With her throat no longer scorching, Cassandra handed back the bottle, then snuggled closer to Damon, resting her head on his chest. His arms effortlessly pulled her closer against him, and he rested his chin on the top of her head.
While Cassandra wanted nothing more than to enjoy the moment of peace, she couldn’t help but think about how they’d gotten there. And at the source of all her worries was one question: where do we go from here?
“Damon…”
Before she could finish, Cassandra found herself on her back, Damon hovering over her. His face was close, green eyes flashing. “Stop it.”
Cassandra pouted, more than a little miffed at his commanding tone. “Stop what?”
“Stop overthinking it,” Damon said, his tone more gentle the second time around. “I never should have left back then, and we both know we belong together. Now that Viktor and Wraith are taken care of, what’s there to keep us apart? Who are we to fight fate? You rolled into my arms last night, Cass, and it was the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had.” He paused, nuzzling her neck, then moving his way up to her mouth for a kiss. “This is right, and I dare you to say otherwise.”
Despite the confidence shining in his voice, Cassandra saw the wariness in his eyes. That, more than anything, eased up all her worries. Because if he was willing to show his emotions, then she had nothing to lose.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. “In that case, I’ll decline on the dare, because I’d lose.”
Victory flashed in Damon’s eyes as her words registered, and his grin lighted the room. “I knew you’d see it my way.” All talk ended when his lips descended on hers in a blissful kiss.
When Damon pulled back, his eyes sparkled with that contained happiness Cassandra had witnessed only a few times before. She returned his grin, a happy buzz warming her core.
Realizing she still had no idea where they were, Cassandra pulled back enough to really see his face. “Where exactly are we?”
Last she could remember, they’d landed in London and had rented a car. Tired from their ordeals, she must have fallen asleep.
“We…” Damon repeated, and she couldn’t help a delighted shiver. He seemed to be enjoying the sound of the word as much as she was.
Cassandra focused her wandering thoughts on what her boyfriend was saying, in time to hear the end of his explanation.
“… so the guys had tickets for London ready. I only ever intended it to be a pit stop on our way to somewhere much more romantic.”
Cassandra gaped as the full meaning of his words sank in. “We’re not…”
“Oh yes,” Damon smirked. “We’re in Paris, in my little apartment a few minutes from the Eiffel Tower.”
A long silence followed, as Cassandra tried to figure out if he was joking or not. Before she could stop him, Damon dropped his mouth on hers once more, and he was kissing her like the world was ending.
Cassandra gave in to the sensuous touch of his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and returning it full-force. His hands roamed her sides, then held onto her hips. The kiss continued for longer moments, but Damon never pushed for more, seemingly content with the PG-rated action.
“Damon…” She tried to speak around his kissing, to ask if he was serious about Paris, but he wasn’t giving her a chance to.
When the nagging voice in her head wouldn’t stop, and curiosity got the best of her, she pushed Damon off and rushed to the window. In her eagerness, she’d pushed him off the bed, but his oomph of surprise barely registered as she stared at the incontestable truth.
In plain view for all to see, and dazzling her eyes, was la fameuse Tour Eiffel. Cassandra gasped and whirled around, unable to contain her delight.
“Damon!”
His expression softened, and a warmth Cassandra wasn’t used to showed in Damon’s eyes. “You like?” There was vulnerability, an openness to his question that got to her.
“I love it! Damon…” Cassandra moved back to the bed, kneeling next to him. “This is amazing.”
She leaned in to kiss him, and he reached for the back of her neck, pulling her closer. As their lips connected, Cassandra finally let the remainder of her walls down, and embraced their joint fate.
There was no room for thinking or decisions between them. She reached for Damon’s shirt, and pulled it off with his help. His hand cupped her cheek, thumb caressing it. “Are you sure?”
Cassandra nodded, then ducked her head to nibble at his throat, jaw, and back to his mouth. “Never been surer in my life,” she whispered against his lips.
Damon’s arms wrapped around her waist then and lifted them both up, before dropping her on the bed gently. Piece by piece, he removed her clothes, until there were no barriers left between them.
Murmurs of appreciation left his lips as he trailed them down her body, then up again. Cassandra squirmed under his attention, panting for more. When Damon licked around her collarbone area, then moved to her breasts, and down her stomach, she couldn’t recognize the sounds coming out of her mouth.
“Damon…”
She shattered around his questing fingers, sobbing her pleasure and begging for more at the same time. As if reading her mind, Damon moved over her, his body as naked as hers was.
Cassandra glanced down, noticing he’d put on a condom before she even had to suggest it. She met his green eyes, sparkling with amusement. “Did you doubt I’d take care of you?” he said.
She chuckled, then lifted her head to bite his shoulder. “Not a bit. It was worth the wait.”
Surprise flashed across Damon’s face, but he had no time to voice anything aloud. Cassandra lifted her hips, at the same time pulling him closer. He entered her in one swift stroke, and she gasped at the pain, closing her eyes.
♥∞♥
Damon stilled, feeling the tension in Cassandra’s body. He waited until her beautiful eyes opened again, searching her gaze. Bit by bit, her body relaxed under his, though her expression remained wary.
When she nodded, he moved within her. It took all his willpower to hold back, but he managed it. For her, I’d do anything. And to think she waited…
Damon stopped thinking when Cassandra angled her hips and her mouth opened in surprise, then she flushed. He bent over and sampled her lips, then kissed each cheek. “Are you ready for more, love?”
Her eyes widened as if wondering what else there was that could top it. Damon only grinned, then changed the pace of his strokes. He moved one hand between their bodies, touching her centre of pleasure.
Cassandra’s soft gasp, followed by a longer moan, was music to his ears. And it would not be the last of the night.
♥∞♥
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Cassandra laughed at the sleepy mumble. Damon’s arm tightened around her, and he pulled her even closer. They’d fallen asleep their exerting activities and brunch in bed, and she’d woken up spooning with him.
“Damon, come on,” she tried for a scolding tone, “I need to go to the washroom…” Cassandra trailed off, wondering if he’d fallen back asleep and if she could sneak off.
She got her answer when he nuzzled her neck, sending delicious shivers down her spine. “What for?”
“Damon!” Cassandra’s indignant whine was broken up by her burst of laughter. “I’m serious, I really have to go. Now.” After a pause, she mock-pleaded, “Let me go, please?”
“Never!” Damon growled and pushed her on her back, hovering on top. He gazed at her through hooded eyes, a soft smile playing on his lips. The hardness of his body distracted her, and Cassandra found her mind wandering back to…
“Fine. You have…” Damon made a show of trying to decide, “… 5 minutes. So hurry up, love.”
Cassandra laughed and scurried from under his arm as soon as he moved it. She reached the bathroom and glanced over her shoulder, smiling when she saw him asleep. After all the nights he’d spent keeping an eye on her in Canada, was it any wonder the man ne
eded his beauty rest?
She rushed through a shower, wondering how long they’d be staying in Paris. Now that the stress of Viktor and Alain was over with, nothing stopped them from taking their time enjoying Europe together, and getting reacquainted.
Cassandra made a mental note to ask Damon if his company could do without him for a bit. About fifteen minutes later, she walked out of the washroom, pleasantly sore in all the right places from his previous ministrations.
To her – slight – disappointment, Damon seemed asleep again, an arm thrown over his face to block out the sun.
However, as soon as she got closer to the bed, he rolled towards her. With incredible accuracy for someone supposedly half-passed out, he reached for Cassandra’s hand, and pulled her back in bed.
“That was over five minutes,” Damon reproached.
Cassandra laughed, snuggling in his embrace. This, a girl could get used to.
“Cass.”
She smiled at the unmistakable annoyed tone in his voice. “Hmm?”
“Stop laughing. Sleep.”
She chuckled against his chest, then quieted down. “Sweet dreams, Damon.”
He made a sound of approval at the back of his throat, then his breathing slowed down and Cassandra knew he was gone to dreamland. She did the same, intending to enjoy her time with Damon to its fullest.
If she’d known then what was to come, perhaps she would have avoided repeating past mistakes.
♥∞♥
They’d been out having dinner at a small restaurant in Paris, and decided to end the evening with a walk through the cobblestone streets. Despite the later hour, people still filled the streets, and their chatter disrupted the night.
Reading her mood, Damon pulled Cassandra into a deserted street, and she sighed in happiness at the quietude. They walked hand in hand, in companionable silence, and the moon shone on them in approval.
After a few blocks, Damon tugged on Cassandra’s hand and went to cross the street, when he heard an engine revving. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a car speeding towards them. Reflexes kicked in and he pushed Cassandra out of the way.
With no time to get out of the way, he chose the second-best option besides dying and jumped towards the car. His shoulder hit the hood of the car, then he knocked into the windshield. He caught sight of two men in leather jackets inside, before falling off to the other side.
The car sped away, and Damon hit the ground full-frontal. Cassandra yelled his name, and all he could think was, Don’t let me be dead, I still need to protect her. He’d been wrong thinking all the danger disappeared with Wraith and Viktor’s deaths.
“Come on, Damon. Don’t do this. Don’t you dare let go…” Cass cradled his head in her hands. The heat from her palms permeated his skin, and he winced.
With a struggle, he opened his eyes. The lampposts’ light was sensitive and he had to blink a few times. His first instinct was to check for the car, but it was long gone. “Looks like they’re gone for good.”
Cassandra helped him to his feet, and half-leaning on her they edged out of the street. After a few steps, Damon paused. Something was floating in the street, carried off by a soft breeze. He’d missed it at first, but he was pretty sure it hadn’t been there before the car had crossed them.
“And it appears they left a message.” Clenching his fists, Damon limped to the offending paper. He scanned the words, his jaw clenching with each passing second.
Cassandra joined him and read over his shoulder. “Mademoiselle DiCavalier, your father left unpaid debts behind. You should transfer the money to our labeled account, unless you wish to pay in other ways.”
Which, translated, meant that either she paid whoever it was all of her inheritance, or they’d kill both of them. Great.
“It must be the Albanians. They’re the only ones we haven’t taken out.” Damon crumpled the paper, and Cassandra looked up at him. “This has gone on way too long,” he said.
“I know. And I’ll end it, Damon. If all they want is money, I just need to go to my parents’ estate in Italy, sign the documents with their lawyer and access my trust fund earlier. Piece of cake.”
Damon scowled at her, trying to rein in his disagreement. “Hardly, love. You forget how many branches of the mob exist throughout Europe, never mind Italy. Either could have been contracted to kidnap you. And there’s no way I’m letting you go in there alone.” He glanced at the crumped paper in his hand, then met Cassandra’s gaze again. “Paying them off won’t solve this, trust me on it.”
Cassandra opened her mouth to no doubt argue her point further, but blinking lights and sirens stopped their conversation. A string of cop cars pulled over, apparently alerted by some bystander or other of the accident.
Damon and Cassandra were each questioned by separate officers, and their statements taken down. After a lengthy discussion with the French police, where they gave as vague details as they could about the car, Damon and Cassandra were allowed to leave.
They got back into the hotel and Damon headed to shower, needing a minute to figure out how he’d talk some sense into Cassandra. Without causing a fight that could ruin this entire vacation.
♥∞♥
Someone knocked on the hotel door, interrupting Cassandra’s ruminations. She hesitated answering, considering the recent attack, and glanced towards the bathroom door. With Damon still showering, she headed to the door and looked through the peephole. An elderly, distinguished gentleman in a full on suit was there, flanked by a younger man.
“Qui c’est?” She asked who it was in French.
“My name is Lucien Montagnard, Ms. DiCavalier. I am with Interpol.”
Cassandra pulled back from the door, frowning at it in confusion. Interpol?
“How can I help you?”
A slight chuckle echoed from the other side. “Would you mind opening the door so we may speak face to face?”
Cassandra glanced over her shoulder, biting her lip. She knew Damon would probably be upset over her taking risks, but her curiosity was too strong. Before opening the door, she slid the chain barring it in place.
In the small open space, she met the elderly man’s open expression. “Show me some ID.”
He slid his badge and his partner’s through the opening, and Cassandra locked the door in their faces. After perusing the IDs for a few minutes, she opened the door fully and handed them back.
“So you’re not lying. Which brings me back to my original question: what do you want?”
Lucien shared a look with his partner, then said, “I was hoping you would walk with me.”
Cassandra was surprised by the request, but not enough to be duped. “Not until you tell me what it’s about.”
His hazel eyes twinkled with mirth, and he said, “You remind me so much of your mother, Ms. DiCavalier. I received wind of the report from earlier, the car striking down your companion. I knew your mother long ago and wanted to speak with you. It need only take ten minutes, nothing more.”
Cassandra’s curiosity increased tenfold, but wariness still lingered. She threw a meaningful look to his partner. “We can go, but alone.”
Lucien nodded and turned to the younger man, waving him off.
“Let me write a note to Damon.”
Cassandra headed back into the hotel, grabbed her wallet and left Damon a note saying she was going by the convenience store down the street to grab snacks. Then she followed the Interpol cop in silence, until they were a few blocks away from the hotel.
After her recent dance with danger, she kept an eye out to make sure they were staying in a public space. Despite the late hour, tourists filled the streets, and she relaxed ever so.
“What brought you to Paris?”
It was not the question Cassandra expected, but she saw no harm in answering it. “We – me and Damon – needed a vacation.”
“And have you been together for a long time?”
This time, she found the question incongruous. “Wh
at is this all about?”
“You have to forgive an old man’s curiosity, ma chère. Affairs of the heart are my favourite treat.”
Lucien’s kind demeanour put her at ease, despite the pointed questions. But his next one brought Cassandra to a dead stop in the middle of the street.
“So your departure had nothing to do with a certain Anton?”
Lucien must have read the wariness on her face, as he lifted both palms up in a universal sign of peace. “I mean no harm, Cassandra. Word travels among our circles, and when I dug deeper…” A sigh, then, “I should best start from the beginning. While I do not blame you for mistrusting me at the moment, I beg you to hear me out. My intentions are only good towards you. Here, let’s take a seat.”
Cassandra trailed behind him, heading to a bench on the side of the road. They sat down, facing each other while pedestrians kept an ongoing stream of traffic.
“Thirty years ago, I was a young officer in the French police. I did a stint in the military, but settled for being a regular officer of peace. In my third year, while responding to a call of domestic violence, I visited the victim at the local hospital. That is where I met your mother, Elena.”
Cassandra really looked at him then, trying to envision the meeting. Back then, his receding hairline wouldn’t have been so prominent, and with his square jaw and gentle eyes, Lucien would have made a striking young lad, she bet.
“How was she?” she asked.
The light shining in Lucien’s eyes told her enough, even before the words poured out. “Elena was a ray of sunshine. She worked as a volunteer at the hospital, helping with victims and counselling when needed. Despite a degree in psychology that makes most people jaded, she had a huge heart. I was smitten with her, and a friendship developed over the next months.”
Lucien’s smile fell off and he paused, collecting his thoughts. “I found out Elena was running away from someone. During a summer in Italy, she fell in love with the local mob boss, Vittorio Castelloni. At the time, she did not know what he dabbled in. Thiers was a consuming passion, and when she found out, Elena left him. But Vittorio was in love with her and kept trying to win her back. He was never abusive, only persistent.”
Blood Ties, Love Binds Page 19
