CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
ATHENA
Damon’s bedroom felt like a cozy little den nestled beneath the house.
I flopped down in the middle of his bed, breathing in his scent as it puffed up all around me.
A few collector swords hung on the wall.
There was a television as well. A combination of dark and neutral colors made up the walls and the bedding.
Never had I been so relieved as I was when I got the call from Noah. He explained that Damon would be released and in need of a ride home. Damn right I jumped all over that. I couldn’t wait to see him.
I was beyond grateful that Rebel and the Kings had come through for him. It was no secret that they didn’t all get along that well. I didn’t know whether it was because of Storm asking Rebel to pull strings for me or because of Noah and Dom, but I’d never been so thankful.
Lying there in Damon’s bed made me feel like I could relax for the first time since we arrived at that wedding. Having his energy and his delicious smell all around me brought me a sense of comfort I severely needed. I fisted a handful of the soft sheets, grateful to be among them.
My eyes drifted closed at some point. I hadn’t had a solid rest in at least two days.
I finally felt like I may be able to escape into the comforts of slumber.
The sensation of being watched brought my eyes open.
Damon stood in the doorway, his hair damp.
He wore only a pair of low slung grey sweatpants. The healing cut on his arm was wrapped.
I looked him over, my gaze drifting down his body. From the intensity in his brown eyes to the firm planes of his chest. Along those defined abs to the V line that disappeared into his sweatpants. He may not have been bulky with muscle or built like a linebacker but he was hot as hell.
However, one thing that gave me pause was the mass of bruises covering his ribs. Splotches of dark blue and purple that matched the bruises on his face. It hurt me to see. We hadn’t been apart all that long, but it had been long enough for him to endure serious punishment.
“Holy crap, Damon, are you okay?” I started to sit up.
He waved away my concern. “This? Oh, it’s nothing. I promise. It looks worse than it is.”
“What are you waiting for?” Not so sure I believed him, I patted the bed next to me. “Don’t leave me hanging.”
Swinging the door shut behind him, Damon strolled across the room.
He climbed onto the bed next to me and together we got comfortable beneath the blankets.
His strong arms went around me, holding me close.
Face to face, we both savored the moment.
Being together. For a while there, I’d worried we would never have this opportunity again.
“God I missed you.” Damon’s minty breath was warm against my face. He swept a strand of hair off my cheek, tucking it behind my ear.
“Is that all?” I teased with a grin. “I recall you saying something else as you shoved me out of the car.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “I did say something, didn’t I? I meant every fucking word too. I do love you, Athena. You challenge me, and I love that. You bring out a side of me that I’d buried a long time ago. You’re everything I want. Everything I need.”
No man had ever told me that he loved me before. Not one. They had all been in it for the hook up, like I was. I’d never let it get beyond that point. They weren’t what I wanted. I didn’t think Damon was either. Until now.
Being separated from him, knowing that I may never see him again outside prison walls, had forced me to come to terms with my feelings pretty damn fast. Of course it helped that he’d confessed his love before leaving me on the side of the road. It had given me a lot to think about.
I ran my thumb along his bottom lip, mesmerized by the way he looked at me. With such adoration. “I’m not sure how to do this. I’ve never really been in love before. But I’m certain that I want to figure it out. With you. I love you, Damon.”
The way he kissed me then made it clear he’d been thinking about this moment with as much intensity as I had. Needing it as desperately. Soft at first. Sensual and raw. Vulnerable with the emotion we shared. I’d never felt this way before. I found it both terrifying and exhilarating.
Damon cupped my face with a strong hand, holding me as he deepened the kiss. Carefully calculated motions as his mouth moved on mine. His tongue breaching the barrier of my lips, dipping into my mouth.
I wanted so badly to touch him but feared doing anything to hurt him. My hands danced lightly over his torso. Caressing his skin. Needing to absorb everything possible from this moment.
“Don’t be afraid of hurting me, cream puff. I was worried we wouldn’t get an opportunity like this again. We need to make the most of it.” After nibbling at my bottom lip, Damon pressed his teeth to the curve of my jaw. His hand drifted down from my cheek to drag along my arm.
“Please don’t ever leave me like that again.” My whisper ended on a sigh as he traced the lines of my collarbone with his tongue. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
“It will take a lot more than that to tear me away from you. I’m not going anywhere, Athena. If they want to tear us apart, they will have to kill me.” His hands moved over my waist, dipping under the hem of my shirt.
My back arched as I lifted up enough for him to remove my top. I was eager for the moment we would be skin to skin. There was something strangely unsettling about the sensual vibe between us. Holding more depth and emotion than I was used to, I both welcomed and feared it.
Damon continued to kiss along my collarbone down over my chest. My head pressed into the pillow as he flicked my nipple with his tongue. Gentle licks and flicks before sucking it into his mouth. I clutched his shoulders, holding tight.
I moaned softly as he moved to the other nipple, giving it the same dedicated attention.
When his hand descended between my legs, rubbing me through my pants, I was ready for so much more.
The thought of having Damon taken away from me had left me shaken.
Questioning everything I thought I knew about myself.
Now that he was here with me, I desperately needed him in every way.
I shimmied out of my pants, eager to be rid of them.
Soon we were both naked, lying on top of the blankets.
My hands slipped into his damp hair as he continued to kiss his way down my body.
Taking the slow, steady path had never been my style.
Even though I was eager to finally have him inside me, I was doing my best to be patient. To enjoy these slow, gentle moments.
His descent between my legs was followed by the hot touch of his mouth against my core.
I sucked in a sharp breath, overwhelmed by the myriad sensations that struck.
Had anything ever felt so good? There was something about being with Damon that took me to another level. A place where only he could take me.
Teasingly, he swirled his tongue around my clit before moving away.
Gliding along my slit before dipping inside me.
Making me wetter by the second. I held tight to his hair with both fists.
My heavy breaths became moans. His every touch felt too good to hold back.
I didn’t know if Noah and Dom could hear me on the upper floors, and I didn’t care.
He continued to take his time, enjoying every part of me with slow precision. Grabbing hold of my ass, Damon dipped his tongue down further. A surprising but pleasant experience. He tongued my asshole until I was writhing and squirming before finally sucking my clit into his mouth.
There was no denying the rush of pleasure that hit hard. Driving me into that beautiful state of wonder. Making me come harder than I had in a long damn time. I tried to gasp his name. Too bad my lungs ceased to function properly.
He rose up over me, staring intently into my eyes. Holding my hips, he slowly thrust inside me. An achingly drawn out motion that had me twitching. My inner muscles clamped tight around him, drawing him deep.
Damon paused while buried deep within me. Our eyes were locked, intensifying the powerful moment. “Do you have any idea how fucking amazing you are? You make me actually want to live, Athena. Before you, I was only existing.”
I reached to touch his face. Carefully caressing his cheek, cautious of the bruises and swelling. His words reached deep within me. I expected to feel uncomfortable and uncertain. Instead, I only felt the exhilarated rush of sheer happiness.
“Damon.” His name was a breathy whisper on my lips. “You’re the reason I believe there’s more to life than existing only to pay taxes and struggle for every good thing. You’re the reason I know I deserve more than that.”
His lips met mine again as he continued to thrust inside me. Every move he made driven by emotion and need. I opened myself up to him, desperate for this union of our bodies, knowing that it now included our hearts.
I never really thought I would fall in love, and I sure as hell never imagined it would be with a man like Damon Price. Now that I was here, head over heels for him, nothing would ever break this bond. I knew it with every piece of me.
My arms went around Damon as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. Holding him close against me, I found myself on the brink of tears. Overcome with emotion as we reached new heights together.
I realized then how dangerous a love like ours was. Constantly under threat. Always a deadly risk. One that I would continue to take every day and night, no matter what came our way. A risk that I knew now wasn’t enough to chase Damon away. If anything, it only made him that much more determined.
We moved together in a perfect rhythm. Completely in sync as our pace gradually quickened. Moving toward a mutually satisfying finish that would leave us both spent and satiated for a while.
Damon’s breath was hot against my skin, his moans one of the best sounds I’d ever heard.
That alone was enough to send me free falling into a tail spin with Damon right behind me.
I came with his name a cry on my lips. Now I knew why my friends were in a bliss like state half the time.
There was something to be said about this falling in love stuff.
We laid there in a tangle of limbs, enjoying the afterglow for a long time. Neither of us in any rush to end the moment or make a move. I had nowhere else to be. There was nothing that could’ve dragged me away from him right then.
Several minutes had passed when Damon said, “At the risk of ruining this really great moment, there’s something I need to tell you.”
I readjusted my head on the pillow so I could better face him. “Uh oh. That doesn’t sound good.”
“When I was inside, I was approached by a guy who wants me to do a job for him,” he explained. “I wasn’t really given a choice. He wants me to kill the man that put him in jail. He has people on the outside who will make sure I get the job done.”
I did not like what I was hearing. “Let me guess. If you don’t get the job done, then his friends do something awful to you.”
“Something like that,” Damon muttered. “These guys have a way of finding out about important people in my life. I have to do this job to keep you safe.”
Rolling onto my back, I slapped a hand to my forehead. “You’re lucky I love you because I don’t know how much more of this shit I can take.”
“After I do this job, I’ll lie low for a while. Just you and me. No jobs.” He took my hand, entwining our fingers together. “I promise.”
After sucking in a few deep calming breaths, I turned to face him again. “Fine. Do this job and then take a break for a while. I have a lot of things to figure out with my future. I can’t do that if I’m always worrying about you.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll take care of it. I will always take care of everything.”
I wanted to believe him. I knew that he meant every word. Yet I’d seen firsthand how quickly plans changed. How fast everything turned upside down. I wanted to trust that Damon knew what he was doing. Still, I was afraid.
I didn’t want him to do this job. More than anything else, I didn’t want to lose him.