Chapter 15
Chapter 15
POV: “Adelaide*
If I was being honest, I would have been less shocked if he had hit me over the head with a frying
pan.
I couldn’t believe my ears as I stared at Damon. He was completely serious as he waited for an
answer.
I glanced at the box. It looked very old and very delicate, but I still didn’t know what could be inside.
It was too small for a bracelet, so my best guess was a ring. I glanced at the engagement ring on my finger though.
I already had a ring, so why would he give me another one?
“So?” Damon demanded, impatiently.
“So what?” I asked, my head reeling with everything that had been dropped on me. He asked me something, but I couldn’t even
remember what it was.
“Are you still in love with Ashton?”
Oh, yeah. That.
“Of course I’m not,” I huffed, crossing my arms, “What is it with you two? You sound exactly like Ashton yesterday.”
“Yesterday?” Damon questioned, his eyes darkening.
“When he forced his way into my apartment,” I replied without thinking.
“He what?” Damon growled, his jaw tightening.
Whoops. I guess I hadn’t mentioned that before,
The cat was out of the bag now.
I sighed, brushing my hair out of my face, “He came over to my apartment and forced his way in. He kept asking me if I was in
love with you and then threatened me and left. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” Damon got to his feet, a stormy look moving across his face as he began to pace the length of the living room.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
He whirled on me, furious.
I frowned, crossing my arms defiantly. “He left. Besides, he didn’t do anything besides yell at me and remind me of the NDA.
Why are you so upset?”
“He could have hurt you!” Damon snapped. He was breathing quickly.
“But he didn’t!” I growled back, getting to my feet also. “I’m fine!”
Our eyes met in a fierce match of glares. Neither of us was going to let the other win.
“You should’ve called me regardless,” Damon argued, “I’m your husband.”
“Only on paper!” I rolled my eyes as I said, “It’s not like we’re actually married. It’s a piece of paper, Damon. It doesn’t mean
anything!”
That was the wrong thing to say, apparently.
Damon stiffened, his eyes flashing in his fury, but I refused to back down. Even with both feet in my mouth, I was too stubborn to
quit now,
“Doesn’t mean anything?” Damon repeated, danger lit in his voice.
Chapter 15
“That’s right,” I nodded. “We’re just doing this to get back at our siblings. That doesn’t mean we have an actual relationship.”
Damon stared at me for a whole minute, not saying a word, but I could see the emotions flashing across his face. I didn’t know
what they meant but probably not anything good.
Finally, he sighed, dragging his hand down his face.
I swallowed nervously, much preferring the safe Damon who would always argue with me over this.
one.
“Really, Adelaide?”
My full name was sharp in his voice-like he’d spit a thousand razor blades at me.
He raised his eyes, meeting mine in a dangerous, almost reckless look. I frowned as he stomped forward in a hurry and seized
my wrist in a tight grip.
It wasn’t tight enough to hurt but enough that I knew I wouldn’t be pulling away from him. Damon liked to pretend he was weaker
than he was, but never with me.
“Let go,” I said, firmly.
“You are a lot of things, Adelaide,” Damon started, a fire ignited in his eyes now. “But you are not stupid. Why do you think I did
all of this? Did you think I married you on a whim? That I just so happened to know where the closest DMV was and had all the
paperwork just conveniently stashed in my pocket?”
I stiffened, trying to tug my wrist away anyway. “I don’t know, and I don’t care!” I spat, not meaning a word. My anger had taken
hold of me.
“You drive me insane!” Damon shouted, finally letting me go to throw his hands in the air.
I rubbed my freed wrist, watching him as he messed up his hair-still looking unfairly soft and gorgeous despite how many times
he’d roughed it up.
“Don’t play games with me,” Damon growled at me. “You won’t win.”
But my ability to bury my head in the sand was next to no other. Even Damon underestimated that part of me.
“I’m not playing a game!” I growled. “Our agreement was simple. We get the inheritance and then. divorce.”
“Divorce?”
The word sounded like ice.
He glanced at me, and a shiver ran down my spine at the look in his eyes. He stepped forward, his arms like an iron vice as they
wrapped around my waist and pulled me close.
He dipped his head and I felt his lips press a kiss on my neck.
“Let me go,” I whispered weakly, all my strength falling away from me at the tender way he held me. As if I was something
precious-something to be treasured.
I blushed bright red, not able to control the squeak that came from my throat as he lifted my feet off the ground. Out of instinct, I
wrapped my arms around his neck, letting him support me in mid-air.
“What are you doing?” I tried to be firm, tugging away from him, but he was much stronger than I anticipated. We passed through
the living room and into a bedroom.
“Wait a minute!” I protested, but it was too late.
He practically dropped me onto the bed, and before I could recover, he was on top of me.
“Damon!” I growled, throwing out my fist, but he caught my wrist before it could connect and
Chapter 15
grabbed both my wrists in a single hand.
He glanced down at me, a possessive look in his eyes as he pressed my hands onto the bed, his entire body against me.
“You think I’ll just let you back out now?” he whispered against my collarbone, holding both my wrists above my head. “After I
worked so hard to get you here?”
My eyes
His kiss was deep and fierce as if he was afraid I was going to disappear; he was desperate in the way he clung to me. I was
motionless, at first, my head still reeling from everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.
widened at his admission, but before I could think any more, his lips were on mine.
Then his tongue brushed against my bottom lip, begging for entrance. My brain felt slow-like I was trying to swim through
molasses, and I guess I wasn’t fast enough for him because he bit my lower lip.
I gasped, the little shock enough for him to force his way inside, his tongue coaxing me to follow his.
He was warm, so, so warm, and I had felt so cold. He was like a lifeboat while I was drowning out in the sea, and our history
really didn’t matter at this point.
My brain shut off, and I melted underneath him
I surrendered, letting my body follow his movements, clinging to him Everything was a blur as, soon enough, his hands traveled
under my shirt, and it was quickly discarded somewhere on the floor.
I tugged at his shirt, watching his muscles flex as he pulled it over his head, and then he was back. His eyes were smoldering,
like a fire threatening to burn me alive.
His hands explored my bare skin, and I clung to his back as he deepened the kiss, devouring every corner of my mouth until I
was dizzy from lack of oxygen.
When we broke apart, we were both panting, but neither of us was slowing down.
For a moment, I forgot everything-Ashton and Corinna, the inheritance and the NDA, the baby we were supposed to make.
I held onto Damon, enjoying the nail marks I left on his back and the sweet ache as he consumed me in his fire. There was
nothing but us anymore.
Nothing but his eyes, and his heat, and the sound of our racing heartbeats.