Authors: Lena Black
My breathing hitches. My stomach’s in knots. I lean against the door for support, clenchingthe note to my chest, hoping it heals my self-inflicted wound
.
Tonight. How can one word offer so little and promise so much?
A
t six on the dot, there’s a knock on the front door. When I open it, Chase has a stunned look on his face, mouth hanging open. He gives me a good scan and says, “You’re a knockout!”
“Thanks. Exactly, what I was going for. You look mighty fine yourself.”
“Thanks.”
He’s looks amazing in his tuxedo with his auburn hair slicked back and a smile that makes you want to swoon.
“I really love the cat thing with the eyes. It makes them pop. Dig it.”
I laugh hard.
“Cat eye, and thank you.”
I think I did a decent job with the eyes and opted for bold red lips.
“Caleb is downstairs waiting. I saw him on my way in and told him I would bring you right down.”
I snatch my clutch and black silk wrap from the table. He offers me an arm, which I graciously take, and we’re off faster than a bride’s gown on her wedding night.
I
t’s not raining anymore, but the lingering scent of wet cement fills the fresh, crisp night air. I slink the shawl around my shoulders and enter the classic, black Bentley. Chase scoots in, assisting me, trying not to step or sit on the train.
Caleb shuts the door and slides into the driver’s seat.
“Miss, you are truly beautiful this evening.”
I give him a large, genuine smile.
“Thank you, Mr. Caleb.”
I’m genuinely happy for the first time since my fateful encounter with Hunt. I’m finally going to see him,
but as ecstatic as I am, I don’t know how he will behave toward me, so my nerves are working overtime.
We merge into Saturday evening traffic and head north out of the city to my parent’s estate
, just outside of San Francisco in Marin County. The traffic’s brutal due to roadwork, usually a fifteen-minute drive, it takes forty-five minutes to get to the Golden Gate Bridge.
As we cross, I peer back on my sparkling city, chewing on my upper lip, butterflies fluttering in my belly. The ant
icipation drives me to the edge, literally. I dig my nails into the front of the seat and grasp it tight.
Once over the bridge, it doesn’t take long before I lay sight on the Hyde Estate, an island of light in a dark sea. Popcorn li
ghts hang across the long, tree lined driveway. There are cars, expensive cars parked along one side, telling us the party has most definitely commenced. Any one of these could be his. I search for his black town car, Land Rover, or the sporty one I’d been spotting the last few days, but I can’t find any of them.
We stop in front of the French chateau style manor, and I swivel back to
Chase, fear in my eyes.
“Damian will be here, and I need you to keep an eye on me. You know for support and what not.”
“You need me, I’ll be there.”
He gives my clutched hand a reassurance pat, and I let out a held breath.
Chase grasps my hand before we clamber out of the car into the uncertainty of the night.
When we enter, my father greets us, “Ellie, sweet girl.”
He swoops in for a hug, which I almost fall into when I trip a bit walking in. I hug him hard and smell the comforting aroma of his cologne. I can’t remember a time when he wasn’t wearing it.
He means the world to me, and I’m proud to be his daughter. He’s terribly handsome. He has dark brown hair with gray sprinkled up front and piercing blue eyes.
“How have you been, Ellie girl? I’ve missed you. I know I’ve been working a lot, and I feel guilty about it.”
“I’m good, Dad. Don’t feel guilty. Just call me.”
“That goes both ways, darling.”
He’s still hugging me when he turns to
Chase to shake his hand. “Good to see you, Son. I’m glad you could attend our little soirée. Still watching after my little girl?”
“Yes, sir, I try,”
Chase replies with his dazzling grin.
“Good. I know you’re a
wonderful friend to her. I appreciate it.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Call me, Marshall.”
“Thank you, Marshall.”
“I’ll see you in a bit, darling.”
“Ok, Daddy.”
He pecks me on the vertex of my head and orders us to go mingle. Chase offers to take my clutch and shawl to the little room where everyone seems to be dropping off their belongings. When he returns, he’s carrying two champagne flutes filled to the rim.
“Drink up before it spills.”
I down a big sip, then hold out my flute. We clink our glasses, and he finishes his in one long shot.
“Let’s dance,” he suggests.
I take a few gulps of the champagne, hoping to settle the nerves, and follow him out to the terrace. He grabs my flute and places it on the tray of a passing waiter. I observe the lawn where a large, white tent is set up with a dance floor, tables, and an assortment of white lanterns in different shapes and sizes. Sinatra woes through hidden speakers, and there’s a crowd of people already dancing.
We’re about to walk down the stairs and join in, when I sense
him
watching me.
In the flesh
I
pause before turning to find Damian right in front of me. My breathing hitches at the sight of him, becoming harsh and rapid. I’m actually panting. He glares at Chase as if he has any right to do so. I remember how hurt he made me feel, and I can’t resist toying with him.
“How very wonderful it is to see you here.” I act sweet, an exaggerated sarcastic smile on my face.
“Chase, give me a moment with
Gabrielle.”
He doesn’t take his eyes off mine when he orders Chase away.
“What do you want, Ellie?”
Chase inquires.
I turn back to him.
“Just a moment, please. I’ll come find you when I’m done.”
Chase
saunters off and calls out as he leaves, “I’ll be around.”
It’s a threat toward Hunt who happens to be the yummiest thing I’ve ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on. He’s the knockout in his tux.
“What might I do for you, Mr. Hunt?” He stiffens at the sound of his surname.
“Have you finished your temper tantrum? Or do you require more time?”
“I told you I don’t want to partake in your depraved sex games. I need respect, and you spit on that. It may not mean anything to you, but it means a great deal to me. I wanted an apology for treating me crappy, and you couldn’t give me one. I admit I overreacted, but I still feel the same as I did the night you left.”
“You mean the night I was thrown out,” he corrects me. “I agree respect is extre
mely important, which is why I’m apologizing. I am sorry for everything I did. I hope you accept my apology, so we can continue with what we’ve yet to start. Being away from you these past few days made me realize how desperately I want you, need you. I’ve missed you, Gabrielle.”
“You want to fuck me. I get it. You’ve made that point very clear. I told…”
“You misunderstand me. I don’t mean only fucking. I want to give you what you need.”
“What would that be exactly?”
He pauses for a few seconds and then replies simply, “Possibilities.”
“How?”
“I plan on making the effort to get to know you, take you out, and all the general things couples do. I realized while I was away, I’ve never wanted anyone how I want you. I’ll do whatever’s necessary to ensure you’re mine. I want to take care of and protect you, and I’ll do my utmost to do so.”
“How could I be yours? What about
Olivia?”
“What about her?”
“I saw the photos of you together at a restaurant I made reservations for. She told me you two were going to make it official. I also saw the hot blonde. I’ve no desire to be a kept woman, one of your many subservient courtesans,” I snap.
His eyes pop open, appearing wounded, and then they narrow into an icy glare.
“I’m sorry she made you do that or gave you the wrong impression of us. I’m not with Olivia. We’ve been over for years. The blonde you caught me with is my sister, Keira. Since I didn’t go out with any other girls, I have to assume it’s her you saw. The reason Olivia told you we were together is because she’s always seen me as hers, but I’m not hers.”
His eyes soften, gleaming with a tender admiration. His voice
lowers to an almost gentle whisper. “I’m yours. You are not one of many lovers. There’s only you, Gabrielle.”
He reaches out and caresses my cheek with his thumb, hand cradling the side of my bewildered face. The sensation of his flesh on mine is almost more than I can bear as it causes every inch of my body to become alert
to him and his need. I don’t know what to do.
This is what I want, isn’t it?...Yes, you dummy! Get your man!
“I’ve missed you. I’m sorry for overreacting and throwing you out. I didn’t mean it. I want to be with you. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. You never left my mind,” I blurt out a blast of feelings and thoughts as if they were exploding from a shotgun.
I stare awkwardly up at him as his eyes scan mine, morphing from forlorn into something darker, a fiery passion beaming out from somewhere deep inside his loins. He snaps me up in his arms and gives me a longing kiss, showing how much he missed me, too.
“What does this mean for us?” I ask weakly through our melded lips.
He runs his hands down my exposed back, holding me in his powerful embrace, trailing kisses to my ear where he whispers, “It means, I belong to you, and you belong to me...I hope you don’t think me uncouth, but when I laid sight on you in this dress, I wanted to take you right here.”
His deeply sexual voice caresses my ear and vibrates down to my pining slit.
“I don’t think my father would have approved,” I purr.
He chuckles seductively.
“No, I don’t think he would,” he murmurs, sharply biting down on the curve of my lobe.
I moan, and he growls.
“I want to hear your moans while I fuck you relentlessly. God, Gabrielle, I’m going to fuck your sweet cunt so hard you won’t be able to move without thinking of me.”
He pulls away
but keeps me wrapped in his embrace.
“I want you to be mine, but before you give me your answer
, there’s something we need to discuss later tonight, after the party. I need you to know one thing about me because it’ll affect you, too.”
“There are certain things I need to tell you as well. Truth of the matter is I don’t need to hear anything to know I want to be with you.”
“It’s a pretty dark secret. I don’t partake in anything illegal, but I live my life a certain way, and I need you to know how, so you can make a proper decision with all the facts.”
There is no denying I want him, so much it hurts.
“
Damian,
you misunderstand. I am yours, and there’s nothing you can tell me to change my mind. I want to give myself to you completely.”
“You haven’t a clue as to what you’re saying, what you’re agreeing to. Let us talk tonight, and then you can make your decision. Right now, I want to enjoy you.”
He kisses my neck.
Oh, the things he does to me. I wish we could’ve avoided this whole awful week.
I know I give into him far too easily, but I can’t fight how I need him, or how he makes me feel.
I have one more subject I must discuss with him before we enjoy one another. “We really shouldn’t do this here. I don’t want my parents to discover us necking.”
He lifts his face away from my neck and checks to see if my parents are near.
“I don’t see them.” He sweeps his knuckle across my cheek. “Can I come back to your place tonight?”
“Yes, I want you in my bed…Speaking of you in my bed, can we discuss Thursday?”
I giggle when he goes back in for my neck.
“What about it?” he mumbles from my nook.
“Damian, I am trying to hold a discussion with you, and you’re making it hard.”
“No, babe, you’re making it hard,” he growls as he lifts his head up to look at me. “What do you want to know?”
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. I was sitting in my car outside the bar, and I saw him harassing you. The rest you’re
vaguely
aware of.”
“You’re hilarious…Why were you in your car? Why were you there?”
He gives me a look of annoyance. “I was there for you.”
“For me? How did you know I would be there?”
“I have my ways.”
“You know that seems a tad stalker like, right?”
“No, I don’t. I was worried about you, and since you weren’t allowing me to take care of you, I took matters into my own hands. I’m glad I did. God knows, what that son of a bitch would’ve done to you if I hadn’t.” He shutters.
I change the subject quickly, hoping to distract him. “Now that I’ve identified my hero, thank you. Why didn’t you tell me it was you?”
“I knew you didn’t want to talk to me, and you thought I was
him.
At least that’s what you kept mumbling.”
“I was mumbling?”
“Yes. You were telling ‘Chase’ he was your knight in shining armor.” I bite at my bottom lip, embarrassed by my comment. He appears hurt. “I couldn’t stay away. I had to see you. The past four days have been the hardest of my life. Almost every time I got to see you, he was usually there, and it made me fucking furious.”
“I didn’t actually want you to stay away. I ached for you. I ache for you.”
“Me, too, angel. I’ve never spent this much time trying to get a woman into bed, and with the way you look in this gown, I won’t be able to keep my eyes or my hands off you for long. I’m unsure I possess the willpower to wait until later. There’s a lot of making up to do.”
I’m aroused by his appetite for me. His words rushing to my clit
, making me want to feed his hunger until he’s stuffed.
“We don’t have to. My bedroom’s upstairs. After we make a decen
t appearance, we can sneak away and finally do what we’ve been waiting for.”
“Which would be what exactly?” he teasingly asks.
“You fucking me until we collapse into a sweaty, panting heap.”
“I overestimated your innocence factor. I won’t be doing that again.”
His eyes are scorching, burning into mine. If a stare could give you an orgasm, I would have multiple. He leans in and kisses me hard, bruising my lips. I push away to catch my breath and gather myself, looking up at him in a sexual daze. I notice the color of his lips. It’s a good thing I’m wearing long lasting lipstick or his lips would be as red as mine, instead of a soft pink.
“I should find
Chase, let him know everything’s alright, and our plans to leave together.”
“We should have arrived together,” he huffs.
“I wish we had, too.”
“It’s alright, angel, because we’ll be coming together shortly.” His brow cocks, and a delicious lopsided smirk graces those strong, skilled lips. “I suppose if you must inform Mr.
Cahill of our plans, I will accompany you on tracking him down.”
He takes me by the elbow and guides me through the growing mob assembling outside. Before we get too far, I hear my mom call out to me, finding her standing next to my father chatting with…
Olivia! My eyes dart to Damian, calm and ready for battle. He bends down to my ear.
“Are you ready to make things crystal clear?”
I smirk up at him, and he rubs my back to calm me, or he just wants to touch my bare flesh. Either way, the contact is welcome, sending tremors down my body.
“Hello, Mother.”
She hugs me and whispers, “I told you he would go bonkers. It’s written all over your face.”
My father shakes Hunt’s hand, his face like stone. Hunt turns to my mom and shakes her hand gently.
“Elizabeth, you look stunning. Thank you for inviting me.”
“As always
, it’s a pleasure having you, Damian.”
Marshall chimes in, “It’s nice of you to come, Damian. I see you’ve met my little girl.”
I answer instead, completely mortified, “Yes. We met one another when he bought the magazine. We’re good frie…”
“I’ve asked Gabrielle to be my girlfriend. She’s a truly exceptional woman. I intend on taking excellent care of her, Marshall. I feel it’s important to let you know due to our relationship,” Hunt interrupts me.
Olivia is aghast.
“Yes. That did cross my mind,” Marshall replies with a tone, still cold toward him. Mom tries to salvage the mood.
“I think it’s wonderful! You make a charming couple. I wish you both the best.”
My dad gives her a side-glance, which she ignores.
Olivia stands there, an angry expression on her usually pretty face. She’s glaring at me with such rage and gives Hunt a confused, wounded stare, which he pretends not to notice and wraps his arm around my waist.
“It looks like the whole Scooby gang is here.”
Chase comes walking up. My mother greets him with a kiss on the cheek. “What did I miss?”
We all turn to stare at him.
“I’ll tell you later, Shaggy,” I reply, flustered.
He chuckles. “Gotcha, Daph.”
We stand there in silence until I can’t take it anymore. The opportunity to escape comes in the form of one of my favorite songs. ‘Lean’ by Oh land. The song is fitting. The sluggish pace has a beautifully dark tone, accompanying an almost angelic female voice.
The lyrics sound all too familiar as if I’ve lived them. Oh, that’s right. The song is a perfect depiction of Thursday night and the drunken debacle that ensued. Then again, lying in Damian’s arms made it well worth the trouble.
“This is a blast, standing here in deafening silence, but I think I’m ready to get down. Anyone care to join me?” I cut through the thick, awkwardly charged air.
I glance over at Hunt, and we start to move away from the group, but one of the servers announces dinner is served. My mom adds to the announcement, “There are no seating plans. Please
, sit with whomever you wish, mingle, and enjoy.”