Trust Me (33 page)

I lean in to kiss him, and he immediately responds to my touch like before. My anxiety about us slowly begins to fade.

His thumb tenderly touches my face. “We need to take this slow because you are still healing. Let me know if anything is too much, okay? I need you right now, Alli. I can’t stand to go without you for another second.”

I nod, and his hands cup my face, gently bringing me to him. The bruise is still tender, but Damien only brings a healing touch to it. He stands me up, and we begin to undress. We take our time, enjoying each other to the fullest extent.

He slowly takes off my shirt and then his. My yoga pants are the next to go, and then his pants follow before we remove all remaining undergarments. His abs are taut as I trace his V-lined muscles, and he quivers underneath my touch. I’m bare before him as he begins worshiping my body with his hands.

He lowers to his knees, and then his face reaches the apex of my thighs. I throw my head back and moan as he continues sucking my clit vigorously. It’s been so long that I come in no time at all. My legs go weak at the sensation, but Damien is right there, scooping me up as he stands.

He lays me down on my back, and he drops down on top of me.
Is this leather couch heated? I think it is. Good grief, that’s awesome.

With his mouth on my breasts, he starts priming me again. His fingers work in and out of my sex in a crisscross pattern. It’s divine, and I arch off the couch. He’s ensuring that I am ready to accept his large, thick length. Once I shatter for a second time, Damien poises himself at my entrance. I lift my hips as an invitation, and he pushes in.
Ah, it’s so incredibly perfect and right.
He’s like the yin to my yang.

“Ah, Alli. You’re so fucking perfect every time. Never doubt my love for you.”

He picks up the pace until our breaths are out of control. Finally, sweet ecstasy claims us. I can feel Damien filling me with his come, and I love the completeness it gives me.

We are entwined and wrapped under a blanket Damien found nearby.

As we come down from our high, I murmur, “I missed this.”

“Me, too, baby. Never be afraid to tell me what you want. If it’s in my power to give it to you, I will.”

Tracing his tattoo, I respond, “I don’t deserve you, but I’m not giving you up either, so you’re stuck with me.”

“There’s no place I’d rather be than stuck between your legs.”

I slap his chest at his crassness, and he chuckles.

He shrugs his shoulders. “What? It’s true.”

“You’re just horny.”

He gives my ass a squeeze, and I squeal.

“On a serious note, thank you for this room,” I say sincerely.

Pulling me to him tightly while being mindful of my face, he responds, “Over the last couple of months, I’ve had it redone for you with the colors you seem to like. The builders were only able to work on it when we were out of town.”

“Oh, Damien. It’s too much, but I love it.” I know I should be overwhelmed, but this room is too soothing to cause my anxiety to rear its head.

Minutes go by as he trails his finger up and down my arm. He seems to be lost in thought. “I was terrified when I saw you come out of that room, unable to function. I thought you were dying, and I’d never have you again in my life. I know you’re not ready yet, but I need you to start mentally preparing yourself for marriage.”

I stiffen in his arms for a moment.
Marriage? Oh geez. Have we been together long enough? Is he really ready to settle down? Am I enough for him?

“Baby, I’m not asking you tonight, but I know how you need to process and think everything through, especially when it comes to big decisions. I just want you to start processing it before I ask you to be my wife. I’m not living without you, Alli, and it solves both of my problems at the same time. Trust me, baby. This is the right step for us.”

The word
wife
sends an uncontrollable want and desire through my body.
He wants me to be Mrs. Damien Wales. It has a nice ring to it.
But, like he said, it’s not time yet. Something is still missing, and I don’t know what it is.
Marriage? Me? Married at the age of twenty-two?
It is a lot to think about.

“What two problems are you trying to solve?” I ask.

“Well, the living together problem would be solved because you would move in with me as my wife. And my other problem of guys waiting for you to be done with me would be solved because the world would know you were mine.”

My heart melts as I look into his eyes. They are filled with so much passion that I don’t think I can respond in words and do the moment justice. Instead, I nuzzle into him, trying to convey my feelings through touch.

“Get some rest. I love you, Alli.”

“Love you, too.”

Stirring in Damien’s arms, I start to wake up.

“Morning, baby. Did you sleep well?”

While stretching my limbs, I relish the fact that I’m lying naked next to my lover. “I slept very well with you by my side. I love my room.”

When his hands start to move languorously down my stomach, I smile on his chest.

“Good. The contractor has a few things to finish up in here today, but I couldn’t wait to show you.”

One finger dips inside me and then two, causing my need to rise. He’s still taking it easy with me. Reaching down, I pull his hand away from me, and he immediately looks at me, confused.

Moving quickly, I straddle him, positioning him at my entrance. “I’m ready. I can’t wait. I’m not made of glass. Please.”

The devilish smile that emerges as he pushes into me in one solid movement nearly stops my heart. It makes me feel whole. In an instant, he flips me onto my back, and he continues to drive into me. He brings our interlocked hands above my head as his lips come down to tease my hard nipples. He doesn’t stop until he pushes us to that euphoric edge.

When he shifts his hips slightly, I scream out, “Damien,” in complete and utter pleasure.

Rolling us back to where I’m on top, we lie there, connected. His fingertips trace lines from my ass all the way up to my shoulders as he continues to twitch inside me.

“Baby, I don’t need you to respond or say anything right now, but I need you to know I’m serious about you thinking about becoming my wife.”

Last night’s conversation shoots to the forefront of my mind. I don’t know what to say, so I kiss his chest to give him something.

“That’s all I’m asking for, Alli. Just start thinking about it. When the time is right, I’ll make it as special as our first night together.”

“I love you, Damien.”

“Love you, too, baby. We need to go get ready. I have a few things to take care of this morning. Ben is dropping off some contracts for me to look over, and then we’ll spend the rest of the day together.”

I hold him tightly, dreading the moment he has to pull out. “I’ll edit some photos from the shoot while you’re working.”

“Sounds good, baby. Be prepared to spend the afternoon together like this. I love being inside you.”

Trading my black silk robe for some lounge pants and a T-shirt, I look one last time for my purple silk robe that I had at the hospital.
The housecleaner, Dolores, must have sent it out to be laundered
. After arriving home from the hospital, Damien handed off our bags to her.
It’s hard getting used to people doing all that stuff for me.

I make my way to a small den off the kitchen. Until he gave me the library, the den had been my favorite place in the house. It’s a little room, and the simple furniture is cozy. It’s more Damien, more like home. The rest of his house looks like an interior designer got a hold of it without getting to know Damien first. It’s beautiful but cold at the same time. I especially like this room because we’ve made this space ours by replacing the original artwork with photographs of us together.

I prepare to work for a while. I take a seat on the comfortable black leather couch and get lost in the world of my photos. I had to miss one photo shoot at the beginning of the week because I wasn’t medically cleared to work, but my mentor, Chris, handled it.

I’m in the middle of adjusting the lighting on one of the fall-themed décor door shots when I hear some commotion at the front door. I get up and head that way. I can hear the security guard speaking to someone.

“You are not authorized on the premises. We ask that you leave now, or we will have to escort you off the property.”

When I round the corner, I see a couple in a heated argument with the security guard. I probably should go back to my room, but curiosity gets the best of me. All of a sudden, Damien pulls me behind him, effectively blocking my view of the front door. He’s in his no-nonsense stance.

“Alli, go back to the den. I’ll be there in a minute. Security will watch you.” He’s tense and radiating fury.

There’s no way I can leave him. I’d be a nervous wreck while waiting for him. I grab the back of his shirt in a pleading manner. “I can’t. If you’re this tense with what is going on, I can’t leave. I feel safe when I’m with you.”

When he looks back at me, he sees how nervous I am, and he capitulates to my request. He knows I am safest when I am around him, too. It’s a low blow, but I’m not leaving.

His eyes search mine. “Okay, but you stay behind me, Alli. If I tell you to go, then you run to our bedroom and lock the door. No arguments on this, okay?”

“Okay.” I try to keep my voice even, but my anxiety spikes to a whole new level because he thinks the situation could escalate to something like that.

Running one hand through his hair, he walks confidently to the door with me behind him. When the couple sees his approach, they start to speak in a rush, trying to get everything out before security escorts them off the premises.

“Mr. Wales, my wife and I have come to plead our son’s case. He had no intention of hurting that girl. The other boys were the ones who meant to do her harm. We want to see what we can do to get the charges dropped against our son. The police just picked him up for a second time, and we were told no bail will be set. Please…we love our son.”

Oh, holy hell. Brad’s parents are at the door.
His father has the same blond hair and green eyes as Brad. The only differences between them are Brad’s father has wrinkles, and he is slightly heavier than Brad.

I shiver at the resemblance, and of course, Damien notices and tenses his stance in front of me.

“You need to get the hell off my property. Your son drugged and attempted to rape my girlfriend. If that’s not intent to harm, then the both of you need to get a fucking clue. I will have him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Do not set foot on my property again, and never approach my girlfriend about it, or I will press harassment charges against the both of you. The fact that you would even dare to ask me to do such a thing after what Allison has suffered is more telling than not.” Damien’s menacing voice is like cold steel.

I put my hand on the small of his back, hoping this keeps him from doing something stupid. My head is protruding from the side of Damien’s body as I watch everyone’s actions.

His mother, a short petite thing with auburn hair, makes eye contact with me. “Are you Allison?”

“Yes.”

She starts to walk toward me, but the security guard stops her progress. Pleading her case, she says, “Please tell them the truth. You’re Brad’s girlfriend, and he said there was a misunderstanding with the other boys. They ran off, and he was trying to save you. Sweetie, you know Brad could never do this to you. He said he was going to bring you home for Thanksgiving this year, and we have been so excited to meet you. He has been sending us pictures of you because of how shy you are about talking on the phone.”

I have no words. I don’t know how to respond.
Are they all deranged and delusional? They thought I was going to their home for Thanksgiving? They knew about me? They saw pictures of me? Shit, Brad is scarier than I ever imagined.

Holding Damien tight against me, I can feel his muscles begin to roll with fury.

“I suggest you get your fucking facts straight. Allison has never been Brad’s girlfriend, and we have been seriously involved for months. You showing up here is complete bullshit. I don’t care what misguided story you were fed. This conversation is over.”