by Wylder, Tia
I bit my lip and nodded. “Yeah,” I said slowly. “I know that.”
“But you’re starting to grow on me,” Damien said archly as he reached for the tray of canapes. “Date stuffed with bleu cheese and bacon?”
I plucked one from the tray and popped it into my mouth. A delicious blend of creamy and greasy flavors settled on my tongue and I sighed.
“This is heavenly,” I said.
“I have a private chef,” Damien said. “He comes over to my condo daily and prepares meals, so he made this spread for me when I thought about taking you out.”
I blushed. “How…Damien, how did you know I would say yes?”
Damien raised an eyebrow and gestured around. The yacht had departed from the dock, and we were sailed into the pure, blue waters of the Atlantic.
“Could you really resist this?” Damien asked as he reached for a bite of mango and red pepper on toast. “I mean, being on the water always soothes me. I don’t know how you are, but this is how I find my center.”
For a moment, I was tempted to ask how stressed he really was – after all, from what Derek and Jack said, Damien had barely worked a day in his life. No, I realized. This is nice. Don’t spoil it.
"I can see that,” I said slowly, breathing in the sea air. The sensation of gliding over the waves was so relaxing, and suddenly I understood why rich people liked boats so darn much.
“So,” Damien said. “What’s going on in your life?” He smirked at me, and I flushed.
“Not much,” I admitted. “I mean, I’m fine, I guess. Just school, you know.”
Damien laughed. “So this must be a real banner day for you, huh?”
I bit my lip. “I didn’t mean it like that,” I said quickly. “It’s just…you know, my life is nowhere near as exciting as yours.”
“Well, I didn’t ask because I wanted you to make a comparison,” Damien said. “I asked because I wanted you to tell me what you’ve been up to.”
I took a sip of my white wine. “I’m trying to think of what I want to do when I graduate,” I said.
“You should stay in school for as long as you can,” Damien said lazily. He locked eyes with me, and a shiver crawled down my spine. “Because the real world sucks, and you should definitely find a way to avoid it if you can.”
I burst out laughing. “How can you possibly say that? How can you, of all people, say the real world sucks? You’re totally loaded!”
“No, my dad is,” Damien said. He sighed moodily. “It’s not mine, and it never will be. He already made up his mind long ago – Derek is the favorite son, not me.”
I frowned.
“Besides,” Damien said, looking at me over the tops of his sunglasses and raising an eyebrow. “I don’t have everything I want.”
“Oh really?” I laughed skeptically. “What do you want, then?”
Damien climbed out of his deck chair, then walked over to me slowly with his eyes locked on mine. An electric thrill shot through my body and my heart sped up, thumping rapidly in my chest. When Damien reached my chair, he dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead against mine.
“Because sometimes I want things that are awfully out of reach,” Damien growled. I shivered with anticipation as he put his arms around my waist and pulled me out of the chair. I landed on his lap, my legs spread around his muscular abdomen.
For a moment, we stayed like that. Then Damien closed his eyes and kissed me deeply, his tongue slipping into my mouth. I moaned softly before wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him even closer. Inside my cotton dress, my nipples were stiff and the delicious way they rubbed against the soft fabric was driving me wild. I could feel that I was getting wet between the legs. Damien tangled one hand in my hair and gently yanked, sending just the right of pain through my body. It mingled with the pleasure I felt, and I moaned again, nibbling on Damien’s lower lip as we kissed.
“God, Emma, you’re so sexy,” Damien growled. He pulled away and nudged my chin up before kissing and biting all over my neck. It felt so good that I couldn’t help but moan again, biting my lower lip as pleasure filled my body.
Damien slid his hands down my back and squeezed my ass. A strangled cry of pleasure escaped my mouth, and soon, I was grinding against his pelvis. My cotton dress was riding higher and higher, and my arousal was growing stronger. I could feel that Damien’s cock was erect and hard through his pants, and I blushed hotly at the thought of him fucking me right here, in broad daylight.
“Mmm, Emma,” Damien purred. He pulled away and took my face in his hands, kissing me gently. “You’re so hot.”
I flushed. As much as I wanted to sleep with him, I didn’t want his yacht staff knowing.
“I don’t know that we should right now,” I said softly, looking around at the cerulean blue ocean. “I mean, your staff.”
Damien snorted. “They don’t care.”
I bit my lip. “Well, I do,” I said primly. “I don’t want them thinking you’ve brought some…scarlet woman on board.”
Damien threw his head back and laughed, shaking his head. “You’re something else, you know that?” He snickered. “That’s what I like about you, Emma. I never know what you’ll do next.”
He gently pushed me to the side and climbed to his feet, stretching. I tried not to look at his crotch, but I couldn’t help noticing that he was still hard. Adrenaline and lust were still coursing through my veins, and for a moment, I regretted turning him down. I’m going to be hot and bothered for the rest of the day, I thought. But it wasn’t a bad thing – it made me feel sexy and confident. I just knew that as soon as I got in bed that evening, thoughts of Damien’s sultry kisses would fill my head.
“Me, really?” I asked, reaching for a canape. Damien settled down next to me and lay with his head in my lap, his eyes closed against the glare of the sun.
“Yeah,” Damien said. “You’re a cipher.”
I laughed. He has to be kidding, I thought as I stroked a hand through his silky dark hair. I’m an open book compared to him!
For a long time, the only sound in my ears was the roar of the ocean around us. My head filled with thoughts – what was Damien doing with me? Was he toying with me? Leading me on?
Or – and I almost didn’t like this possibility, because it made things much more complex – did he actually like me? Did he enjoy spending time with me? Was he trying to date me?
“Um, Damien,” I said softly, clearing my throat. “What exactly are we doing together?”
“Right now? We’re on the Queen of Sails, enjoying ourselves,” Damien said lazily. “And I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my afternoon,” he added.
“No,” I said slowly. “I mean, you and me. What are we doing together?”
Damien shrugged. “I don’t really know,” he said after a long pause. “I don’t really do this. Relationships, I mean.”
“Oh.” The word was surprisingly painful to say.
“But I feel drawn to you, Emma,” Damien continued. “Like I can’t stay away from you.”
I flushed and tilted my head up to face the sun, glad he couldn’t see my red cheeks.
“What does that mean, exactly?” I asked softly.
“I…I don’t know,” Damien said. “I’m sorry. I can’t really give you an answer, not right now.”
Tears filled my eyes, and I blinked, reaching up to wipe them away from Damien could see that I was crying. I was so confused – I’d never been this lost in my life. I felt like I was falling in love with Damien. And while part of me wanted to run away, I didn’t think I could force myself to do that. Just like Damien said he was drawn to me, I too was drawn to him.
And I suddenly knew that I’d rather be heartbroken than pragmatic if it meant spending as much time with Damien as humanly possible.
Chapter Six
I was so busy the next week that I didn’t see much of Damien or Derek. Jack was working extra long hours at Empire Mesa, and Mom couldn’t stop fretting about
him.
“He’s straining himself much too hard,” Mom said, glancing out the window for what felt like the fifth time that evening. “I don’t know how one man could cope with that level of stress, but he won’t relax no matter what I tell him!”
“Mom,” I said gently. “He’s a grown man, who can make his own decisions.”
“Well, I’d rather not be a widow at fifty,” Mom said, shaking her head. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry,” she said, seeing my expression. “I’m not angry. I’m very grateful for all that Jack does for us. I just wish he would learn to delegate, that’s all. He has so many men working for him…don’t you think he could at least step back, just a little bit?”
I smiled wryly. “Mom, Jack doesn’t seem like a man who’s comfortable taking the back seat,” I said. “Derek is the same way, I know he got it from his father.”
“Unlike Damien,” Mom muttered under her breath.
For a moment, I was tempted to defend Damien, tell Mom that he really isn’t that bad of a guy. But I didn’t want her asking so many questions – especially not when she was in such a bad mood about Jack.
I had no idea whether Mom would ever find about my sleeping with both Wilson brothers…but I fervently hoped that it would be a secret I took to my grave. Thinking about it hurt – I wanted Damien, I wanted him as a boyfriend. I wanted to date him, to be open with him. But maybe it was better this way: if things never really got off the ground, maybe I wouldn’t get hurt.
“Can you help with dinner, sweetie?” Mom asked.
“Sure,” I said, reluctantly pushing all thoughts of Damien out of my head. I reached into the fridge and pulled out a bagged salad, dumping everything into a bowl and stirring it around.
The front door opened and slammed shut.
“Honey?” Mom called. “Is that you?”
Jack stumbled into the kitchen, looking weary. Thick dark circles were under his eyes, and he slumped into a chair.
“Hon,” Mom said. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m really tired, Nadine,” Jack said. There was an edge to his voice that I didn’t normally notice when he got home from work.
“Well, I have pot roast with carrots and onions in the oven,” Mom chirped. “And Emma is making a salad. Can I get you a drink?”
“Gin and tonic,” Jack said. He cleared his throat and reached into his briefcase for his laptop.
“Hey, no working at my table,” Mom said. Her voice was light and teasing, but I could tell she was irritated. “Put that away, until after dinner.”
“Nadine, I have to catch Nathan before he leaves the London office,” Jack said. “So lay off.”
I bit my lip and shrugged at my mom. She gave me a dark look.
“I’m going to go upstairs and work on some homework,” I said. “I can eat later, don’t worry about me.”
“Really?” Mom frowned. “Honey, I thought you said you were starving.”
“I guess I’m not,” I said, lying through my teeth. Being around Mom and Jack when they weren’t happy with each other was excruciatingly painful, and I just wanted to escape from the room and be alone with my sordid thoughts of Damien and Derek.
“Emma, please don’t forget to take out the recycling tonight,” Jack said through clenched teeth. “The bin out back is overflowing, and you know we have problems with raccoons around here.”
I frowned. “Okay,” I said. “Although I’m not sure I forgot it before.”
“Just do it, Emma,” Jack growled.
“Jack!” Mom said. “What’s gotten into you?”
Jack sighed. He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, shaking his head.
“Forget it, Emma,” Jack said. “Sorry if I was curt. I had a real hell of a day.”
“It’s okay,” I said awkwardly. “I’ll just be upstairs now.”
Mom gave me a sympathetic look, and I returned it. I felt bad – being married to Jack couldn’t be easy, especially not when he acted out like this. I turned on my heel and walked out of the kitchen, bounding up the stairs two at a time.
I wondered when I’d see Damien again. I wondered if we’d sleep together – ever since I’d been with him on the yacht, I’d been craving his touch. I’d been craving his kisses, his hard cock pressed into my thigh. I shivered. God, I want him, I thought as I bounded across the landing and into my bedroom.
“Emma!” Mom screamed. “Come, quick!”
My heart skipped a beat, and I turned on my heel, flying down the stairs. Panicked thoughts were running wild through my head. What’s going on? Does Jack know about Damien and me? Did he tell Mom? Oh my god, what am I going to say?
Mom was shrieking and screaming when I ran into the kitchen, my feet skidding across the tiled floor. Jack was slumped over in his chair, his forehead on the table.
“Emma, call 911!” Mom screamed. “Oh my god, oh my god!” She began crying hysterically, sinking to the floor and rocking back and forth.
As quickly as I could, I dialed 911 with shaking hands and requested an emergency ambulance.
“Please, be quick,” I said, hanging up the phone.
Across the room, Mom was rocking back and forth and sobbing hysterically. I was torn – should I try comforting her? Or should I worry about Jack, who had obviously suffered something horrible?
“Mom, please, calm down,” I said. “Take a deep breath for me, okay? You can do that, Mom, I’m proud of you.”
Mom took a long, shuddering breath. “I can’t believe it,” she whispered, the tears glistening on her cheeks. “I’m too young to be a widow, Emma!”
“You can’t think like that,” I said sharply. “We have to stay strong for Jack.”
I reached for Mom’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “We have to be strong,” I repeated.
The sound of sirens filled the air, and I sighed, closing my eyes. Thank god, I thought. Maybe they can get him to a hospital in time – maybe everything will be okay in the end.
The paramedics rushed into our house, picking up Jack and strapping him to a gurney. One of the men started firing questions at Mom so quickly that she began to sob again.
“Mom, go with Jack in the ambulance,” I said. “I’ll call Damien and Derek and follow behind to the hospital.”
The paramedics wheeled Jack out to their ambulance and Mom followed behind, weeping so loudly that I could hear her choking on her own sobs. As I climbed behind the wheel of my car, my heart was heavy with dread and anxiety. All sexy thoughts of Damien had rushed out of my head – what the heck was I supposed to do if Jack died? I knew I’d have to support my Mom – and judging by what a mess she was now, I knew that wouldn’t be an easy task.
At the hospital, I sat in the waiting room with Mom, Damien, and Derek. Mom’s face was an ashen gray.
“Nadine, what happened?” Derek demanded urgently. “Tell me everything.”
“Like you’d know better than a doctor,” Damien shot back. “Can’t you see Nadine is obviously too upset to talk about it?”
“He said his left arm had been bothering him all day,” Mom said in a strained voice. She reached up and wiped her eyes with a soaked tissue. “And…I was so afraid, I realized it was bad. Just as I was convincing him to go to the emergency room, he grabbed his chest and fell over.”
“Great,” Derek snorted. “So you couldn’t even get him to the hospital on your own?”
“Hey,” I shot back. “Mom’s doing the best she can, okay?”
Derek bit his lip, although I could tell he wanted to reply in anger.
“Fuck, Emma,” Derek muttered under his breath. “I can’t fucking believe this – I was in meetings all day! I had no idea he was in pain!”
“Neither did I,” Damien said, shaking his head. He looked like he wanted to cry, but he set his features in a thin line of grief. “I can’t believe it.”
“You can’t believe it?” Derek shot back. “Fuck you, Damien. You don’t give a shit about our father! You never have!”
“Hey
,” I said. “There’s no need for that.”
Derek and Damien ignored me. They sat there, glaring at each other like rival lions in the animal kingdom. A wave of guilt rushed over me. I knew they weren’t just tense because of the situation with Jack. I knew that secretly, no matter how everyone was trying to hide it, some of the tension was because I was their lover.
“Fuck you,” Damien muttered, shaking his head. “I can’t believe this, I can’t believe you’re blaming me for our father’s heart attack!”
