I point from her to me, my tone dropping. “Whatever this is between us?”
She rolls her eyes at me and says, “What do you name it then . . . rebound, reconnecting?”
“It’s love. We’re in love. What we have is ours. Why should we apologize for it? Our families will understand, and telling the truth is long overdue. We’ll tell them together.”
“To what end? Years have passed, life moved on. I’m the black sheep, and so on.”
“Bria, you’re a grown woman and an incredible professional. You can’t honestly tell me it’ll be scarier than everything you went through. They deserve to know the truth like Sophia and Filip.
Her shoulders sag, and she blurts out, “I was two months in therapy.”
My chest swells with pride. So, she sought both types of help she needed.
“What was the hardest part?”
“Nothing was truly easy . . . but it helped me create order in my mind . . . I learned something . . .” Her entire body posture shifts to rigid. “I suppressed that I could’ve been raped.”
I bash my head back against the headboard to stifle the agony and rage consuming me. It’s once again so clear what she went through. Alone, lost to the walls she built, and her mind that caged her in, the trauma she has lived with for so long. Guilt buries me under. How will I forgive myself, and how do I help her? I’d never considered rape. He’s fucking lucky he’s between bars.
She cups my face, and I shake the haze off.
“Say something.”
“I’m so damn sorry.” I shelter her in my arms, burrow my face in her neck as she rubs my back and hushes.
“Please, stop with this guilt. David told me the only way I would be able to take my life back was to accept the things that were out of my control. Thankfully, I wasn’t raped, but still, I was drugged and at the hands of someone who could’ve done everything to me in my unconscious state. The scary part is to accept I was a victim and innocent, but I felt dirty. The shame, and not remembering it, made it even worse until I believed I deserved everything that happened.” Her head drops and I tilt her chin up.
“You didn’t deserve it . . . no one does. You’re the most beautiful person I know, but forgiving isn’t in my nature. What you said makes it even worse. Cheating was excusable, it was a choice you made, but I can’t imagine…” I fist the sheet and swallow a growl, as rage flows inside me in a steady movement.”
She kisses the anger away and her lips turn up into a small, reassuring smile. “Dealing with what happened and my emotions are still overwhelming, but I’m done being a victim. Every day I take a piece of my life back. I’m good, mostly. I’m confident that someday I’ll manage them, but I’m far from that yet. You can help me by not taking justice into your hands.”
“Bria . . .”
“Please.” Her voice turns to candy, mine to a grunt.
“Bria!”
She rains kisses over my eyelids and cheeks, stopping at the top of my nose, and whispers, “I need you in my life where you do more good than playing the vigilante. Promise me.”
“One of these days you’re going to make me implode.”
“Thank you, you’re the best.” Her lips curl into a grin, her winning one. I raise my hands over my head.
“I didn’t even agree.”
She bends and points her finger at me, her saccharine voice lowering to say, “But you will if you know what’s good for you.”
And then I remember to ask, “So, David?”
She shakes her head at me. “David Bertrand is my therapist. Stop being jealous of everything that breathes in my direction.”
She knows me too well. The tension from my muscles decreases, and I chuckle. I have no defense as I stare at how she wiggles on top of me, and my lust skyrockets. What were we talking about, yes, right, me being jealous? Nothing new.
I kiss her and the energy shifts, a fire igniting between us. I fist her hair in my hands as my mouth conquers hers. She moans as my tongue dives inside. She scratches my back and my growl echoes in her throat.
It’s not lovemaking, but branding, marking and claiming each other—raw, wild, and rough.
With every touch, moan, thrust, we gain the upper hand to all the fucked-up injustice that happened to us. It’s liberating.
I lean to her side and kiss her on the forehead. “Sleep well, baby. You’re it for me.”
Her lips curve into a dreamy smile, and she curls herself into me. “You’re the love of my life, Damien. You, always you.”
Happiness overtakes me.
Free, I’m fucking free!
Sleep beckons me and I relinquish, liberated in the arms of my woman.
BRIA
My eyes flutter open. I stretch my muscles, and a giggle flees my lips at the reminder of last night. Damien stirs next to me. A sense of complete happiness and love washes over me. He props himself on his side and leans in to kiss me. This is how I wish to wake up every day of my life while the sun knocks on our window greeting us to a wonderful new day.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
“Good morning, handsome.”
“I could get used to waking up like this.”
“My thought exactly.”
“What do you have in mind for today?”
“We should leave this room. Enjoy the beach. But first, we take a shower. We stink.” I scrunch my nose, and he bursts into laughter.
“Forget anything?”
I tap my lower lip, while his eyes bore into me.
“Food and medicine first.”
He nods and seals his lips to mine. “Now, it’s a plan.”
***
The round, ample showerhead sprays down on us, warm water soothes my body while the sun reflects on the mosaic-like shower wall. Damien squirts the shower gel in his hands and slides his hands down my skin, not missing a single spot. I muffle a moan, and he smirks until it’s my turn to bestow on him the same diligent care.
Freshly showered and smelling of sweet almond oil, we swing through the dressing room door, picking black bathing suits.
I gawk at his toned body, his flexing muscles, and the v-line disappearing beneath his shorts.
“Baby, if you don’t stop looking at me like that, we’ll never get out of this room.”
I snap out of my trance, and he grabs my hand. We amble down the stairs to the kitchen where a table filled with fresh fruits, croissants, jam, a plate of salami, cheese, filled pastry, and eggs waits for us. We dig right in.
With our hunger stilled, we stride to the beach and the soft, white sand tickles our toes while the breeze brushes our hair.
We jog the few feet to the ocean and plunge into the clear, turquoise water. I squeal as he picks me up, and I cross my legs around his waist. This is how we spend the next hour, kissing, diving, laughing.
Back on shore, we lay on the sun lounges. I slide a pair of glasses up my nose, perch one leg over the other, and smile enjoying the undiluted happiness blossoming inside me. I tilt my head to him, as he props on his side, his head resting on his palm. “About last night . . . was it too much? Are you okay, Bria?”
“I’d tell you if it’s too much and I can’t handle it.”
He snatches my glasses away, and our eyes lock. Relief surges through him, and his hand shelters mine. “Promise. I would hate to put you through unnecessary anguish, push your limits and overwhelm you . . . I don’t want to be that person ever again.”
I get up and kneel on the sand cupping his face. His guilt tugs at my heart.
“Let go of your fear of losing me for me. I promise. Don’t worry. Every day gets easier. Although what I feel toward you and everything between us is intense, I don’t wish it otherwise.”
He sits and pats the spot in front of him. I plop down into a crossed-legged position.
“Where were you? I even hired private detectives to find you. It drove me mad not knowing where you were. I was sick with worry. Don’t do that again. Whatever it is, don’t leave me aga
in.”
“There’s one more thing.”
His entire body goes rigid beside me. He sure feels it won’t be pleasant. If it weren’t serious, I would’ve smiled at how good we still read each other. It gives me hope we’ll overcome everything together.
I nudge myself and gather my courage. There’s no going back. I find his eyes and say, “I wasn’t coming back. I left you that day knowing I would never see you again. I hated it, but I’d stick to my plan.”
A mix of horror and hurt transform his features. He glances up at the sky, his muscled arms flex, his Adam’s apple bobs as emotions play rampant inside me.
“What changed?”
“Quinn.”
He runs a hand down his face, and his jaw twitches. “Why him? Not that I’m not grateful, but I don’t understand.”
“He found that video. Watching it set off something in me even though I didn’t want to acknowledge it. That night we shared healed some parts of me, too, but I knew there were few chances my heart would survive. I left because I wanted to spare you from seeing me die before your eyes.” His eyes flicker with incredulity, and he threads his finger through his black hair sparkling in the sun. “I did what I thought was the right thing to do. When Quinn saw me the next morning, he presented me the one thing I couldn’t say no to.”
“And that was?”
“A possibility of coming back to you. He found a clinic in Tokyo. The director said he’d operate on me. He was the only viable solution.”
My voice quivers at the admission of how slim my chances of surviving were. He gathers me in his arms and presses me to his chest. He kisses the top of my head, his fingers stroking my back.
“But you made it through. You’re here with me now.”
I rest my head over his shoulder, and my fingers draw hearts over his chest.
“Damien, about my heart.” His fingers halt on my back and he plants his lips on top of my head.
“You’ll grow old, baby.” I force some tears back, praying, forever hoping, more for his sake than mine. He keeps caressing the line of my spine, while I continue.
“I saw your face shortly before the narcotics kicked in. You asked me to come back. I opened my mouth to answer you, but no words came out. The weakness dragged me into darkness, and I thought that was it. But then I woke up, and I promised myself I would come back and fight my way back to the hearts of all the people I let down. Plus, your threat motivated me too.”
He tips my chin up to find his eyes shine with sincerity.
“I hate that I had to use threats.”
“It wouldn’t have worked any other way. I’m sure I would’ve postponed coming back. Perhaps I’d never have found the courage to face you at all.”
“I heard you calling him Dad. I don’t get it, though.”
I tilt my head and answer him. “He might not be my father by blood, but I still consider him a father. I love him. My relationship with him is special. I treasure it. He’s always been there for me. Therefore, I didn’t give up the fight to begin with. He taught me everything. I’m the professional I am because of him.”
“That’s why you mastered all my impossible tasks. How it maddened me the way you never complained but achieved even better results.”
“We’ve challenged each other pretty well if you look at what we accomplished these last years. The company expanded more in four years than in the last twenty-six. We make a good team.”
“He still took you away.”
I grip his chin between my thumb and forefinger and tilt his head.
“It was my decision. He holds no blame.”
“Still, he took you away from me.”
“The sentiment is mutual as he also blames you.”
“A point we both agree on.”
His guilt breaks me. I press our interlaced hands over my chest. “Look at me. It wasn’t your fault. We were victims of a deceitful scheme. We can’t say it was worth going through what we did, but here we are, stronger than ever, building a life together.”
“It’s the only thing that keeps me from staying here with you and not seeking retribution right away.”
“Vengeance won’t give us the time or everything else we lost.”
His eyes burn with determination. “For starters, I will remove her from the company and exclude her from our lives.”
His tone sinks to threatening. I relent, for now. Maybe it’s the least we can do for our well-being. Sad but true, my cousin betrayed me while two strangers took me in and gave me a family. So, no, there are times and situations when blood isn’t thicker than water.
“Okay.” I suppress a smile when his eyes widen, and his mouth drops. I’m sure he expected a fight, but sometimes, a compromise does wonders.
“I’d have still gone through with my plan with or without your approval.”
I roll my eyes at him. As if I didn’t know him. One last confession slips my lips.
“I was in Zürich the last two months.”
I admit it and hug myself. Shock transforms his face and he shuts his eyes but not before I notice the pain engraved in them. Long minutes pass while I chew on my lips, my gaze following the endless blue spreading to my eyes.
“Why? Just why? Make me understand.”
My head and shoulders sag, and I pick at a seashell.
“I had to. It wasn’t only my heart I needed to heal; it was also my mind. I’ve spent years being numb, locked in by my depression. It’s a long time, and it takes a long process to overcome it. I had to do it by myself. Quinn wasn’t there, and Alex had no clue at all. I had to find out who I am, what type of person I wish to become for myself for once, gaining some independence. I wanted to be relatively well for me and for when I’d see you again. But like always, the moment I saw you, I came undone.”
“Tell me the truth.”
“You won’t like it.”
He sends me a knowing look, mumbling, “Oh, I’m sure I won’t like it, but we agreed I was the big bad masochist a while ago.”
He lifts my chin with his thumb, and I choke on my next words, “I was coming back strictly for our families and the company. Afterward, I’d have simply gone back to the States to lead the division we would establish.”
I blurt it all out, and my ears prickle with the biggest lie I made myself believe. He jumps to his feet, his hands clasp his head, his pained eyes pierce me, and my heart bleeds. My heart squeezes in panic, and I hush.
“Please, Damien, don’t . . . don’t leave me.”
His feet dig into the sand as he drops to his knees in front of me. He cups my face, his eyes blazing with sincerity.
“Even if I wanted to, it’d be fucking impossible for me to free my heart from your grip.” He dabs the tears gathered in the corners of my eyes with his thumb, and I lean my face in his palm.
“I lied to myself for so long. I really believed it was the only reason. But for me, it’s always been you. Don’t be mad at me. The only truth there is, I’m irreversibly yours. It’s you, it’s always been you. How can I prove it to you?”
He rests his forehead on mine, and his voice turns gravelly. “Two things, just two things I still need from you. First, make a promise never to leave me. We’ll fight, we’ll face whatever life throws at us next. I’m not an easy man, I am sure I’ll give you plenty of reasons to be mad at me, but don’t leave me. Stay with me.”
The emotions clamp my throat, so I nod instead. He gathers me in his arms as I cradle him, and our eyes lock. His eyes light up with a wish, and his fingers glide down my arm. “One day I’ll ask you a question, Bria. I want you to answer it with a yes. Can you? Will you say yes despite me being the way I am, but absolutely and irrevocably in love with you?”
My heart hammers in my chest. Did he insinuate what I think he did? A heatwave crashes on me, and I beam.
Are we really getting our second chance?
“I’ll never leave you again. I’ll answer your elusive question with a yes.”
He sla
ms his lips on mine, gluing my world to his.
This man, and his love . . . I’ll never be more mine than his.
BRIA
The next days unfold like a dream as we laugh, play, and make love from sweet to rough. His love heals and fulfills my deepest desires while he blows the dark shadow on my heart away. He breathes life into my being and ignites a never-ending light source that bursts with life.
As I lay in his arms, his fingers slide down my back. The four-poster bed drapes flutter with the breeze swishing through our room, and melancholy enfolds me.
“I don’t want to leave this place.”
He kisses my temple, pressing me to his chest. “I’ll build you the same happy place at home, Bria. I promise it.”
“I just need you.”
“You have me, baby, but we still need a home.”
“That place is in your arms.”
My words beckon a smile from him as he cocoons me. The day before his twenty-seventh birthday, I wake up earlier and tiptoe to the door as I glance at him over my shoulder. His chest rises and falls in steady, even breaths. I didn’t wake him up. Good.
I find the cook on the other side of the island and tell him about my surprise. His warm amber eyes light up with delight as I ask him to prepare seven mini cakes I’ll pick up shortly before midnight and a bottle of Dom Perignon.
I wear a satisfied grin as I stroll back. When I peer through the door, he rubs the sleep away, and grumbles, “Where were you?”
I put my hands on my waist and arch my eyebrows. “Aren’t we a little over-demanding today?”
He smirks and winks at me.
“Always when it comes to you. Come here.” He pats the spot next to him, but I bite down on my lower lip and shake my head. I am in a playful mood.
I burst through the door and run downstairs, my heart speeding in my chest, while his steps ring in my ears. From the corners of my eyes I peek at his glistening bare chest wearing green swim shorts as he runs after me.
I yank the door open and sprint outside. My laughter echoes through the line of palms as sand sprouts around. I squeal when he lifts me off the ground and pins me to the next palm tree.
Healing Love: A Billionaire Romance (Forever Us Book 2) Page 13