Conflict

by M. S. Willis

  “You look good enough to eat, Damsel. It’s too bad we’re just roommates. I would love nothing more than to show you how much I appreciate seeing you in that dress.” His voice dropped into a seductive purr as he spoke. I watched my feet intently, willing myself to focus on anything but what he was making me feel.

  Logan must have sensed the tension between Daemon and I because he cleared his throat as he stood up from the bench. “It’s been good seeing you, Paige.” He looked at the non-existent watch on his wrist before he continued. “Look at the time, I’ve got work tonight. Text you later.” And with that, he exited the door and was gone. I was left alone with Daemon and somehow, the tension that had already been thick enough to cut had increased to the point of suffocating. My body flinched when I heard the soft click of the door as Logan left.

  Daemon’s mouth turned up into an arrogant smirk. He knew he had my heart coming through my chest at his close proximity. My breathing was labored and my chest expanded noticeably due to the increased volume of my intakes of air. He removed his hands from his pockets and ran them up the length of my arms, almost but not actually touching my skin. When his hands reached my shoulders, he traced along my collarbones down to just above my breasts. Our skin only touched when my lungs expanded with air. He stayed in that position for a few moments before his hands continued their path down my body and over the curve of my hips.

  His chest softly pressed against my back as he leaned down to whisper to me. My body shook when his lips brushed along the outside of my ear. “You have no idea how much I want to remove this thin material from your body. You also have no idea how badly I want to run my hands and my mouth over every inch of your skin….” He pressed his hips into me so I could feel the physical evidence of his arousal just as he leaned down to nip on the delicate skin behind my ear. My body bucked at the contact and a small excited cry escaped my throat.

  He stepped back just away from me when I reacted and his small chuckle aggravated me to no end. Daemon was pleasure dipped in chocolate and he knew exactly how to use that trait to his advantage. “I’ll be in the living room when you are ready to go.”

  I continued training my gaze on anything but him as he opened the door to leave. After he shut it, my muscles relaxed and I went to lie down for a minute on my bed.

  My eyes followed the slow lazy path of my ceiling fan as my heart rate slowed. This torture was endless and I hoped they apprehended Chris soon so I could go home. I feared that I couldn’t contain myself for much longer. The possibility of throwing myself at Daemon’s feet, begging to be touched, was no longer unimaginable. The only thing keeping me from doing just that was my refusal at losing this battle of wills. Daemon had succeeded in stealing the loyalty of my body, but I still had a slight grasp of control over my mind. If I could maintain that control, he would not take the advantage in this game we were apparently playing.

  Once my vitals had returned from their critical state, I pushed myself off the bed and brushed down to straighten the material of my dress. I looked to my closet and considered changing into loose sweats for the day, but the heat in Florida was too much to take when your skin was covered up. The backyard of The Center was lush wetlands that were my favorite place to explore. I would be trapped inside and away from that paradise if I dressed in anything heavier than this dress.

  When I entered the living room, Daemon and Logan stood on the balcony and talked in hushed tones. My eyebrow arched when I discovered Logan hadn’t been in as much of a rush as he earlier stated. I couldn’t blame him though. The tension was too much for me to take and I was a participant. I couldn’t imagine the discomfort it would cause if I were only a witness. Daemon had no issue with expressing his interests in me in front of a group of people. It was as if his self-control took second to his enjoyment of watching me squirm.

  Both men turned their heads toward me as I walked out into the room. Even though it was daylight outside, their faces were bathed in shadow due to the privacy curtains Daemon had hung on the balcony before I was released from the hospital. He was concerned that Chris would see me if he were passing through town and I happened to be sitting out there enjoying the day. I felt like I was a person in a witness protection program that couldn’t be left alone for one second.

  Logan took his keys from his pockets on my approach and ended his conversation with Daemon. He approached me to wrap me in a brief hug before crossing the living room and going out the front door. Daemon’s face had an unreadable expression as he stood in the same place, looking me over.

  When Daemon and I had first started playing this game, I had been a worthy opponent. I teased him just as relentlessly at first but quickly learned that his reaction heated me up even hotter. It became too much when my body felt like it was ripping apart from the lack of physical contact with him. His will power was staggering; especially in light of the fact that I knew he was equally affected by me. There was a point in time in which I became prey to his constant predator, but it was so understated, I missed it when it occurred. Within three weeks, he had me avoiding him if I could and constantly on alert when he was around me.

  I stood in the middle of the room as I waited for him to come in from the balcony. Silently, he entered the room and shut the large glass doors behind him. He brushed past me as he sauntered his way into the kitchen and grabbed his keys. I stood still, keeping my eyes trained on the front doors until I saw him walk in that direction. When he opened the doors, my feet took me forward and he walked behind me entering the elevators, quietly riding with me to the garage below. I’d had enough of this silence so I spoke of our plans for the day to break up the strain of our proximity to one another.

  “Are you looking forward to seeing my parents’ place? I know you will love it, especially the back yard. I’ve spent many days exploring the different parts of the wetlands, but even today, I still discover new nooks and crannies that I’d never seen before. It really is a magical place.” My voice was breathless as I rambled on about the backyard where I spent my childhood.

  The corners of Daemon’s mouth turned up into a smile. He knew damn well that I was attempting to diffuse the sexual energy between us. His voice was like silk as he responded and I inwardly cursed him for continuing his torment. “I am looking forward to it. From what you’ve told me, it would almost feel primal being wrapped in such natural surroundings. A place where instinctual behaviors could take over, perhaps?”

  He winked at me and I huffed out a breath of air at his relentless teasing. “Dammit Daemon, can we stop this for a few hours? I don’t need to be quivering and hyperventilating in front of my parents because of you.” Daemon laughed at my statement and nodded his head in agreement.

  “Alright, Damsel, I’ll agree to your truce…for now. But don’t be surprised if I have to make up for lost time when we return home tonight.” His smile brightened and those blasted dimples popped out making me want to trace over the indentations with my tongue. Bah! This man was driving me close to desperate insanity. His arm brushed against my skin as he reached around me to open the truck door and place me safely inside. He leaned in to fasten my seat belt for me and I remained rigid and stiff while sitting up in my seat. After the soft click of the belt, he began to right himself, but stopped to brush his lips against mine. “Oh, excuse me. I didn’t mean to touch you there.” He closed the door and walked around the truck to begin our journey.

  Chapter Two

  The drive to The Center was without conversation. Daemon kept music playing the entire way and the songs he choose were heavy and full of hidden meaning. We had the same taste in music and the darker, almost gothic, song choices he was making were just another strand of the tangled web he was weaving. He agreed to a truce and I was foolish to believe that he would stick to that agreement. Daemon was a master of passive aggression and he knew just about every trick there was to making a statement without ever openly attempting to do so. He was tying me in knots and I was desperate to get to my parents’ pl
ace so that a buffer was put in place between us.

  The truck shook slightly as we drove along the gravel driveway to the building. It felt like Daemon was continuously slowing down as we got closer. He must have been taking in his surroundings. The natural beauty of this place was awe-inspiring and the tranquility was another part of the healing people experienced when they came here. My parents had done well to choose this location.

  We stopped once we reached the end of the driveway and I looked over at Daemon. His eyes were wide as he took in the building and his expression was distant and strained. His reaction was unexpected and I quietly watched him as he stared holes into the front doors.

  A few seconds had passed and I couldn’t hold my curiosity any longer. “Daemon? Is something wrong?”

  He blinked his eyes and shook his head before looking back at me. “Uh, no. Not at all. It’s just that I find this place to be overwhelmingly beautiful.” His voice softened. “I think you were right. So far, I love it.” He gave me a weak smile and I returned one to him.

  “It is beautiful, isn’t it? My parents have taken such care of this place and it reminds me of a sanctuary of sorts. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if I walked inside and found a bunch of monks levitating. It truly is that peaceful.”

  “Levitating?”

  I turned to him and smiled. “Well, yeah. In my head, they are ninja monks; and ninja monks levitate. So obviously, that’s what they would be doing if they were here.”

  Daemon silently laughed as he opened his door. He came around the truck to open my door and help me out. I placed my hand in his and he smirked.

  Sonofabitch! I let him help me down.

  That particular action had been part of our game. Standard practice would have been for him to extend his hand and for me to push it away and jump down without his assistance. I blamed our current environment for the oversight of having accepted his hand.

  The deep timbre of his voice was pronounced as he said, “It’s good to see I’m finally wearing you down.” He brought my hand up to place a kiss on it and I ripped it out of his grasp.

  “Zip it up, Zippy. There are to be no hidden agendas, cryptic meanings, or stalking of any sort while we are here.” I pointed my finger up into his face to drive home my seriousness. “I mean it, Daemon. We called a truce and you need to abide by it.”

  He laughed. “Stalking?”

  I looked up at him and crossed my arms over my chest. “Yes. Stalking. You do that little sauntering prowl thing when you walk. I feel like a damn mouse waiting to get pounced on by a large tomcat. It distracts me and you know it, so try and conduct yourself in a more natural manner while we are here.”

  His smile brightened. “More natural?” He leaned in to me slightly as he spoke. “Damsel, I can guarantee you that there is nothing unnatural in the ‘sauntering prowl’ thing that I do. You are a mouse and it’s about time for you accept it.”

  My face was cast downwards so that I could avoid his stare. I knew that he had that hooded eyelid thing going on and I needed to avoid it. My attempts at avoiding those crystal blue eyes lined with dark lashes was thwarted when he placed a finger under my chin and pulled my face up to his. I could feel his breath roll across my face as he whispered to me.

  “But, you are right, we called a truce, and I am determined to stick to that.” He smiled and let go of my face. I let out a defeated sigh and started walking towards the building.

  I trained my focus on the front doors and marched my way to the buffer I knew was waiting inside. Daemon lagged behind me and, regardless of the reason, I was glad to escape his suffocating presence.

  Momma and Daddy came out the doors as we approached and both of their faces held odd expressions. As usual, they walked out to meet me and Momma wrapped me in a huge hug while Daddy went to shake Daemon’s hand. I could see that Daddy was saying something to Daemon, but his voice was so low, I couldn’t pick up on what they were discussing. Momma let me go and when she passed me off to Daddy, she turned and took Daemon into a hug. I found it unusual that the three of them acted as familiar with each other as they did. Trauma and heartache must really be a glue that binds people, because the two days they spent at the hospital together had managed to develop in them a close bond. I felt somewhat out of place; almost as if there was a something more of which I had not been made privy.

  “Look at you, Paige. You are almost all healed up. And you’re wearing a dress?” Daddy smiled brightly. “I thought I’d never see the day.”

  Daddy looked me up and down as Daemon and Momma passed. When Daemon was within a closer distance of us, he turned to Daddy and me and said, “I explained to Paige earlier how appreciative I was to see her dressed so nicely for us all.”

  Daddy and Momma grinned and nodded their agreement with Daemon’s statement before he continued. “It seems staying with me and letting me take care of her suits her. I think it might even be a good idea for her to stay after they capture Chris.”

  Momma smiled up at Daemon. “You have a point, Daemon. Maybe we should all team up to convince her to give staying with you a shot.” My jaw dropped at Momma’s statement and Daemon winked at me. That bastard! I could immediately see how this day was going to go. We hadn’t even been here for five minutes and my parents were already jumping on ‘Team Daemon.’

  We made our way into the building and Daddy took me into the recreation areas while Momma gave Daemon a guided tour of the facilities. I plopped myself down on my favorite couch and Daddy and I spoke quietly together while we waited for Momma and Daemon to return. Daddy caught me up on the ongoing activities at the Center and I filled him in on what it was like being held captive by an overprotective Daemon. He laughed when he thought I was joking about my captivity, but I wasn’t sure that it was a joke. Although Daemon wasn’t holding me against my will, I still wasn’t comfortable being watched by anyone; and in my mind, that was captivity.

  Daddy didn’t seem like his normal jovial self today. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was bothering him. After we had finished our polite conversation, I decided to be blunt. “What’s wrong, Daddy? You seem upset about something.”

  Daddy’s face fell a little bit and he appeared to be wrestling with what he would tell me. When I gave him my pointed ‘hurry it along’ glare, he sighed and responded. “We’re just having some slight financial problems with The Center. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, but due to the state economy problems, our funding has been cut back. I’m sure we can put together some fundraisers to make up the difference. Nothing for you to worry about, baby girl.”

  I was instantly worried over what Daddy had told me. The Center had been in operation for over twenty years. At first, The Center started small but quickly grew as more and more women and children looked to it as a bastion of hope. It was a place where they could put aside their poor choices; where they could rebuild; and where they could learn to walk back into life, to love again. Due to their fierce love for one another, my parents built and tirelessly operated the facility because they understood what it meant to love someone. They made it their life goal to help those who were left broken by the very thing that made them so strong. What would happen to my parents if The Center was forced to close? More importantly, what would happen to the women and children who so desperately needed a place like this?

  I started to respond, but quickly stopped when Momma and Daemon returned. I wasn’t sure if Momma yet knew about the financial problems because Daddy tended to avoid burdening her with those types of concerns. We sat together and talked about various topics. Daemon explained to my parents that he was a club and bar owner and that his businesses had proved to be moderately lucrative. My parents didn’t delve too much into his childhood which I thought was strange. Momma is usually the first to ask about family members when getting to know someone, but she avoided the topic gracefully. We continued our discussion for a little over an hour before Momma and Daddy had to excuse themselves to tend to their responsib
ilities.

  When Daemon and I were left alone, I inwardly groaned about having lost my buffer. In spirit with the truce, he had been on his best behavior and I was concerned that being alone with him would prove to be too tempting for him to continue his good behavior. When I looked over to him to invite him out to the backyard, the twinkle in his eye told me that my concern had been warranted. This man was going to be the death of me and I pondered what death by sexual frustration would feel like. I concluded it must be some sort of spontaneous combustion that occurred and that’s why my body always trembled and heated in his presence.

  “Did you want to go with me to see the backyard? It’s my favorite part of this place.”

  Daemon’s eyes met mine and his lopsided grin was a dead giveaway to his mischievous thoughts. “I’d love to. Lead the way.” He stood and extended his hand to help me up from where I sat. I wasn’t about to fall for that again, and I playfully batted his hand away and stood without his assistance.

  I could feel his heat brushing across my back as he closely followed behind me to the backyard. Once we were outside, he stopped and his gaze slowly traversed the openness of the surroundings. The usual sounds of frogs, birds and cicadas were present and a breeze was softy blowing through the veranda just outside the back door. I stood staring at him as he looked over the yard and wetlands and I wondered what he was thinking. After a few moments, he looked back over to me and smiled.

  “It’s stunning, Paige. I couldn’t imagine growing up in a more beautiful place.” His words were distant and disjointed as he spoke and I picked up on something deeper in what he had said. I decided not to press it and I simply smiled back in response.