Unlikely To Fall In Love

by Esmeralda, Debie

  “Okay. Finish your cinnamon roll and we can leave.” That was all I was able to reply for the sweet words he just told me.

  He smiled at me behind his cinnamon roll and I could not help but smile back. He was the most romantic man I know and I was not worthy of his attention, even just a tiny portion of it.

  An hour later, we were strolling along the streets of Manhattan. We were walking side by side and I could not help but feel self-conscious next to Damon. Everyone was staring at us, at him.

  He was wearing a white button down shirt and jeans that fitted his lean legs and tight butt perfectly like it has been made only for him to wear. I, on the other hand, wore this clothes I had when I arrived at his penthouse earlier. It was a floral blouse, skinny jeans and a pair of flat shoes. I kept my hair in a ponytail.

  Damon was the epitome of perfection despite the casualness of his attire and I was…I did not know how people saw me through their eyes, but I knew I did not fitted to be Damon’s shopping companion.

  “What’s wrong?” Damon asked.

  I looked up at him and saw he was staring at me with concern that it kind of made his eyes a lighter shade of blue. I looked down again, still loathing myself, who was I to be walking next to him? Who was I to deserve his concern?

  “Hey, tell me.” He grabbed my shoulders and made me stop. He forced me to face him.

  We were standing in the middle of the Manhattan sidewalk, with people staring at us, facing each other. I could not look into his handsome face or his beautiful eyes so I continued lowering down my face to avoid his stare.

  He placed his finger under my chin and made me look into his eyes. “Hey, you can tell me. I want to know what’s bothering your mind.”

  “It was nothing. Drop it.” I couldn’t tell him that I was ashamed of myself. I didn’t deserve being accompanied by someone like him.

  “I won’t drop it if you’re like a dead person walking next to me. You didn’t even try to make small talk with me.” He said before his eyes widened. “Are you ashamed to be with me?” His voice was small, closed to whisper.

  “What?” I gaped at him.

  Was he for real? He thought I was ashamed to be seen with him? He was the billionaire here, not me. I was just a hooker lucky to be picked up by him.

  “If you are ashamed to be seen with me, you can tell me. I’m fine with it.” He assured me.

  “Are you nuts?” I said. “You’re Damon Rhodes for shouting out loud. Why would I be ashamed to be seen with you?” I looked down at my feet again. “You should be the one ashamed to be seen with someone like me.” I murmured.

  “Why would you think of that?” He said in hard tone. He made me stare into his eyes again with his fingers under my chin. “I will never be ashamed to go out with the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life.” He said, the blue of his eyes shone and softened.

  “Thanks for the considerate words, but you didn’t have to tell me those.” I removed his grip in my chin and looked away. “And besides everyone staring at us is contradicting that thought.”

  He grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. His grip was strong and firm and I knew if I tried to remove my hand from his, he would just grip harder. His action took me by surprise so I stared at him. I stared straight into those beautiful eyes of his, moved by what I saw.

  Admiration…and love perhaps? I didn’t know. His eyes were full of these indescribable emotions that took my breath away.

  “I don’t care what the hell people think.” He said as he gently tugged me to continue our stroll. He stared straight ahead of us as we walked. “All I care is to be with you.”

  I literally felt the blush crept into my face, the butterflies fluttered inside my stomach and my heart swelled even bigger.

  How could this romantic man be for real?

  He was just too good to be true.

  We entered the boutique of a well-known New York designer, which to my knowledge sold each of his gowns for five hundred dollars or more. Did you hear me? Five hundred dollars! That was a lot of money. That was equivalent to six or seven costumers to have sex with if you were in the same line of work as I was.

  A happy salesperson approached and stared at us, more on Damon, as she waited for me to choose. She blushed the moment Damon smiled, at me but maybe she thought it was for her, and spoke in that lovely voice of his.

  “Try whatever you like. I’ll wait for you here.” He said.

  “But―”

  “No buts. Go, try some gowns.” He pushed me towards a row of silver gowns. “And don’t you dare look at the price tags.”

  The sales woman reluctantly left Damon to help me out with the gowns. I tried everything that I thought would suit the event. I modeled it in front of Damon and doing so was kinda crazy, it was hard to find a piece that would get his approval.

  “How about this ma’am?” The sales woman asked.

  I turned around from the hangers I was checking out, and was captivated. I immediately, without second thoughts, tried the gown and showed it to Damon.

  He stared at me as if I was the most beautiful woman in the world, that I was the only person in the room. He always made me felt beautiful.

  The one I tried was an old rose evening gown that complimented my light coloring perfectly. The sweetheart neckline gave my cleavage a decent amount to show off. The fit was amazing. It followed the line of every curve in my body like a glove. All in all, I knew without a doubt that this was the winner.

  I stood in front of the large head-to-toe mirror and admired the gown fitting my body like it was made for me. Somehow, it made me felt like I was a princess. And before I knew it, Damon already stepped behind me.

  We stared into each other’s eyes in the mirror for a very long time. I had no idea what time it was now. He looked perfect and handsome and I was so glad that I met him. He made me feel like I was special with all the attention he was giving me.

  “You are so beautiful.” He said.

  He was way too close to me. His lips were almost touching my ear. I could smell his expensive perfume. I could feel the warmth of his breath, and the heat of his body through the layers of the gown.

  It was just him and me, I think.

  The world had closed off.

  All I saw was Damon and I.

  Together.

  If that could possibly happen.

  It felt like as if we were in a private bubble, where he and I…were possible. My focus was on him and his lips and his eyes, everything turned silent. I couldn’t hear the rest of the world anymore. But I could definitely hear the beating of my heart.

  Lub…Dub…Lub…Dub…

  Every beat of my heart, was for Damon.

  “You should choose this one.” He said.

  God, those lips, I wanted to kiss them, felt them against mine.

  “Ma’am?” The sales woman behind us interrupted, bursting our private bubble. How dared she interrupt the moment? “Are you taking that one?” She asked.

  I tried to hide my irritation as I stared at her. “Yes. I will take this. Thank you.”

  ~***~

  “Are you ready?” Damon knocked on the other side of the closed bedroom door for the fourth time.

  “I am.” I answered.

  I stared at my reflection one last time. The gown was perfect, superb. I was not sure if I could do it justice. It was too elegant for a hooker like me, and it cost two thousand dollars. Yep, two thousand freaking dollars! Could you believe it?

  Okay, I kind of snuck a glance at the price tag earlier before Damon tore it off. And I blanched, from my scalp down to the tip of my toe, it was just too expensive.

  “Wow.” Damon gushed, interrupting my internal thoughts.

  “You like it?” I asked. I felt so proud of what I have done.

  I let my hair fell around my shoulders in loose waves with the helped of a curling iron to give it volumes. I did a smoky eye makeup and then swiped light pink gloss on my lips to balance the look. I felt
so pretty and sexy with the outcome.

  “You are so beautiful, Amanda.” He said as he walked towards me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his hands on my belly.

  We stared at each other in the mirror again, and this time both of our eyes was shining with unexplained emotions. For a moment, I looked like a girl who was fit to be with Damon Rhodes, because the dress somehow made me looked classy and elegant. And the way he looked at me made me feel like I was the most beautiful woman in the world.

  “Ready to go?” He asked.

  I nodded.

  At the party, many of the guests knew Damon. They greeted him on the way, some even tried to corner him for his opinion or just do a small chit chat. That left me alone for a while so I decided to check the banquet, checked what they were serving there.

  I guessed I made the wrong decision.

  “You look like you didn’t come from the streets, Amanda.” A familiar irritating voice said.

  I turned around and saw Christine as magnificently gorgeous and irritating as she was the last time we faced each other. She was wearing a black asymmetrical gown and her blonde hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. Her lips were stained hot red and the rest of her makeup kept light. She was the epitome of classic beauty.

  “The gown looks good on you.” She complimented, but it kind of sounded fake in my ears.

  Then something sank in my head, something she just said earlier.

  You look like you didn’t come from the streets, Amanda.

  “I don’t know how much he is paying you. I have no idea why does he have to hire a prostitute to accompany him. Heck, I have no idea why he brings you to high-class events like this one.” She said as she ran her eyes up and down my body. From head to toe then back to my head again.

  “Maybe, you were so great in bed that he couldn’t seem to stop himself from boasting you to his friends. Bet he’s making referrals now.” She smirked.

  How I wanted to scratch that smirk out of her irritating face!

  “I’ve done my research, and it turned out you are not quite as innocent and pure as you possess in public. That you work at night to please some random man for a dollar.” Christine said knowingly.

  As if, she knew me.

  “Christine.” A hissed interjected us before a hand snaked around my waist.

  I stared up to Damon’s tensed face and he did not looked pleased with something, perhaps with Christine.

  “Damon.” Christine said. “Why do you keep on bringing that gold digger? Don’t you know what her work is?” Her tone was raising a few octaves higher, like listening to nails beings scratched on a chalkboard.

  “I am very much aware, but thanks for the concern.” Damon said coldly.

  “Damon, your reputation would be on the line if this leaks on the tabloids.”

  “It won’t, if you won’t spill it to them.”

  “I won’t.” She said, wounded, before staring at me with disgust on her beautiful face. “But Damon she is a prostitute. She might even have Chlamydia in her.”

  “Okay, that’s enough!” Damon growled. “Stay away from Amanda, Christine or I’ll haul you out of this place if I have to do it myself.” The anger in his voice was palpable that even I jerked at the same time as Christine did.

  She stared at him as if he just punched her in the gut. Then she gave me one last pissed off stare before finally leaving me alone. The nerve of that girl!

  “Are you alright?” Damon asked me. He scanned my face with pure concern in his blue eyes.

  “I am. Thank you, but you didn’t have to defend me.”

  “I will defend you to whoever tries to hurt you. I will protect you from narrow minded people like Christine.” He said softly.

  How could a man like this exist in the real world?

  “Come.” He grabbed my hand and intertwined it with his. “I won’t let you out of my sight again.”

  And my heart just swelled with more love.

  My feelings for Damon just grow and grow nonstop, and I did not know if I could accommodate it enough inside of me. It felt like everything inside the chambers of my heart was push aside and only my love for him remained intact.

  ~***~

  We returned around at two in the morning from the party and I was exhausted. My feet was hurt, Manolo Blahnik really killed my feet.

  I plopped down heavily on the couch the moment my eyes saw them, it felt like heaven to sit and put my feet up on the ottoman. Then Damon sat on the edge of the ottoman and removed my shoes one by one. I stared at him and he smiled sweetly back at me.

  Swoon!

  He rubbed my aching soles and I threw my head back as I enticed each press of his fingers on my foot. He gave a great foot massage. He was so perfect. I have no idea how a billionaire knew to massage a foot. Then I blushed as a thought crossed my mind, maybe he did this all the time and not just to me.

  “I didn’t like what Christine did to you. I am going to talk to her parents about her behavior.” He said as he continued on pressing the muscles of my sole.

  A little to the left, oh great, it was just like having an orgasm.

  “You don’t have to talk to her parents.” I said, the only words I was able to form in my incoherent brain.

  “But she was way out of the line. She even hired an investigator to know your personal background.” He said with hostility.

  “It’s the truth. I am a hooker. You are paying me. And whatever I wear I’ll always have that big signboard flashing on my head indicating I am a gold digger.” I shrugged despite the pleasure I was experiencing.

  “Don’t say that.” He lightly scolded me and halted from massaging my foot.

  “I was just stating the facts.” I could not help but pout. I wanted to those hands on my foot.

  “I don’t want to hear you say those words again.” He scolded me again in a very hard tone.

  “Damon―” I started but he cut me off.

  “Amanda, listen. It is none of their business if I am paying you to come with me. It is not their problems if I bring you to goddamn wherever I wanted to bring you.” He said.

  “Look, I’m just saying―” I started again, but he cut me off, again.

  “Amanda, I hate them for trying to hurt you. I will do everything I can to protect you from those people. I do not want you to feel self-loathing. I wanted to make you smile. I wanted to be everything you need.” He moved closer and cupped my face in between his hands. He stared into my eyes so deep I thought I was drowning in his blue depths. “Because, I love you.”

  Nine

  I blinked. My world stopped revolving. My breathing hitched. My heart jumped. My throat has gone dry. My brain stopped processing. I just stared at him, not believing what I just heard.

  Did I hear him right? Or was I imagining things? Maybe I was still asleep in the limousine, better woke myself now before I could not wake up anymore.

  “Amanda, did you hear me?” He said. His voice was lovely and warm, and I didn’t know, sincere maybe. He was a like a dream talking to me while I was asleep. “I love you.” He said the words again.

  He loves…me?

  He. Loves. Me.

  I laughed, laughed like a loony person. Oh God, someone should admit me in an asylum. STAT.

  “You are laughing at my declaration of love for you?” He said, wounded, obviously by my laughing.

  “Is this a joke? You are good at it. You got me there.” I playfully smacked his forearm. Wow, he really got me with that one.

  “I was serious.” He said in the most serious demeanor.

  I stared at him, and boy, he did looked serious. Oh no. He really must have been serious and I laughed at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. I thought it was just a joke, but―”

  “Now you can see that I was serious? I was serious. I love you, I really do.” He said the words again and it filled my ears with warmth and alarm.

  “How? Why?” I murmured in the smallest voice I have.

&nbs
p; “Amanda, what’s not to love?” He said. “You are beautiful, funny and sexy. You work really hard. You make great pastries.” Love and affection filled those blue eyes of his. “You always put a smile on my face. I am comfortable with you. I cannot stop from thinking about you. I want to be with you twenty-four seven. I am happy when I am with you.”

  I opened my mouth but then closed them again like a fish out of the aquarium. I didn’t know what to say. His words were, indescribable.

  “My heart speaks of your name. My brain remembers your face. You felt so good to me. You complete me. You were like that thing that I have no idea I have been missing all throughout my life.” His heart was on his eyes as he said those beautiful words to me.

  What did I do to be love by this perfect man?

  He leaned further and planted a kiss on my lips. It was a chaste safe kiss. No man has ever kissed me the way he did. But when he did kiss me, fireworks started exploding in my head. I could no longer think straight, all I knew was the feel of his soft lips molding into mine.

  I slowly closed my eyes as I took in the kiss. It was everything I craved for, a kiss that would blew me away, not because it was hot and steamy but because it felt good, so good that I have no idea how to get enough of it.

  He pulled away from the kiss and I couldn’t help but groan inwardly.

  Please, do not stop. I wanted to feel your lips on mine again.

  I slowly opened my eyes and saw him staring at me. We stared at each other like there was no tomorrow. His eyes trapped me in this kind of magic I knew I wouldn’t be able to escape. Everything about him trapped me inside. He was everything I have been longing for.

  A guy who would love me for who I was.

  A guy who would look at me in a different perspective.

  We moved closer again and resumed the kiss. This time it was different. It was not the chaste safe kiss he planted on my lips before, this time it was full of hunger and passion. An all-consuming kiss that would blow your mind off.

  My eyes automatically shut closed as I devoured each kiss, but I could see in my head his face, his oh-so handsome face and, and I was pulled further. Pulled further down the hole that has one way in and no way out. It was dangerous I know, but I could not help it. He was like a drug I have been longing to try and now I finally did.