Stained

Chapter 96

crawl toward Damien. Damien stiffens as I get very, very close to his ear, so close my lips are a hairs breath away.

"I guess you'll never find out because we need to stay as far apart as possible," I rasp, my voice hoarse. The voice that leaves me isn't mine. It's like a goddess entered my body and uttered them.

I lick my lips and the tip of my tongue brushes his ear. A growl is the last thing I hear before my arms are grabbed and I'm thrown back against the bed. My heart leaps in my chest and a yelp escapes my lips.

He pins my arms beside my head as his body fits between my legs. Every inch of me immediately ignites with heat.

"Don't fuck with me," he rumbles low, his eyes boring into mine. I should look away but I couldn't if I wanted to, and I most certainly don't want to.

"Or what?" I challenge. What is wrong with me? What am I doing?

He presses his erection into me and I gasp, my eyes threatening to fall shut in euphoria. "Or I'll take you right here, right now. Consequences be damned."

God, I want him to.

"Last I fucking remember, you were calling us  — this a mistake." Us? "Don't fucking pretend you suddenly want me to touch you."

"I don't." I lie looking at his lips. We're having this conversation with him between my legs, a throbbing ache pulsing, begging for Damien to move, to ease the deep knot only he can unravel.

All of a sudden, his face twists with guilt and he looks at his hands pinning my arms to the bed then me.

Just as he's about to pull away, my mouth opens and words sputter out of me before I can stop myself. "I wouldn't ever. I would never falsely accuse you or anyone. Never."

He startles a little. "Where is this coming from?"

So he doesn't know? Relief washes over me but is quickly replaced with trepidation. How do I turn this away from my past?

"I just wanted you to know in case that's why you said we should stay as far apart as possible."

The words I said— cried to Hannah hang in the air between us. Or perhaps it is only me and my paranoia is trying to convince me otherwise. Wouldn't be the first time and certainly won't be the last.

His eyes narrow in that assessing manner. "I didn't say it because I thought you would accuse me."

"Then why did you say it?" I've always been the one to tell him to stay away not... and then it hits me. I've always been the one to tell him to stay away. That is why he said it, isn't it?

He looks away to the mop of hair scattered around my head. "That wasn't the reason though. I trust you."

I visibly blanch. "You do?" It takes a moment for the weight of his words to settle and once they do my heart soars like a kite in the wind.

He nods his head, yes and his eyes hold conviction and emotion. So much emotion.

I lick my lips. "I trust you too."

The shock that strikes his features is as bright as the green ring around his eyes.

A small giggle escapes me. "Why do you look so shocked?"

"Because you didn't believe I cared about you when I told you, let alone trust me."

"I stayed at your house, I let you drive me around, let you stay at my house, and... the other stuff." A blush rises over me and he smiles. God, I missed that smile. Wait where was I going with this? Oh yeah. "And you're currently on top of me, I think we passed the trust stage ages ago."

He licks his lips contemplatively, looks away from me as if waging an internal battle, then back down at me, the struggle elevated greatly but swapped with apprehension and fear. "And the other thing?" He whispers so low it takes me a second to understand what he said.