Damon (Starkis Family #2)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “She’s staying at your parents’ place with Tiana. The photographer, makeup artist, and hair stylist will be there early in the morning, so I’ll head over there with the rest of the bridal party to get ready.”

  “Oh.” I could tell she was a little disappointed she wasn’t spending this time alone with Mia. “Why didn’t you stay there with them?”

  “They asked me, but I wasn’t really into it.”

  I thought something else might be bothering her. “Aside from the trouble I’m causing you, is anything else going on?”

  “My father called.”

  “Oh, wow.”

  “Yeah, he asked me to call him back, said it was important.”

  “Are you going to?”

  “Hell no! I want nothing to do with him!”

  I could understand how she felt, but she wouldn’t have been human if she wasn’t curious about his reason for calling after so many years of silence. “Are you sure about that, honey? Talking to him might help bring you some closure. Maybe he’s remorseful. I know my old man’s mellowed some with age. Maybe yours has too.”

  “I doubt that.” She cleared her throat. “Anyhow, you’re right. We should both get some sleep. I guess I’ll see you in church.”

  In church. For a spilt second, I imagined meeting her in church for our wedding. “Yeah, sweet dreams, gorgeous.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Eleni

  Mia was the most beautiful bride I’d ever seen. I was so happy for her and grateful that she’d finally found her Prince Charming, especially after the years she’d wasted with a man who didn’t appreciate her. Deacon would be good to her. He’d love her the way she deserved to be loved, the way few men were capable of loving… my thoughts drifted to Damon. While he’d never been in love like that, I had no doubt if he ever did commit himself to a woman the way his brother had, he’d be all in. For the duration.

  “What are you thinking?” Mia asked, adjusting her veil.

  Since I couldn’t tell her the truth, I settled for a reasonable facsimile. “I was just thinking about how happy you’ll be with Deacon.” I reached for her outstretched hand, hoping she could feel my adoration for her. “He’s a good man, Mia. He’ll love you and treat you right.”

  “I want that for you,” she whispered fiercely. “I know there’s a great guy out there wishing he could find someone like you to make his life complete.” She laughed when her eyes filled with tears and waved her hand in front of her face to stem the flow that would inevitably ruin her makeup. “Maybe he’s closer than you think, El.”

  I knew she was referring to Damon, but I refused to feed into her fantasies. “I know this is your big day and I’m supposed to go along with the bride no matter what she says, but I can’t let you delude yourself. Damon and I aren’t meant to be, not the way you and Deacon are,” I teased, quashing the twinge I felt at acknowledging the painful truth. “You and Deacon were both looking for love when you found each other. That’s not the case with me and Damon.”

  “That’s not entirely true,” Mia argued. “I thought I’d already found love with Drew. It took my best friend to help me realize that I deserved better.”

  She squeezed my hand, making a lump rise in my throat as I thought about how much we’d meant to each other.

  “That’s what I’m trying to do, help you realize that you deserve better.”

  I laughed and withdrew my hand when she looked into my eyes a little too intently. I was afraid she might see something I didn’t want her to see, like the fact that I was wavering, believing that maybe, just maybe, I did want a modicum of the happiness she’d found with Deacon.

  “You deserve someone you can count on, someone who’ll always be there for you,” Mia said.

  I stepped around her, glancing at my reflection in the full-length mirror. Mia’s team had done a wonderful job. Everything from the dress to the shoes, hair, and makeup was perfect, yet my eyes still looked lifeless. No amount of eyeshadow or liner, no matter how skillfully applied, could hide the emptiness.

  “That’s why I have you,” I said, looking at her reflection over my shoulder. “I don’t need anyone else. I never have.”

  Our eyes locked, and I knew she was trying to send me the message I’d already received loud and clear. From this day forward, everything would be different. She’d always be my best friend, but her priorities had to shift to include the man she intended to start a family with.

  “I want more for you,” she said, touching my shoulder. “I know you say you don’t miss having a family, but I can’t believe that’s true. I’ve seen the way you interact with my parents, the way you watch me and my brother when you think no one’s looking. You want to feel you belong somewhere, to someone, just like everyone else.”

  She’d hit a nerve, forcing me to blow out a long, slow breath. “There’s no sense wanting something I can never have.”

  “What if you could have it with Damon?”

  I closed my eyes, refusing to face what I would see if I looked in the mirror—longing. “Damon isn’t interested in a commitment any more than I am. You know him, the quintessential party boy.”

  “That may have been true before, but he’s different now. Ever since he met you, he’s been different. Even Deacon says so, and he’s known him his whole life.”

  “The changes you’re referring to have nothing to do with me,” I said, sliding a shaky hand over my dress. “He decided he needed to make changes when he was in Greece. He said he was tired of living that life.”

  “I think he’s tired of being alone,” Mia said, coming around to stand to the side of the mirror so she could look me in the eye. “He told me not so long ago that he was happy for me and Deacon, but he was also a little envious of what we had.”

  “He said that?” I was shocked to hear Damon had talked about love and marriage. “That doesn’t sound like him.”

  “Doesn’t it?” She regarded me carefully, obviously looking for a chink in my armor—one I hoped she wouldn’t find. “I’ve been watching the two of you together, and it’s painfully obvious to me that his feelings run deep.”

  I didn’t know where she was going with this, but I sensed a warning that irked me. I got the chilling sense that she was pleading with me not to make her choose between me and her soon-to-be husband’s brother. She was supposed to be my best friend. Just because Damon would join her family in a few minutes didn’t mean he’d earned her loyalty the way I had. We had years of friendship. History. That had to count for something, didn’t it?

  “What are you trying to say, Mia? That if I somehow hurt Damon, it will impact our friendship?”

  She narrowed her eyes, obviously trying to gauge whether I was serious. “You really think anyone or anything could come between us after all we’ve been through?”

  I released the breath I’d been holding as I swallowed my tears. Mia was my family, the only family I had. I didn’t know what I’d do without her in my life. “I would never hurt Damon intentionally.” Which meant I’d have to be more careful about allowing the lines between us to get blurred.

  “I know you wouldn’t.” Mia hugged me. “In spite of your tough-girl act, I know better than anyone how soft-hearted you are. But sometimes people get hurt in spite of honorable intentions. Make no mistake”—she pulled back to brush a hand over my cheek—“I’m just as worried about you as I am about him. I see two people I love on a dangerous collision course, and I can’t see either one of you being able to veer out of the way in time to avoid getting hurt.”

  I laughed at her analogy as I adjusted her veil. “What does that mean?”

  “I think he’s already fallen in love with you. And if you were being completely honest, you’d admit you felt the same way.”

  ***

  I was still reeling from Mia’s claim that I was in love with Damon and he with me as I allowed him to spin me around the dance floor amidst dozens of happy couples.

  “Beautiful wedding, isn’t it?” he
asked.

  “Lovely.” It was a wedding fit for a Greek princess—exactly what my best friend deserved.

  He pulled back to look at me. “Are you okay? You’ve been kind of quiet today.”

  “It’s just been a long day,” I said, wrestling with the emotion that continued bubbling up no matter how forcibly I stuffed it back down. “Hell, who am I kidding? It’s been a long week.” I hoped if I could pretend that the wedding had taken its toll, he wouldn’t force the issue.

  “Are you sure you’re not thinking about your dad’s call?”

  I hadn’t been until he’d brought it up. “No. I told you I’m never going to call him back. End of story.”

  “I couldn’t help but think as Mia’s father was walking her down the aisle today that you’ll miss out on that opportunity, should your day ever come.”

  I felt a sharp stab of regret. I’d missed out on so much more not having a father I could count on. “I won’t have to worry about that since I’m never getting married.”

  He inclined his head toward Mia and Deacon, who were dancing in the middle of floor, completely immersed in one another, as though they were the only two people in the room. “Seeing the two of them doesn’t make you wonder if you could find what they have?”

  Mia’s words filtered through my head, choking off my response. I feared Damon was asking for something I could never give him. Hope. “Damon, you need to understand something,” I said softly, praying my voice wouldn’t betray me. “I’m not like most women. I never grew up fantasizing about finding my happily ever after.”

  He stroked my cheek, his eyes lost in mine. “Yet you deserve that more than anyone I’ve ever known. Why can’t you see that?”

  The music stopped, and the M.C. announced the bride and groom would cut the cake, saving me from a response. No words could have expressed to him how much I appreciated the sentiment… and how wrong he was. I was living the life I deserved. I’d shut out every man who’d ever cared about me. And I was alone—just as I’d always intended. If he thought it would be different with him just because I’d foolishly allowed myself to feel things for him I’d never felt before, he was sadly mistaken.

  We silently watched the bride and groom cut the cake. They laughed and teased each other while the photographer snapped photos and their guests applauded.

  “I’ve never seen my brother look happier,” Damon said, slipping his arm around my waist. “I couldn’t be happier he found Mia and that she was willing to give him a second chance. I think it would have destroyed him to lose her for good.”

  I thought of the way Mia had moped around our apartment in the weeks after their breakup, as though her life hadn’t been worth living without Deacon in it. I’d tried to tell her to forget him and move on, but she’d claimed it wasn’t that easy. A glance to my right made me question what my life would be like without Damon. I’d come to depend on him more than I should have. I valued his friendship, but more than that, he filled a void in my life, especially now that my relationship with Mia had changed to make room for Deacon.

  He kissed my temple. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “This thing between us has gotten complicated,” I admitted, leaning into him. “I don’t know where we go from here, but I know we can’t go back to being just friends.”

  “You’re right about that.” He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. “We don’t have to decide anything right now, but I want you to come home with me tonight.”

  I wanted that to, but I wasn’t sure if that was wise, given how confused and vulnerable I felt. “I don’t know if—”

  “You know we need to talk about where this is going, Eleni. We can’t continue ignoring it.”

  He was right. I’d been trying to convince myself that simply because I didn’t want to fall in love, it would never happen. But now that it had, I had to deal with the consequences. “Fine.”

  The M.C. approached to let Damon know that as the best man, his speech would be next.

  Turning toward me with a heart-stopping grin, he asked, “How do I look? Is my tie straight?” He smoothed his cropped dark hair with a steady hand. “How about my hair?”

  I ran my hand over his tie, down his chest, as my eyes held his. “You look perfect.”

  He was perfect in every way that mattered. Had I been one of those girls who wasted time thinking about what the man of my dreams would be like, I’d have had to acknowledge I was looking at him. Damon was brilliant and funny, gorgeous and sexy, not to mention rich and cultured. He was comfortable watching a Mets game at a local bar while wearing a ball cap and torn jeans or at a five-star restaurant wearing an Armani suit with a limo waiting at the curb. He was every woman’s fantasy, which was how he’d held the attention of the paparazzi for so long. They called him one of the country’s most eligible bachelors, a title I knew he was in no hurry to relinquish.

  “You’re perfect,” he said, capturing my face in his hands. “I never expected this, Eleni. I never went looking for it, but now that I’ve found it, I don’t want to let it go.”

  I couldn’t ask him to define what this meant to him. I was afraid to hear him echo my own feelings. If we both admitted to being in love, we would have to decide on the next logical step, and there were only two choices: make a commitment or end it. Both options scared the hell out of me.

  I said the first thing that came to mind. “So many people are looking for love. It doesn’t seem fair that we found it without looking for it or wanting it.” I wanted to clasp my hand over my mouth when his eyes widened perceptibly. Was I crazy, being the first to drop the L-bomb? For all I knew, my best friend was way off base about Damon’s feelings for me, seeing only what she wanted to see.

  Before Damon could respond, the rest of the wedding party, including the bride and groom returned to the head table. The M.C. called Damon to the podium, and he rushed off, but not before kissing my hand and promising we would continue our discussion later.

  I watched him take the stage and thank the M.C. He had been born with a confidence and grace most people would kill to possess. Even though there were more than five hundred people in attendance, Damon didn’t seem the least bit nervous about addressing the crowd, making me admire him all the more. My time to speak would come immediately after his no doubt, but I had little faith I would be able to impact the large group the way I knew he would.

  “Deacon,” Damon said, smiling at his brother as he set his champagne flute on the podium. “You know I’ve always admired you. From your business acumen to your laser-sharp focus attacking any challenge, you’ve been an inspiration to me.”

  Deacon sat back, settling his arm around his bride as he smiled at Damon, waiting for him to continue.

  “But I never envied you until I saw you and Mia together. You showed me an example of something I didn’t even realize I wanted.”

  Damon’s eyes drifted to mine, and I held my breath, wondering what his next words might be.

  “You showed me the very definition of love. The kind we read about in books or see in movies, but we don’t really believe it exists. I watched you two face your challenges and come out better and stronger in the end. Mia, you taught my brother how to compromise, and I think Deacon taught you how to trust.” He let those words sink in because Mia would understand exactly what he meant. “He helped you learn to trust in what you two had and believe that he would always be there to support you no matter what.”

  Mia smiled through her tears, nodding.

  “And I know he will be because he’s always been there for me when I’ve needed him. Granted, we haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, but I knew he was always just a phone call away no matter where in the world I was or what kind of trouble I’d landed in.” Damon smiled when many of the guests laughed, no doubt recalling some of his shenanigans. His eyes landed on mine when he said, “When you’re lucky enough to find that one special person who makes you feel complete, who makes you want to strive to be better or stronger or more fear
less, you hold on tight with both hands and never let go.”

  Deacon smiled before kissing his wife’s cheek.

  I knew Damon was speaking to the bride and groom, but it felt as if he were speaking directly to me.

  “I know you two are smart enough to appreciate what you’ve found with one another. No matter what obstacles life throws in your path, and I know there will be a few, you’ll conquer them together.” Damon raised his glass. “Mia, I want to welcome you to our family. You’re not just my brother’s wife, you’re also my friend. I’m so grateful that you came into his life—and mine.”

  Mia giggled when Deacon brushed away a tear gliding down her cheek.

  “I love you both. So please,” he said to the guests, “raise your glasses and help me wish this beautiful couple a lifetime of happiness.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Damon

  I watched my beautiful cynic take the stage, and I wondered how she would pay tribute to lasting love when she’d made it clear she’d lost faith in the sanctity of marriage.

  “Well,” Eleni said, narrowing her eyes at me, “you are a tough act to follow, Damon Starkis. But I’ll do my best.”

  I smiled and winked to let her know she’d be flawless because I knew she’d be speaking from the heart.

  Eleni looked directly at Mia, as though they were the only two in the room. “Mia, you’ve always been the one to ground me, and I know you’ll do the same for Deacon. You’re the kind of person who epitomizes dependability and compassion. You look for the best in everything and everyone, even when I’m trying to point out the worst.” Eleni winked at Deacon.

  Deacon and Mia smiled at each other before he kissed her hand.

  “And Deacon…” Eleni let silence fill the room before she said, “I didn’t think I’d ever meet anyone good enough for this amazing woman, but you proved me wrong. When we first met, you weren’t perfect. You’d made your fair share of mistakes, and since I had too, I wasn’t in a position to judge. But I watched you work hard to be the man Mia needed and deserved. That’s when you not only won her over, you won me over too.