CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CASSIE
I wake up in Damien Luciano’s arms.
A sentence I never thought would leave my lips. The sun is shining, gravity is making things gravitate and I’m in the arms of a man I swore I would hate for the rest of my life.
But I don’t hate him. Not even a little bit. And that’s terrifying.
Because as strongly as my feelings are for this man, if I don’t hate him, then it means I feel the opposite. And I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet. Last night was… indescribable. It felt like I was on a sprint or running through a tunnel and the exit only led to him.
It feels like my entire life has been like that. He’s an uneasy sleeper. His brows furrow and his face twitches. It’s like he’s fighting the same battles he fights during the day in his dreams as well or should I say, nightmares? Surprisingly, he doesn’t wake when I shift in his arms.
I slowly inch my hand towards his forehead, trying to smooth out the creases there. As soon as my finger touches his skin, his eyes fly open.
“Hey,” I say, my heart pounding.
“ Mi vida ,” he says, voice gruff and so freaking sexy.
I would have been sleeping here more if I knew I’d get to hear that every morning. I feel a clenching in the pit of my stomach and suddenly remember that he promised me another round and then left me in bed. Flashbacks from last night play in my head. The way he fucked me, the things he said.
For years, I replayed the night we met like a scene on loop—the way he touched me, the way he took me, like my body already belonged to him. One night. That’s all it took for him to brand himself into my skin.
I went back to that club more times than I care to admit, hoping to see him again. He called me his… and then vanished like smoke.
I spent years chasing that high—traveling, dating, pretending to move on—but nothing ever compared. My friends thought I was crazy. Maybe I was. Because no one ever made me feel the way he did. Not before. Not after.
I told myself he forgot about me. That a man like him—powerful, rich, devastatingly gorgeous—wouldn’t waste a second thought on some girl he’d already had.
He got what he wanted. And he left me wrecked and wanting.
But I was wrong.
Because now?
I’m his wife.
And I still can’t wrap my head around it.
After all this time, I had no idea it would be like that.
that it would feel so good, even better than I remember.
Everything about Damien both scares me and draws me in.
Which is why I decided to stay. Because great, heart shattering sex aside, it also felt right.
Being here, with him. I intentionally fell asleep before he came back, though, because I had no interest in seeing the smug look on his face.
Guess there’s no escaping it this morning.
“Good morning,” I say as casually as possible, sitting up to stretch my arms.
He sits up as well, running his hand through his hair. The messiness is a good look on him, not that he has any bad looks. If he does, I certainly haven’t seen it.
“Did you sleep well?” he asks, staring at me in that intense way of his.
I nod, “Yeah I did. You seemed not to though. Bad dreams?”
“I don’t remember my dreams,” he murmurs. “But I slept better than I have in a while, thanks to you, sweetheart.”
“Glad I could help,” I say, raising my eyebrows nervously.
He cocks his head to the side, gaze trailing over my face before shifting down to the shirt I stole from his closet.
“You stayed,” he points out with an annoying smirk.
“Don’t get cocky,” I state, pointing a finger at him. “I just didn’t feel like walking all the way to my room last night.”
“It’s only a couple feet away,” he says dryly.
I shrug, refusing to give him any further ammunition against my heart. Even though it’s already pretty much his at this point.
“Can we not talk about it?” I mumble.
He chuckles, “Alright, sweetheart. I’ll give you a pass. Mostly because I’m more interested in fucking you right now. You have no idea how sexy you look wearing my shirt.”
A couple of words has my entire body heating. I feel my pussy tighten with the memories from last night and the anticipation of what’s to come.
God, why did he have to be so good looking?
It’s not even just about his looks. From the minute I met him, Damien hasn’t once pretended to be something he’s not.
He’s straightforward, brash and sure there are layers to him that should terrify me.
But then I remember how he’s treated me all this while, like I’m something special to him.
Someone he can’t lose. Everything else falls away in the face of that.
Because the truth is, I fell for him all those years ago but I thought it was just a crush on my one night stand.
After realizing that it was Damien all along, it almost feels like fate crazily.
I smile before climbing on top of him, straddling his thighs.
“You’re pretty irresistible yourself, Mr. Luciano,” I tell him before leaning forward and kissing him.
Soon enough, he’s fucking me hard enough that I forget that I’m choosing to be with a monster.
***
The walls of my father’s old office are lined with the same walnut shelves and leather-bound books that have been there since I was a child.
I remember sneaking in here once, barefoot and in pajamas, to sit in the massive leather chair behind the desk.
My dad’s chair. It used to make me feel so close to him to be in here.
Now I feel nothing as I sit here. It might have a lot to do with the fact that my uncle’s made the chair his. I had no idea he moved into the house at all. I guess it makes sense. It’s better than leaving it empty.
“How are you feeling, Cassie?” he asks, kindly. “Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee?”
I shake my head gently, folding my hands in my lap, “No, thank you.”
I guess I’m just a little shaken. My dad’s will was just read a couple minutes ago. It felt final listening to his last wishes. Empty in a sense. After the lawyer left, my uncle guided me into his office to talk.
“So how are you feeling? Your father named you CEO.”
It was completely expected. He saw me leading the company he worked hard to build one day. But the prospect doesn’t feel me with anything. I have no interest in running the company. The question though, is who will.
I shift in my seat, meeting my uncle’s gaze, “It’s a huge responsibility. A whole company, thousands of employees. Contracts, shareholders, meetings. I’m not sure that’s meant for me.”
I look up at my uncle and it’s impossible to notice the brightening in his eyes. Although he does keep up with the calm demeanor.
“Your father wanted this for you,” he points out.
“I know, I know. But he’s not exactly the best at making decisions for me is he?” I ask, spitefully.
Uncle Miguel sighs, “If he was alive, that wedding would have never happened.”
“But it did. That’s not the point though. We have to make the right decision for the company.”
“And that decision is?” he presses.
“You’ve been with the company for decades. You worked with my father to build it. you know the ins and outs better than anyone, uncle. It would make sense to make you CEO.”
He smiles. It reaches his eyes, eyes that I’ve trusted my whole life.
“That’s a great decision, Cassie. One your father would have been proud of.”
I hesitate. Before Damien dropped me off this morning, he looked me in the eye and asked me not to make any rash decisions regarding the company. He told me he would explain later. And for some reason, I want to listen to him.
“Uncle, actually, maybe we should just slow things down. I don’t want to make a hasty decision,” I say.
“I understand,” he leans back in his chair, steepling his fingers. “There’s something holding you back.”
“Not exactly. I just want to make the right choice for the company.”
“Hmm,” Miguel nods thoughtfully. Then, almost too casually, he asks, “Does this have anything to do with your new husband?”
I blink, “Why would it?”
He shrugs, “You’ve always been an independent thinker, Cassie.
I’m sure you’ve thought about this eventuality before.
All signs pointed to your father bequeathing the company to you.
And yet you’re delaying making a decision.
Which leads me to believe Damien Luciano might be well,” his smile flattens slightly.
“Pulling your strings in the background.”
My fists clench, “I assure you, uncle, I’m perfectly capable of thinking for myself.”
“I’m sure you are, Cassie,” he says softly and then there’s a pause, “May I speak candidly.”
I nod, cautious.
“It’s no secret who he is and what he does for a living. I cannot stress enough how imperative it is that you do not fall into his wed.”
My throat tightens but I don’t say a word, letting him continue.
“You married him under duress. That much is clear. The circumstances of your wedding were trouble and now you’re his prisoner.”
“I’m not a prisoner,” I argue quietly.
“No?” his voice is still even, but cooler now. “This is the first time you’ve been allowed away from his home in weeks and even now, bodyguards surround this house. He’s keeping you in a cage, Cassandra.”
“The situation is complicated,” I say defensively.
He leans forward, “Cassie, listen to me. I can see that you’re starting to get drawn by him. I know who Damien Luciano is. I know what he’s capable of. He’s dangerous and not just in the abstract, mobster sense of the word. He is truly dangerous.”
“I know that,” I mutter.
“Do you? You think just because he’s being kind now, he won’t snap late? You think there won’t come a day when you’ll say the wrong thing, and he’ll remind you what kind of man he really is?”
“He would never hurt me,” I say with conviction.
My uncle rises from his chair, walking slowly around the desk. I can see his patience unraveling. Miguel has always been calm, composed, but right now it almost feels like that’s vanishing before my eyes. And something colder is rising in his place.