Flirting With Desire (Contemporary Romance) Complete Collection (14 page)

A few
more choppy, unrestrained thrusts and Damian joined her in release, his thick cock pulsing in urgent bursts of energy. Hanna’s senses soared to places that seemed as distant as the future itself, and she felt blinded by its brightness. Oh, if only it could remain so perfect, forever. But too soon, once the wonder wore off, Hanna knew reality, the here and now would come hurtling her down to earth once again.

*

Hanna kept her mind blank as she finished dressing. She wouldn’t let herself even consider the right or wrong of her decision. It was barely light outside the bedroom and she’d been as quiet as she could
getting bathed and ready. For the first time ever, Damian had slept over in her bed. He’d held her trembling body close after that body-shaking orgasm, stroked her face and caressed her hair. His lips had pressed to her neck, gentling the beating pulse there. And she’d slept better than she’d done in ages.

She was just wrapping a band around her hair and tying it up in a ponytail when she glanced back at the bed and found Damian sitting up in the pillows. She stopped short, biting on her lip as she wondered how long since he’d been awake, watching her.

“You’re leaving,” he said more than asked. She felt chilled by the fact that his voice held no tone at all. She couldn’t tell if he was angry, resigned or disappointed.

She sighed heavily. “Damian, last night…doesn’t change anything. I need some closure on a lot of things. But most of all, I need space. I need to find myself again and I can’t do that if I’m here. If I’m with you.”

She didn’t know what she expected. That he’d plead with her? Force her to say? What she didn’t expect was him tossing aside the covers and rising from the bed without a word. He reached for his jeans and pulled them on before turning to her with an expression that gave her no clue as to his thoughts.

“You have to be really, really sure about this. Once you walk away, there’ll be no going back,” he said, with a shade of warning in his voice now.

Hanna squared her chin. “I know that. And I called your father asking him for a few weeks off and he assured me that was fine. Also…you don’t have to worry about getting me home. I called Chet and he’ll be picking me up in ten minutes or so.”

The dark embers in Damian’s eyes went cold and Hanna actually shivered. “If you truly want to go, I won’t stop you. I’ll tell the guards not to give you any hassle leaving.”

With that he strode out of the room and Hanna was left standing there thinking,
what
?  She felt like she was the one who’d been left feeling small. Damn him. Damn it all. She didn’t care. If he wanted to stay behind his walls, then fine. She’d walk off with her pride intact, knowing she’d made the right decision and he’d never be the man for her.

*

“You made the right decision, Hanna,” Chet told her as he drove her back to her place. “For goodness sake, the man’s a psycho. I can’t believe he was snooping on me, and then tried to paint me up as the monster when clearly, he’s the one with serious issues. I feel like I pushed you to him, and I’m sorry,” Chet was saying soberly and Hanna forced herself to focus on his words. She glanced at him and saw his repentant look. “You were always so driven and I confess that in the beginning I felt intimidated, especially when my career in music wasn’t taking off. When you got that promotion, I just saw you increasing while I seemed to keep decreasing. It was very juvenile of me and I need to let you know I’ll make it up to you as much as possible. Even if we can’t be together, I still want to be the best friend you could ever have.”

“I appreciate that,” Hanna said deeply. “And thanks for picking me up.”

“It’s nothing.”

Hanna nodded gratefully. They’d had a long talk when he’d called days ago to wish her well after the accident and had decided to remain friends. Now he was probably the only real friend she had, the one person she could confide in about Damian and her feelings for him. And yet Hanna could never be really sure if even Chet could understand how entirely she’d been immersed in Damian over the many months they’d worked together. And now these past few weeks, getting to know him so deeply had placed her in an even harder position. How was there going to be any her without him?

She’ll have to find out. Because she didn’t think Damian could ever forgive her for turning her back on what they’d had.

*

It didn’t take a couple of days for Hanna to find out she may have been wrong about Damian.

Her phone rang that morning and she was shocked to hear his voice on the line. For a few moments she could barely even fathom the words to say, or describe how she felt hearing from him again so soon.

“I had to make sure you were okay. How’s the bruise?” he asked calmly, as if they were pals just a few weeks out of touch with each other.

Hanna dragged in an inaudible breath and thought of coherent words to reply. “It’s better. I can move easier with my cast too. I’m really…I’m doing good.”

There was a pause, and then he said quietly, “My behavior the morning you left and even the night before – I apologize. I can imagine you might have felt I was trying to strong-arm you into going against your personal decision to leave. I truly wasn’t. I had just assumed you’d come to terms with our…arrangement. I understand if it’s not something you found totally acceptable.”

Hanna felt like bursting out screaming.
Just tell me you love me! Say one word to show you care, and I’ll come running right back. 

But instead of doing that she simply sighed and shook her head internally.

“And another thing. In case you were wondering,” he said casually, “You can resume work when you feel you’re rested from the accident. I mean working as my assistant. You don’t have to worry about if you can come back or not.”

His lightly spoken words lifted her spirits foolishly, but Hanna didn’t want to get so easily swayed as usual. Yes, she wanted her job back and had certainly worked too hard to simply walk away from it. But still…maybe she’d better start looking for some other establishment to work in. The way she felt for Damian…staying around him would be an ordeal she’d be hard pressed to endure for long.

“Thank you. I never once doubted your integrity. I’ll just…I’ll let you know my decision in due course. I have to go, Damian,” she said quickly, choking on his name. She felt a sudden inexplicable urge to quickly hang up before he heard her crying.

*

Damian called her a few times after that and on each occasion, Hanna felt like she was ripping her soul out being so aloof to him. She knew he still felt responsible for her considering the accident. She was just as worried about him, and used the opportunity to ask if there was any new development about finding the culprit behind the crash. Every day she said a prayer for his safety and for his dad’s too.

The other night he’d asked her to meet him for dinner but Hanna had declined. She wasn’t sure what he really wanted. She didn’t think he knew himself. When he did, she felt he’d know the best way to approach her. Till then, she wasn’t going to raise her hopes.

She remembered the vow she’d made to herself what seemed like a lifetime ago. About making him fall in love with her – and then, she could walk away. That wasn’t what her agenda had become at all. In the end, she did walk away but it seemed like she’d left a bigger piece of herself behind with him than she’d taken with her.

The next time he called, he invited her to a charity event that Rush Enterprises were planning. Hanna knew about it; it had been in the calendar for months. Damian’s father would attend along with many top officials at the firm. Celebrities and other corporate big wigs would be in attendance to honor several good causes. Hanna figured it was a great chance to see Damian again without worrying about it being too private. Here, there’d be a whole backdrop of people to cushion the effect of facing him after so long.

Hanna showed up at the event alone. Chet knew about it and had offered to be an escort but she’d declined. She hadn’t wanted to stir any more bad blood. She knew how Damian felt about Chet so she really didn’t like the idea of aggravating anyone.

She’d dressed carefully, taking time with her hair, makeup and attire. Everything was in perfect place, and even the cast on her arm didn’t seem like it detracted from her effort to look exquisite. When she came face to face with Damian soon after her entrance, she took one look at his expression and decided all the effort to look good had been worth it.

“I can’t believe how beautiful you look,” he said. They shook hands and he leaned close to kiss her cheek.

Just that touch gave Hanna chills up and down her spine. “And you look fantastic as well, Damian. Thank you for inviting me.”

She could hardly tear her eyes from him in his dark tux and pristine white shirt. He easily outshone every other male in the room. Hanna felt the stares of yearning sent their way by the surrounding women and knew just how they felt. If only they knew that Damian was as untouchable and out of reach to her as he must seem to them.

“I’m glad you came,” he said, not hiding the desire in his eyes or from his tone. Hanna bit hard on her lip and looked away, too speared with equal need to speak. She felt a thousand eyes watching them and wondered how it must look to the others, many of them top employees working at Rush Tower, and others members of Press and even friends of Damian’s and his father. Hanna’s glance however, suddenly caught the gaze of a woman who seemed to have her eyes glued on them too fixedly. Hanna’s eyebrows raised quizzically as she realized the woman looked familiar. One of the other executive assistants at work? No…the woman’s dress looked like it had come straight off the runway from New York fashion week, and her sleek hairdo, jewelry and heels had to cost more than many secretaries earned in a year. She had distinctive auburn hair and a slender, almost emaciated frame favored by many of the diet-fad-crazy socialites. Deciding she wasn’t important, Hanna shook off thoughts of the woman and faced Damian once more.

“I won’t be staying long,” she informed him.

His look of concern tore at her heartstrings. “I’ll expect you wouldn’t want to tire yourself out. I was hoping however, that you would share a dance with me when the music starts. Even for a few minutes, right before you have to run off and leave behind your glass slipper.”  His smile was rueful, as if he knew that was a lame joke. The fact Damian was even making an attempt at a joke at all had Hanna bursting out in humorous laughter.

“I need to mingle,” he told her almost apologetically. His hand reached out and squeezed her arm and it felt like the most intimate touch ever especially coupled with his long, searing look skimming over her face and body. “I veritably missed you, Ms.
Simms. In my life – in my bed. I’ll have to think of an ingenious way to get you back into both or I’m liable to lose my fucking mind. You understand, don’t you?”

He was overwhelming her with his magnetism again, and the way the room became small when he touched, looked or spoke to her.

“I think I do,” she answered through parched lips, and saw his pleased, rakish smile that had Hanna wondering what the hell he thought she’d just agreed to. As he walked away with that puma-like stride Hanna’s eyes followed him longingly and she realized she didn’t care. She’d missed him too – crazily. And she needed back into his life and bed as much as he seemed to want her to be.

At whatever the cost
, she decided, snatching a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

All through the rest of the evening Hanna couldn’t shake the sensation of being watched. She kept looking around to find out why she had that feeling but she never seemed to catch anything. Soon
she was distracted by the band setting up music and then Damian promptly seeking her out in order to extract the promise of a dance. Hanna thought it was cute the way he couldn’t seem to stay away and drew her to him once he got the chance.

“Careful, Damian,” Hanna teased, laughing softly as he twirled her elegantly across the floor till she felt breathless and dizzy. “I’m beginning to observe we’re making a spectacle. Wouldn’t want to let the world think you’ve got a thing for your executive assistant.”

“I have got a thing for her and I don’t give a damn really who sees,” he said, eyes growing sober as he pulled her more snugly against him. She looked up and felt breathless when she met the branding heat of his gaze. “Why did you leave, Hanna? Really?”

“Apart from the fact that you were acting like a control-mad fiend and had started freaking me out?” she asked him, half-teasing.

“I can’t help how I feel about you. I have – I need to protect you each time you’re close and then a part of me realizes I’m the thing you need the most protection from,” Damian said heavily. “Yes, I have control issues and I’m working on that. But I want you back, Hanna. Say you’ll come back.”

“I want to come back,” Hanna whispered, gazing up into his intense expression and phasing out the crowd, the music. “But…”

“No buts,” Damian said, his hands flat on her back and pressing her soft apex to the hard heat of his groin. They both let out collective, low groans. “Damn, Hanna. I don’t think I could go another hour not being able to kiss or touch you the way I want to. I know my father will probably want to skin me alive but I suggest we leave soon. I’ll make my excuses and then will you meet me outside? As usual there’s my security detail hovering about but they won’t bother you if you decide to wait in my limo while I speak to my dad about leaving early. It’ll be parked just down the curb from the building. I’ll call and let them know to let you through.”