He drew her close to him, bringing her under his arm, successfully eliminating her fleeting worry at being on a Seattle street once again.
Hurrying through the pouring rain to get under the vast overhang at the restaurant’s entrance, they went to the glass doors, lined with shining yellow lights, and Damian pulled the brass handle, letting Haley walk through before he followed.
“Evening, sir, do you have a reservation?” The man behind a wooden podium looked over the names in his book.
“No.”
He opened his mouth to speak regretfully, and it only took a second for Damian to enter his mind and change it for him.
“Patrick here will show you to your table.” He gestured to a man in a white server uniform nearby.
“Follow me.” Patrick smiled.
Her mouth dropped open, and Damian took her hand as they walked through the romantically lit dining area. Twisting her neck, she peered down a dim hallway to the elevator, spotting a red velvet rope closing off the door with a twinge of disappointment.
“Is the observatory closed?”
“Oh, yes. It’s been decorated for a wedding reception tomorrow. Sadly, it’s closed for the night.”
“We’d like a table in the observatory.” Damian was already dictating Patrick’s response from inside the young man’s mind.
“Certainly.” Patrick swiveled, changing course to the lead them to the elevator. “Follow me.”
With a little gasp, Haley glanced up at her companion, unsure how she felt about using mind control on the unsuspecting restaurant staff. Damian caught eyes with her.
“We aren’t hurting anyone.” He kept his gaze on her, waiting for her response as Patrick unclipped the red rope for them and pushed the button to open the elevator door.
“Haley?” Damian watched her face with concern.
It didn’t feel quite right to her, but she couldn’t deny her eager excitement. Setting aside her reservations, she stepped forward, and Damian squeezed her hand in his. “Did you want to do the other thing in the elevator we talked about?”
She cast her gaze to the floor with a radiant blush, trying to keep her expression even while Patrick looked on in happy ignorance.
After a short elevator ride, the doors opened to reveal an expansive circular area enclosed in glass walls, filled with scattered round tables adorned with elaborate centerpieces. The space was dark, save for the city lights outside, and the only sound in the echoing room was the rain, pounding sharply against the rounded glass ceiling. Patrick flicked on the glowing yellow string lights surrounding the room and led them to a table, setting two menus on the thick white linen. After taking their drink orders, he drifted back to the elevator, and Haley took in the beauty of the city’s night view, enchanted by the rainfall trickling all around them.
“This is incredible.” Surveying their regal surroundings, her gaze fell to the extravagant centerpiece on their table. Some bride put a lot of thought into this arrangement. She bit her lip in guilty exhilaration. “It feels a little wrong.”
Damian shook his head. “Nobody will ever know.” He scanned the ornamented tables around them. “This is for a wedding?”
“A reception. The party after the wedding ceremony.”
“Where do you have the ceremony?”
“Uh…” Haley shrugged. “Anywhere. It’s really just saying vows to each other in front of everyone and exchanging rings and stuff.”
“’Til death do us part?” Damian eyed her hesitantly.
“Yes.” She smiled. “That’s a pretty traditional one.”
His eyes seemed to cloud a little, and Haley tried to decipher his thought process without actually peeking into his mind, curious as to his perspective on the subject. Talking about weddings with him gave her heart a natural lift.
“Death is a relative term.” He looked grimly at her questioning gaze.
“Because you’re immortal?”
He nodded. “I never considered it.” He flipped open the menu. “Let’s change the subject.”
The fact that they would age differently hadn’t dawned on Haley either. It created some issues when it came to planning their lives together. “Forever” took on a whole new meaning.
“Do you think you’ll stay here in Seattle?”
Her gaze wandered as she contemplated the question. “Yes, I think so.”
“Good.” He continued surveying the menu.
“I’ll need to get my car started again…” Haley bit her thumbnail, awaiting his response. Her little black Porsche hadn’t responded at all when she’d pressed the ignition button. Probably due to so many years of sitting idle in the garage at the castle.
“Fuck, I’d love to work on your car.” Damian perked up at the subject. “It’s a Porsche? Like your SUV?”
She nodded. “I feel a little guilty neglecting it for so long.”
“I’m sure it’s an easy fix. Even if it isn’t, I’ll take care of it.”
The elevator arrived with a ding.
“Thank you.” Haley gave him a sweet smile as Patrick approached with a bottle of white wine and glass of whiskey.
“The wine is compliments of the house. It is one of our finest.” Staring at her glass in surprise, she kept quiet as he poured for her. “It pairs nicely with our fresh lobster tail…”
Damian cracked a smile. “That wasn’t me.” He sat back in his chair, his gaze raking over her. “I’m guessing it has to do with that dress and those goddamn sex kitten heels you’re wearing. My drink wasn’t free.”
Patrick had been prattling on about the lobster tail, and Haley finally nodded at him, trying not to burst into a smile at Damian’s voice in her head. “Yes, I’ll have that. The lobster, please.”
“And for you, sir?”
He stared at her with a look of enchantment for a second more before diverting his attention to the server.
At the end of their satisfying meal, Damian paid the bill along with an outrageously large tip, and they went out into the sheeting rain again. Haley locked her fingers through his and rapidly clicked her shoes through puddles on their way to the valet station, amazed that she felt comfortable again on the streets of Seattle.
* * *
In his bedroom, Damian took off his watch and unbuttoned his shirt while she stripped out of her dress. Folding the dress and putting it back in her bag, she took out an opened package of licorice, slipping one of the red pieces into her mouth.
He froze, watching her walk naked to his bed, wearing only the fuck-me heels he’d fantasized about so many times, shiny black with devilishly red soles to make her sexy legs look somehow even more appealing to him. Smoothly sliding onto her stomach and loosely swinging her heels in the air, she chewed on the end of a piece of licorice, eyeing him with interest. Damian pulled himself out of his trance, continuing to open his shirt. “You weren’t wearing anything under that dress?”
She shook her head in reply, shamelessly staring at him as he took off his clothes. When he lowered his pants, her gaze drifted south, and she finished her candy with a deep swallow.
“Eyes up here, Miss Hawthorne.”
Her mouth gaped open in shock and he met her eyes, their brilliant deep blue sparked with mischief. Getting up to her knees, she sat back on her sexy heels with her palms at her bare thighs, purposefully opening her legs a bit wider in a provocative stance. He tossed his clothes into the basket with a touch more force than necessary, and she widened her legs.
His gaze settled on her exposed pink clit for a moment, and she caught him off guard by sweeping a hand across it, brushing her fingertips at her sex. “Oh,” she scolded him teasingly, a little breathy from her own touch. “Eyes up…” She appeared to be struck with a thought as he approached, ignoring the darkly covetous look he gave her. “What is your last name?”
“I don’t have one.” He couldn’t break his gaze from her naked form. “Actually, I suppose I do.” As he went to lay down beside her, Damian was half tempted to snat
ch her wrist and tear her hand away from herself. “I can’t fucking think when you’re doing that.”
“Sorry.” With a smile, she brought her fingers to his mouth, concentrating as she traced her fingertip along his bottom lip. He licked her fingers, giving a low groan as he sucked them, and she leaned closer, replacing her fingers with her tongue. “Tell me your last name.”
“It’s not a real last name. My boss gave me a random one when I joined so I’d have a full name to put on my license, passport…” Damian leaned back into the pillow, and Haley followed, hovering her lips over his.
“What is it?”
“Pierce.”
“Ah… Mr. Pierce then. Damian Pierce.”
“Now that I say it, though, I guess it does feel like my actual name, I’ve had it for so long now.”
“I like it.” Haley explored him, trailing her lips to his chest, running them over his marked skin. “Mr. Pierce.”
His eyes started to glaze as her tender little tongue slid innocently along his deep scars. “Haley Pierce…” He tested it out, forgetting himself under her seductive spell, and found he was intrigued by the sound of it. Hearing her tiny gasp, he considered he possibly should have used a little more discretion, but she seemed to almost reward him, dragging her tongue lustfully over his abdomen. She took her time, tracing the lines of every one of his muscles, her velvety soft curls lightly grazing across his stomach. Her mouth went along the V leading downward, and his breath went ragged as she caught his pulsing erection between her heavy breasts, pressing them together around it.
Slinking lower, Haley took him into her mouth, and Damian grunted when his tip reached the back of her throat. She swallowed, taking it in deeper than he’d ever thought possible. When she started moaning, her sultry voice sent vibrations shuddering through his cock, and he hissed in response, contracting his stomach muscles as he lifted his head to look down at the goddess sucking on him. Her hands were all over his sensitive testicles, playing with them while she milked his cock with her smoldering soft mouth. Ugh… fuck, I’m about to come. Part of him didn’t want to finish like this. He wanted to feel her pussy gripping his dick while she found her ecstasy, preferably more than once, before he let himself empty inside of her.
He was ready to erupt, her pouty lips felt so perfect, but it felt wrong to release into her mouth. With his heart hammering in his chest, Damian pushed a jittery hand into her hair, loosely taking hold of her satiny locks to pull her off of him, but Haley wouldn’t have it. Resisting, she plunged him farther down her throat.
He caught a rough breath, groaning loudly. “Baby, I’m gonna fucking come… stop…”
“I want to taste you.” The words drifted from her mind into his, and Damian couldn’t help the onslaught of remorse that hit him when he remembered the last time she’d said those words to him. He’d turned her away. He let out an erotic growl as his climax rolled to the surface. “Shit…”
His cock came alive in her mouth, pumping down the back of her throat, and she moaned deeply in satisfaction, swallowing all of it.
Biting onto her lower lip with a little prideful smile, Haley laid down next to him.
“Christ, Haley.” He watched a sleepy wave wash over her, draping her arm on her naked stomach as she closed her eyes. Damian regained consciousness a moment later, brushing her arm out of the way before climbing on top of her. “I’m not finished with you.” His words rumbled against her neck, and she shivered.
“No?”
He could hear the smile in her voice as he ran kisses along the sensitive column of her throat. “Never.”
Haley linked her high heels behind him, struggling to grind herself on his growing cock. She made tiny sounds of discontentment, and Damian knew her wet little pussy needed his attention. He breathed at her ear. “D’anakkis ent eren esservius…” Lost in the moment, he’d accidentally spoken to her in his native tongue.
“Yes…” She gave a throaty moan, her voice faltering a little, and he was sure she’d understood only “esservius,” the Trinnian word for her female flesh.
Easing her knees apart until she was widely exposed beneath him, he nudged the head of his rigid staff against her, caressing her ear with soft words. “Is this what you want?”
Haley restlessly pleaded into his shoulder, her velvety voice coming out in a quiet whisper. “I need to— I need…” She fell over her sentences incoherently. With a brief sigh, she whimpered. “To be full… of you.”
His body surged into hers, submerging to the hilt inside her hot flesh, and Haley groaned her pleasure to him. God, she feels like home. With a hitch in his chest, Damian held himself deeply inside her warmth, staring down at her angelic features, panting and swollen red lips, long eyelashes drifting closed in ecstasy, and he got the sense he was exactly where he belonged.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The following morning, after a full breakfast, they relaxed on the couch. With her knees on the cushion, Haley wore a black silk camisole and matching panties. Damian sat next to her, wearing just a pair of sweatpants, reading the backs of DVD cases in an attempt to pick out a movie. She studied his tanned shoulders as she massaged them, occasionally giving her opinion on certain movies as he shuffled through them.
The malevolent snake tattoo continued to draw her gaze. His skin seemed to be scarred underneath the dark ink.
“When did you get this tattoo?”
Haley got a sick feeling in her stomach that she may have touched on a sore subject.
Damian remained quiet for a moment longer and briefly cleared his throat. “I got it when I was twenty.”
“Oh.”
He must have gotten it just after he’d been released from the dark witch. Using her thumbs, she calmly kneaded his tensed muscles. Chills appeared on his skin, and he seemed to relax a little. She wanted to let the subject go, but her curiosity took over. “Does it mean anything?”
“It’s covering something.” His voice had gone flat, and he tossed the lightweight plastic DVD cases to the table, picking up a few more. She waited for him to continue, but he didn’t elaborate. Sliding her fingers along the heavy black ink that covered the upper half of his back, his skin felt like it was marked with small characters underneath, and she got an overwhelming sense of urgency to know what secrets were hiding under the tattoo. Her desire sparked her powers to act on their own, and a flash of a memory spun through her mind.
Damian was lying on his stomach, strapped to the familiar wooden table, and the pixie witch, Marybelle, lay naked on his back, using an arrow as a pen, carving writings into his skin with the sharp arrowhead.
Damian gripped her wrist and pulled her around to look at him. “Hey.” He took her into his muscle-bound arms, holding her captive. “You don’t need to see that.”
She couldn’t help the disturbed, melancholy feelings that must have shown in her expression. “What did she write?” Her question was barely audible through the constricting tightness in her throat.
He seemed to be wrestling with himself over whether or not to respond, and Haley felt as if she’d stopped breathing as the seconds ticked by.
Damian looked away from her, answering in a dismissive tone with a casual shake of his head. “A love letter.” He rolled his shoulders as if shrugging away the mutilating marks.
The words ignited a fire of jealousy in her she didn’t understand. The image of the tiny bitch branding his skin with love notes flooded her with a possessive fury.
“Hmm,” she managed to mumble. Her heart pulsed with consuming hatred, and she tried to deepen her shallow breathing, reminding herself she’d left her own permanent mark on the malicious whore when she’d melted the side of her face.
“It doesn’t mean anything.” Damian shrugged unconvincingly.
Trembling a little, Haley nodded, trying to shed the deep frown from her lips.
“Are you OK?”
“Mmm…hmm.” She tried to level her voice but still felt choked with emotion. Get a gri
p, Hales, geez. Be supportive.
“What are you thinking? Talk to me.”
Swallowing hard to clear her tightened airway, Haley spoke in a thin whisper. “It’s, um, bothersome for me to see you with someone else.” She shut her eyes, shaking her head. “That’s not what I meant…it’s an odd situation, but I feel…irrationally jealous. Especially about the love letter.”
“Oh. Haley. Fuck. I didn’t want to make you feel like that. I shouldn’t have told you what it was.”
“No.” She brightened in protest, her demeanor beginning to lighten automatically. “It isn’t your fault. I reacted poorly. It was just my natural response. I don’t want you to keep things from me just because I have irrational feelings.”
Damian froze for a moment, buried in his thoughts before visibly returning to the conversation. “You feel jealous? Of her?”
Haley considered the adrenaline-fused reaction she’d had moments earlier. “More like…bothered. That her fucking love is forever labeled on you.”
“It isn’t love, Haley.” He gave her a reassuring look. “Unfortunately, because you and I have powers, they show us things about each other we probably shouldn’t ever see.” Damian shuddered as an image of Talis’ sinewy body, naked in bed with her, floated through his head and into hers. He gritted his teeth. “All that shit is in the past.”
“You’re right.” Haley forced the awful memory of Talis from her mind. “Maybe it is better if I don’t know every little detail. Maybe we should just leave those things in the past. I’m sorry I dragged it out of you.”
Hitching her thigh across him, Damian pulled her onto his lap so she straddled him. “No, I want you to feel comfortable asking me questions about my past.” He caressed her satin-clad body. “Just beware, there’s a lot of darkness there.”
With a little nod, Haley ran her fingers along his tattooed shoulders, still uncomfortable with what she now knew existed beneath the ink. The knowledge filled her with the urge to utterly destroy Marybelle for defacing him. “I’m happy I burned that bitch.”
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