Chapter 9 - Damien
As much as I was denying Sky’s (correct) claims about hovering around her more often than I should’ve been, I wasn’t showing how she was getting to me. How she was onto me and it was making me want to squirm in my seat.
She had been a lot more observant than I anticipated, and it made me feel caught.
Of course, her being aware of how insistent I was about seeing her would’ve taken some of the pressure off me to try and hide it, I still wasn’t ready for her to know just how often she consumed my thoughts.
Even if I was keeping my cool and steeling myself against her accusations, she was making me feel antsy, and her refusal to drop it only irritated me further.
Sure, it probably wasn’t the best move for me to stay back while she was working late, but I couldn’t help it.
Knowing she’d be there all alone at night without anyone left on the floor, vulnerable and open, I couldn’t just leave. I tried, but it didn’t sit well with me. I couldn’t go home in good conscience, knowing that anything could happen to her. And if something did happen, it could’ve been prevented by me.
She was completely right—I was guarding her. Only her. Under the guise of doing more surveillance.
In all honesty, I was working. I had more searching to do to keep Luk and Kir satisfied with my progress and to finally lock in on a suspect.
She was right and I was lying through my teeth, but it was just easier that way. She could only know so much, and I didn’t need her to be aware of just how invested I’d been in her.
After a moment of tense silence between us, Sky forced out a breath, all the while her features were tight with irritation. “I don’t understand why you won’t just admit it.”
“There’s nothing to admit,” I muttered back, growing more annoyed that she was being so adamant.
I didn’t like how on the nose she was, and I didn’t like how she was making me feel guilty for it. Everything about the situation bothered me, mainly because I was being called out for the bizarre behavior that I knew would eventually land me in the hot seat.
Damn her for being so perceptive, and damn myself for being so careless. For being obvious.
As much as I wanted to blame her for everything, I couldn’t. Still, I wasn’t prepared to admit it yet.
Sky narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re not as good of a liar as you think you are.”
“Why can’t you just drop it?” I returned, letting more of my irritation slip. “So what if I’m here when you are?”
She grumbled to herself, becoming more worked up by how avoidant I was being with the topic. “Because it’s clearly not that simple!”
“No?” I questioned, matching her as I stood from my place, towering over her. “And why isn’t it simple?”
“Because you’re hiding the fact that you’re not just here to work…If I had gone home when everyone else did, would you still be here?” she asked, pleasant demeanor thrown to the wind. “Have you ever stayed here late before?”
With a scoff, caught off-guard by the question, I averted my gaze for a moment. A rookie mistake that she surely caught. “No, I haven’t…but so what? I can’t guarantee the building is secure with you still in it, which means I can’t leave until you and everyone else do.”
Sky considered the notion with quiet disbelief written on her face, and she took a moment to lay it out plainly. “Admit it. You’re only here because I am. And not just because of whatever security things you’re taking care of.”
Staring her down, hating how right she was, I clenched my jaw. “And if I am?”
“I’m an adult, Damien—a grown woman! I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” she fired back, evidently tired of both my stalling and the conversation. “I don’t care if you feel the need to stick around and make sure I’m fine. I don’t need you to always be here!”
Something about those words coming from her felt like a direct hit to my pride, and my brows furrowed at that.
In a way, it snapped me back to reality, suddenly aware of what I was doing and the ridiculous amount of withholding I was trying to do.
That being said, the words slipped out before I could stop them as I stepped around the table and stood right in front of her. “I’m only trying to help. Things aren’t as safe as they seem, and I’m just making sure you get out of here without any problems.”
The moment her brows pinched together as she tried to dissect those words, I realized I said too much. I shouldn’t have alluded to the building being compromised to any capacity, but I couldn’t walk it back then.
I put my foot in my mouth again.
Sky narrowed her eyes and looked me over skeptically. “What do you mean by that? You said there was nothing to worry about before.”
She was right again. God, why couldn’t she just be the passive woman I thought she was initially…
As annoying as it was, I couldn’t deny how much I enjoyed her persistence. How fiery she was beneath that layer of practiced kindness and patience. Beyond the professional, she was used to being every day.
Realizing I was backed into a corner, still unable to explain the situation or myself to her, I forced out a breath. “Nothing…it’s nothing.”
“Clearly not!”
Hushing a low growl under my breath, I snapped back, “I can’t tell you, even if I wanted to, so stop prying.”
Sky only looked more pissed off at my words, and she scoffed, shaking her head.
“Whatever…just forget it,” she muttered, turning before heading toward her office again. All the while, the click of her heels on the polished floor echoed throughout the otherwise silent space.
Seeing her back turned to me and leaving the conversation at that only frustrated me more, and I wasn’t ready for it to be over.
I didn’t know what it was about her or the tense moment, but I felt the need to defend myself to some degree.
She likely thought I was crazy or creepy…maybe both, but regardless of the outcome, I wasn’t prepared to let her think all of that without at least trying to redeem myself first.
Unrelenting, I followed after her, matching her annoyance. This only made her try to move faster, reaching the door to her office in an attempt to close it behind her.
But before she could, I wedged my boot between the threshold and the door, stopping it from shutting me out completely like she wanted.
Her eyes widened slightly at the realization that I wasn’t budging, but her anger won out as she let go of an exasperated sound and pressed further into the office. “Christ, why won’t you just leave me alone?”
Wishing I had a better answer for her, I pushed through the door the rest of the way and stood before her. “Look, I know how this all looks, but I am just trying to help. I’m posted here to keep an eye on things, and if that means sticking around while you work late, then so be it. As far as I’m concerned, there’s not a whole lot you can do about that.”
Even if it was an attempt to try and diffuse her, Sky wasn’t having it.
Her twisted expression only got worse. “You guarding the place isn’t the problem! The problem is you always being around. Always inserting yourself when you don’t need to. It makes me feel like a child…like you feel the need to shield me from everything.”
Her words seemed to wrap around my heart then, and depending on her next response, it would either restrict or feel like a comforting blanket. Either way, I couldn’t help myself from mumbling the words…
“And if I do feel the need to shield you…to protect you. Then what?”
Startled by my words, Sky blinked back at me, at a loss for words for a beat.
That was when I noticed the faint blush on her cheeks.
Damn it…that blush.
Like an innate, preprogrammed reaction, my body stirred at the sight of it and how it tinged her soft skin. I looked down at her and took it in like a drug, finding myself growing more and more intrigued by her silent response.
Something about that arousing tint drew me in, and I took the slightest step toward her.
“What then?” I posed for her again, voice lower and quieter as the silence in the office suddenly felt deafening all over again.
Still startled and unable to grasp a suitable response, Sky’s blush deepened, and she swallowed hard, all the while she looked up at me. “I…I don’t know…”
The size difference between us became even clearer at that moment, finally able to see her up so close without any interruptions…without either of us pulling away.
Sky was taller than the average woman, but even then, she looked so small and delicate beneath me. I couldn’t deny how that thought sent a thrill down my spine and only intrigued me more.
While my attraction to her wasn’t up for debate, Sky’s previous anger with me muddied the waters and made me question if she was even curious about me. But at that moment, catching how her gaze seemed to linger all over me, taking in my face and body all while sporting that endearing blush, I did not doubt that she felt just as affected as I was.
Something in the room shifted, and I wasn’t about to let that moment pass me by.
Slowly, I cut the space between us, putting my hands against the desk on either side of her until she leaned back on it, eyes never leaving mine. I dropped my face a touch closer to hers, not wanting to look away from her for even a moment.
She was too beautiful to ignore. Too addicting to resist.
Gently, I brought a hand up to trace the edge of her jaw with my fingertip, gaze locked on her to catch every reaction. Every faint hitch of her breath.
Those ocean eyes stayed on mine regardless of how much she was blushing. Almost like she was trying to seem brave or resistant to my touch. But I knew better than that. I had her all figured out.
“You make it sound like you hate the idea of someone watching over you,” I murmured, voice low and deliberate with every word. Once I reached her chin, I softly cupped her cheek and moved my body even closer to hers, able to feel the heat from her body as it seeped through her clothes. “Like you hate the thought of me being around…guarding you…protecting you.”
Sky’s breath hitched again at my touch, eyes fluttering shut as she swallowed hard.
I grinned faintly, aware that she was in the palm of my hand at last.
Leaning my face even closer, cheek just barely brushing against hers, I murmured into her ear, “You can pretend all you want…but I know you secretly enjoy it. You like me being around…following and watching at a distance.”
She shuddered at the gentle fan of my breath against her ear, and I couldn’t hold back a chuckle as I pulled back enough to look down at her face.
There was no hiding my amusement and satisfaction all the while I took in her almost awe-struck expression while my thumb moved to her chin and tipped her head up by a small fraction. Her breath caught again, and it went straight to my core.
“Admit it, Sky,” I said in a hushed tone, letting my thumb barely brush against her lower lip. “Admit that you like knowing I’m watching you.”
After a moment, Sky let go of a faltering breath, unable to fight against my touch. Any kind of resistance she might’ve had crumbled at once, and she swallowed hard again with that enticingly innocent look in her eyes.
“Fine…I like it,” she murmured back, surprisingly more direct about it than I anticipated. “I like it more than I want to admit…”
Her answer was exactly what I wanted to hear.
Tilting her chin up still, I leaned in and brushed my lips against hers, immediately struck by the softness of them. By how perfectly compliant they seemed.
When her breath caught in her throat, I hummed my approval and pressed deeper, not satisfied by that light touch as I held her face with one hand and her hip with the other.
Sky relaxed then and returned it with matching fervor, putting a hand against my chest that sent a shiver down my spine.
Nothing else could compare to the feeling of her lips…to the taste of her that I was quickly drowning in. That I couldn’t get enough of.
It didn’t matter how long we stood there, deepening the kiss and seemingly searching for the same thing within the other. I didn’t care how much time we were burning through…not while I just wanted more, more, more…
Even while I felt her burning body pressed up against mine, forcing me to react with startling ease, I couldn’t believe it was happening. That Sky was reciprocating, and I had her exactly where I wanted her.
Regardless, I wasn’t about to complain. Not even for a moment.