“One step at a time. Let’s try that for once.”
He throws his head back, his eyes burrow into the sky, and says, “It’ll never work, though, baby. Not for us. If we do things my way, we’ll move in together for starters.”
My eyes bulge out, and a cough rolls up my throat as he stares at me, pain crossing his face.
“You have to be joking,” I say, and he grabs my hands in his as we switch to face each other.
“I’ve never been more serious about something.”
“First, I’d never move in with you in that penthouse of yours. Second, I have one I share with Alex, and I intend to stay in it. Stability, Damien, I need it.”
His body stiffens, and his jaw sets. “Alexander can offer you stability, but I can’t? How should I take what you said?”
“I’m used to living with him. That place, I made it a home. You can’t expect me to leave. No, mine is safe, just thinking of all the women you brought there . . . I don’t even want to go inside yours.”
His features cloud, and his jaw twitches. “Is it my penthouse, you moving in with me, or the fact you don’t want to leave Alexander? Let me tell you the latter would be the most disturbing one.”
“Don’t make me feel guilty when you’re still engaged.”
His eyebrows shoot up while he runs his hands through his hair. “I have a fake engagement. How many times do I have to repeat myself, so you’ll accept it?”
“Fake or not, you sent invitations, and everyone received them.” My body shivers with the reminder, and he gathers me in his arms, his voice softening.
“Bria, baby, I know I fucked up and bad, but I need you to believe me that everything was fake on my end.”
I squeeze my hands into his chest as the pain tears at me. “And then what, one day to the next, bam, we’re together. What would that make of me exactly? The one who stole her cousin’s fiancé?” I yank myself from his embrace and spring to my feet. I dig my hands into the railing, bending over as I inhale the mix of salty ocean air and greens, some comfort finding its way back. The swing halts as he stomps his feet into the wood, desperation lacing his words.
“Like I give a damn what everyone thinks.”
“But I do, Damien. Please, I still have my issues. It’s too soon.”
He rises to his feet, his nostrils flaring, his eyes burning with passion. “What do you want then? A dirty little affair? Because I won’t accept us living in secrecy. I love you. I want the entire world to know, not hide you. Wasn’t it what disturbed you, and now it’s you who proposes it? I can’t keep up with you.”
“Then we won’t see each other for a while.”
He blinks and arches his eyebrows at me. His back slides down, his eyes boring into mine. “Are you out of your damn mind? I’ve spent seven years without you. Seven. Long. Hell as fuck years, Bria. I don’t want a day to go by without you by my side.”
“You survived it. It won’t kill you to make it through another few months.”
“Months? Give me another solution, or we’ll stay here until you get it through that stubborn head of yours, I won’t live without you.”
His determination echoes through me and the ferocity burns the steel of his eyes to liquid. A deranged part of me loves the way he fights for me, but what he asks from me is crazy. Like either of us is an example of saneness.
This is us. I’m not here to please other people but live my life, and my responsibility starts with myself, with being happy. I intertwine our hands, and our eyes lock in the middle as the love ripples between us.
“Then move in with me.”
A myriad of emotions flash in his eyes, as he asks, “With you and Alexander?”
I purse my lips and grip his chin. “Stop it and stop being obstinate.”
Damien crooks his head and pinches his nose. “Let’s say I accept, although I’m not very pleased with your type of compromising, how long do you want me to live and accept the love triangle?” He bursts my bubble with his irony dripping from his lips. Anger simmers inside me as I wave my hands in exasperation.
“Love triangle? Oh, you’re such an idiot. I need you to get along with him. He’ll be a huge part of my life and ours. I won’t give up on him, never, not even for you. Maybe it’s difficult, but Alex and I, we’re family.”
“You’ve no idea how fucked-up this not only looks but is . . .” He drags a lungful of air and crams his fists into his pockets. “It won’t be forever, though.”
“Just until things are all right. Afterward, we can move in together.”
“Where I want, and only the two of us?”
“No, Damien, with an entire zoo. Of course, only the two of us . . . but until then, there are a few relationships I need to mend.” He backtracks and drops on the lounge. I straddle him, lock my hands around his neck, and my nose caresses his. “Hey, I’m yours, but I need time, more time, okay?”
A battle rages inside him, and he rests his forehead on mine. “I concede because of your well-being. It’s something I would never dare to cross again.”
I place kisses over his face and whisper, “Thank you.”
“I’ve lost my mind to accept this nonsense.”
I snuggle myself to him and roll my eyes, answering with false compassion, “A life together will be enough to make up for all these sacrifices you make in the name of love.”
He grips my waist and asks, “Are you making fun of me?”
“I wouldn’t dare.” He snorts, and laughter escapes me. “You’re hilarious when you behave like this.”
He peers at me through his black lashes. “Like what?”
“Like I took your favorite toy and said you’re getting it back when you behave, but there lies the problem, in your behavior. So you become furious all over again because you want the toy.”
“Love, you should’ve taken psychology courses instead.”
I smack him on the chest. When our eyes connect, my world explodes in fireworks.
He burrows his head between my breasts and runs his fingers up and down my legs. “I crave you with the same survival instinct as my lungs need air to keep me alive.”
I cup his face, and the truth of his words shines in his eyes. “You have me. I’m here. I’m yours.”
He presses me to him, draws his nose up my neck, and kisses the spot under my ear. “It won’t work. We’ll speed things up at full force like we’re used to.” I slide my hands up his chest, the heat and his heart pounding grounding me as I lay my head on his shoulder.
“The speed isn’t my problem, but the walls we have to climb first are. I don’t want to race full speed into a wall.”
“Neither do I. Forgive me?”
“Look at us coming to an agreement. This is huge progress. We might have a future.” He throws his head back and grunts, his hands squeezing around me, and I muffle a smile.
“Don’t be ludicrous, of course, we do.”
He pulls me to him, and he trails kisses from my cheek down my neck, and goose bumps erupt while I moan.
“When do you want to move in?”
He nibbles down my neck and answers, “Right away.” His fingers crawl up my back, branding me with his possession.
“Why doesn’t it surprise me? We’ll land in Zürich on Thursday night. You can come over to check it out if it suits you.”
He bites down on my cheek and counters, “Right, as the only thing I have in mind is if it suits me.”
Nervousness blossoms inside me and I fidget. He stills, and I blurt out, “I need some time for myself.”
He snaps his head to the side, his jaw sets, and his arms flex. “To spend it with Alexander?”
I grip his face, and my eyes bore into him. “He needs me too, and I’ve missed him. We haven’t seen each other in over three months. Plus, I have to inform him first we’ll have a new roommate.”
“I’m sure it’ll please him to know he doesn’t stand a chance with you anymore.”
“If you both try, you’ll beco
me friends.” He opens his mouth but then purses his lips. Smart man, and then he raises his hands in surrender.
“As long as he doesn’t try to steal what’s mine, I’ll behave.”
“Yours, ha?” He challenges me with his steely eyes to disagree, and I suppress a smile. “I have a good feeling about you two.”
“I agree to disagree, but I’ll do anything for you.” He unbuttons my shirtdress, the lust and raw carnal passion sparkling in his dilated pupils wash over me, and I throw my head back. “Let me lose myself in you now.”
His words send lightning bolts through my system. He carries me to the bed then we tumble in the sheets, seeking to relieve the insatiable need for the other. We make love until there’s no inch the other didn’t mark.
I’m confident we’ve progressed in our relationship on every sweet level.
BRIA
The sun peers through the four-poster bed’s drapes, and I peel my eyes open, and they halt on him. Damien’s tanned skin glistens in the morning sun, and my eyes well up, all the emotions pouring out of me. His body envelops me as he cocoons us under the sheets.
“I love you so much,” I whisper. He squeezes me to his chest as he burrows his stubbled chin in my neck.
“You’re my entire world, baby. You, only you, my entire world in one person, one woman, you. No one else, not then, not ever.”
We grab something to eat and amble outside hand in hand to the boat bobbing on the shore. As the boat splits the waves, the island remains a tiny spot in my vision. I’ll never forget this place, the witness of us embracing our love in full force, to starting a future together. I nestle myself to his chest, and his arms shelter me in.
As if reading my mind, he says, “We’ll discover the world together, Bria. I’m sure we’ll come here again. I promise.” I crane my neck, and he lowers his lips on mine.
“I’m just being emotional. These two weeks and this place gave us something back. I guess I’m grateful for everything.”
We reach land, and he hops out of the boat. He extends his arms and carries me over. We reach the airport, and Andrea greets us, her entire facial expression turning to relief. Her lips curl into a genuine smile as we approach her hand in hand. “Now you see why we call this place magical?”
We smile at each other, aware of how true her words are, and I rave, “We had a lovely time. Thank you for everything.”
Damien nods at her. With a switch, he becomes a solemn person. I have an entirely different Damien all to myself.
We enter the jet, and my body rocks with amusement.
“Two weeks ago, I didn’t even look at you. We were so mad at each other, and now I can’t imagine an inch of distance between us.”
He twirls me, and I crash into his chest. “My plan exactly, but it was you who denied the contact between us.”
“You big baby.” I pout, tap his lips, and his eyes crinkle with happiness.
A throat clearing startles me. “Eleanor, if we want something, we’ll call you.” I dismiss her while Damien chuckles at me making a clear statement over him. He walks us backward, and I squeal as we tumble on the couch. We spend the next ten hours caressing each other, kissing, even trying to watch one movie from beginning to end, which proves to be an impossible task. We give up and try to sleep instead. But every time I wake up from a nap, I catch his gaze focused on me in utter bewilderment, and I caress his jaw.
“Baby, take a nap. It’s a long flight.”
“I like to look at you peacefully asleep in my arms.”
“I sleep best in your arms.”
“And I like it best to hold you, watch over you. I guess we receive what we both want. But now, eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Bria, you have to eat properly.”
My stomach knots realizing he’ll never stop worrying. My illness isn’t a dream nor an illusion. He never worried if I ate before. I ate when I was hungry. Nothing’s changed in my eating habits. I swallow the guilt. Is love supposed to be like this, an endless string of worry?
He calls Eleanor asking for lunch. We eat in silence, and when she returns to pick up the tray, her posture turns to defeat observing me nestled to his chest. He’s mine. He senses my inner victory and shakes his head in disbelief but has the decency not to comment further.
Damien falls asleep, and I follow him.
Later, the pilot announces our imminent landing. We buckle ourselves in and get ready.
***
I stare at the cloudless sky as we amble toward his sports car, engines roaring around us, and people in uniforms rushing around.
We’re home.
Damien places our luggage in the trunk, opens the door, and gestures for me to get in. He kisses me one more time before he presses the start button, and the engine purrs to life. I pull my hair into a bun and ask, “Do you know where I live?” A pensive expression crosses his face, but it disappears, and his lips turn up into a sad smile.
“Occasionally, I would drive by hoping to catch a glimpse of you.”
I stare at him, and my mouth drops. He shrugs. “I’m a masochist, what can I say?”
I set my palm on his knee, and he turns his head toward me.
“Now, you can catch more than a glimpse.”
His mouth quirks up, and he leans over the center console. “Yes, I can.”
Damien speeds through the familiar streets, while I call Alex.
“Hi. I’ll be home in about fifteen minutes. I’m also bringing a guest.” My eyes dart to my smartphone as the seconds tick by, and I call his name a second time, “Alex?”
“Why? I mean already? Good. Thanks for letting me know,” he stammers. What’s going on with him?
“Did you hit your head or something?”
“Yes, right. So, let me guess, I have to behave.”
“Yes, it’s mandatory.”
“Then tell lover boy he could do the same.”
Damien’s knuckles turn white on the wheel, and his jaw sets.
“He will.”
“Good then. See you soon.”
Something’s off, he’s behaving strangely.
“What’s wrong?” Damien asks, confusion stretching in his eyes.
“I don’t know.”
He places his hand on my leg, and the intimacy awakens goose bumps over my body. His face radiates with love. Which puts an end to my worry about how Damien and Alex would interact and for whatever Alex is keeping from me.
***
As Damien pulls the car into the parking lot, I crane my neck to eye the familiar building. I fidget during the entire elevator ride. I halt only when his lips graze mine, and my mind clears of the thousand thoughts filtering in.
The doors ding open, and I spot him, his hands tucked in his pockets, his lean upper body covered in a black shirt. He smiles at me and I rush and jump in his arms. I missed him. Expressing my feelings for him is refreshing. They’re long overdue for my rock and best friend.
“I missed you like crazy. Don’t do that again,” he chastises me.
I roll my eyes at him and whine, “You’re such a drama queen.”
He lifts a finger between us. “If, then King . . .”
His easy-going way is why I cherish his company. The pillar of our relationship is that we accept the other as we are.
I glance back at Damien’s scrunched-up face, and my stomach clenches. Why can’t he see that there’s nothing romantic between us? Alex is part of my family, but Damien is my world. He unshackles himself, and his posture switches to acceptance. They grumble a greeting under their breath and shake hands.
“Behave.” I point at them and walk through the door. My heels click on the black hardwood floors, and my fingers graze the perfect sugar-white walls. I take a tour of my home as I pass through the two master bedrooms, two adjoining rooms, a guest bathroom, a huge terrace overlooking Zürich Lake, and the open living room separated from the kitchen with a bar. Grays and burgundies, the white leather couch, and the light-gr
ay hangings on the window greet me. All the furniture shines in spotless white. I watch through the floor-to-ceiling windows, how life happens in slow motion. The view over the city is the best about our home, every time I lose myself in the spectacular skyline.
A light womanly scent, a very particular one, lingers discretely in the air, but I shake the incredulous thought away. It must be another woman. I notice two empty glasses of wine on the kitchen table. So, she left before we arrived. I turn toward Alex as his eyes roll out their sockets. He rushes and tosses them in the dishwasher.
“Fuck, I forgot about these two.”
“You had company?”
His eyes dart from me to Damien, and his tone drops to serious. “You don’t want to have this conversation right now.”
Alex rubs his chin, mortification transforming his face. Is he nervous? Guilt crawls up his defined cheeks, and he reddens. I can’t be sure, though, as I never witnessed him like this.
“What is it?” I ask, but when I find his eyes pleading with me, I nod and purse my lips.
He waves between Damien and me. “Are you two good again? I never counted on seeing you both standing in the same room and not wanting to hurt each other with sadness.”
“Sensitive as always.”
“Seeing you two playing the same tragedy every damn time, not fun.”
“The sad show is over. You’ll need to find another form of entertainment,” Damien replies, his tone dropping to icy. He sets his hands on my shoulders, and I place my hands on his, and we smile in understanding at each other. He scans Alex as if seeking hidden intentions. I wish to say there are none, but it would be futile. He’ll find out soon enough.
“I’ll drink to that. Who’s in?” He rushes, pops open a wine bottle while I grab three wineglasses.
“I’ll take one.”
While Alex pours the wine, Damien whispers, and squeezes my shoulders, “Don’t forget what you promised.”
“One glass, Damien, celebration, remember?” I caress his hand, and he gives in.
“Should I get tissues? This is so freaking emotional.”
Healing Love: A Billionaire Romance (Forever Us Book 2) Page 15