He's trapped me in his sights.
Waiting to consume me.
He wants to awaken the darkness inside me.
Possess it and own me.
Damon West is bad news.
He might appear charming on the outside.
But that's only a mask he wears to hide the true predator inside...
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"No, you didn't."
I'm stunned, completely in awe of the scene before me. A red and white plaid picnic blanket is laid out in front of the glistening lake, and an assortment of food fills it.
The picnic blanket holds cheese and crackers and a bowl of delicious strawberries. Red roses stick out from the woven basket, and a few cushions are tossed on top.
He did this; he did all of this for me. Who knew Damon had this kind of side to him? When I mentioned a date, I thought he would take me to a restaurant and get it over and done with it. I didn't know he would go through so much effort.
"It's beautiful, Damon."
"Anything for you, Princess."
He wraps his big hand around my small one and leads me toward the blanket. My heart is pounding with the sheer excitement of being here with him.
The water sparkles under the sun, shimmering like a million stars on its surface. Trees surround us, casting shadows on the picnic blanket.
I spot two swans wading together, making that adorable heart shape between them. It's beautiful that swans mate for life. It's like they know there's no end once you find that special someone.
It's perfect here.
Damon sits down with his legs spread, pulling me down to nestle between his thighs. My back touches the hard plane of his chest, and his warmth radiates through me. I can't help the smile that graces my lips as I stare into the picturesque distance.
He wraps his strong arm around my middle and pulls me back. Then, he reaches for a strawberry from the bowl. Damon brings the strawberry up and presses the fruit to my lips. I open my mouth eagerly and bite down, letting the sweetness explode on my tongue.
Yum.
Damon's low tone sounds beside my ear, sending an electric shiver down my spine to my toes. "Do you like it here?"
"I love it. I can't believe you did all of this for me."
"You asked for a date, and here it is."
I giggle as he presses another strawberry to my lips. This time, I suck on his fingers as I take the fruit into my mouth.
"You don't want to tease me; I'll take you in front of everyone in this park, then murder anyone who lays an eye on you."
I turn my head up, and pepper kisses on his jaw, which he clenches the more I kiss him.
"Princess," he warns. "I will end this date right now."
"No, you won't," I say with a half-laugh. "I won the game, remember."
"How could I forget? You bring it up every five minutes."
"I'm just trying to humble the mighty West."
"Hmm," he gazes down at me and pins me with a hard look. "You're infuriating."
"Don't act like you don't love that about me." He smirks down at me before he suddenly leans back, lying down, and pulls me on top of him.
The back of my head rests on his chest, with the weight of his arms caging me. I stare up through the branches and leaves into the bright blue sky. A few fluffy clouds paint the sky like a beautiful canvas. A calm feeling rushes through me, a sense of peace.
I can feel his heart beating under me. It reminds me that this devil is very much alive. His heart beats just like mine.
"What did you want to be when you grew up?" I ask out of the blue. "You know when you were little."
He chuckles, and I can feel the vibrations zap through my body.
"Batman."
I burst out laughing. "That's cute."
"Me and the word cute don't belong in the same sentence, Princess."
"Well, I'm no better. I wanted to be the queen of England."
Damon strokes my arm back and forth. "It looks like your dream came true; you're my queen."
"I thought I was your Princess?"
"You're both."
My heart does a funny leap in my chest. This beast, this devil, he's all mine and right now I'm wishing that's forever.
In the here and now, I know I'm in love with Damon West. I think I've been in love with him since his dark eyes met mine. Our story was always supposed to go like this. It was always supposed to be a whirlwind of ups and downs.
The words are on the tip of my tongue, but doubts flood my mind. Does he feel the same way? Does someone like Damon even know how to love? I want to say yes to those questions, but my insecurities are stopping me. My fear of rejection is stopping me. The brokenness of me is at the forefront of my mind. Who could really want someone as broken as me?
Damon's phone starts ringing, snapping me from my spiraling thoughts. He growls under his breath and tells me he has to take it. Standing up, I gesture to the ice cream stand in the distance. He nods once before he answers the call.
"Father," I hear him say as I turn and head toward the brightly colored stall.
As I read the menu, the flavors are endless. Strawberry calls to me like a siren, and I decide on chocolate fudge for Damon.
The lady hands me the ice cream and tells me to enjoy it. As I turn around, I bump into someone. "Sorry," I mutter before looking up. His arm is latched onto mine, and his familiar eyes stare down at me. For some reason, the smile on his face unnerves me.
"Jess."
"Miles, what are you doing here?"
He gestures to the stall behind me. "The same as you, getting ice cream." He points to the two pots of ice cream in my hand. "Are you here with someone?"
"Uh, yeah. I'm here with my boyfriend."
I swear his smile falls for a second before it's right back on his face.
"I see, so that's why you haven't wanted to catch up."
"I've just been busy with school and everything."
Miles texted me several times, asking if I wanted to meet. I didn't reply, hoping he would let it go. Obviously, he hasn't. I didn't want to lead him on. He's a nice guy, and I get the feeling he's always hoped for more from me.
"I've got to get back," I say, looking toward Damon. Damon's eyes are on me while he scowls in our direction. I give Miles a small smile. "See you later."
"Enjoy your ice cream," he says as his eyes follow me.
Something about him lingers in my mind as I make my way back over to Damon. Something that gives me an uneasy feeling in my gut.
