Chapter 11 Zoe
Chapter eleven
Zoe
Damien had wrapped me in his arms any time he wasn’t giving me orgasms. I hadn’t thought my body was even capable of that many releases but I guess we were both making up for lost time.
I’d hardly slept, but that Saturday morning, I hadn’t felt more energised.
Well my body was exhausted and sore in all the best ways, but my mind was buzzing.
I was still uncertain what my future at Steele Cut would be once Paige came back to work but I wasn’t leaving Hartwood Bay. I would clean cabins at the Valentine Cove Resort or deliver food for Bruno’s, but I didn’t want to leave the future I’d just started with Damien.
The sun sliced through the shutters as I snuggled into Damien, loving the way his body felt against mine, his breath sending shivers down my spine as he kissed my neck.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he slurred, his voice still thick with sleep. “I could get used to waking up with my girl in my arms.”
The sound of the front door closing made me jump.
I sat up, trying to remember where we’d left my clothes and my gut hitting the floor as I realised that they were probably still in the kitchen where Damien had stripped them off me.
Fear gripped my body and I looked down at Damien who was still laying down.
I heard the loud thump of footsteps followed by, “Nonna, I think it worked! Zoe isn’t downstairs.”
“I think it did too,” Giovanna’s voice was warm. “Now go take your bag to your room.”
There was a soft knock on Damien’s bedroom door before his mother walked into the room and handed me some clean clothes. “I’ve bought you a few minutes, go get dressed and then we’re going to talk about how we don’t lie in this family.”
She closed the door and I was close to tears, I knew this was too good to be true and the morning after the best night of my life and it was already being torn apart. Damien pulled me into a hug, kissing me softly. “Don’t jump to conclusions, baby. Everything is going to be fine.”
I pulled my clothes on and twisted my hair up into a bun.
Damien pulled on some shorts and raised an eyebrow to see if I were ready.
He held my hand as we walked through his house and into the kitchen where he’d blown my world apart.
Giovanna was standing near the kettle, making the cuppas that Damien had started the night before.
Standing with her arms crossed over her chest, with a glare that reminded me of the one that Damien had given in the past, his mother did not look happy. “You both thought you were so clever trying to trick me with this fake relationship.”
“I didn’t want to trick you, I just wanted you—” I started to defend myself.
“Let me finish. I knew you were both lying from the minute the words left your mouth, Zoe,” she said, then she smiled at me warmly. “But I knew the lie was coming from a good place. You stepped in to help my boy and I can’t fault you for that.”
I exhaled, relieved that she didn’t completely hate me. Giovanna then turned her attention to her son and I squeezed his hand to let him know I was there, always.
“Now Damien, from the moment you met Zoe, I could see how strong the attraction was. It broke my heart that you didn’t act on it, that you kept letting your responsibilities and past hurts hold you back, so I let you think we believed you.”
“Yeah Dad, you’re a terrible liar, but it’s OK, we like Zoe,” Mariah said as she rounded her way into the kitchen.
“So everyone knew?” Damien ran his hand over his face. “The whole family?”
“We talked about it as soon as you both left the BBQ to consolidate your lies,” Giovanna replied.
“But you let us think that we were fooling you?” Damien grumbled.
“Yes, because you’re perfect for each other.” Giovanna gave us both a hug. “Now I’m going to go home and will leave it up to you both to explain to Mariah how lies can mess up people’s lives.”
“But Nonna, we lied to them too,” Mariah said.
“Exactly! Imagine how messy it could’ve been if we kept letting them think we believed their lies?” Giovanna gave her granddaughter a hug and made her way home.
Damien pulled her daughter into a hug, “are you sure you’re OK with Zoe being my girlfriend?”
“Of course, Dad,” Mariah rolled her eyes. “I said that when she moved in. Mum has Sara, you need someone too.”
I watched as the father and daughter had their moment, then Mariah turned to me.
“Zoe, I’m glad it’s you too,” she smiled at me. “You’re much better than Leighton Fields’ mum, she’s nasty.”
I had no idea who Zoe was talking about but it didn’t matter because when Damien looked at me, I felt like the only woman in the world.
“I’m glad it’s you too,” Damien pulled me into a threeway hug and Mariah wrapped her arm around me.
I’d never felt so accepted, I’d never felt so at home.
My work situation was still up in the air but for the second time in my life, I was going to just play it by ear.
Trusting that the universe would look after me worked when I picked everything up and moved to Hartwood Bay had worked out better than I’d expected.
Vowing not to overthink things, I settled in and embraced my new life.