When he’d thought Trinity would be alone in raising the baby she carried, he’d offered to marry her, and would’ve been the best dad possible for her child, but he hadn’t wanted to be a father at that time, he’d just wanted to do the right thing for his best friend.
Now he found himself wanting a child, wanting to ensure his life wasn’t for nothing, that he’d somehow continue living, even after he was gone. He tried shaking off the thoughts, but they were planted in his head, and weren’t going away. He shook of the disturbing images as he focused once again on Sierra.
“Let’s take a walk,” he said, putting his arm around her back. He finally realized she hadn’t said one word to him. He wanted to know what was going through her mind. He also needed to make sure she never ran from him again – not without facing his wrath.
Silently, she allowed him to pull her from the room. He led her out the back door and looked around. He wasn’t sure where they were. He just started walking further from the house.
“What the heck was that?” Sierra finally asked, gaining her voice. Good. He liked her with some fire.
“What?” he asked, wanting her to have to spell it out.
“The kiss. Now, they’re all thinking we’re…we’re…well, that we’re a couple,” she spluttered, confusion and anxiety heavy in her tone.
“Aren’t we a couple, Sierra? Before you ran away, I seem to recall one heck of a week in bed together,” he said, his voice low, making her have to step closer to hear him.
“We’re not a couple, Damien. I work for you, though who knows what I’m supposed to be doing. Our week together was, well, I don’t know what it was, but it’s not continuing. I just got out of one prison, and I refuse to step into another,” she said as she started pacing.
Damien froze as he looked at her. She didn’t reveal much about herself, was very secretive of her life, so her little slip gave him a small piece of insight into her past. She considered her life at home a prison. That was interesting.
“I want you, Sierra. I am so hard for you right at this moment that I’m having a difficult time thinking of anything else, which is lucky for you, because I’ve been alternating between wanting to ring your neck, and wanting to slam you against a wall and screw you until you never even consider walking out again. I want to take you in my arms, press you against that tree and ravage your body until you’re begging for mercy. Do you really think we can go back to a normal employee, employer relationship?” Damien whispered.
∞∞∞
Sierra gaped at Damien, her heart thundering in her ears. She couldn’t believe what he was saying to her. His lips were turned up in a confident smile, his eyes burning into hers, and his body tense.
Her eyes traveled down his flat stomach and stopped on the bulge in his trousers, confirming his words. She gulped before her eyes jerked back up to his.
His smile grew even wider at what must be a surprised expression on her face.
What was she supposed to say to a comment like that?
What killed her most was how badly she wanted him, too. She wanted him to take the choice away from her, to lift her in his arms and take her against the tree, exactly how he’d said. She didn’t want the time to think about it, didn’t want to make the right choice and deny him, and herself.
“I…uh, don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said a bit breathlessly, with reluctance. Her lips were still tingling from the kiss in the kitchen, her body continuing to burn with unfulfilled desire. Why was she saying no to him?
Because she knew it was the right thing to do.
She had just escaped her overbearing father. It wouldn’t do her any good to get into an unstable relationship with a man who made her father look weak. She’d never survive it. If Damien were to control her, abuse her like the man who was supposed to be her protector already did, she’d never survive. She didn’t know how she’d survived all the years with her dad, as it was.
“Why isn’t it a good idea, Sierra? We obviously burn for each other. We explode when our bodies connect. Why not explore it, enjoy one another? We’re going to be together for a long time, so it will happen no matter how much you try and deny it. You can’t fight this thing between us. You can’t fight me and win. I always win, Sierra – always!”
It was terrifying how much she wanted to fold. She understood what he was saying, found herself wanting to cave to him. Why fight it? It was inevitable. She knew they’d sleep together again, as surely as she knew she’d take another breath of air.
Her shoulders firmed as she glared at him. No! She didn’t know that. She was done with men controlling her, taking away her free will.
“You know what, Damien? I think you’ve been handed things so often in your life that everything has been easy for you. You just assume all outcomes will be in your favor. Well, not this time. I’m not going to lie and say I hated the sex, but I most certainly can live without it. It was good, sure, but not the end-all everyone’s always talking about. Why don’t you do us both a favor and stop playing whatever game this is your playing and just get out of here,” Sierra told him, adding a smirk to the end of her small speech for added affect.
When she saw the fire ignite in his eyes, she thought she may have pushed it a bit too far. He took a menacing step toward her, and panic flared.
With a surge of adrenaline rushing through her, Sierra decided not to wait for his response. She turned and started running back to the house. When she was less than twenty feet from the back steps, an arm snaked around her middle, slamming her into the rock solid wall of Damien.
“Oh, Sierra, you were very smart to run, very smart indeed after making a comment like that,” he whispered, his hot breath slithering down her neck.
He flipped her around so she was looking into his flaring eyes, his expression determined. Suddenly, he was lifting her in his arms as he strode around the house.
Before she thought to cry out, he was tossing her in his car and then they were driving down the pavement. She looked back at the house with longing as it faded into the distance. What had she just done?
Chapter Nineteen
The silence was stifling as Damien pulled out of Bree’s driveway. He had to get her alone. He felt like if he didn’t get her into his bed again, he’d explode.
He didn’t need her. He’d proven that. He could easily insert himself into the lives of the Anderson’s without suspicion. Heck, there was a fundraiser event coming up shortly he’d be attending with them. He’d already made contact, so he could drop Sierra off at home, and then drive away. No harm done.