He takes a step toward me, and I take a step back.
“Alli, the photograph was horrendous. I didn’t like seeing myself that way, especially now that I have you. I’m afraid that if this asshole gets anything through security and you see some of the shit I’ve done, you’re going to run and never look back. That video you saw was nothing in comparison to what he could have given you.”
Ugh, I do not want any details for my imagination to play with. “That’s never going to happen, Damien. I love you. I can’t imagine my life without you. What matters is what you’ve done since we’ve been together. If I had a more colorful past and then met you, I would hope you could let it be in the past and love me for who I am now.”
I see him flinch as he clearly thinks about me having a pretend colorful past.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, baby.”
He starts toward me again, and I stay where I’m at. I do not like being at odds with him, but he needs to know how I feel about him. He needs to understand how much I love him.
He closes the gap and immediately puts his lips to mine. Of course, my body ignites instantly and responds. He picks me up, and instinctively, I wrap my legs around his waist as my skirt rides up indecently high. I hear his zipper going down, and he pushes into me in one swift movement. He sits me down on the washer and continues to move in and out.
I’m climbing so quickly.
“I will never share you with anyone else. You’re mine forever.”
“Yes, Damien, forever. Harder.”
He continues to thrust faster and faster and grunts. “Alli, baby, come for me. I need this.”
I immediately fall off the cliff, throwing back my head, as he sucks on my neck while spilling into me. Too fast, he pulls out and adjusts my panties back in place. This is the quickest he has ever made love to me before, and it feels more frantic than normal. He turns off the light, and his lips are back on me. He picks me up off the washing machine, and my legs wrap around his waist. Any coherent thoughts I might have had are gone as he carries me out of the laundry room.
Oh, I hope he’s headed to a bedroom.
I’m not nearly satisfied yet. In the dark, I can’t tell where we are as he lets me down and pulls my skirt down over my ass. He continues to work my brain into a frenzy with his mouth. He lays me down on a couch.
It’s not a bed, but it most definitely will do.
Just as I am about to ask him what he’s doing, his lips are on me again, and I couldn’t care less.
He nibbles on my ear and then whispers, “Baby, you’re not going to like what’s about to happen, but you’re covered, okay? I need you to trust me.”
“Mmm…okay.” I am so about to love what is going to happen.
Damien’s hand reaches up, and I hear a flick of the lamp switch.
Lights on or off, I don’t care.
Damien has me pinned in a way that I can’t move at all.
“Damien, please…”
Just then, I hear several gasps outside, and my reality crashes down. A couple of flashes go off in the night outside the window. I freeze and put my face into Damien’s shoulder.
He murmurs in my ear, “Alli, I know you are super pissed at me right now, but it had to look authentic. They only saw your face and legs with how I have you covered.”
I’m going to kill Martin with all those camera stunts. I cannot believe I forgot about what he said.
Immediately, I hear the lamp click off, and I push Damien off of me. “You are pretty much on my shit list today.”
I stand and pull down my skirt when a flash goes off.
“Shit,” I say.
I start to walk off, but he grabs my arm, bringing me closer to him.
“Alli, wait. Think back to what Martin said. Do you really think I want people seeing you possessed by me? Do you not think it scares the shit out of me that it’s going to attract another unwelcome admirer? I want this to be over with. I should have told you my plan. I needed you, and then I knew we were running out of time. I had to keep you in the moment before you started processing it, remembering what Martin said about the cameras.”
I can’t see his face since we are in the dark again, but I hear the agony in his voice. With how possessive he is of me, I know there’s no way he wants people to see me like that. The publicized kiss just about killed him with all the unwelcome attention. With how I was positioned and unable to move, they couldn’t see much. Still, it’s not an excuse.
“Yes, you should have told me.”
He kisses me again. “I’m sorry. Let’s just get through this, and I swear that we will work it out. Bane will take care of the cameras somehow to keep the pictures from getting out.”
“Oh, I have no doubt that we will, and I will make you pay up,” I say as teasingly as possible, but I’m exhausted from all the emotional highs and lows of today.
He pulls me to him, and I let out a deep breath.
“Just play along with whatever I throw our way tonight. I’m going to be improvising. I need to work this hard if the guy is here, baby. I want this over with even though every fiber in my being is telling me to get you the hell out of here.”
I give him a kiss. “Okay, but I want you to explain it to me afterward. Until then, I will be the ever receptive wife.”
He gives me one last kiss as another flash goes off.
Damn those cameras. I might just kill the man out there, holding it.
I groan as Damien pulls me to the door. “You’re going to owe me big time.”
He tensely chuckles, and I’m glad to know that we’ve found our balance again with each other.
As soon as we walk out, two press members along with some of the nosier guests are being blocked by our security. Our security team is probably why they only got a few shots while we were talking. I’m slightly behind Damien, smiling like I just had sex with Mr. Perfect himself, which is true.
We walk briskly to the bathroom where I tidy myself up and try to get my embarrassment under control as quickly as possible. As I’m walking out, Damien is leaning casually against the wall in one of those model poses. His brow is creased as he’s looking at his phone. It’s times like this, when he’s completely absorbed in something, that I see the worry this situation has brought him. My heart softens, and I feel bad for my irritation with him earlier. He’s juggling so much, and he’s just trying to stay afloat, too. He’s doing this all for me.
I immediately walk into his arms and give him a hug. “I love you. I just wanted you to know. Even when I’m irritated, I still love you unconditionally.”
He pulls me tightly to him. “Baby, I love you, too. There isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for you. You are not to leave my sight this evening.”
I nod. He puts his arm lovingly around me as we make our way back to the party. Mentally, I groan. I have a feeling I’m about to have the longest night of my life.
Wow, I am about on the brink of a sexual breakdown. If my thighs were pushed any more tightly against each other, they’d be stuck permanently together. It does nothing to dull the ache that is a roaring fire at this point.
We earn a few stares every once in a while when Damien runs his hand up my exposed leg, kisses my neck in a way that’s almost a sucking motion, or caresses my waist. It has my body instantly responding even if I am trying to tamper down my arousal. His touch is on the verge of inappropriate but not quite there.
What happened out in the pool house only teased us. Damien has basically worked himself into a full-blown hard-on, and I am completely exploiting every chance I get with a bump here and a graze there. Turnabout is only fair play. It’s helping me keep my mind off all the seriousness we are dealing with.
I think Damien’s hoping him touching me so blatantly will infuriate whoever is watching us. My nerves are about shot when I hear the grating voice of his mother behind me. Security asked for us to remain on the outside of the crowd on the edge of the room.
Damien’s mother had th
e nerve to invite some of the key players from his team, like Dustin and Mark to name a couple. I don’t mind Mark, but Dustin rubs me the wrong way. I need to remember to tell Damien about the phone number comment Dustin said to me on the field.
What this woman will do to get publicity is absurd.
I lean into Damien just a little bit, and he hugs me closer to him.
He whispers, “I know, baby. I’m going to take care of your needs as soon as I can. I’m so fucking sorry.”
Oh, but I need those needs taken care of right now. I just slightly nod and take a deep breath. Maybe this woman will douse my libido some and get it back to a more controllable state.
When we turn to face what’s sure to be a train wreck, it’s sad to say that I am not surprised to see Cassandra in tow.
His mother is the first to speak. “Oh, my dear son, I thought you could be a sweetheart and keep Cassandra’s company for a bit while I chat with Allison. I’d love some time with her, so I can introduce her to a few of our friends. You guys have been hanging out over here all night long, and you haven’t had a chance to mingle much.”
Classic.
There is definitely one word I would use to describe his mother, and that is tenacious. She’s just so delusional. I’m trying to be the bigger person and not let this bother me, but it’s hard because she’s reaching my limit when it comes to patience on this topic.
Damien’s grip tightens on me as he responds, “Mother, I will be staying by my wife the entire evening.”
She looks at me with an ever-so-sweet smile on her face. “Allison…”
She takes a somewhat aggressive step toward me, and I immediately back into Damien, not sure what this crazy blonde is doing. She schools her features and becomes calm. Reaching her hand up to her head to pat her hair in place, she inconspicuously looks around. I assume she’s checking to see if anyone saw her crazy behavior. I can tell Damien is unsure of her, too, because he positions his hands to where he could pull me behind him at a moment’s notice.
She lowly asks, “Where did you get that jewelry from?” She’s almost spitting at me as she moves a little closer.
My hand immediately goes to my earrings. “I got these as a wedding present from Damien.”
She looks like she’s swallowed something sour as I finish my sentence.
With her back to the rest of the room, she doesn’t take her eyes off of me as she speaks to her son, “Damien, those look like your grandmother’s, but she didn’t have a bracelet or earrings.”
She is absolutely seething, and I now know where this is going.
Damien calmly responds, “I had those made for Alli to match grandmother’s combs and necklace, which I gave to her as part of her wedding present.”
I want to nudge him for his tone as he is almost taunting his mother to say something else.
The look of disgust on her face increases. She might just rip these off of me if she gets the chance.
Meredith’s eyes go wide. “Do you know how much those are worth? How could you give them to her? They were meant for someone else.”
And we all know whom she is insinuating. She looks around again and gives someone a sweet wave.
What a fake.
Damien immediately pulls me to the side as he speaks at his mother, not caring who sees or hears him, “Mother, back off now, or there will be a scene here. It will ruin this party you’ve supposedly put on in our honor.”
She steps back as if she’s been slapped, still eyeing my jewelry with total contempt. Of course, Cassandra has cued a few tears on command.
“Damien, we are going to go mingle. Dinner will be served in half an hour. I’m so glad you both are enjoying the party,” his mother says.
What the hell? She’s crazy.
I rub Damien’s back as he watches his mother and Cassandra walk off.
He turns to me and gives me a kiss. “Sorry about that, baby.”
I just shrug. “Let’s just focus on us and what we need to do. Nothing else matters. We can’t change the delusion they are living in.”
If I verbalize how I really feel at this point, I won’t be responsible for what I say to Damien’s family. Someone behind us clears his throat to get our attention, or rather Damien’s attention.
I’m soon lost amidst all the people from Damien’s past coming to us in our little corner of the room. I answer at the appropriate intervals. Some of them seem like genuinely nice people. Some are just as fake as his mother. I’m so emotionally and sexually worn out by this point that I just want the night to be over. There have been a few jokes about our recent kiss, but the looks Damien gives in response pretty much have people changing the subject immediately. We are just about to head toward the dining area when a familiar face comes into sight. It’s too bad it’s not a familiar face I like.
“Mr. and Mrs. Wales, I received the invite from your parents. I apologize for my tardiness. Thank you for having me. I saw Mark and Dustin and a few of the other team members on my way over to you guys.”
Damien extends his hand, and it looks like an idea passes over his face. “Thanks for coming, Ben. We appreciate it. I have an announcement I need to make prior to dinner. I was going to wait until next week, but since you’re here, I think it’s as good of a time as any. If you’ll excuse us, Ben.”
Damien and I both know exactly why good ole Benny Boy is here, and it’s not to congratulate us again.
As Damien escorts us from the room, he stops to grab two glasses of champagne. Leaning in, he kisses my neck and then whispers, “Baby, just be excited about my next announcement.”
I give a slight acknowledgment as I smile at a guest walking by.
The next thing I know, Damien is clinking his glass and saying, “May I have everyone’s attention for just a moment prior to dinner?”
There’s one thing for sure. He has a commanding presence. Everyone moves to gather around Damien, and they are waiting with looks of anticipation.
He continues, “Good evening, everyone, and thank you for coming to celebrate my recent marriage to my wife, Allison. I consider myself the luckiest man in this room to have her as mine each and every day.”
We look at each other adoringly, and momentarily, we lose ourselves in each other’s gaze. He lifts his head back up to address the crowd. I’m anxious for this news myself.
What, oh what, could my darling husband be cooking up?
“Well, we have a big announcement.” He pauses and lets the anticipation build. “Allison and I have decided to move overseas for a few years to spend some time together. And who knows? I might look at expanding into European sports.”
Everyone laughs.
“This is a surprise to my second-in-command, Ben, but he will be helping me run things here while I’m spending time with my lovely wife. There isn’t a better man for the job.” Damien raises the flute in his hand. “Cheers.”
A unanimous “Cheers” rings back, but then the crowd is stunned into silence as someone speaks up. I have no idea who it is as the person is in the middle of the crowd.
“When are you leaving?”
“We hope to move in two weeks or less.”
I plaster the biggest grin on my face as Damien’s comment sinks in with the crowd.
My husband is a genius. I’m about to potentially disappear overseas for a long time, and if anyone he knew just popped up over there, it would be pretty obvious.
He turns to me and says sincerely, “Thank you, Alli, for making me the happiest man in this world.”
I lean up on my tiptoes to give him a brief kiss. I know that this is a show, but he meant every word that he said to me. The kiss is over shortly after it begins, and I’m irritated at the loss of his lips. It does nothing to stave off this ever-building desire. We receive a round of applause, and I lean into his chest as we look out toward the crowd.
Now, we just have to get through dinner, and we will be able to retreat to the safety of our room.
Awkward is a lit
tle bit of an understatement for how dinner goes. We are seated with Damien’s parents, Ben, and Cassandra. Cassandra is seated next to Damien. He was going to refuse, but there was no way I wanted to end up next to her. I’m seated next to his father, who is the least vile out of all of them at this point. Damien has his back practically turned toward Cassandra. In all honesty, it’s a mess, and dinner cannot be over soon enough.
I’m trying to let this just roll off my back, but his mother is becoming infuriating to say the least. I don’t want a scene in front of all these guests. All the outright disrespect and insinuations about Damien and Cassandra are total bullshit. They aren’t blatant, but the comments are just obvious enough for me to get the implication. Damien has begun to give his mother what I’m sure is an unpleasant verbal lashing several times, but I just keep squeezing his hand. We still have a mission to accomplish. I just want to get through the night.
Ben has been asking an exuberant amount of questions about our plans to move. He’s probably really excited at the prospect that Damien will supposedly be out of the picture, leaving him a vast empire to run. Damien gives just enough detail, making even me believe that we are truly moving.
I’m lost in my own thoughts when Ben actually addresses me, “So, Allison, are you excited about the move?”
That’s an odd question, coming from Ben. I think it even makes Damien take pause because Ben has never talked to me so casually before.
“Yes, I’m actually ecstatic. It was my idea after Damien had mentioned that he would like to one day expand overseas.” I have no idea why I just said that. It was the first thing that came to my mind.
His mother responds, “Why in the world would you suggest something like that?”
Everyone’s fork stops mid bite as eyes focus on Meredith and me.
Oh hell, stirred a hornet’s nest with his mother. She probably thinks it’s a scheme to steal her son away from her.
Love Me (Trust Series #2) Page 22