38. Chapter Damian
“ W here’s your phone, Romano? I’ve been fucking calling you for days,” Matteo quips, strolling into my office.
I recline in my chair, casually gesturing. “Why, yes, Carter, come on in. Sit down. Can I get you something to drink while you interrupt me?” I say with a sarcastic tone.
With a dismissive gesture, he unbuttons his suit and takes a seat in one of the guest chairs in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooks Lake Michigan and drops a manila folder onto the coffee table.
“Well, if you would have answered your phone, I wouldn’t have to come all the way here. You're a pain in the ass, did you know that? ”
I shrug. “I lost it a couple of days ago; haven’t had the chance to go pick up a new one.”
And truth be told, not having a phone for the last couple of days has been peaceful, and the idea of going to the store to pick up a new one isn’t exactly appealing. I’ve been able to focus on the gallery since the gala is happening tomorrow, and spending every waking moment with Aria. Haven’t even slept at my place for God knows how long. If anyone needs me, they can email. If it’s an emergency, they know where I work.
“I thought you might be interested in this.” He taps the manila folder twice.
I furrow my brow as I rise, heading toward the folder.
Before I can grab it, Carter intercepts. “I don't want you bulldozing when you see this. I've got everything in check, but it's my job to fill you in on this.”
My gaze narrows at him as I reach out with a grabbing motion, and he sighs, handing over the folder.
My eyes bulge in surprise as I go through the contents of the folder. There are pictures of me and Aria at the coffee shop during the time I was trying to convince her to work for me. Us, in New York, skating and at the museum, capturing every moment. But what gets my attention are all the pictures of Aria by herself. Walking around the city, arriving at her apartment. There are hundreds of pictures.
“What the fuck is this, Carter? ”
“You've had a shadow tailing you for months now. To be frank, I've been aware of it for some time, but we opted to keep you out of the loop while we collected more intel.”
I shake my head. “I don’t care about me. Why are they following Aria?”
My heart pounds and my hands shake just thinking about her being in any potential danger. This has gone too far. One thing is to fuck with me, I can take it. But her? Off fucking limits .
He shrugs, casually. “I don't know much, yet. But I've got someone watching her back to keep her safe. We caught the two guys tailing both of you, but they're tight-lipped. Found another foreign account with one transaction. Same as last time.”
“I swear to fucking God, Carter, I don’t know why I pay you.”
He points a finger at me in warning. “I’m doing my best, Romano. I don’t know who the hell you pissed off, but it’s definitely not a solo job. Now, what’s your plan for the email threats?”
I’ve received a handful more threats here and there, giving me yet another chance to fire Aria. That’s simply not fucking happening. I don’t know what the hell this person gets out of this, but I’m not bending my wrist for anyone. “I’m not firing her.”
He puffs. “Even if your whole career is on the line?”
“Please, these people don’t scare me one bit. ”
Matteo locks his gaze on me, expectantly, probably jumping to his own conclusions. “Well, I’ll be damned.” He laughs.
“What?”
“You love her, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say nonchalantly, fixing my cufflinks.
He smirks. “I can’t wait to tell Enzo this. He will have a parade with this information.”
I point to the folder. “Was this all? If so, get out. I have work to do.”
Matteo gets up and shrugs as he walks to the door. Before opening it, he looks at me over his shoulder.
“What now?” I glare at him.
“It’s good to see you in love. You look happy,” he opens the door, “don’t fuck it up,” he finishes as a way of goodbye.
I knock on Aria’s office door as I open it softly. “You ready?”
She looks up from her computer with her bright smile that tugs my heart every damn time. “Hey, yeah. One second. ”
We’ve both been working ourselves ragged for this gala, and we’re more than ready for it to be over. I know she’s still stressed because she wasn’t able to find the last statement piece, even though I told her I’d take care of it. But that’s Aria for you; dedicated to the very end.
She picks up her purse, getting up from her desk. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“You hungry?” I ask.
“Starving,” she groans.
“Good. We’re cooking today.”
“You mean you’re cooking today, because you never let me do anything?” She pouts as we’re walking out of her office.
“I cherish my health, Tesoro . You over season too much.” I laugh, grabbing her by the waist and placing a kiss on her forehead.
She rolls her eyes as she murmurs, “Jerk.”
“I still don’t have my phone. I’m picking it up tomorrow. You have the app to set up the alarm, right?”
She nods. “But I don’t have the keys. I lost them. I looked around my apartment and I couldn’t find them. Maybe they are at Soph’s. I still haven’t asked.”
“That’s fine. I got them,” I say as I take them out and close the doors.
Once the alarm and doors are set, my driver is waiting for us upfront, so we get in quickly to go to her apartment. I love staying at her place. Mine is so dark and lonely, while hers is so homey and welcoming, and she hasn’t kicked me out, so that’s a plus. Because it has become my favorite thing every night after I get off work to go to her house and just be with her.
As we walk into her apartment, I ask, “Are you nervous for tomorrow?”
She shakes her head. “I’m relieved. I can’t believe I let you talk me into doing a whole gala. I’m not doing this ever again.”
“I honestly don’t want to do this again ever, but it’ll be good for the gallery. I’m really proud of you. You’ve worked your ass off for this collection, and it’s really good,” I say hoarsely, my heart swelling with pride.
Her cheeks blush as she looks away, avoiding my gaze, taking a strand out of her hair and placing it behind her ear. “Thanks, I guess,” she whispers.
I grab her soft face with my hands. “ Tesoro , look at me.”
She looks up, her eyes gleaming with emotions I can’t pinpoint. Shyness? Pride? Relief?
I give her a soft, quick kiss. “Who knew you were so shy?”
She pushes me jokingly. “Shut up. Let’s cook. I’m starving.”
We fall into comfortable silence as I prepare the vegetables and seasonings and she makes dessert, just enjoying each other’s company.
I have a million things to stress about .
The gala.
The stolen painting.
The threats.
But when I’m with her, I forget everything. I’m not Damian Romano, the ruthless businessman, or the serious mystery guy no one can seem to crack open. There’s no facade, no mask.
I’m… me .
The guy I lost so many years ago; the guy before the money. Before my father’s death.
She makes me want to be the best version of myself, and I don’t know how to ever repay her. Looking over my shoulder, I notice Aria has her concentration face on. Eyebrows furrowing, the tip of her tongue slightly out on top of her bottom lip as she carefully mixes the dry and wet ingredients, making sure she doesn’t overmix them. My heart screams at me to grab her in my arms and simply express my fucking feelings.
I take a big gulp as I go back to prepping our food. I don’t know how to express my feelings, because honestly, I was never taught. I learned how to keep my emotions in check and how to avoid caring for people, but Aria? She knocked down my walls, one by one. With her fiery personality and quirks that I’ve grown to simply fucking love.
One day. One day, I’ll be ready to say those three words .
“Come here, try this,” I say as I take a spoon of the pasta sauce and blow it softly so it doesn’t burn her.
She walks to me and opens her mouth as I feed her with the spoon.
She opens her eyes excitedly and nods. “It’s so good. The kitchen suits you, Damie .”
“Don’t call me that,” I deadpan.
She bats her eyes jokingly. “Yes, sir.”
“That’s more like it.” I wink.
She shakes her head with a laugh, getting back to her baking. I could get used to this. Come home every night, cook together. Come into a house that's ours with Aria’s personality all over. Hang all her wonderful paintings, family pictures.
She’s my present, and my future. I see no one else, but her. Like a glowing star that infiltrated my heart, brightening my life.
Breathing life into me.
We finish eating dinner as we talk about our day, me completely omitting the whole pictures and threats situation, because the last thing I want to do is worry her.
“Okay, time to try the dessert. Come on!” she says, standing up and grabbing a small plate where she places a few sea salt chocolate chip cookies. She places the plate in front of me and looks at me expectantly. “If it sucks, tell me, okay? Don’t lie to me. ”
I nod as I take a bite, letting out a groan of satisfaction. The sea salt is perfectly contrasting with the semi-dark chocolates, and the cookie is crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside. Fucking perfection.
“Darling, these are the best cookies I’ve eaten in my life,” I say as I get up, grabbing her by the waist and placing a kiss on the top of her head.
“Yeah?” She hugs me by the waist and looks up, her eyes gleaming with pride.
“Yeah.” I nod as I grab the nape of her neck and kiss her softly.
She melts to my touch, as always. It’s my favorite thing of hers, always melting into me, like she knows I’ve got her.
Because I do. And always will.
“But I think you taste sweeter, though. There’s no better dessert than you,” I say in between kisses.
She laughs on my lips. “Smooth.”
I laugh before deepening the kiss. Her hands travel all over my chest, arms, and my back as my cock stiffens. I move my hands down to her thighs, grabbing her legs and wrapping them around my waist as I guide her to the bedroom.
As I place her on the bed, she starts unbuttoning my shirt while I grip her waist, trying to contain the little control I have left. She takes off my shirt and quickly takes hers off, revealing a pale blue lacy bra .
I let out an appreciative groan as my hands travel to her breasts and trace her nipples with my thumb.
She roams my abdomen with her soft, delicate fingertips, making me shiver and leaving a burning electric sensation behind. I get on my knees and leave a trace of kisses on her legs as I remove her flimsy skirt, revealing her matching soaked pale blue underwear.
“Did you wear this for me?” I rasp.
She bites her lip. “Maybe.”
My kisses start traveling upward slowly, taunting. Taking my time as I kiss, touch, and appreciate every inch of her body. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” I whisper as I kiss her inner thigh, removing the lacy, flimsy underwear.
Her chest heaves as she throws her head back, letting out a soft moan as my mouth gets closer to her core.
“Fuck, Tesoro , you’re soaked .” My tongue licks her slit fully and I slide a finger into her, slowly.
“Oh, Damian,” she moans.
As I feast on her; licking, sucking, nibbling her throbbing clit and one of my fingers slides in and out of her, touching the spot that drives her crazy, my other hand explores the rest of her body. Her legs; her hips; her perfect breasts. She rides my face and fingers, seeking more friction, and I more than happily comply.
I slide my finger out of her, causing a frustrated whimper out of her. I laugh huskily as I wrap both of her legs around my shoulders and simply ravish her. My mouth exploring every inch of her soaked pussy, my tongue sliding in and out of her, mouth-fucking her. Her wetness coating my whole face, making a delicious fucking mess.
“Damian, I need more, please,” she begs.
She doesn’t need to explain, because anything she asks for? I’ll provide. There’s nothing she can ask for that I won’t do. I would go to the ends of the world and back to please her. With my mouth, I take her throbbing clit and suck as I slide two of my fingers back inside of her and start fingering her at a punishing, fast pace. The sounds of her moans and her soaked pussy fill the room.
“Come for me, Darling. I want to taste you, now ,” I order, then start circling her clit with my tongue.
This drives her wild and over the edge, quickly becoming undone. Her pussy clenches my fingers as she screams my name, riding them as she comes down from her ecstasy.
Aria’s eyes are glassy, her face content. She gets on her knees on the bed as she reaches for my dress pants and boxers, swiftly taking them off, revealing my throbbing cock. She licks her top lip eagerly, clenching her thighs as she enjoys the sight of it.
“Open your mouth,” I demand with a rasp as my thumb brushes her sensitive clit
She looks up to me, eyes eager as she opens her mouth. I place my thumb in her mouth as I whisper, “Suck. Taste yourself. ”
Like the good girl she is, she listens. Sucking my thumb eagerly, tasting her own wetness, rolling her eyes in satisfaction as she lets out a soft moan.
“You like tasting yourself, baby? You taste so fucking sweet, don’t you?” I say, fisting her hair softly and locking our gaze.
She nods, letting go of my thumb with a pop .
“Use your words, Darling.”
“Yes,” she moans.
I reach the back of her bra, unclasping it and letting the flimsy fabric fall on the bed, revealing her perfectly peaked nipples. Playing and pinching them causes a throaty moan from her.
“You look so beautiful moaning, enjoying yourself,” I whisper in her ear.
“I bet I would look even better sucking your cock,” she says breathlessly.
That simple comment makes me snap, and I let go of the little control I had left. “On your knees, now,” I say, stroking my cock twice, precum leaking out of it.
She gets on her knees and wastes no time, licking the precum eagerly before sliding my throbbing cock in her wet, warm mouth.
“Merda.” Fuck . A throaty moan escapes my lips.
The sensation is too much. Her soft hands cup my balls and massage them as she moves her head, my cock sliding in and out of her mouth and swirling her tongue in circles when she’s near the head.
I grab her head and start pumping in and out of her mouth at a soft, punishing pace.
“You love it, don’t you, me filling your mouth?” I say as I keep the taunting, slow pace.
She hums and nods eagerly, moaning as she grabs my ass to push my cock all the way in her mouth and choke on it.
“ Merda , that feels good. Don’t fucking stop,” I say, panting.
She picks up the pace, and I meet her halfway, mouth-fucking her. Her moans are getting consumed by my cock inside of her mouth and I fucking love it. Her watery eyes lock with mine, and I get so lost in those beautiful eyes of hers that are filled with so much lust and pleasure. She looks so confident; so sure of herself, taking pleasure in this.
I slide my cock out of her mouth and get on the bed, grabbing her by the waist and sitting her on top of me.
“No more of that. I need to fuck you. I want to be inside of you when I come,” I say, lifting her waist slightly, my cock meeting her entrance. “Shit, wait. We need a condom.”
As I’m getting up, she stops me. “I’m on the pill, and I haven’t been with anyone since my last testing, which was clear. ”
My cock twitches with excitement at the prospect of being inside of her completely bare. To embrace myself in her warmth. “I’m clean too, and I’ve also never done it without a condom,” I wrap her legs around my waist. “Are you sure about this?”
She nods with a soft smirk and locks her gaze on me as she pushes herself into me in one fell swoop and gasps, my cock filling her to the hilt.
“Fuck, Damian, I’m so fucking full.” She moans as she starts grinding, moving slowly back and forth.
My hands roam over her soft legs until I find her hips and stop her for a moment, closing my eyes. “You feel so good, fuck. Wait, I need a moment,” I say, trying to catch my breath.
If I don’t take a moment, I’ll come too soon. I want to get lost in her body, her delicious moans, and I want to enjoy every second of it.
She whimpers, grabbing one of my hands and placing it on her breast, and starts moving again, slowly.
Squeezing her breast, I start moving with her.
Looking down as I slide in and out of her, I groan, “You take my cock so well, Darling.”
“And you feel too good,” she says through a breathy moan.
The room fills with the sounds of our moans as we both start picking up the pace, our bodies moving together in synchrony. I bring her closer to me and kiss her fiercely. I kiss her like there’s no tomorrow. A kiss that consumes me, her— us . A kiss that expresses everything I can’t say, because I don’t know how.
I wrap both of my arms around her waist, lifting her as I fuck her at a punishing pace. Sliding my cock in and out as she takes every single inch like the good girl she is.
“So fucking tight,” I say through gritted teeth.
I thrust harder, my balls slapping against her soaked pussy. She meets every thrust, moaning next to my ear, driving me fucking wild. Her pussy clenches my cock and my balls tighten at the feel of her orgasm enveloping me. My thrust becomes sloppy, and uneven, as I chase my own orgasm.
“Damian,” she moans my name softly, and I’m a fucking goner. I thrust one; twice; and my vision blurs as her pussy milks every ounce, filling her up.
She slides off of me, and falls back into bed, panting. The sight of her, so satisfied and filled with my cum just does something to me. I bring one of my fingers to her pussy, that’s leaking with a mix of our cum and I pick some of it in one swift motion.
I then take that same finger and hover it between her lips and order, “Open.”
She obeys and parts them softly, and I coat her lips. Then, I close the gap between us and give her a kiss, picking up the cum with one lick and crashing my tongue with hers, a mix of our warmth and our arousals coating our mouths as we keep kissing, making me instantly hard again.
As we break apart, I lick my lips with a satisfactory groan. “We taste so good together, don’t we, Darling?”
She hums in agreement. “Yes, we do.”
We go and clean ourselves up, then we both lay on the bed, her head resting on my chest.
My heart races at a rapid, uneven pace as I realize how in love I am with this beautiful; kind; dedicated woman. The words are at the tip of my tongue, yet I can’t seem to formulate them.