He leans down towering me our lips inches apart,"is that pity,I sense Miss Clark?"he whispers.I stared at his piercing hazel eyes suddenly forgetting how to breathe,"no.."I stuttered.
I was awake before dawn, but it took me a while to gather the courage to open my eyes. His face was still nestled against my neck, his breath warm and steady. His arms remained wrapped tightly around me. If someone had told me we'd be in this position again, I would have laughed in their face.
I stifled a groan. Why couldn't I have just said no last night and spared myself this awkwardness? I was certain that once he woke up, the real Damien would resurface. I needed to get out of here before things got even more uncomfortable.
Trying hard not to disturb the mattress, I slowly removed his hands from my body. After successfully freeing myself, I quickly sat up and began to put my feet on the floor.
"Where are you going?" His voice echoed through the room, making me gasp.
"Damien—" I stuttered.
"Where are you going?" he repeated. Even half-asleep, he sounded intimidating.
"I was heading back to my room," I whispered, still feeling embarrassed.
"You're not some hooker I picked up on the street, Emilia. Come back to bed." He tugged on my arm, pulling me back onto the mattress and into a spooning position. How could he still be so strong while barely awake?
After a few moments of silence, he whispered in my ear, "So, did you tell him?"
"Tell who what?"
"Lucas. That you won't be seeing him again. Or do I have to do it myself?"
I scoffed in shock. "So that's what this is about? You trying to control me again?" I tried to wriggle free from his grip, but he tightened it, pulling me closer to his body. I could feel every inch of him pressed against me. I gasped as he breathed in my scent and buried his nose in my hair.
"Damien, are you awake?" a voice called from the other side of the door.
Panic set in. How could I have forgotten about Suzan? She could walk in at any moment to check on him. As adrenaline coursed through my body, I started pushing Damien away, but he wasn't having it. He clutched my waist even tighter.
If Suzan came in and saw us like this, I would die of embarrassment. Just as I thought things couldn't get any worse, the door handle turned.
"Damien, let me go," I finally cried out as the door swung open, revealing a cheerful Suzan with a tray in her hands.
"Sorry to interrupt. Here's your food," she said as she stepped further into the room, seemingly unfazed by our position.
"You can leave. Emilia can handle the rest," Damien spoke up.
"No! What?" I blurted out. Suzan nodded and left, looking quite relieved.
As soon as she was gone, I managed to break free from his grip and jumped off the bed, not sure where the sudden burst of strength came from. "What's going on, Damien?" I demanded.
"Emilia, the food," he said, ignoring my plea. "It's getting cold."
I sighed heavily and moved over to him. I took his hand and led him to the table. Without him asking, I picked up the bowl of omelet from the tray and began feeding him.
"You were right," he said after swallowing his third spoonful.
"About what exactly?" I asked, clearing my throat to hide my surprise.
"About me judging you without knowing anything about you," he paused. "So I had some men do a background check on you."
I snapped, placing the bowl back on the table. "That's an invasion of privacy, Damien. I could sue you for that," I said, upset. I value my privacy.
"Why didn't you just tell me? The whole reason you're doing this is to help your family—"
I cut him off. "I don't need your pity. Besides, what difference would that have made to you anyway?"
"Is she threatening you?" he asked, ignoring my outburst. "If she is, you can trust me."
"I can never trust you or any member of your family. It's ridiculous that you would even think that."
He sighed. "Did she threaten to sue your parents? I heard they owe a lot of money. That can't be a coincidence," he said, a hint of disdain in his voice.
"I don't need your—" I started to lie, but he interrupted me.
"I'm trying really hard to understand you, Emilia."
"Why? Because you feel sorry for me?" I scoffed. "Fine. Allow me to understand you too, Damien. So it's fair," I said.
"This isn't about me, and you know it."
"Right," I rolled my eyes. I wasn't trying to draw his attention away from me; I genuinely wanted to understand him. "So you get to pry into my life, but one question about you sets you off?"
"This isn't about me," he repeated.
I watched him in silence, questioning whether I should say what was on my mind. But I did anyway. "I know about Elena."
His hazel eyes darkened, filled with an unreadable emotion. Pain? Anger? Surprise? I swallowed thickly, afraid he might lash out at me.
"Who told you?" he finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"No one—" I started.
He snorted. "Lucas," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "He had no right. This is why I didn't want you hanging out with him."
"He didn't tell me anything," I insisted. I moved closer to him, and luckily, he didn't push me away this time. I had many questions, but I decided to start with the obvious one. "What was she like, Elena?"
He remained silent for a moment, his jaw clenching before the corner of his mouth turned into a tiny, heartfelt smile, as if picturing her. "Beautiful," he began. "She was always the smart, kind one. The one who outshone all of us. In any room she entered, she'd always be the brightest light, the one everyone turned to admire—"
In a flash, his jaw tightened and a dark emotion clouded his eyes. I slid my hand into his as a gesture of comfort, unsure of what to say in these situations.
"Emilia, you remind me of her." he murmured, sliding his cool hands to the nape of my neck and drawing me in.
His lips brushed against mine, not innocently like a tease, but with passion and intensity. I wanted to pull away before losing myself, but I couldn't seem to. In this moment, my senses were overwhelmed, and I could no longer think straight.
"Emilia," he whispered slowly, savoring each letter as if it were precious. Never before had my name sounded so melodious. "Don't run off again," he teased or pleaded, I wasn't sure.
I nodded, my heart fluttering as I placed my hands on either side of his face and drew him back in.
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