I swallow nervously. “I … met someone, Mom.”
“A boy?” Mom asks, her face lighting up. “Like, someone from school? Emma, that’s wonderful news.”
For a moment, I think about lying. But I can’t lie to my mother – for one thing, she’d never believe me. And for another, I owe her the truth.
“No,” I say after a long pause. “I met someone. He lives out in the woods by himself, he’s a hermit. He used to…” I trail off nervously. “Well, it doesn’t matter. But I fell in love with him.”
Mom nods. But her face is pale and I can tell that she’s still concerned.
“And things were going so well, Mom, he’s so great – you have no idea. He’s smart and poised and he respects me. He doesn’t treat me like I’m a loser.”
My mother smiles. “That’s wonderful, honey, but—“
“He’s Dad’s mortal enemy,” I continue. “His name is Damien Evercore.”
“Emma!” Mom gasps. Her jaw drops and her already-pale face turns white as a sheet. “You can’t be serious!”
A fresh wave of tears comes to my eyes and I try blinking them away but it’s useless. Soon my face is covered with hot salt water and all I can do is sob.
“And he kicked me out when the truth came out,” I cry. “And Mom, I love him so much! It hurts so bad! I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
My mom is silent for a long moment.
“Please,” I beg. “Please help me figure out what to do. I can’t stay here – not with Dad! And Damien doesn’t want me.”
“Emma…” My mother trails off. “I can’t tell you what to do. You’re a big girl. You’re twenty-one, and it’s time for you to start making your own choices.”
I purse my lips and look at her in confusion.
Mom takes a deep breath. “But Jason – I mean, your father – well, he’s never wanted what’s best for you. He’s a self-centered bastard and I have a feeling that he always will be. I want you to think about what you want to do. Your father and I will be fine.”
All I can do is stare at her. “Are you serious?” I gnaw on my lower lip until the bitter metallic taste of blood splashes across my tongue. “Are you really saying that I should betray Dad?”
My mother shakes her head. “No,” she replies. “But I want you to be happy, Emma. After being married to your father for over twenty years, I know that he doesn’t care about hurting those closest to him. He’s never thought twice about my feelings. Or yours, for that matter.”
My head is filled with a raging sea of emotions as my mother speaks. For the first time, I wonder just how much abuse Ramona’s gone through at the hands of my father. I always thought she was weak for not standing up to him, but maybe it was simply that she had lost her will to fight.
“I’ll let you think about what you want to do, sweetie,” Mom says softly. She stands up and walks over to the bed before leaning down and kissing my forehead like she used to do when I was a kid. “Just know that I love you.”
Between Damien’s harsh words and my mother’s kindness, my heart is starting to feel like I put it through a juicer.
“I love you, too,” I say quietly. Impulsively, I get to my feet and throw my arms around my mother. She hugs me tightly and then pulls away.
“Your father isn’t home,” Mom says from the doorway of my room. “But I would think about what you want, and soon.”
I nod. “Okay. And thank you.”
Mom nods one more time and closes the door behind her. As soon as she’s gone, I flop down on my bed. My head is spinning and I feel faint. When my head hits the pillow, I close my eyes and immediately Damien’s face floats to the front of my mind.
I think back to the vow I made when I got home. About how I’m not going to let anyone tell me what to do anymore. My mom even said that I have to make my own choices.
I could go with Damien. Damien, the man who loves me and cares for me just as I am. The man who has never asked anything of me.
Or I could keep trying to make my father happy. I could go to Trim Acres and give up pizza and sugar and everything else good in the world. But based on everything my mom just told me, I still don’t think that would make him love me.
I can’t stay here. I have to follow the man I love, Damien, and forget all about my father because Damien is my future.
And as for Jason?
He never loved me. He never cared. In fact, he was willing to banish me to a fat farm, so that I wouldn’t embarrass him.
So Jason is nothing. Less than nothing. And if I want one last shot at happiness, I have to return to Damien and make him understand that we belong together.
Chapter Sixteen
Damien
Even when I lived among other men, I was never much of a drinker. The occasional liquid lunch or dinner was required to impress Xander Corp clients, but I never wanted to dive face-first into a bottle like Jason did.
But I’m starting to feel differently. I’m so filled with loathing and self-hatred that I can’t stand to be alone with myself. I need to do something to drown out the thoughts of sweet, perfect Emma. She’s haunting me.
Crossing the floor of my cabin, I reach into the cupboard and pull out a bottle of whiskey. It’s covered with dust and I brush off the glass before untwisting the cap and taking a long swig. The amber liquid burns all the way down to my stomach, but it feels good.
I need to punish myself.
“Emma,” I growl under my breath. Wiping the whiskey droplets from my beard, I take another huge swig. This time I start to cough and sputter as the alcohol flows down my throat.
A sound makes me stop dead in my tracks. It’s a soft rapping, almost like a twig brushing against the side of the cabin.
No.
It can’t be her.
I must have imagined it. There’s no way Emma is here, standing outside my front door, waiting for me.
Closing my eyes, I shake my head and force down another huge gulp of whiskey.
The knocking sounds again. It’s gentle, yet persistent.
I take a deep, shuddering breath and walk to the door. My heart is thudding as I yank it open to reveal Emma standing on the other side. The early morning sunlight plays off the chestnut hues in her soft curls and she looks exhausted. My heart immediately beats once, hard and painful.
“Damien, we have to talk,” Emma says. “You have to let me inside.”
“No,” I say. I start to close the door but Emma pushes me back and steps inside. The alcohol must have affected my reflexes and I nearly stumble as I whirl back around just in time to see her close the door behind her.
“Emma, you should leave,” I say warily. “It’s not good for you to be here.”
“No,” Emma says. For once, she sounds totally confident and self-assured. “I’m not leaving until you hear everything that I have to say.”
I stare at her.
“I love you,” Emma says. “I love you so freaking much, Damien. I can’t be without you.” She licks her lips and stares deep into my eyes. My heart starts to pound in my chest with elation, but I know that I can’t listen to her.
“You’re a child,” I say bitterly. “You don’t know what you want. You should be with someone your own age. Someone who will love you and grow old with you.”
Emma rolls her eyes. Her brown eyes flash with anger. “I’m not a child!” She cries loudly. “I’m twenty-one years old, for God’s sake! And I know what I want. I want you. You’re who I’ve always wanted, I just didn’t know it until we met.”
I open my mouth to protest, but Emma keeps going.
“Damien, we’re perfect together. Neither of us ever fit into the real world, and we’re outcasts. I always felt so lonely! But when I met you, I didn’t feel lonely anymore. You complete me, Damien. You’ve made me into a whole person.”
Emma comes closer and wraps her arms around my waist. My first instinct is to push her away but her warm, supple curves feel so good against my hard body that I can’t
help but pull her closer and put my hands on her thick waist.
She tilts her head back and looks deeply into my eyes. Her own brown eyes are two velvet pools of softness that I want to dive inside and never emerge.
“Damien, before I met you, my life was a mess,” Emma says softly. “I hated myself. I was a loser, and I didn’t think that I deserved to be happy. I tried so hard to please other people that I never thought about myself. And you changed all of that. Now I believe in myself. You helped me realize that I’m a valuable person.”
“You are,” I say in a low voice. “But Emma, I’m not. I’m not worthy of you. I’m an animal. I’m a wild man who lives in the woods, I can’t give you the kind of life you’re used to having. I lost so much when I went to prison.”
“I don’t care about money,” Emma insists. “In fact, I’m happier without it. Money turns everyone into monsters. All I want is you.” She licks her lips. “And you’re wonderful. You’re the best man I’ve ever met.” She starts to tremble in my arms and I see that her eyes are filled with tears. “And I love you so damn much that I can’t take it. Being without you hurts too much.”
Her words stun me. I’ve always known that Emma is smart, but she seems to have really grown up before my eyes. She’s realized at a young age what took me years and years to understand: that money isn’t the key to happiness.
“I love you,” Emma repeats fiercely. “And I know that you love me, too. I wouldn’t have come back here if I didn’t think that you loved me.”
Her words awaken something in me and without even thinking about it, I dip my head to hers and kiss her passionately. She tastes like flowers and honey and I groan as I slip my tongue into her mouth and tangle my hands in her hair. Emma clings to my body and I wedge one of my thighs between her legs, nudging at her pussy through her jeans.
“God,” Emma whispers into my mouth. She breaks the kiss and nuzzles me fiercely, then hugs me so tightly that it hurts to breathe. “I’ve missed you!”
“I’ve missed you too, baby girl,” I growl.
“You do love me,” Emma says softly. She wipes her eyes with the backs of her hands but she’s smiling now. “I knew you loved me, Damien.”
“I do,” I confess. “I love you so fucking much. I don’t want you to go. I didn’t want you to go before.”
Emma’s chin quivers and the sight breaks my heart all over again. I hug her tighter.
“Then why did you?” Emma asks quietly. “Why did you make me leave?”
I cup her chin and tilt her face to meet my own. “Because I was trying to protect you.” I sigh. “My lawyer, Jed, finally filed an appeal for me. And this could have very bad consequences for your father.”
I watch Emma’s face for any trace of sadness, but instead she seems relieved.
“My father has never loved me,” she replies. “Jason’s never wanted what’s best for anyone but himself.”
“Your father did a lot of really evil shit,” I say. “And he might be going away for a long time if Jed can prove it.”
Emma shrugs. “Good,” she says. “It won’t make a difference.” She tosses her brown curls. “All I want is to be with you, Damien. I mean, I worry about my mom … but she’s the one who encouraged me to think for myself and make my own decisions.”
“Wow.” I blink. “I only met your mother once or twice, but she was a nice woman. She seemed too good for your father.”
“Ramona is,” Emma says softly. “She’s living in a prison, but she’ll get out too. I’ll make sure of it one day.”
For a moment, the only sound is the chirping of the morning birds outside. Emma and I cling tightly to each other, and a happiness unlike anything I’ve ever known floods my body. I can’t believe she’s here in my arms.
It feels too good to be real.
“I love you,” I murmur into Emma’s soft hair. “I need you, Emma.”
Emma sighs happily and kisses my neck. “I love you, too,” she says sweetly. “Before I forget, I have something for you.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You’re all I need,” I tell her as I lean in close and kiss her. Emma flushes and purrs. “And I want you right now.”
Emma gives me a coy smile and pulls away. “I think you might change your mind when you see what I brought,” she says. “You’re really going to like it.”
“Okay,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “You’ve got my interest. What is it?”
Emma walks across her room, swinging her wide hips with every step. Now that I know she’s all mine, I can’t wait to destroy her sweet body once again. I’m positive that she’s about to do some adorable amateur striptease for me, but instead she bends over and reaches into a brown paper bag. The sight of her giant ass in the air makes my cock twitch with lust.
“Okay,” Emma says. She straightens up and turns around with a bright red bag in her hands. “You can look now.”
When I see that she’s holding a bag of Doritos, I burst out laughing.
“I told you that I’d come through,” Emma says. She winks at me.
“I’ve never felt as happy as I do right now,” I tell her honestly.
Emma grins. “Good,” she says. “Because I don’t intend to give up snack food.”
I meet her gaze. “That isn’t what I meant.” Crossing the room in two giant strides, I pull Emma close and kiss her deeply. “That’s what I meant,” I growl in a low voice. “You’re making me happy.”
Emma closes her eyes and rests her head against my chest. “Good,” she says softly. “I don’t ever intend to stop.”
As I hold her close, I feel better than I have in years. I don’t know how everything is going to shake out, but as long as I have Emma by my side I know that everything will be just fine.
Chapter Seventeen
Emma
“Are you sure you’re okay to do this?” Damien asks.
I nod and square my shoulders. “It’s time,” I say. I take a deep breath. “But I have to admit that I am a little nervous.”
Damien hooks an arm around my shoulders and pulls me in close. He kisses the side of my neck and pleasant shivers run down my spine.
“It’s time,” Damien says firmly. He reaches for my hand and squeezes. “And I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”
“And I’ll be right beside you,” I counter.
Damien nods. “Let’s go.”
We emerge from the back of the taxi into the sunlight. Damien shaved his beard and his gorgeous mouth is pressed into a firm line. His hair is neatly slicked back, and he’s wearing a dark pair of trousers and a crisp white Oxford shirt that shows off his deep tan.
I’ve never seen him look more handsome. As we cross the street onto my block, I squeeze Damien’s hand again. When my parents’ mansion comes into view, Damien whistles under his breath.
“Damn,” he mutters. “I always knew Jason had expensive tastes but this is insane.”
I nod. “It is a bit … much,” I say. “I never really thought about it until I left, but it all seems kind of gaudy, doesn’t it?”
Damien nods. We start up the driveway and my heart starts to thud in my chest like a jackhammer. Suddenly, I wonder if this is a bad idea. Damien’s appeal isn’t for a few days, but I wanted to confront my father about his behavior toward me and my mother. Damien even suggested grabbing a few of my things, but there’s nothing in that house that I need.
Because everything I need is right here. The most important thing in my life is my relationship with Damien, and that’s all that matters.
As we get closer to the mansion, I see my father sitting on the porch. There’s a highball glass in his hand and my palms start to sweat as we near.
“It’ll be fine,” Damien whispers. “You’re a badass tough girl now, Emma.”
I blush. Even though his words are far from the truth, hearing them still makes me feel good. It’s true that I’ve become more confident since meeting Damien. Maybe watching his courageous behavior was all it took to make me i
nto a strong woman.
I expect my father to call out something rude, but instead he gets to his feet and starts to laugh. The sound is evil and chilling – just like the laughter I overheard that night in the hallway. His cackling curdles my blood and for a moment, I want to turn and run.
But I’m not going to do that. I owe it to myself, and to Damien.
My father doesn’t stop laughing until we’re on the steps of the porch. Up close, I can see that his face is bright red and his eyes are glassy. It’s frightening, almost as if I’m watching someone in the grip of mania. Damien squeezes my hand reassuringly.
“Well, this is just perfect,” my father sneers. He shakes his head. “My disappointment of a daughter and a crook. A match made in heaven!”
His words fill me with anger and I glare at him. “I know what you did,” I say unsteadily. “You framed Damien and had him sent to prison!”
“The fuck I did,” my father growls. “Like I’d waste my time on that prick.” He shakes his head and tosses the last of his drink down his throat.
“Lying doesn’t make it less true,” I counter angrily. “You ruined his life!”
My dad crosses his arms over his chest and raises an eyebrow at me. “And I should care about that why?”
“You’re a bad man!” I cry. “You’ve always been a bad man, Dad. You couldn’t even love me like a father is supposed to love his daughter!”
“Bullshit,” my father says. He rolls his eyes as if talking to me is a waste of time. “I’ve always given you exactly what you deserved.”
“You wanted to send me to a fat farm!”
My father bursts out laughing again. “You’re goddamned right I did,” he said. “Have you looked in the mirror lately? I’ve seen cottage cheese smoother than your thighs!”
Tears start to sting my eyes but I blink them away. I have to be strong – not just for myself, but also for Damien.
“You were a terrible father,” I say. “And nothing you can do or say will change that now.”
The front door opens and my mother steps out onto the porch. My heart leaps into my throat – I don’t want my father turning on her, too. But she walks out holding her head high. When she sees me with Damien, she smiles.
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