36. Hailee
Chapter thirty-six
Hailee
I miss you.
Three simple words, yet they possess the power to breathe life back into my soul. For an entire month, I’ve waited for this, waited for any sign that he still cares.
Staring at Dameon’s text message, I feel more alive than I have in a long time. A smile creeps across my face, shattering the numbness that has accompanied me for weeks.
I have no one to blame but myself. I played with fire, and I ended up singed beyond recognition. Each day blends into the next, and I move through them mechanically. I shower, I eat, I work, but I’m only half present. I’m alive, but I’m not truly living.
Even though the nightmares still haunt me, they’re not as frequent as before. I don’t wake up in a nightly cold sweat; now, it’s only a weekly occurrence when my soul reaches out and yearns for its missing half.
As I stare at those three words illuminated on my screen, my heart races with excitement, a spark of joy pushing through the suffocating fog of depression at last.
All this from three little words.
I spend far too long contemplating what to write back. I draft several responses, but in the end, I delete them all and settle on something simple, leaving the conversation in his hands.
Me
I miss you too.
His reply is swift.
Dameon
I have an offer for you. One you’ll find hard to refuse. And no, not in a “dead horse head in your bed” kind of way. Interested?
Cute, Mr. Hayward. Okay, I’ll bite.
Me
What’s your proposition?
Dameon
Meet me at Eden for Le Jardin tonight.
Not what I was expecting, but I don’t really care where we meet as long as I get to see him.
Me
I’ll be there. x
I slide my phone back into my desk drawer, my shoulders bunching in excitement. Little does he know, I’m already at Eden, sorting through a backlog of applications. Curious, I pull up the member list for Le Jardin tonight and find Dameon’s name on it. When did he get added? He wasn’t on the list this morning when I checked the schedule. I browse through the goddesses’ names and am surprised to find my own name listed there as well.
The office door swings open, and in walks Madame Sophia, her long red hair pulled back into a tight ponytail that sways behind her.
“Oh, good, you’re here already.” She looks me over, and her red lips curl up in a satisfied smile. “Well, well, well. Welcome back, Ms. Mann. Nice to see you’ve rejoined the land of the living.”
I roll my eyes and playfully stick out my tongue at her. Childish, I know, but I’m feeling almost giddy.
“Did you add me to Le Jardin tonight?” I ask.
She nods. “I did. Dameon called in a favor this morning, asking for both of you to be added to the list. You know I don’t make changes to the schedule once it gets locked in, but I can’t stand to see you walking around with the weight of the world on your shoulders any longer.” She perches on the corner of my desk and crosses her legs. “You’re totally killing the vibe around here.”
“Sorry to be a bummer,” I drawl.
“Just get back together already and save everyone from witnessing your bleeding heart. It’s depressing as fuck.”
I burst out laughing. I didn’t realize I was such a buzzkill.
“I’ve made sure he’s first up tonight. The last thing we need is for you to be chosen by another client.” Her eyes practically hit the ceiling as she shakes her head.
“Thank you, Sophia. You have no idea what this means to me.”
“Of course I do. Why do you think I did it?” She smiles warmly and saunters out of my office with a sway of her hips. I glance at the clock: Two hours until we open, four hours until Le Jardin. I blow out a nervous breath. Waiting is all I seem to be doing lately, and I’m over it. Time has made me her bitch once again. But it ends tonight.
Bring it on.
***
I kneel naked, my spine straight, knees spread, and head lowered. A position of complete submission, just like the other goddesses on stage with me. It’s been well over a year since I took part in Le Jardin. When I first started here, I was eager to participate every week. The pay was good, and it satisfied my needs better than random hook-ups that always left me wanting more. But after a while, the novelty wore off, and I lost interest. I only participated when I knew Dameon was on the list, as he would always choose me. Over time, I preferred to take on an administrative role and help to guide new goddesses in this industry.
That break from the spotlight must be why my heart is hammering now. Nervous anticipation swirls around me, enveloping the entire stage. It’s an addictive sensation. Knowing that Dameon is in the crowd, watching me, adds to the excitement. I hear Madame Sophia stepping onto the stage to take over my role and make the introductions. A few moments later, when she announces the commencement, Dameon’s polished black shoe appears in my line of sight.
“Let’s go, kitten.” The rumble of his voice hits me hard, and it takes everything I have not to burst into tears. It’s been so long since I’ve heard the rough timbre of his voice. How I’ve yearned to hear those words whispered in my ear. He holds out his hand, and I rise from my knees. He links his hand with mine, and we walk off stage together. All I want to do is raise my head and look into his eyes, to search them, to see whether he missed me just as much as I’ve missed him.
We enter our suite, and he leads me over to the large bed in the middle of the room. I start to relax; I’ve always felt safe in here with the mood lighting, plush black, red, and gold furnishings, and the little chill-out area with a TV and couches.
Dameon drops my hand and lifts my chin with the crook of his finger. “Look at me, kitten.”
Raising my head, I’m blown away by the emotion swimming in his sea-green eyes.
“Sir, I—”
He scrunches his eyes shut as if it hurts to hear my voice and presses his lips to mine in a desperate kiss, silencing me. All thoughts melt away, and I fall into his embrace, consumed by him once again. I struggle for breath as our tongues battle and meld together. It’s intoxicating; if I could, I’d happily lose myself in this man’s kiss for the rest of my life.
Dameon abruptly pulls away, his eyes still tightly shut. He spins me around and bends me over the foot of the bed, pushing my knee onto the mattress to open me up. The sound of his belt buckle clinking fills the room, and I arch my back, searching for friction. I’m so wet that when he runs a finger from my clit down my slit, he hisses.
“Fuuuck…” I moan loudly.
“Shh, no talking, kitten.” He spanks my left cheek with force, causing me to jolt forward, and pins me to the bed by the back of my neck. Relief floods through me when the head of his cock rubs back and forth over my slit, gathering wetness. But this time, when he slowly pushes in, it feels different.
God, I’m so full.
I whimper, my body trembling to accommodate his size. It’s been too long since he’s sunk himself into me.
“You can take it, kitten. A few more inches to go.”
Trying to relax my muscles, I arch my back further, allowing his cock to slide deeper. It feels never-ending, like he’ll end up in my throat.
“That’s it. Good girl,” he praises.
When he’s seated to the hilt, the head of his cock reaches a spot deep inside me that causes me to climax instantly. He doesn’t move, and doesn’t allow me to either, keeping me pinned beneath him. The feel of his suit against my sensitive skin adds to the sensation, and my core repeatedly clenches around his cock, milking his length. The orgasm is so powerful that tears form in my eyes.
“Look at you, kitten. Soaking my cock like my good little whore. And I haven’t even fucked you yet.”
I gasp, trying to catch my breath, but he doesn’t allow me any time to recover before he roughly pounds into me, making me tighten up from the force.
“Relax,” he whispers in my ear, still holding me down by the back of my neck. When he feels my muscles loosen, he lets go, holding nothing back, and punishes my pussy with full force. I bite my tongue to hold back my scream and take everything that he gives me. I can’t move to meet his thrusts; I just brace and focus on keeping my body as relaxed as possible. He doesn’t last long at this pace. He explodes with a roar, and I remain still, letting him pulse inside me. But when he pulls out, the usual rush of cum doesn’t arrive. I roll onto my side to face him and find him bent over, panting hard, his eyes shut. I look down at his cock peeking out of his suit pants; he’s wearing a condom.
Oh.
When his eyes eventually find mine, remorse twisting his face, my stomach drops.
No. No. No. Don’t do this.
“I’m sorry.”
His apology crashes around me, and I almost collapse in disbelief. I shake my head. Denial tightens its grip, robbing me of my voice.
He kisses me gently on the forehead, his eyes scrunched shut. Then he tucks himself back into his pants, condom still on, and heads for the door.
“Please, don’t do this,” I choke out, tears streaming down my cheeks.
He swallows roughly, shakes his head and closes the door behind him.