Chapter 44
FORTY-FOUR
Damien’s eyes blazed with unrestrained lust as my words fell between us.
He sucked in a sharp breath, and for a moment, it seemed like he would refuse me.
But I meant what I said. I didn’t want him to hold back—didn’t want to wait to have him again.
Todd might have tried to control me, to take away my choice, but with Damien, it was the opposite.
He was my safety, the person I trusted most in this world.
As he stood there, completely still, I turned around and twisted the handles on the tub.
The sound of the rushing water broke the silence between us, and I shifted back to face him.
With sure fingers, I unbuttoned his jersey, letting it fall to my feet.
Damien’s eyes darkened, watching as my fingers toyed with the hem of my cami.
He didn’t move, didn’t speak as I undressed myself and, after checking the temperature of the water, climbed into the tub.
The water enveloped me, warmth and comfort I didn’t know I needed, but it wasn’t enough.
“Join me,” I said, holding out my hand to Damien. “Please, I need you.”
That was enough to break whatever argument brewed in his mind.
Damien quickly shed his sweatshirt and jeans, leaving him naked in front of me.
I sucked in a sharp breath, taking in his perfect form.
His cock jutted out toward me, and it was so tempting to touch him, I reached out to run my fingers along his shaft.
“Fuck,” he muttered as my hand encircled him. “Not yet, angel. Not like that. It’s been too long, and I need to get inside you.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
I leaned forward, turning off the water as he climbed into the tub, bending to settle in behind me.
The tub was larger, much more than the antique ones I’d seen online, enough that both of us could fit comfortably.
As Damien’s hands directed me against him, images of many more nights like this flashed in my mind, and I smiled.
Damien’s nose trailed along my shoulder while his arms wrapped around my waist. “I missed this, Bri. Missed you.”
“I missed you too,” I said as my head dropped against him. “Touch me. Please, Damien.”
“Are you sure?” He swallowed as his fingers timidly shifted against me. “You went through a lot tonight.”
I shifted, twisting so I could face him.
“Someone tried to take my power away, and in a past life, I would have let him. But not now, not when I had so much more to fight for.” I cupped his cheeks.
“It’s you, Damien. I fought to get back here, to be with you.
So please, touch me. Hold me and make love to me. Remind me what it means to be yours.”
Damien didn’t waste another second, pulling me into his lap.
His thick cock jutted between us, and my hips shifted, desperate to have him.
His lips claimed mine, brutal and tender all at once, as if he needed me like I needed him.
Damien’s fingers dropped to my core, carefully but expertly exploring me.
“Fuck,” he muttered as his lips trailed along my jaw.
“You’re so wet, angel. Is that all for me? ”
“Only for you,” I said, my words breathless. “It’s only ever for you.”
His fingers teased and probed, my skin alight with desire.
It was too much yet not enough. As if sensing my increasing need, Damien pulled them away then lifted me to line up my entrance with his cock.
He searched my eyes, and I just smiled, leaning forward to kiss him.
As I worked my way down his length, his fingers dug into my hips, anchoring me to him.
My body moved of its own volition, taking another inch each time.
My mouth fell open when he was fully inside me, and I mewled needily.
Damien smirked, lifting one hand to play with my breasts.
My hips moved of their own volition, seeking more of him.
Damien chuckled against my neck. “You feel that, angel? How your tight little pussy smothers my cock?”
“Yes,” I groaned. “It’s so good.”
“Fucking perfection,” he bit out. “You’re fucking made for me, Brianna. Made to take my cock like it’s always been yours.”
The water splashed around us as we claimed each other, barely noticing how it splashed over the edges onto the floor.
All too soon, pleasure crested through my veins, and heady need took over my movements.
I tried to hold out, tried to fight off my orgasm for a little longer, but when Damien’s thumb circled my clit, there was nothing I could do.
A loud moan escaped my lips, echoing off the marble walls of the bathroom.
Damien continued to work me through my high, and then his grip turned almost bruising as he chased his own release.
He came with a similarly loud groan and dropped his forehead to my shoulder.
My hands traced his back, trying to remind myself this was real. We were real—solid.
As I shifted again, he winced, and a sour taste filled my tongue. I turned to face his injured leg. “Did I hurt your knee?” I shook my head. “I didn’t even think, I just—”
But Damien cut off my rambling concerns when he pulled me back against his chest, and he nuzzled into my neck. “It’s good, angel. Doc cleared me last week.”
I rested against him, relishing our post-coital bliss. As the water grew cold, I shivered, and Damien nudged me. “Come on; let’s get you into bed. But fair warning…” he said as we stood together and dried off, “once I get you in there, I may never let you leave.”
The next morning, the sound of my phone ringing pulled me from a deep slumber. I groaned as my eyes reluctantly opened, staring at the end table like it was my worst enemy. With an annoyed sigh, I shifted closer to it, trying to reach out and find it without moving too much.
But before I could get very far, the arm wrapped around my center tightened, bringing my back to his chest. “Leave it,” Damien grumbled into my shoulder.
“I can’t,” I chuckled as I pushed him off me. “It might be Ollie. I don’t want her to worry about me.”
Damien just groaned, flopping onto his back and draping his arm over his eyes.
Before I sat up, I stole a glance at him, unable to hold back my smile.
True to his word, Damien refused to let me leave his bed last night, even ordering food and eating on top of the bedding.
We spent hours wrapped up in each other, reacquainting ourselves with every inch of the other’s body.
But between bouts of sex, we’d also talked, mapping out how to communicate.
While our relationship had started off in secret, we agreed to always be open and honest now, no longer willing to hide what we meant to each other.
It was as if a weight lifted off my shoulders, shedding away the last binds of my anxiety.
Speaking openly and honestly about my feelings was hard, especially seeing how Damien’s face darkened when we talked about my past, but it helped.
It made me think about talking to a therapist, an impartial person who could work with me to let go of my fears.
“If you keep staring at me like that, I’m going to pull you over my face and eat you until you scream.”
I smirked as I shook my head. “Promises, promises.”
“Just come over here and test me, angel.” Damien smirked, even though his eyes remained closed.
I reached out and grabbed my phone, sure it was Ollie calling to check in.
I’d sent her a message before we got to Damien’s apartment last night, just to let her know I'd made it here safely and would stay with him. She’d also left the apartment; until the coast was clear, she was staying with Cam and Hadley.
Hopefully, we’d both be able to go home soon, but as I glanced over at Damien, who’d fallen back to sleep, I couldn’t help but think about staying.
It was too soon, but I hated the idea of leaving him.
I was greedy for his time, especially with him hopefully returning to the Hawks next season.
When I looked down at my phone screen, my smile twisted into a grimace. Three missed calls from my mother. Anxiety flared in my chest, but I forced myself to call her back.
She answered with a relieved sigh. “Brianna, thank goodness. I’ve been worried sick about you.”
“I’m okay, Mom. I promise.”
“Todd’s mother called—she said he got arrested last night for harassing you,” she said. “What did he do? What happened?”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Mom, but I’m not ready to talk about it. Last night was a lot, and I need some time.”
“Of course, Brianna,” she cooed. “I’ll reach out to Todd, make sure there’s no bad feelings with his family. We can figure out how to move forward—after he apologizes, of course.”
“Move forward?” I asked, my finger biting into the phone. “Why would I want to do that?”
“Brianna, please.” My mother sighed. “Todd made a mistake, one I’m sure he deeply regrets. We’ve had a long history with his family, he’s involved with the church—”
“He attacked me,” I snapped. “Showed up at my home and put his hands on me. Tried to hurt me. There are still bruises on my arm.”
“Oh, honey, I’m sure that was an accident. His mother said he’d been drinking. His fiancée had just called off the wedding—”
“Mom, stop. Stop making excuses for him.” I laughed.
“Todd is not a child who broke something by accident. He hurt me. Put his hands on me. Maybe you can forgive that, but I’m never going to.
I want nothing to do with him ever again.
If you insist on having him around, then I’m going to have to take some space from you too. ”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying we need boundaries, Mom. You’re made your opinions about Todd very well known, but it stops today.
” As my anger continued to rise, a hand rubbed along my spine.
I turned and gave Damien a grateful smile over my shoulder, finding my strength now that he was here with me. “I need some space from you.”
“Space?” she snapped. “Is this because of that boy—”
“Don’t you dare talk about him. Damien is the love of my life and has been more supportive than you have ever been. If you say another bad word about him, I will cut you completely out of my life.”
“Brianna,” she gasped. “How could you say that?”
“Because he matters to me. You don’t get to say anything about him ever again.
If you want to be a part of my life, you need to accept him, because he’s not going anywhere.
Actually, if you don’t like any of my choices, you’re going to keep it to yourself unless I ask for your advice.
But for now, I need space from you. I’ll reach out if I want to speak to you, but until then, please respect my wishes. ”
I hung up the call without another word, not wanting to hear another word out of my mother’s mouth. I expected her to keep calling until I answered, but it never came.
With an uneasy smile, I crawled back into bed and snuggled against Damien’s side. His arm held me close as he kissed my temple. “Proud of you, angel.”
“It needed to be done. I’ve wasted enough time letting her be the voice in my head. If she can’t be happy for me, she has no place in my life.”
Before I said another word, Damien shifted me onto my back and nestled between my thighs. He smiled down at me, his eyes filled with adoration and lust. “You’re amazing, Bri.”
“You only say that because you love me,” I teased, running my nails along his back.
“Nah.” He brushed his lips along my chest. “Never been a gambling man, Bri, but if I had to bet on you, I’d double down every time.”
“I want to bet on us,” I said, pulling back to meet his eyes, “and the family we’ve created. I’m not letting anyone else try to take that away from us.”
“Good,” Damien said as he claimed my lips. “Because I’m planning on loving you for the rest of my life.”