We had a wild night of passion. I don’t know where those primal instincts that took over me came from that night. Damon seemed in awe after every orgasm we had. He couldn’t get enough of me. I couldn’t get enough of him. I completely let myself go, gave my body over to him.
Every time since has been the same. The connection we have is raw animalistic need. It could never last.
A soft knock on my door pulls me out of my thoughts. “Ella?” Damon’s voice call’s through the door. I take a deep breath, standing, and go to open the door. I didn’t even hear him come in.
He is beautiful. His hair is damp from a shower, I presume, and he’s changed outfits from this morning. He’s more casual than earlier, wearing charcoal grey slacks with a blue and white stripped dress shirt. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, the top three buttons have been left undone, showing off his strong, muscular neck.
Damon lifts his arm, the muscles in his shoulder and bicep tensing with the motions, making his shirt look ready to burst, and cups my face.
“You take my breath away,” he rasps, almost as if he’s not thinking, just saying his feelings. “You’re devastatingly stunning.” The reverence in his voice leaves me speechless. This man makes me melt. He turns me inside out. Makes me want forever. I close my eyes and lean into his touch, swallowing past the hard lump in my throat. “Hey,” he says gently. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” My voice is hoarse and small. I know he won’t buy that for a minute.
“Look at me,” he quietly demands. I pause before opening my eyes. The concern in his beautiful eyes makes me want to cry.
This man genuinely cares for me.
I’ve been purposefully hurting him whilst he’s been building real feelings for me. Tears spring to my eyes and before I can blink them away. Damon notices. “Tell me, beauty. Let me help you.” He wraps his hand in my hair at the nape of my neck and pulls my head into his chest, wrapping his other arm around my waist.
Secure. Safe. Protected. Warm. Loved. Cherished. That’s everything I feel when Damon has his arms around me, body surrounding me. He smoothes his hand down my hair and his lips brush against my head. He stays silent, letting me draw from his strength.
“I wish... everything isn’t how it should... I’m not.” A shuddering breath leaves me as I try to put into words my emotions. I know I can’t tell him everything but I can let him see how I wish things could have been different. A sob tears from my throat.
“Shh. It’s okay, Ella. Breathe.”
I take a breath as Damon rubs soothing circles into my back. I pull myself together as he holds me tightly against him. Trying to sort my conflicting emotions out I tell him my main regret.
“I wish things could be different. I wish we could have started a different way.”
He pulls his head away, bringing his hand around to grasp my chin, making me look at his eyes. His search mine, confusion swimming in the brown depths, before he speaks, “What do you mean beauty?”
“Just how fast everything has gone. The way we met, everything that happened that first night.” I sigh. The first night I felt this crazy connection between us. This pull. I want to say but can’t. “I just wish I knew you before.”
His eyes burn into mine. Piercing me, looking deep inside, and finding the young woman who had hopes and dreams. I know he can read every feeling I have for him, right there on the surface. Every want. Every need. Every wish.
“We can start again, start fresh. Say you’ve met this sexy, rugged god and he’s falling over his feet just to get your attention. Just wanting you to see him, to notice him. He’s asked you out on a date and here I am.” He steps away from me and holds his hand out. “The names Damon Hunt.” He smirks. “Go out with me tonight. Not the jackass who will no doubt want you in his bed tonight. Fuck him off and come out with me.” He winks before his expression sombre. “Let me show you what you deserve. Let me earn that part of you.”
His thumb comes up to brush my cheekbone as he steps forward, slowly bringing his head down. His lips strokes mine in a soft caress. I melt into him, his words and sweet mouth on mine make me want to take what he’s offering. I could forget everything, just go along with his plan to start fresh. I want that.
“Let me try to keep you. Let me learn to deserve you,” he murmurs against my lips. I moan at his hoarse words. He pulls away with a grin on his face. “What do you say? Can I get your name and steal you away from your date for the night?” I laugh before taking his outstretched hand.
“Ella Knight... I’m not too sure that would be wise. He is amazing in the sack,” I wink, before breaking out a smile. Damon growls before pulling me to him.
‘I’ll be better than him.” I laugh at him, feeling happy.
“Only if you can promise you’ll be better than him at making me scream,” I flirt.
“I don’t need to promise. You’ll see.” With that he smashes his lips to mine for a brief kiss before pulling me out my room and on our way to dinner.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I moan as Damon feeds me a spoon of tiramisu. Chocolate dusting coats my lips and the creamy taste hits my tongue followed by the warmth of brandy. I close my eyes in delight, hoping Damon decides he doesn’t want any. I decided to forgo dessert but Damon told me I had to try the tiramisu and ordered one for himself, telling me I had to sample. I want the whole piece.
“You’re killing me. Those little noises have my cock begging to get in you.” I laugh at his pained expression.
“Sorry.”
“No need to apologise. Looks like cold showers for me for the foreseeable future.” He grins.
Tonight has been amazing. We have been relaxed and comfortable, just enjoying each other’s company. We’ve talked about all sorts of things, favourite films, music, foods, colours, and hobbies. I learned we have a lot more in common than I would have believed. Now he’s telling me about Spencer’s idea to take Hunter Enterprises to a new level. Hotels.
“Anyway, he draws this terrible image on a napkin and expects me to know what I’m meant to be looking at. In his excitement to tell me about his idea that popped up when he was chatting to a stunning redhead,” he rolls his eyes, “whilst he was getting coffee, he forgot to say he was talking about hotels. I just sat there looking at him lost.” I’m captivated by his passion as he talks about work. His obvious love for his brother is evident in the way he speaks about him.
“He wants to do hotel party tours. The idea is you book the whole hotel out. Like renting a house for the night, or however long the party is for. Rooms will be included for all guests, we can organise anything they need for their stay. It can be for birthdays, weddings, hen nights, stags. We can turn the ballroom into anything they want. They want a Vegas wedding but can’t get there. You book with the hotel, we’ll turn the whole hotel into everything Vegas. You want nightclub, we’ll get you one. It’s brilliant really. He’s so excited by it. I’ve told him to look into more details and come back to me.”
Being qualified in events planning I know just how much work something like that would take. Having to change the decor for every different event, having to make anything people want become a reality with only your own imagination to make it everything they want and need.
“Planning events like that will take a lot. You’ll need some pretty strong minded planners to make it successful. Making weekly changes to something as big as a hotel in order to make it perfect for the customer will be pretty time consuming.”
“You speak like you have knowledge of what it would take?”
“I studied event planning straight from school. I loved making places look magical. I loved making someone’s visions come to life.” I smile at the dream that has long since passed. His hand reaches over to hold mine on top of the table.
“Would you maybe like to talk to Spencer to let him know the type of things he needs to look into and do, just to help give him an idea of what this will need?” Damon asks completely serious. My breath catches. Me? Help
Hunter Enterprises?
Before I have the chance to respond, Damon’s hand goes rigid over mine, squeezing it. My eyes shoot to his but he’s not looking at me. He’s looking behind me, over my shoulder.
“Damon?” I question.
“Excuse me,” He bites out. Shocked, I sit there without responding as he stands and walks away from me. When the shock wears off I turn in my chair to look in the direction Damon went. He’s standing near the entrance talking to a blonde. He looks to be angered by her presence as he harshly talks with her. I can tell he’s speaking quietly to her as no one around them seems to be paying them any attention.
Who is this woman, I wonder. She’s small and seems to be drawn in on herself. Each word from his mouth makes her wince. Her head whips to me, her gaze zeroing in on mine. I quickly turn away and continue to eat the yummy dessert.
After a few bites I look back towards Damon and his female companion. Her head is bent over as tears stream down her cheeks. Her small body shakes as she sobs. Damon puts his arm around her in a soothing gesture. Jealously ignites inside me. It’s so fierce that it jolts me with shock.
He’s comforting a woman who is clearly upset and I’m feeling jealous? I shake my head and laugh at myself. That’s what this man does to me. He makes me want to claim him as mine. I don’t want his hands on any other body part on any other woman. His hands should be for me only.
Damon gets the attention of the hostess and asks her something before guiding the weeping woman outside. I’m stunned. I hope he’s not just going to leave me here. I don’t know what to do. I’ve never been in this situation before, on this side of the situation where I’m left at the table whilst my date leaves. I’m usually the one who has left dates behind.
Contemplating my options as I finish the dessert, I decide to enjoy the tiramisu and if Damon isn’t back by the time I’ve finished I’m going to settle the bill and go back to my house.
As I’m spooning the last bite into my mouth, Damon comes strutting through the restaurant, back towards the table. He takes his seat again but avoids eye contact with me. I look at him closely and can see worry and distress aging his features.
“Is everything ok?” I ask him, carefully watching his reaction. He exhales deeply before bringing his eyes to mine. A small smile that doesn’t reach his eyes curves on his lips.
“Yes. Everything is fine. Have you finished?” he nods his head towards the now empty bowl. I duck my head in embarrassment. I ate his whole dessert. I feel a blush creep up my neck to stain my cheeks.
“Yes. Sorry I ate it all,” I apologise shyly.
“Good. I’ll settle the bill.” He gets the attention of waiter with the raise of his hand.
As our waiter approaches I breach the subject he’s tried to avoid as nonchalantly as I can. “Who was that lady?”
“No one of importance.” He replies. I sit there stunned.
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand. You went rigid when you saw her. It didn’t look like a pleasant conversation, and you escorted her out as she broke down in tears. How is that not important?” I snap. How can he be so caring and kind to me but act so indifferent when speaking of this broken woman?
He doesn’t answer me but instead leaves with the waiter to pay the bill. He quickly returns, collects me and gets us on our way back to his house without saying another word. The drive is filled with tense silence. It leaves a nasty taste in my mouth. Silences between me and Damon have never been like this. They’ve always been comfortable. Easy.
I prepare myself for the discussion I know we will be having tonight. I won’t be able to rest until this sudden cold drift between us has been sorted. I sigh, hoping tonight will end as good as it’s been all evening until these last ten minutes.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
When we pull up in front of Damon’s house I quickly unbuckle my seatbelt and exit the car before Damon can come and open my door for me. I brusquely walk up to the front door and enter, using the key he gave me. I remove my shoes and walk to the sitting room and take a seat on the corner sofa, bringing my feet up to the edge, knees bent with my arms wrapped around them.
The house remains silent for a few minutes then I hear the door shut and lock behind Damon. He’s shuffling about in the hallway. My heart pounds in my chest as I sit here waiting to see if he will come and talk to me or go to his room and ignore the situation altogether.
I’ve done a lot of waiting around the last few years. Waiting has never bothered me before, but this wait is the worst. It seems to take forever before I hear his footsteps heading towards me. I hold my breath as he appears at the threshold of the door.
He leans casually against the frame but his tension filled body is stiff, giving away his stress. His gaze remains locked on mine as he takes in my posture. Even with a rigid body he still looks like a god. He’s pure male sexiness. He overwhelms my body with hormones, overrides my thoughts of anything other than him, he sets me on fire with just one look. One touch. One word.
“What are you doing?” he asks quietly.
“Thinking.”
“About?”
“You.” His eyes storm with questions but he looks unsure.
“Care to share?”
“Do you?” I snap. His eyes widen with shock for a split second before his mask slips in place.
“What?” he asks indifferently.
“Care to share?”
He stands away from the frame, standing to full height, chin raised. “Just drop it, Ella,” he grates out. I search his eyes. Is he really not prepared to share anything about his past? I need to know what that was. Who she was. She reminded me of Lydia in a way. The way Lydia felt when she wrote her secrets in her diary, that’s exactly how the woman looked. Confused. Hurt. Broken.
I don’t trust this man yet, not enough anyway. If he can’t tell me what that was then I know we won’t work out. This pretend night I’ve had with him has been perfect. I could walk away now and save myself more pain. I’ve let him in further than I realised.
I need to leave to regroup. I’m confused, and if I’m honest with myself, I’m hurt. I need to decide my next move, or if I should just move on from all of this and start to live my life for myself. Fresh start.
“Fine,” I say calmly. I stand up and move towards Damon. His body relaxes as I approach him but I skirt around him and walk towards the stairs.
“Where are you going?” he bites.
I stop at the bottom step. “Home,” I sigh. This night has ended so differently than what I expected. “Thank you, Damon Hunt. For a lovely evening, mostly.” I turn to look at him with a small smile. “I can’t say I regret cancelling my original date because you were perfect for most of tonight. I’m glad to have met you.” My smile turns into a grin. “I can’t say giving up hot, wild sex with him was worth it for how the night has ended.” His pained expression is like a bolt of lightning straight to my own heart.
“Ella.” He whispers my name like it physically hurts him to speak.
“I have good memories of both of you.” I have to get away from him. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep my mask in place. I doubt I can keep up this masquerade for much longer. I don’t give him chance to reply. I turn and dash up the stairs to the room I’ve been staying in, shutting the door behind me.
Leaving is for the best.
I need to forget everything I’ve been planning. Everything I’ve done.
I need to forget Damon Hunt altogether.
I need to move on with my life and start living. For me.
I pull my suitcase out of the closet and begin throwing my clothes in. I don’t have time to care about packing neatly, I just need to get out of Damon’s house. I don’t want to break down here. I can’t break down here. I won’t.
I can’t let Damon see how close he’s got to owning my heart.
The door slamming open makes me jump. I turn to find Damon standing there, panting, and chest heaving with every breath he takes. His eyes look wild. B
lood roars in my ears, my pulse races. I’ve never seen Damon look so frantic.
“You’re just gonna run again?” I don’t answer, I just continue to pack. “That’s what you’re good at, right? Running. It’s what you do. Push people away.” I move to the bathroom and gather my personal items. He follows, not saying another word. Damon’s heavy stare burns into me. I don’t meet his eyes.
Once I’ve collected everything, and my arms are full, I move to the door. Damon is blocking my path. I raise my eyes to his chin before speaking.
“Please, move,” I say in a strangled whisper. I can’t lift my gaze any higher. I can’t look at his gorgeous lips and not want to kiss them. I can’t see his fierce gaze without wanting to give him everything. He’s gotten far, far deeper than I could have ever imagined. Tears pool in my eyes, unbidden. I look down, hoping I can hold them at bay.
“Look at me,” his gruff voice whispers. “Don’t push me away, Ella. Don’t run.” My tears fall, streaking down my cheeks. Damon’s hand comes up to cup my chin. “Look at me, beauty.”
I close my eyes tightly, clenching my fists. The pain in his voice is enough to make me want to crumble. A sob rips from deep in my chest. I can’t hold it in. I can’t hold back. My body shakes as the emotions inside me become too much to keep locked away.
Damon pulls me into his arms, wrapping me up with his body. I cry into his chest, clinging to him with tight fists bunched in his shirt.
Seeing that woman so broken reminded me of the place Lydia found herself. Damon doesn’t seem to give a shit about her being broken. That doesn’t sit well with me but why doesn’t he act like that with me? He treats me like I’m a precious gem, something rare to be protected by him.
“Ella.” His pained voice cuts me deep. I can tell his pain is now for me. He’s hurting because I am. How can he be so caring for me but so heartless to that woman? And to Lydia. “Don’t go, beauty. Let me keep you.”
“I can’t,” I hiccup.
“Why?”
Corrupted (Manipulation Trilogy #1) Page 10
