Chapter Eight

Dana

"You should go in now. He's been asking for you," Mr. Ford says as he and his wife step out of Damon's hospital room. He looks different from the man that I met weeks ago in their home estate; he looks weary and much older, like he's aged a decade in the past three days.

Mrs. Ford steps forward and takes my hands in hers, smiling solemnly into my eyes. Despite the difficult past few days, she looks as elegant as ever in a gorgeous blue dress and hot red stilettos. However, I can see the anguish in her vibrant blue eyes – so like Damon's.

"Thanks for coming clean about the whole fake engagement," she says, squeezing my hand reassuringly. "We want you to know that we don't blame you, and we're thankful for your effort in the past few days."

I press my lips together, blinking rapidly to prevent the tears threatening to spill down my face. "I-I'm sorry for deceiving you both," I say, looking from Mrs. Ford to her husband. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Mr. Ford says. "It's not every day that my son takes a knife in the gut for a woman. Fake engagement or not, you must be pretty special to him."

"Thank you," I say, stepping back as Mrs. Ford lets go of my hand. "I'll go in now."

"See you around," Mr. Ford says as he walks away with his wife.

I take in a deep breath before pushing the door open. Damon is half-sitting on the bed with an arm slung over his eyes. He sits up the moment I walk in, his deep blue eyes instantly locking on mine. He smiles, and my heart trips violently in my chest. Even now, with three day's worth of stubble on his face, he still looks so damn good. Distractingly so.

"Hey, kitty," he says, his smile widening. "You're not going to stand by the door all day, are you?"

I walk further into the room to stand by his bedside. I glance at his stomach, suddenly accosted by the memories of a knife jutting out from his flesh. The memory of his blood on my hands as I watched him slip away replays in my head. Guilt settles heavily in my chest, and the suppressed emotions of the past few days rush up at me.

"I'm so sorry, Damon, I…" I trail off as my chest tightens. "This is all my fault; I should have called the cops when you suggested it and…"

"Don't you dare take the blame for that bastard," he cuts in quietly, his gaze steady on mine. "You were a victim, and it was a good thing I got there in time. I don't know what I'd have done if – if anything had happened to you."

"I'm sorry for confessing to your parents about our fake engagement; it's just…" I trail off with a helpless shrug. "I couldn't bear to drag the lie out any longer. They were so worried and I-I felt horrible. I'm so sorry."

"I guess that worked for the best. They were just here to apologize for being terrible parents. Not like I know what to do with that; I guess I'm indifferent at this point."

He isn't indifferent, if the fleeting play of emotions in his eyes as he talks about his parents is any indication, but I don't point that out. It'll take time, probably years, to mend his relationship with his parents, but they'll get there as long as both parties are willing.

The thought gives me a little comfort knowing what's going to happen next.

"I suppose this is the end of our game," I say, avoiding his gaze this time. In the past three days, I've thought countless times about this moment where we say our goodbyes, but nothing prepared me for the pain rippling through me. I'd resolved to do this as quickly as possible, but I can't seem to get the words past the lump in my throat.

"It's time for everyone to get back to their lives," I continue, forcing my words out. "Thank you for the amazing past few weeks and... I should go now."

I spin around just as tears spill down my face. I never thought it'd be so hard to say goodbye. Forcing my legs into action, I head toward the door.

His voice reaches me just as I'm about to turn the knob.

"I love you, Dana."

I freeze, momentarily forgetting how to breathe. Nothing, absolutely nothing prepared me for the weight of his words. For a moment, my world seems to tilt precariously on its axis, threatening to either balance or fall and crash.

I turn around slowly to face him, biting down hard on my lips to reassure myself that this moment isn't some wishful dream. Damon looks directly into my eyes, his gaze calm and steady.

"I love you, Dana Smith," he repeats loud and clear.

"B-but at the club, y-you…"

"I was dumb," he completes. He sits up properly on the bed, wincing a little as he grabs the stabbed area of his stomach. "I wanted to stay in control of my emotions so badly that I denied the things that I feel for you. I guess that I thought saying it out loud would make it true, but that's bullshit. I love you; I have loved you from the very day I set my eyes on you. I will love you until I take my last breath, and then maybe some more."

I don't know if it's the certainty in his gorgeous blue eyes or the conviction that settles in my own chest, but the world suddenly seems right again. My heart swells with an overwhelming happiness, one that has me running to him and flinging myself at him.

Damon grunts loudly but holds me tighter when I try to pull away. "No, stay," he murmurs into my hair. "Let's stay like this for a while."

"I love you too," I say after a long stretch of warm silence.

He pulls back slightly, his expression intense as he searches my face.

"Say that again, kitty." His voice is low and warm, filled with adoration.

"I love you," I repeat, smiling through the tears filling up in my eyes.

Slowly, he cups my chest and lowers his mouth to mine. The kiss is gentle and passionate, reinforcing the words that he expressed moments ago. I melt into his embrace, surrendering myself to him, body and soul. Nothing else matters at this moment except him – us – and the beautiful days to come.

When we pull apart to catch our breath, he takes my left hand, his thumb caressing my fake engagement ring. He looks up at me and I can see the anxiety in the alluring blue depths of his eyes.

"Do you suppose you can marry me?" he asks quietly, his gaze unwavering. "For real this time."

"W-what?"

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, honey. Every second starting from now."

I nod jerkily, unable to stop the tears spilling down my cheeks. "Yes," I sniffle, and then I laugh. "Yes, I'll marry you, Damon."

He laughs too, his grip on my hand tightening a little. "I should buy you a new ring. Something that's worth the world."

"Oh, but I love this, "I say, smiling at his confused expression. "It has our love story embedded in it; I'd hate to see it go."

He raises my hand to his lips for a lingering kiss, then raises his eyes to mine. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

I return his smile, willingly drowning it in the wonderful promises that his eyes hold.

Epilogue

Damon

Six years later

The sweet smell of flowers lingers in the air as I follow the trail of petals leading to the bedroom. I rack my brain, trying to remember if I'm missing an anniversary or something, and then I give up trying to guess my wife's intentions. She's always up to something new, something interesting; it's why there's never been a boring day in the six years of our marriage.

My heart starts to thrum in anticipation as I get closer to our bedroom where the flower trail stops.

I push open the door, shocked to a standstill at the sight that greets me: Dana lying seductively on the bed amidst scattered rose petals. She has on sexy red lingerie that accentuates her every curve. The bralette, adorned with a subtle satin bow, provides a teasing glimpse of her full, luscious tits. Matching lace panties hug her hips, and a garter belt adds an extra touch of seduction, holding up sheer stockings that heighten the sensuality of the ensemble.

"Welcome home, my love," she purrs, jutting out her ass just enough to drive me mad. My pants suddenly feel too tight as my dick starts to harden.

"What's this about, wifey?" I ask coolly despite the desire pulsing in my veins.

She climbs off the bed and walks slowly over to me. She presses her body to my chest, tugging gently at my tie.

"Congratulations on commissioning your first hotel," she says, her eyes brimming with pride as she smiles. "The media won't stop raving about it being the first of its kind. You've come a long way, honey."

Her flowery scent crowds my head, rendering me incapable of forming a rational thought. Six years down the road and she still has this effect on me. I want her with a renewed vigor every damn time.

"Oh, baby, you're asking for trouble, aren't you?" I ask, hooking an arm around her waist and pressing her body to mine.

"And who says I ain't ready for trouble?" she counters, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Damn," I mutter, splaying my hands on her ass when she grinds seductively on my rock-hard cock. "I should spank you for being naughty."

"Yes, you should," she says, brushing her lips over my jaw. "Throw me over your knees and spank me. Fuck me senseless, baby; what's stopping you?"

"What about Carter?" I ask, referring to our five-year-old. "You know how he likes to sneak into our bed every night."

"Well, he's at his grandparents tonight," she replies with a coy smile. "You know how they love to have him around."

"It's quite odd to see them doting on my kid like that," I say, shaking my head. "They're like entirely different people from the ones I grew up with. Not that I'm complaining."

"I get what you mean," Dana says with a fond chuckle. "I guess we've all come a long way."

"Yes, baby," I reply, pressing her body tighter to mine. "And now that I know that we have the whole house to ourselves, I have a few ideas on how to pass the time effectively."

"Really?" she asks, then squeals excitedly when I scoop her into my arms and throw her on the bed.

I seal my mouth to hers. Her arms instantly come around my neck as she presses her body to mine. She kisses me passionately, stroking her tongue over mine in a way that she knows will drive me crazy.

I lift my mouth from hers to kiss her neck down to her collar. I run my palm over her left breast and lowered my mouth to her hardened nipple, sucking through the net of her bra. I continue to pleasure her with my hands and mouth, loving her deep, throaty moans.

"I hate to see this go," I say, unhooking her bra. "But I need to feel your skin on mine… I need to be inside of you."

I peel off every item of clothing on her as she helps me with mine. I push her back to the bed and then spread her legs. I lower my mouth to her legs, slowly making my way up her inner thighs. Her heady scent fills my head, making my throat suddenly go dry with thirst.

I fasten my mouth over her moist lips, swirling my tongue over her clitoris. She grips the sheets tightly, thrusting her hips into my mouth. I slide my tongue into her hole, creating a steady rhythm that's sure to have her shuddering with pleasure. But I pull back just as her body starts to tense in preparation for climax.

"Damon!" she protests, her soft green eyes dilated with lust.

"Impatient, aren't we, Kitty?" I tease, rising upward on my elbows. I lower my mouth to hers in a long, languid kiss. I pull back slightly to look into her gorgeous eyes, intertwining our hands above our heads as I slide slowly into her.

"Oh, Damon…" she moans, closing her eyes.

"Look at me, love," I say as I start to move inside of her. She opens her eyes, and my chest tightens at the intense emotions in those gorgeous green depths. Her eyes mirror the profound love that I feel for her, one that's only grown over the years.

At that moment, there isn't any need for words between us: just an overwhelming love and lust that drives our bodies to the crux of passion.

I bury my face in the crook of her shoulder as our bodies shudder with orgasm. "I love you so much," I murmur into her neck.

Her arms tighten around my back. "I love you too, baby. Forever."

~The End