“And you couldn’t have just come out and told me so? I’d have been on you in seconds.”
Laughter spilled free.
“I’m sorry,” I said, covering my mouth with my hand. “This isn’t funny, but you look so pissed off.”
“I am,” Damien said, his postured rigid. “So. Pissed.”
I slowly got to my feet. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?”
I carefully moved my body around his.
“So sorry.”
“No need, babe,” he said, his voice rough. “Not when I’ve just made a decision.”
My brows shot up.
“What decision would that be?”
“I’ve spent these couple of weeks giving you space, giving you time to make up your mind.” Damien said, his eyes roaming over my body. “We’ve been together, but I’ve kept you at arm’s length. I’ve tiptoed around you because I didn’t want to scare you off, but that ends now, now that I know we want the same thing. I seem to be the only one brave enough to make it happen.”
I held my ground. “And what the hell does that mean?”
“It means,” Damien said as he suddenly stalked towards me, “I’m done with the nice guy role. I’m taking what I want from now on. If you remain where you are, I’m going to kiss you and not stop. If you can’t handle that right now, run away, but know that I’m coming after you, and I will have you. You’re mine, freckles. This game you’ve started is over.”
I’d like to say that my mother didn’t raise a chicken shit, and that I stood my ground when Damien got close enough, but that didn’t happen. I freaked out when I saw the possessive look in his grey eyes because I knew he wasn’t talking bullshit; he was talking facts. He was going to kiss me ... to have me. I was ready for that, so ready, but not here, not now.
Without a second thought, I turned around and all but shot out of Damien’s bedroom like the devil himself was chasing me, hearing Damien’s laughter echo behind me as I went.
“Usain Bolt. I’m a huge fan, sir,” Alec, the fucking comedian, said and tried to shake my hand as I sprinted by him on the stairs.
“Tonight, freckles,” Damien called after me. “We will finish this tonight.”
Jesus, have mercy.
It’s going to be perfect.
I kept repeating that over and over in my mind as I stared at myself in my body-length mirror. I had on the most revealing pyjamas I owned, a skimpy pair of bum shorts that left nothing to the imagination and a matching lace crop top that you could see my nipples through. They may have been labelled as pyjamas, but there was no way in hell that they were meant for sleeping in.
The lace scratched against my skin, and the shorts fit so snug, I had to resist the urge to pull them down. Apparently, being plastered to each bum cheek was exactly what they were designed to do. Or at least that was what Bronagh said when I called her on FaceTime and asked since she gifted me the stupid outfit.
My best friend was so excited that I had been seducing Damien. Unsurprisingly, he had told them what I had been doing over the past few days, and they were all proud of me for attempting to seduce Damien, knowing how much courage it took me to do it. Granted, I didn’t do it very well, but it was the thought that counted.
I liked to think so, anyway.
I examined myself from head to toe and bounced a little on my heels with what I saw. I felt sexy, and I knew this would drive my man wild. I wanted caveman Damien, and this lace pyjama set was going to get me him … I just needed to keep my courage and not chicken out. I had fled from Ryder and Branna’s house two hours ago, and I had been waiting for Damien to arrive as he had promised to do. I was waiting for my buzzer to sound so I could let him into the building, but it seemed he was purposely keeping me waiting. It was driving me crazy, which was most likely what he wanted.
I busied myself with playing with Barbara and her toy mice that I dragged along behind me on a long string. I couldn’t believe how much bigger she was; I only had her a couple of weeks, but she was growing steady and fattening up big time. She had declared herself as ruler of the apartment, and that Damien and I were her people. We all accepted this happily.
When Barbara had enough of me, I went into my office and start to paint without changing my clothes. I rolled my eyes when some splashed on my skin, but before I had time to clean myself up I thought I heard laughter from the hallway outside of my apartment. I quickly put Barbara in the kitchen and closed the door behind her before I scurried over to the front door where I looked out of my peephole. I couldn’t see a thing, just blackness.
“What the hell?” I said aloud. “What’s wrong with—”
“Nothing is wrong with it, baby, I just have my hand over it so you can’t see me.”
I screeched when Damien spoke, then screeched some more when the lock on my door turned by itself, and the door opened. I jumped back, placed my hands on my chest, and stared at Damien when he stepped into my apartment with my lips parted.
“You frightened the life outta me, Damien.”
His smug grin vanished the second his eyes landed on me.
“Fuck.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “Where did you get a key from?”
Damien’s eyes trailed over me slowly.
“I got a second one cut last week,” he answered. “You said you were going to get one cut, but you never did, so I did it for you.”
I blinked. “And you just assumed the key was for you? Maybe it was gonna be a spare.”
Damien’s eyes locked on mine, and he grinned.
“Do you want it back?”
I hesitated. “No.”
“Good.” Damien licked his lips. “I didn’t want to give it back.”
Clearly.
“What are you wearing?”
I was reminded of my revealing outfit.
“Bronagh bought it for me ages ago,” I said with a little curtsey. “It’s matchin’ pyjamas.”
“Pyjamas?” Damien repeated on a cough. “Those are pyjamas?”
“Yup.”
Damien closed the door.
“Are you wearing them for me?”
I felt my cheeks burn. “Yes.”
His eyes darkened. “Because of what I said earlier?”
“Yes.”
He pocketed his keys and advanced towards me.
“Is this what you want?” he asked, gripping my waist and pulling my body against his. “You want us to be together?”
“In every way imaginable.”
Damien leaned his head down and brushed his lips against mine.
“We’ve only been dating a few weeks,” he whispered. “We can still go slow if you wan—”
“I thought you said the game I started was over.”
“Oh, baby, it is. I’m just given you an out if you really want one.”
“I don’t,” I answered. “When we got together, you said we weren’t a regular couple just startin’ out, and you were right. I don’t care if it’s too fast for other people, it feels perfectly timed to me. I’ve never been happier than I have been these past few weeks. You’ve been me rock with me ma, the voice of reason to help me mend things with me da, you helped me get me arse in gear to hire Morgan so me business could be handled, and you’ve taken care of me and kept me safe every single night since we became partners. I want you more than me next breath, Damien.”
“Alannah,” he murmured. “Baby.”
“You’ve also gone out of your way to buy and name a star after me,” I said with a teasing grin. “You’d be gettin’ some for that alone.”
Damien’s lips twitched. “In that case, my genius plan worked.”
I laughed. “Oh, it most definitely did … snowflake.”
His eyes dropped to my chest, and he swallowed.
“I can see your nipples.”