Chapter 6
Damien
Today’s my last full day in Sandy Cove before I have to head back home. Once I’m all washed up and dressed, I head down to the kitchen where both mom and Finn are having breakfast with orange juice and a cup of coffee. “Morning.”
They both look in my direction and smile.
“Morning dear,” offers mom. “How was your night?”
“Very good, thank you.” I answer back as I take a seat at the table beside her.
“I can’t believe you’re heading back to the city tomorrow. Your visit’s gone by so fast.”
“Sorry mom. If I could stay longer, you know I would.”
She reaches for me and wraps me in a strong hug that’s filled with warmth. “I know you have your life to get back to. It’s just I’m going to miss you like I do every time you’re away.”
“Well, we still have this morning to enjoy, then I’ll see you before I leave, of course.”
She smiles. “I know, dear.”
After breakfast, Mom and I play a few games of poker, then I borrow her SUV, and head to one of the Chinese food restaurants, and place a to-go order that will feed at least three people.
When I arrive at Tanya’s flower shop, I grab the takeout bags and walk inside. Wow! This place is packed. It makes me feel proud to see how successful she is.
Stepping into the back of the line, I wait my turn until one of her employees stands in front of me.
“What can I get for you today, sir?”
“A bouquet of tulips for my mother, and I’d like a moment with your boss, please.”
She nods. “One moment please,” then heads into the back of the shop.
Minutes later, my angel pops through the back door, surprise on her face upon seeing me.
“Damien! What a wonderful surprise. What are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d surprise you and your employees with some Chinese takeout. Plus, I wanted to pick up some tulips for mom.”
“Awe, that’s so sweet of you. Thank you so much.” She says as she accepts the bags over the counter.
“So, how’s your day been treating you?”
“It’s been quite lively, actually, which is a double-edged sword.”
“Oh? Why?”
“Well, yes, it does make the day go by faster, but then, at the end of the day, at least for me, I’m utterly exhausted.”
“Hmm, I think I can help you out with that, then.”
“Oh? How?” She asks with her voice pitching higher by the end of her sentence.
I grin at her face as I step up right against the service counter. “By picking you up after work, taking you home, then making you dinner, pamper you with a deep body massage and a soothing bubble bath. How does that sound, angel?”
A pink hue covers her upper body. “That sounds absolutely wonderful, but, uh, people are staring.” She gestures around.
Hmm, so they are. I reach for her hand and lay a light kiss on her knuckles. “Let them watch. You’re mine!” I then leave a hundred-dollar bill on the counter, grab my mom’s tulips, and turn to leave. “See you tonight, Tanya.”
As I leave through the door, I barely catch her employee loudly stating, “OMG! You’re dating Damien Shaw! Why didn’t you tell us?”
I spend the rest of my day visiting with my family, then shop for a few items that hopefully Tanya and I can put to good use later tonight.
When my five o’clock alarm begins to blare, I grab my leather jacket, keys, and the items I bought this afternoon, then head outside to get my bike and pick Tanya up from work. I can’t wait to see her gorgeous face and smile.
Tanya
Whew! What an afternoon. After he left, I was constantly hounded with questions from my staff and customers about our length of relationship, and that I’m so lucky to be dating the town’s football star. Ugh! He is so lucky that he’s so hot, good-looking, a gentleman, and plus, that tight ass of his, which was, of course one of the first images I had of him after the game just before we were fully introduced.
It’s almost five-thirty, and I’m just about ready to lock the front door from the outside when I hear his delicious voice.
“Hey angel.”
I spin on him, then give him my best pissed off look. “That was pretty dirty what you said before you left this afternoon.”
He beams. “I meant every word of it.”
My glare begins to falter. “Thanks to you, everyone decided to play twenty questions whether I wanted to or not.”
I’d swear his grin grows wider by the second. “Then it sounds like I have something to make up for.” He says as he trails his fingers down the side of my face, neck, then arms.
“Ooh, that feels good.”
“Do you forgive me? That way, I can get you home and begin tonight’s pampering.” He states, then pulls my face against his before I can even give him an answer.
The way Damien kisses is absolutely marvelous. At first, it’s hard and fast, but then he changes the tempo to slow and so utterly satisfying that my entire body is tingling all over and my toes are threatening to curl right up.
When he finally decides to let me go, I take a step back, then take a refreshing gulp of air. “I forgive you.”
He grins from ear to ear. “Then let’s go. We can take my bike. I brought an extra helmet you can use.”
I nod, beginning to get excited by the second. “I can’t wait!”
He takes my hand, then leads me to his beautiful motorcycle. “Have you ever ridden one of these before?”
I nod, with the beginning of a few tears in my eyes. “My dad and grandpa had motorcycles when they were both alive.”
“When was the last time?”
A small frown begins to cross my face. “About six years ago. Dad and I spent the entire day just riding on the bike all over the area. We even went upstate and had lunch where he and mom used to go for a dinner date once a month when she was alive. He passed away about three weeks after that.”
He pulls me in for a sympathizing hug. “Awe, Tanya, I’m so sorry. It’s tough losing a parent. Believe me, I know.”
That’s right, he does. The Shaw siblings lost their father when they were all younger. If I remember correctly, it was cancer that took Mr. Shaw.
Damien wipes my tears away, then hands me the spare helmet. “I’m sorry to bring up something so sad about your past.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s all right. That day is such a blessed memory for me. It feels good to talk about it again.”
He gives me a small nod. “Ready to head home, then?”
I put the helmet on. “You bet! Let’s go.”
About ten minutes later, we arrive in the underground parking at my apartment building, then Damien proceeds to park his bike in my spot since I left my car at the flower shop.
Once his bike is parked and turned off, I lead him to the elevator, then we head up to my floor. After a couple of minutes in the elevator, we reach my floor, then the doors slide open. I lead him to my apartment as I dig through my purse for my keys. Of course, they’ve sank down to the bottom of my purse. Once retrieved, I insert the key, turn the lock, then open the door, and welcome him inside. “Welcome to my humble abode.”
He smiles at me, then strides inside. “You’ve got a nice place here. Used to be Sebastian’s, right?”
I nod. “Yes, he sublets it to me really cheap. He came up with the idea when he and Ellie found out that the owner of the little cottage I was living in decided it was time to sell it.”
“Yeah, I remember when he and Ellie moved in together, he was thinking of getting rid of it, but then mom suggested he keep it so there’d be another place any of us could stay when we visited the family.”
“Oops! Guess I changed that plan.”
“Yeah, but it’s a good thing. Besides, I like staying with mom and Finn when I visit.” He sends me a wink. “Now, aren’t you going to show me around?”
I blush. “Sure.” I set my purse down on top of my shoe bench that sits beside the door. “As you can see, this is the living room and kitchen.”
He nods for me to continue.
“Then down here we have the spare room, which I use as my office and workspace.”
He glances inside. “Is that a flower fridge I spy in there?”
I giggle. “Yes, I take my work home with me sometimes. Especially if I’m late on an order or inspiration strikes.”
“Makes sense.”
“Over here is the bathroom that your brother Teddy had helped design and renovated for me.”
“Very nice. My brother does excellent work as per usual.”
I nod, then hesitate for a few seconds, then lead him to the last room he hasn’t seen. “And this, this is my bedroom.”
His eyes take in the entire space. “It’s a really nice space, and you made it your own, which is important. Unlike me.”
That confuses me. “What do you mean, ‘unlike you’?”
He chuckles. “You saw my place. You said it was minimalist except for a few family pictures I had on the walls, and, of course, my football stuff.”
“But that’s you, and as long as you’re happy with it…”
“That’s the thing, though. I’m not happy with it. I just don’t have the time or patience for designing or decorating.”
“Oh. Well, maybe I can help you out with that if you invite me to the city.”
He flashes a smile. “Consider it a deal. Now, enough about that. It’s time to pamper you.”
“Damien, you don’t really have to do this.”
“I know, but I want to. I want to make tonight special partly since I have to head back to the city tomorrow, and I’m not sure exactly when we’ll be able to see one another again. At least a couple of weeks anyway, since the team’s next game is away.”
I am pink all over. “Well, like you said earlier, we can work this out. We can text, call, and Skype. Hell, maybe I could actually take a few days off from the shop to come visit you when you have home games now and then.”
He smiles genuinely as he pulls me into his arms and lays a romantic kiss on my lips. “You don’t know how happy that makes me that you’re willing to do that for me.”
“Of course, I am. I really care about you, Damien, and I know you care about me. There’s something special between us.”
“Indeed, there is, angel. Now, let’s get some nourishment into our bellies, so then we can begin.”
I giggle.
Turns out, for dinner, Damien had picked up a pre-cooked BBQ chicken, Caesar salad, and some potato salad, then had asked Ellie to put everything in my fridge since both she and Seb have a spare key.
“Asking Ellie was really sneaky of you, but also very sweet.” I say after I take a bite of food.
“Yeah, well, I love my bike, but it doesn’t exactly have a lot of space to carry things.”
For the duration of dinner, we fall into a comfortable conversation about anything under the sun. Afterwards, he clears and washes the dishes, then heads to the washroom to prepare my bubble bath.
Before he comes to retrieve me, I send off a quick text message to Ellie, letting her know to not disturb me tonight. Her instant reply was good luck, girl! Get your man!
Minutes later, he comes into the living room and gives me a heated look, raises his hand and with one finger beacons me to come to him.
A thrill goes through me as I stand up and take Damien’s hand. Tonight’s the night! I know it!