Chapter 13
Ivy
I wake up with my arm around his waist, and my leg draped over his. We had agreed to sleep in the same room last night. Somewhere along the line, the same room became the same bed. How bad could it be? I told myself. The king-size bed is large enough to fit both of us, plus two more people in between. I told myself I would keep to my side of the bed. But sometime during the night, I had slept so soundly that I rolled over not just to the center but to his side. And now my leg is pressing against his growing erection. Oh god. I peer at him. Thankfully, he’s still sound asleep and hopefully, I can disentangle myself without waking him up.
The hand is the easiest. Slowly, I lift my hand up from his bare chest. Holy hell, why does he have to sleep only in his shorts? His well-sculpted chest is begging to be caressed by a lover and sadly, I’m not it. Sadly? Be real Ivy, the man hates you. I withdraw my arm slowly without waking him up. Next, my leg. Unfortunately, any slight movement makes him even harder. Is this what they call morning wood? I try to slide my leg off his, but just as I am about to disentangle myself completely, Damien snakes his hand to my hip and holds me still. I freeze. He’s still asleep. I try to twist out of his grip, but he holds me even tighter.
“Another move and I won’t be responsible for my next actions,” he says with his eyes still closed. He’s awake. Had he been watching me all this time?
“I need to get up,” I say.
“One more minute,” he mutters.
Does he know? He must think I’m someone else. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be this playful with me. The thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Suddenly, being this close to him is not as tantalizing as it was before. I struggle again out of his embrace, much more vigorously this time and instead of going free, Damien shifts his body, pulling me down and him on top of me. He imprisons my hands in his and thrusts them into the pillow on top of my head. His erection now nudging at my pajama bottoms. I’m not sure whether to thank or scold yesterday me who thought pajamas were a great idea.
“I said one more minute.” I’m lost in the deep pool of his gray eyes. No one should be allowed to be this handsome. No one should have perfectly shaped eyes, a perfectly shaped nose, and a perfectly shaped mouth like has.
Concentrate.
“It’s morning.” My words come out as breathless whispers, something I didn’t intend to do. He smiles. Or is it a smirk? I can’t tell. I’m too shocked by the cock against my pussy to think clearly.
“You look a little frazzled. Is it me?”
Yes! “No. I’m just,” I exhale and turn my gaze away from him. “I’m just—”
“Late? For work? You don’t have anything to do.”
“I do actually. There’s a call I need to make.”
“Liar.” His head lowers just a little. His eyes are focused on my lips. “Why do you always lie?” His voice is lower than a whisper and his breath caresses my lips. My stomach tumbles. He leans down, and I’m sure he’s about to kiss me when I hear the door bursting open.
“I’m ready! I’m ready!” The sound of Lake’s footsteps pit and patter closer and closer to the bed as he rushes in. I freeze, wondering what questions he would ask if he saw me in the same bed as Damien. I try to get myself out of Damien’s hold, but he imprisons me in his embrace, refusing to let me go. The duvet covers us, even so, I would rather confront Lake whilst I’m sleeping next to Damien than beneath him. At the last second, Damien lets me go and I slide next to him just as Lake comes to stand next to Damien.
“Good morning little champ.” Damien’s voice is cool and unaffected, as if it’s this image is the most normal thing in the world. Lake straightens his neck in that way he does when he’s made a faux pas or forgotten to perform a social norm. “Good morning Uncle, I mean Daddy! I’m ready to go to Disneyland” he frowns when he notices me for the first time. “What are you doing in Daddy’s bed?”
Damien slides behind me and draws me closer to his chest. “Mom and I sleep in the same bed now. Like all parents do.”
Lake furrows his brow, shrugs, and nods. “So when are going?”
“Have you even bathed yet?” I scan his outfit. He has on his favorite Spiderman t-shirt and the blue pants he likes to wear with it, but the clothing is askew.
“I washed my face?”
“That’s not enough. You have to take a full bath. And besides, we’re not going to Disneyland today. Your father has work to do.”
Lake’s face falls.
“We can go tomorrow.” Damien leans over, lifts Lake, and sits him down on top of the sheets between us. “We’ll have the whole day to ourselves
“You don’t have to inconvenience yourself. I can take him.” As much as Lake wants to be with Damien, I would rather go with Lake alone and not have to contend with Damien’s presence.
“I brought him so I can spend time with him and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Disneyland is heaven to the Lake. Damien pulls out all the stops and books a VIP tour for us, which means we get to skip the queues of most of the rides and enjoy first-class treatment the Mouse has to offer. Lake never stops smiling or cooing in wonderment at almost everything. Even I have to admit that he’s enjoying himself. Damien has been behaving himself and sticking to his word as he said. He’s not being smugly condescending like expected him to be, but is just as invested in Lake’s joy as any father would be. The only person not enjoying this trip is me and Damien is to blame.
It’s been difficult to ignore his presence now that we not only spent the night together, but have to spend the entire day together as well. This morning, like the previous day, I woke up in his arms again. And this time, he has them wrapped around mine. It felt too cozy for my liking. Too cozy and too sensual. Too much like a couple. Even though nothing happened between us during the night, my body wanted so much for him to take me. I felt like I was nineteen again, pining over a man who cares little for me. A man I was pretending to be a family with. If nights are hard, daytime is harder. At least at night, I don’t have to think about how handsome he is. How good he is with Lake. It makes everything so much harder when he smiles at me each time Lake does something quirky.
Disneyland has been torture. Damien walks beside me the entire time and sometimes he surprises me by holding my hand. Every time he does so, my palm tingles and it takes all of my willpower not to jump. I have to remind myself that he’s doing it for Lake. It’s all fake.
As we enter a dark ride, the last ride of the day before we watch the fireworks display, I’m kinda glad it’s nearly over. Like most of the previous rides we’ve been on, we get the front seats and as we’re heading there; I am jostled by a group of kids passing us by. I lose my balance, stumble and I’m about to meet the ground when I feel an arm around my back, lifting me and pulling me into an embrace. My head hits Damien’s chest. His pinewood cologne teases my senses, enveloping me.
“Sorry,” I mumble.
He unhooks his arm and lets me stand on my own. “Watch where you walk.”
It’s a brief moment, but my body does not recover throughout the ride. I’m even more keenly aware of him. As we ride down a river and watch animatronics sing and dance, Damien’s leg brushes against mine. I don’t know why I thought a dress would be a good idea, because I can feel his jean-clad legs more acutely than I would have if I had jeans of my own. At one point, the ride swerves sharply and I am thrown into his arms again. Subconsciously, I grip his shirt, pressing against the hard chest beneath.
“Careful.” His voice is more gruff than I’m used to hearing.
“Sorry.” I let go of his shirt, straighten in my seat, and scoot as far away from him as possible. We should have given Lake the middle seat. But he wanted to see everything and immediately rushed for the right end as soon as we got onto the ride. I focus on Lake and try to ignore Damien as much as I can for the rest of the ride. When we come to a stop, I get out of my seat as fast as possible as I try to give myself space to calm down my senses.
“Next up fireworks display!” Lake practically jumps out of his seat and out of the car. Damien takes his hand and then my hand as well. Once again, I feel a tingle in my palm. I’m not a schoolgirl for christ’s sake. I am a grown woman. But does my body know that? No. I keep reacting to him like I am a hormonal teenager.
We follow the tour guide to where the display would be most visible, still hand in hand. There’s little light left out of the sun and most of the crowd is either moving towards the exits or to the fireworks display. Lake skips in front of us as we stroll along the pathway lit with Parisian-style street lamps. It’s a romantic mood if you ignore the kids with Mickey Mouse headbands, princess outfits, and superhero costumes. I try to slip my hand out of his, but he holds me firm.
“I don’t think Lake has eyes on the back of his head,” I whisper.
Damien chuckles. “Does holding my hand bother you? You were jittery during the ride. Could it be you can’t tolerate my presence?”
“It’s not that.”
“Really? Then what is it?”
To any on-looker, one would think we’re two lovers whispering sweet nothings to each other. How wrong they would be. “If we’re going to pretend, we should be doing it when people are watching, don’t you think? Otherwise, it’s redundant.”
“I don’t know.” He yanks my hand and I almost yelp as he draws me to his side and slides his hand around my waist. “I think we become more convincing at pretending if we do it, even when people aren’t watching.”
I glare at him. Is he drunk? I don’t know who this man is, but it sure as hell isn’t Damien. I try to wiggle out of his hold, but Lake turns to face us, smiling, and I smile back, leaning into Damien. Damien gives me a look as if to say, ‘See? I told you so.’
We reach the arena and sit to watch the display. The fireworks are enchanting and for a moment; I forget I am with Damien. Lake claps with giddiness each time they pop a firework in the shape of a character or animal. His enthusiasm is infectious and by the time we get back to the hotel, I am as happy as he is. At least for him and the wonderful day he had.
Lake is so tired that when I put him to bed, he immediately falls asleep. I tuck him in, feeling a little sleepy too, but buzzed at the same time with an energy that only one man can cause. Damien. He’s leaning by the door watching me put Lake to sleep. When I turn, his eyes flare and darken. His gaze is pinned on my chest. I follow his gaze to see the top of my dress slightly askew, showing part of my left breast. Heat spreads through my body as I adjust the dress. “Thank you for the trip. Lake enjoyed it a lot.”
His eyes remain pinned to my cleavage.“You look just like you did that night.”
He doesn’t need to elaborate. We both know which night he’s talking about. I didn’t think about it when I put it on, but it’s the same style and color as that other fateful one. “It’s purely accidental,” I pass him on my way out of the room. He takes my hand, making me stop.
“I didn’t mean you did it on purpose. I was just reminded by it, that’s all.” His voice is low and rumbles in a way that makes my insides tumble. I dare not look at him. He might make me forget myself. “I’m tired. I need to go to sleep.”
Damien lets go of my hand and I make my way to the other room. Our room. I can feel his gaze trail my steps until I enter the bedroom and close the door behind me. But the respite is only for a few seconds. The door crushes open. I turn to see Damien stalking toward me and before I can even say a word, he captures my head in his palms and plants a kiss on my lips. A punishing, hard, and torturous kiss. It’s hungry and fiery. It matches what I have been feeling all day. I let him devour me as I press into his body. He groans and his hands slide down to my back and my buttocks. He squeezes them as he presses me against his throbbing erection. After what seems like forever, we both come up for air. His breaths are fast and shallow against my lips.
“You’re a torturer. Do you know the torment I felt for the past few nights?”He punctuates each sentence with an airy, light kiss.“When you were sleeping next to me and I couldn’t do anything?” Kiss. “I wanted to touch you.” Kiss. “Taste you.” Kiss. “Feel you.” Kiss. “The way you kept jumping into my arms at the—”
I draw back. “I didn’t do it deliberately.”
“Liar.” And kisses me again.
“It’s the truth,” I whisper against his lips.
He leans back and I almost lean forward so I can feel his lips again. “Tell me you don’t want me. Tell me you don’t want this.” His hand skims my butt and presses me against his erection again. He calls me a torturer, but I know what he truly wants to say, a seducer. And even though I know he thinks of me as someone out to tempt him. I should call him out. Push him away and put this to a stop. But to what end? I have dreamed of this moment ever since the last time we made love. You’re just another fuck. He said that to me later when I went to his apartment and tried to apologize on behalf of my brother, my father, and the way I acted. Am I just another fuck now? Does it matter? I’m older now and know how to keep my heart intact.
“I…I…” I mutter against his lips. He groans and I moan as emotion and logic wrestle within me. I should scream yes, but a buzzer at the back of my mind warns me to get as far away from him as I can. He’s dangerous. He’s using you. He hates you.
Damien takes control of the kiss and drinks me in like I am the last glass of water he will ever taste. His hands, which were frantically caressing my body, gain purpose as he finds the zipper of my dress and slides it down. My dress loosens and I let it pool onto my feet. My bra follows and in no time, I’m standing naked in front of him. The cool breeze of the air conditioner stiffens my nipples and makes me self-conscious. My body is not what it used to be. I’ve had a child and I haven’t lived on a strict diet. There are curves in places where they didn’t use to be. Damien steps back and assesses me. Does he hate it? He must. After all, he’s only dated supermodels. I don’t follow his love life, but every once in a while, I see a news article.
His nostrils flare. “Holy fuck, you’re beautiful.” I resist the urge to cover myself. “You don’t think my body has changed?” He puts his hand around my waist and draws me forward. “For the better.” He leans down and kisses my neck on each side before making a trail of kisses that end on my left breast, where he nips, licks, and suckles until I’m gripping his head in pleasure. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Ivy,” he says before giving the right breast the same attention he gave the left. His hand wanders to my center and plays with the clit in a sensuous rhythm that mimics the assault of his tongue on my nipple. I can only concentrate on what he’s doing to me.
Everything else is reduced to this moment. To here. To now. He lets go of my nipple and straightens, but he doesn’t relinquish my pussy. His hand dips into my pussy and he thrusts his fingers, watching me come apart with just his hands. At last, he rips my panties off me, leaving me naked while he is fully clothed. I rectify that by removing his shirt while he makes quick work of his jeans. His cock springs out of his boxers as he drops them. It’s angry, thick, and weeping. I take it into my hand, mesmerized by the male beauty on display, and stroke it. His cock lengthens even more.
You’re just another fuck.
I drop his cock like it’s a hot piece of coal. My reaction is so sudden that he opens his eyes and frowns at me. “What is it?”
“I am sorry.” Feeling a little too exposed, I quickly put my arms around myself to cover my breasts. “I don’t think I can do this.”
My movements after this are so quick, my body goes into auto mode. I put my clothes back on, grab my phone from the nightstand, and rush out of the room. My refuge is Lake. He doesn’t wake when I lay down beside him. Damien doesn’t follow me. It takes a while for sleep to get me, but eventually, it doesuntil I’m woken up by an incessant ringtone. Sunlight peeps behind the curtains as I stretch my body. My alarm. I grab the phone to turn it off, but there are a few messages and missed calls on it. All from Nolan. I open the latest message.
“Your baby daddy has just taken over Hawthorne Inc. Thanks, sis. I hope his dick is worth it.”