“You look stunning,” Damien said as he moved next to her and took the glass from her shaking fingers.
“I was just thinking the same thing about you,” Sierra replied.
“Mmm, do you care to elaborate?” he asked with a wiggle of his brows.
“Does someone need their ego stroked a bit?”
“My ego, among other things,” he said as he moved his head to nuzzle her throat and his hands rubbed along her lower back, his fingers moving along her spine. Sierra felt the kiss on her neck all the way to her toes.
“Damien, we’re not alone,” she whispered in embarrassment, but couldn’t find the will to push him away.
“He’s busy, not paying the least attention to us. I have to kiss you, or I may not make it back to the ground,” he said before running his lips up her jaw, trailing kisses the entire way before taking her lips in a slow, sweet kiss.
She melted on the spot. The moment was everything she’d ever dreamed of, but never thought she’d get. She wouldn’t survive his week of undivided attention if he decided to go back to the cold business man she’d met the first day, once the week was over.
Damien was still kissing her as they began their descent. Sierra missed the rest of the sunset, missed the ground reaching up to meet them, missed half of the ride, but she didn’t care. Being in Damien’s arms was far better than anything else she could see or do.
The ride ended with them safely on the ground, and Sierra followed Damien to their car. She leaned her head against him in the backseat, glad he’d chosen to have a driver this time. She fell asleep before they reached the hotel.
The next few days flew by in a whirl of activities. Damien took her to Melbourne, and they strolled through the diverse neighborhoods. She was charmed by the nineteenth century architecture, the use of trams, and the beautiful park - she even got to watch the Fairy Penguin Parade. Each night the tiny Fairy Penguins of Phillip Island waddled up from the water, looking like they were on parade. After a hard day of fishing they returned home each night to feed their babies. She was entranced by the entire event.
At a cabin where they stayed, she’d gotten up in the middle of the night and found a couple turtles crawling from the ground and making their way toward the sea. Damien joined her on the porch as she watched in fascination as the tiny creatures scurried along the sand and dove into the water. The wonders of nature appealed to her more than all the expensive excursions.
Her favorite part of the trip was when he took her to his vineyard. It had been stunning, and she’d stood back and watched as his staff greeted him, everyone from the lead manager to the pickers came out to say hello. She strolled with him through the miles of vines as he pointed out different grapes and then gave her a tour of where the fine bottles of expensive alcohol was made.
She sampled a few too many glasses and by the end of that day, she’d become unsteady on her feet. She realized why he was so successful, though - the taste of it was amazing.
They arrived back in Sydney on the sixth day. She was a little sad to be back where she knew he’d soon return to work. He took her on a tour of the world famous opera house, and to an exquisite five-star restaurant, but she felt the change in him as soon as they landed in Sydney.
He was still a gentleman, opening doors for her, making love to her each night, and giving her his attention, but he stopped holding her hand, stopped caressing the small of her back, and started pulling away.
Her vacation was amazing, but she felt her heart expanding, her emotions getting too involved. She decided she needed some time away from him so she could think. Sierra had to figure out what exactly she was doing with him, with her father, with the rest of her life.
It was time to visit Bree. She knew Damien would be mad, and that was the last thing she wanted to evoke in him, especially after all his generosity, but she had to do something for herself. Sorting out her feelings and life plans was impossible to do with Damien around. He was just such a distraction. She needed this, and it was her turn to take care of herself and do what was best for her.
Chapter Sixteen
Damien awoke and stretched, feeling good. The week had been a whirlwind of activities, but he’d found himself having some long overdue fun. He tried telling himself it was nothing more than fun, but as he’d spent every hour of every day with Sierra, he’d found himself needing to be with her. He’d forced himself to tone it down a little, but he couldn’t pull fully away.
At least not yet, he couldn’t.
He didn’t know how the two of them were surviving on so little sleep. They hadn’t yet made it through an entire night without waking at least once to make love again. Twice last night, he’d woken with an urgent need to take her. The first time, she’d been just as hungry, and they’d come together quickly, a tangle of arms and legs. The second time had been more leisurely, both of them quickly falling back asleep.
Damien reached out, hungry once more just thinking about sinking into Sierra’s tight heat. He came up empty and was immediately irritated. She never woke before him, not once since they’d started sleeping together. The sheets below his hand were cold, telling him she’d been up for a while.
His irritation turned to anticipation as he grinned and quickly threw off the bedspread. If he was really lucky, he’d catch her in the shower. He didn’t bother putting on his clothes as he strode to the bathroom.
Empty.
He wasn’t concerned as he walked back to their bedroom. He was about to move to the living room when his brain clicked and he made his way back to the bathroom. He’d thought something was odd when he walked in but had been so focused on finding Sierra that he hadn’t put it together.
He looked at the counter and noticed none of her belongings were there - no toothbrush, hair accessories, or little vials of makeup that she always had out. If it weren’t for his few items, it would look as if the bathroom wasn’t being used at all.
The first alarm sounded in his head. He rushed back into their room and opened the closet, feeling his gut clench when he found all her clothes gone.
Anger flared in Damien’s stomach as he flung a robe around himself and walked back out to the living area of the hotel suite. He was about to pick up the phone when he found a note next to it.
When he hesitated before picking it up, fury spread through him.
Damien Whitfield didn’t hesitate – ever.