Mr. Lawson's Assistant

Chapter 73

"You're so lucky I packed cute clothes from the house." Soma chucked a dark purple dress at me and plopped down on the hotel bed.
David hadn't gotten home from work yet, but I wanted to be gone before he got back. I hadn't told him about my next date with Damon. He was going to be less than thrilled about it. I didn't really care, I just wanted a little peace and quiet.
I shut the bathroom door behind me and Soma shouted something about borrowing one of my shirts. Opening the door again with a sigh I peered out into the room.
"What?"
Soma leaned around the corner, still laying on the bed. "Can I borrow the shirt you're wearing. I'm going out with my parents tonight and I told them I needed to go shopping today." She shoved her black hair out of her face and blinked at me. I groaned.
"So go shopping! I don't need you here to lay on my bed and do nothing-"
"In a few minutes I will be doing your make-up- which is not nothing! I'm responsible for making you look like the hottest date Damon's ever had-" Soma stopped short when the hotel door clicked open and David walked in. By the look on his face, he'd overheard her.
"No."
I crossed my arms and threw Soma's dress over my shoulder. "No, what?" I wanted to make him say it in front of both of us.
David glanced at Soma, then shook his head. "Every time you're with him, it puts a target on your back, Oana."
And?
"First of all, it isn't any of your business-" I started, lifting my chin to look David in the eyes.
"Oana, you're not dating the guy who's gotten you shot at— twice!" David threw his jacket into the hotel closet.
I let out a breath, then tossed Soma her dress, reaching for my phone. I didn't feel like fighting with David.
"I'm not arguing with you. " I shot David a look meant to kill and unlocked my phone. Soma glanced awkwardly between us, but opened her mouth in protest when I started typing.
'I'm not going out tonight.' I texted Damon and walked into the bathroom, closing the door. I was supposed to leave with Damon in two hours, but I didn't have the energy to argue with David. Besides, I didn't need to go on the stupid date anyways.
But I really wanted to get out of this darned hotel room.
David is so going to regret this.
I thought angrily, slamming the shower door closed behind me.

When I stepped out of the hotel shower, my fingers were wrinkled and my skin was bright red. I checked the time on my phone and realized that it was 7:30 I'd been in the shower for an hour and a half.
Sighing, I dried myself and my hair, dressed, then cleaned up my shower things before I left the bathroom. When I walked out, Soma and David were both gone, but the TV was on. I ran my fingers through my hair and reached to turn off the TV.
"Rude. I was watching that."
I screamed and chucked the remote at Damon who jumped up from the other side of the bed. He dodged, but the remote hit the wall behind him and the batteries rolled across the floor.
"Damon, what—"I snapped, glaring at Damon as he stood and walked around the bed.
"Sorry! I didn't think it'd scare you that bad. . ." He smirked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
I crossed my arms. "Where's my brother?"
"Out."
"Where's Soma?"
Damon's lips twitched. "Also out."
I tossed my wet hair back. "How did you get into my hotel room?"
"I smiled really nicely at the secretary." He winked, plastering a smug smile on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him and reached down to snatch the remote pieces and batteries off the floor. "Kidding." Damon frowned good-naturedly at my foul mood. "Soma called me."
I straightened. "I cancelled for tonight. Why are you here?"
Damon shrugged. "I don't like being cancelled on so I came to annoy you for the rest of the night."
I tossed my dirty clothes into a drawer and snapped the batteries back into the remote.
"I hope you like Hallmark." I muttered, reaching to turn on the TV. Damon frowned seriously this time and sat up.
"You can't be serious?"
"Don't like Hallmark?" I raised my eyebrows.
Damon scoffed. "No guy in his right mind would sit through one of those stupid—"
I cut him off. "Then leave."
He blinked and looked at me.
". . . No." He murmured, sitting back to rest his back against the headboard.
I blew out a breath and sat at the foot of the bed beside Damon, flipping through the channels on the TV.
I hated Hallmark.
"Who let you in?" I stilled, turning to look quizzically at Damon.
He shifted back on the bed, setting his back against the headboard, which is when I realized that he wasn't wearing shoes.
After he was comfortable he shrugged and laid his head back against the headboard.
"Not important."
I pursued my lips. "Does my brother know you're here?"
Damon raised his eyebrows. "Does he need to know?"
Yes! You and me alone in a hotel room would send him into cardiac arrest!
I bit my tongue.
Damon noticed and frowned, sitting forward. "Does he mind me being up here with you?" He asked, folding his hands and propping them between his knees.
I shrugged this time and focused on the TV.
Damon pulled out his phone and started typing. Only when I heard the phone ringing did I look at him.
"What are you doing?"
"Calling David."
"What! No, hang up!"
Damon rolled his eyes, but sobered when my brother answered the phone.
"Hey, yeah I just wanted to let you know that I'm chilling with Oana in your hotel room." Damon winked at me.
David said something on the other line and Damon nodded to himself before he answered. "No problem."
They finished their conversation, then Damon hung up and looked at me pointedly.
"You going to turn that up?"
I looked at the TV screen to see that I'd stopped on the Hallmark channel and I grimaced.
"I didn't think you actually liked it." Damon grinned victoriously.
Annoyed, I switched the channel and continued to flick through the shows. I paused on a few different shows as per Damon's request, but we never watched more than one episode.
Every so often we would talk, but for most of the time we both enjoyed simply watching the screen.
"Hey! I liked that one!" Damon interjected as I skipped the show we had been watching.
I frowned at him. "I didn't."
Damon crossed his arms and faced me. We were both leaning back against the headboard on the bed with our shoes off.
"Did I ask?" He smirked, and I raised the remote, clicking it forward another five channels.
"Do I care if you asked?" I asked him, raising my eyebrows. He opened his mouth in fake shock, but before I could act smug, he lurched in my direction, grabbing at the remote.
Because I'd had David as an older brother, my reflexes were fast enough to move the remote and shove it underneath me. Damon crashed on top of me, snatching my wrist as I raised my hand from securing the remote.
I squirmed, but he held firm, scooting himself closer to tighten his grip. "Ouch!" I snapped, pinching Damon's hold with my free hand.
"Hey—" He grabbed my other hand and pulled it away. I held back a smile as Damon shoved my hands down and looked up at me. "Where's the remote?"
I shifted my knee enough to jab him in the stomach. "You don't have the hand to grab it." I smirked this time, looking pointedly down at his hold on my hands.
Damon raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Really?" Faster than David ever had, he switched his right hand to hold both of my hands and held up his left hand, now free of holding me. "Now, where is it?"
I jerked at his hand, trying to loosen his hold, but he had an iron grip. Damon chuckled. "Oh. . ."
I caught Damon's downward gaze and realized that he'd found the remote.
"No—!" I squirmed to try to get loose, but his body weight on top of me was enough to hold me still. Damon reached under my leg and started to fish for the remote. Midway through yelling at him I started laughing. "Stop it!" I managed, and Damon lifted his head, his black hair falling around his face.
"Does that tickle?" He grinned. I yelled, but he only reached for the remote again, chuckling at my reaction.
When he found it, he raised it victoriously in front of my face, smirking. It was then that I realized that Damon's whole body was draped over mine, and we were eye-level with each other. He realized at the same moment and both of us stilled. Slowly, he lowered the remote and let go of my hands.  I stared at him, suddenly feeling out of breath.
"Sorry. . ." Damon murmured, his breath blowing softly across my face. But he made no move to go.
I inhaled a half breath. "That was inappropriate." I said quietly, and Damon smirked.
"Yes, it was."
I blinked and reached up to push my hair back out of my face, and Damon caught my hand.
"So is this." He breathed, leaning forward and running his finger over my bottom lip before he caressed my cheek.
"What the heck!"
I gasped, pulling away from Damon when I heard my brother's voice.