Chapter Four
Rose
It takes everything in me to crawl out of bed, away from the warmth and safety that is Damien. But, I need to be away from him to clear the thoughts churning in my head. I pick up his discarded shirt from last night and put it on.
I inhale the scent on the sleeve, unable to resist the urge. Images of our lovemaking play in my mind, heightened by the raw and manly scent of him, leaving me almost breathless. It smells of pine and leather, just like Damien. I turn to look at him. Even in sleep, with his features relaxed, he looks like a man used to fighting demons. Deliciously dangerous .
Fighting the urge to trail my fingers across his handsome face and over his tempting lips, I quietly tiptoe out of the large bedroom, closing the door gently behind me.
The hallway leads me back to the huge living area. Once in the bright room, I stop and look around in surprise. It’s even homier than I remembered from last night. The walls are painted a pale cream and lined with beautiful art. I walk over to the large floor to ceiling windows, a smile tugging at my lip as the sight of the gorgeous flowers growing in pots on the large deck area.
Mom used to love growing flowers.
My chest tightens at the thought of my mom. She used to be so vibrant, so full of life. But then Dad died and everything went downhill.
She married Jared, her biggest mistake. I never liked him from the beginning. Not even when he pretended to play the role of the great stepfather in those first few years. I thought there was always something slimy about him.
And I was right.
He started pulling me away from things that brought me joy—school, my friends—and speaking to me more harshly, controlling what I could wear or when I could go out. Mom was too busy with work to notice any of it, and then she got diagnosed with lung cancer.
She left the company in Jared’s care, and the bastard thought he could mess with everything my parents had worked hard to build. The night I found out he was moving the company’s funds into an offshore account, I confronted him and threatened to expose him.
He slapped me hard on the cheek and dragged me roughly to his car, all the while ranting about how he’s had enough of me. That night, he drove me to an isolated building in the middle of nowhere and handed me off. I later learned from one of the girls in captivity that I had been sold to an auction house. By my own stepfather.
Thinking about the events that led up to this moment makes me want to curl into a ball and cry. But as much as I hated it, I can’t help but make an exception of last night with Damien. It was wonderful. No, it was the best experience of my life. I never imagined my first time to be so…explosive.
There’s something about the man that makes me want to throw every bit of common sense into the wind. It’s inexplicable.
I shouldn’t want him so badly. Not when he bought me at an auction. I know nothing about who he is or what he does for a living. Why do I feel so comfortable in his space? Why do I feel so safe in his arms? Why is my heart beating so fast just from the thought of him? Why do I miss him so badly even when he’s just a few feet away from me?
What is this feeling?
Whatever it is, it isn’t normal.
But then again, nothing about my life has been normal or conventional. To the outside world, I’m a privileged princess, the only child of Cade and Beatrice Beaumont, heiress to the Beaumont clothing empire.
But that image of me couldn’t be more wrong. What I really am is a pathetic little girl who allowed a bastard to walk all over her.
So what does it matter if I fall for a sexy hot stranger I’ve only known for a few hours? That only adds to my quirks.
I’d rather stay with Damien than go back to living in the same house with Jared.
But what about my mom ?
The last time I saw her was right before I confronted Jared. She’d been asleep when I went into her room, her breathing forced and ragged.
My chest closes up painfully as the image fills my mind.
Can I stay here with Damien when I know she’s somewhere else, waiting on me?
Suddenly, I’m enclosed in a pair of familiar strong arms. I close my eyes, instantly feeling safe in his embrace. Tension eases from my shoulders and I sigh softly as Damien pulls me closer, leaning back against the hard planes of his chest.
“Morning, princess,” he says gruffly against my ear, his voice husky from sleep. He presses his lips gently to the side of my neck.
Arousal stirs inside me and my sex spasms in response. “Good morning,” I reply, turning around in his arms to smile into his handsome face. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
“I wouldn’t have minded,” he says, his lips tugging upward in a smile that melts my heart. “What’s wrong? You seemed deep in thought minutes ago.”
“I was thinking about you,” I reply with a playful smile. It’s partially true, but I would rather he doesn’t know the extent of my feelings for him. It’s too much, too soon.
Damien chuckles and shakes his head. “As much as I’d be flattered to think that’s true, it’s not really, is it?”
I let out a resigned sigh, shrugging hesitantly. “I don’t know…I was just thinking about home.”
His expression falters. “Princess, I know I said that you belong to me now, but I need you to know that while I want that more than anything, I also won’t force you to stay here.”
I slide my hand up his firm chest. “I like it here, with you,” I assure him. “I know I should go back home, but I’m not sure I can. I miss my mother, but my stepfather—well, he’s the one who sold me to that place.”
I explain how my stepfather is in control of the business owned by my parents—the Beaumont’s—and how I found out he was stealing money from the company. “I can’t imagine what he would do if I go back,” I say with another soft sigh.
Damien doesn’t seem surprised by anything I’m telling him, and I don’t miss the dangerous glint in his eyes at the mention of my stepfather.
His arms tighten around me. “I don’t want you going anywhere near that man, princess.”
“But my mom is sick, and I’m worried she’ll be upset about my disappearance.”
“How about you don’t worry about any of that right now,” Damien says, tugging me closer. “You’ve been through so much already.” He kisses the side of my lips. Then he lowers his mouth to my neck, grazing his lips over the sensitive skin there.
Desire clouds my mind and my sex clenches with need. “Oh…” I breathe as my mind blanks out.