him lose the light in his eyes?”
Selena stood up, adjusting the pretty pink cardigan she had worn today, and walked over to one of the many windows that lined the walls of the room. She looked outside for a moment before turning to look at me over her shoulder. “Some of us have heinous demons that continue to haunt us in everything we do. Some of us can move on and continue living life as we always have, but others have struggled to breathe because of the turmoil we have faced. I can’t be the one to tell you what happened to Damien. It has to come from him.”
Savage Empire: An Enemies to Lovers Dark Billionaire Romance (Broken Cross Book 1) Page 14