Hope “Would you like something to sleep in? You cannot stay in your bra. It doesn’t look comfortable.” I blushed but nodded. “A night shirt will do.” He got up and returned with one of his shirts. He helped me sit up and unclasped my bra. His hands shook slightly as he pulled the shirt over my head and let it fall to my swollen belly. With gentle hands, he urged me back down and knelt above me. “Better?” “Much,” i said huskily. He settled down beside me and tucked me into his arms. I twisted about, trying to find just the right spot. When he scooted me behind into his groin, i froze, feeling his arousal there against my skin. I started to move away, when Damian growled in my ear. “Be still.” He clamped his arms around me,rendering me immobile. My cheeks flaming,as i tried to relax. The moment he had touched me, my fatigue had fled. Now I faced trying to sleep with him wrapped around every inch of my body. His warmth bled into me. He stroked my hair and murmured in my ear. word
Hope. Warm lips kissed a line from my shoulder down to my arm. I stirred and opened my eyes to see Damian’s dark head move sensuously down my body. “That is a very nice way to wake up,” i murmured. His head came up, and i met the liquid gold of his eyes. “How are you feeling, my love?” I rolled onto my back and lifted my hand to thread it through his short hair. “Much better. I’m full and had a nap. What more could a woman want?” Damian just looked at me smiling. I yawned then covered my mouth with my hand as my jaw nearly cracked with the effort. “You are still tired,” he said reproachfully. “I feel much better though. Truly, Damian. Let’s get up.” He straddled my body, putting one knee on either side of my hips. He looked down at me, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light. “You are so eager to wake up. Why is this?” I blushed and smacked his chest with my fist. He leaned down and tugged my lips into a kiss. He nipped at the fullness of my bottom lip until it was swollen
Damian. I sat in my office, staring out the window that overlooked the beach. Hope stood close to the water, her feet bare and the dress she wore rippling in the breeze. I kept careful watch over her and had instructed my security team to do the same. I wouldn’t take any chances after her fainting spell of the day before. Just moments earlier, I had hung up after speaking to the lead investigator on Hope’s case. There had been no arrests made yet. No leads. The men who had abducted her were still out there. Still a danger to her. It was unacceptable. The detective had promised to stay in touch and to inform me the moment there was a break in the case, but I still wasn’t satisfied. I wanted results. I wanted to make the men who had dared to touch Hope pay. I focused my attention back on Hope, who was still staring out to sea. Every once in a while she raised her hand to shove the curls from her face, only for them to blow back. She lifted her chin and laughed, and I could feel t
Damian. Ice trickled down my spine at Rosie's words “That is enough,” i said tersely. “But… ” She tried to go on but I cut her off. “I said enough Rosie.” “As you wish. I will call you if anything changes.” she said. I hung up the phone and yanked my gaze back to the beach, but Hope was gone. Could Rosie be right? Could Hope be faking her amnesia? The thought had crossed his mind when we were still in New York and Hope was freshbfrom the hospital. My instincts said no, but then I had already been so wrongbabout her in every way. If someone had told me six months ago that she was capable of betraying me as she had, i would have cut them down to size. Anger and confusion took turns battering my head. I rubbed a weary hand across my face and closed my eyes. It didn’t really matter what i thought at this point. She was pregnant with my child and that took precedence above all else. I could overlook a lot for my son. A sound at the door made me look up. Hope stood just inside my
Hope. I closed his door quietly and glanced up as Alba approached. I tried to look welcoming, because after all i did like her. She was just doing her job. “Are you ready to go up?” Alba asked with a smile. I sighed. “Honestly? I would like to smother Damian with the pillow he insists I rest on.” Alba tried to stifle her laughter, but a chuckle escaped. “Could I interest you in a cup of tea on the terrace instead?” she offered. I immediately brightened. “That sounds wonderful.” I fell into step beside Alba as the two of us headed towards the glass doors. A cool breeze, scented by the ocean, blew over my face when i stepped outside. “I hope you don’t mind if Dr. Karounis joins us.” i noticed the way Alba's cheeks turned pink as she spoke. “He and I take tea here every afternoon.” “Of course not,” i replied as i settled into one of the chairs surrounding the small table overlooking the gardens. When Alba ducked back inside to prepare the tea, i was left alone. I leaned back
Hope. Our days slowly began to settle into a routine much as our nights did. Once he was assured of my health, Damian made love to me every night, possessing me with passion that left me breathless. But in the mornings, he was always gone before i woke up. I had made it a habit to seek him out, bothered by the fact that he left our bed so early. More often than not, I will find him in the library, either on the phone, on his computer or poring over contracts and faxes. He would look up when I entered, and for a brief moment, I would see fire flare in his eyes before his expression became more controlled, and after murmuring a polite good morning, he would return to his work. And i was summarily dismissed. So i spent most mornings alone or in the company of Alba and Dr. Karounis who seemed quite content to spend their time together. At lunch, Damian would make his appearance as if he hadn’t just spent hours sequestered in work. To his credit, he devoted the afternoons to me. I had c
Hope That night, I was dressing for bed when Damian came up behind me and curled his arms around my waist. His hands rested over my stomach as he nuzzled a line from the top of my shoulder to the sensitive region just below my ear. Goose bumps danced and scattered along my skin, and i trembled against his chest. “I much prefer you naked, Hope,” he said as he slid one hand up to pluck at the string of the gown I had just slipped on. His words speared through my mind, sparking a distant remembrance. For a moment, i had an image of him standing before me, staring at me with glowing eyes, saying those exact words. I struggled to remember more, but it slipped away as fast as it had slipped in. I closed my eyes in frustration even as i gave way to the pleasure of his touch. He slid the strap over my shoulder, following it with his lips until it tumbled down my arm. Then he turned his attention to the other side, giving it the same down my arm. Then he turned his attention to the other s
Damian. I rose at dawn the next morning. I hadn’t slept since Hope had woken up with her nightmare. After I had soothed her, and she had fallen into a more peaceful rest, i lay awake, staring at the ceiling as i realized the impossibility of our situation. Careful not to wake her, i showered and dressed. After checking to make sure she hadn’t been disturbed, i went quietly down the stairs. I bypassed my office, though it was my custom to begin the day with business matters. This morning something drove me to the beach where Hope so often visited. The air was chilly blowing off the water, but i took no notice as I stood watching the waves break and slide into shore. Hope’s past, our past, threatened her in sleep. Her memories waged war at her most unguarded moments, and what would i do when it all came back? The terrible conflict that ate at me was wearing me down. I should be angry, and at times i was. But it was also easy to forget. Here on the island, safeguarded from the rest of