Damon rolled his eyes at his friend, who looked more like an alcoholic in withdrawal than a lawyer.Arabella, in turn, smiled. She looked at Damon, still with that smile on her lips, and let her date know that she thought Joseph was funny."I am fine, thank you" Arabella told the blonde."Some juice to mix with the alcohol this inconsequential person asked for" Damon said, making Joseph smile.When the blonde walked away, Joseph gave Arabella a not-so-subtle look. The truth was that he was evaluating the beautiful woman, analyzing every single attribute she had. And how she had. Carter did not need long to realize that this was the most beautiful woman his eyes had ever seen."I do not think I've had the pleasure of introducing myself. I am Joseph Carter" he extended his hand to the beautiful woman."I am Arabella Collins" she accepted the outstretched hand.Arabella wasn't expecting it, but Carter held her hand for a few seconds longer. He was struck by how soft it felt, and imagined
It shouldn't, it really shouldn't, but Damon hated every letter of that statement. It was a threat.When would someone have the courage to threaten him?Who would be brave enough to intimidate him?The answers were: never and no one."Are you threatening me?"He let go of the woman's wrist, but only to hold her chin between his fingers. The truth was that the softness of that skin was a surprise to the man, and he wished not to confront her anymore, but to try a less decent approach."Believe me, Damon, I am not willing to be a feast for your friends.""I believe it, principessa" he whispered, bringing his face closer.Arabella did not back down. She remained watching the man's gaze descend to his lips. The beautiful woman knew the seduction game he played, and she was very tempted to give in.Banks slid his index finger along her lower lip, which was close enough to feel his refreshing breath."I want you to take me back home" she said, all at once, so as not to lose the remnants of
“Busy days here” Ana commented."Do not even tell me” Arabella replied.Claire and Anastasia got into a conversation about work. So, the elevator stopped at the ground floor and the small group got out.The beautiful woman was lost in her own thoughts when a car parked in front of the group.It was impossible not to look curiously at the machine.In fact, everyone walking along the sidewalk was forced to look at the Lamborghini. The car was like a black serpent; something beautiful to the eyes, admirable to the wallet and fantastic to the mind.Arabella did not need much effort to identify the car's owner. It matched the machine perfectly.Banks got out of the vehicle with an air of superiority, then walked towards the beautiful woman. It looked nothing less than imposing. The truth was that, in front of that man, people did not even consider themselves worthy of sharing the same air."Hello, princess" he greeted. The presence of any other people at that moment was indifferent."Good
She stood in front of the elevator, waiting for it, when her phone vibrated. Arabella quickly reached for it, thinking it might be a call from Mason. She certainly did not want to talk to her husband, but she knew that ignoring Mason's calls had disastrous consequences.However, upon looking at the caller ID photo, she saw that the person calling her was Banks.For a moment, she thought about not answering. It would be better for her disturbed mind. Because after hearing his husky voice, the part of her that was attracted to that man would not let her think clearly."Hi," she suddenly found herself answering.She could not not answer!"Are you busy?" the man's voice had exactly the effect Arabella feared.It was as if her senses were trained to identify the sounds that Damon's mouth uttered. Arabella breathed in and out before responding because she knew the chances of stuttering were high."Not anymore.""Then tell me. How about dinner tonight?" he pressed."It would be nice to get o
Arabella was curious to know more about that family, but contented herself with the information Dora was willing to provide."It was good for Damon too," Dorothy murmured.The matriarch seemed to drift off as she slid her fingers across the glass of the dining table. Those words were more for herself than for Arabella. She was glad to have a listener, as her husband and son were men of few words, and Arabella was polite enough to be interested in all subjects."I am sure he missed you.""He had to deal with a lot of problems," Dora looked at Arabella with a faint smile. However, her eyes could not deny the weight her heart felt."Problems?""Yes. George and I traveled and left a huge mess for him to sort out."The lovely lady did not want to use Dora's moment of vulnerability to interrogate her, but it was impossible to control her curiosity. "You had your reasons.""Nothing justifies it. We did not have the right to run away from our responsibilities.""He handled the mess well. You
"I was young when my mother died. All she left us was an almost bankrupt company. My father was a sad man for a while, but I think he got tired of the too-empty house..." Arabella began, but she needed to pause to breathe. "So he remarried, then Angel was born. We practically grew up together, but we were never really friends. In fact, I think we were enemies most of the time."Damon had no immediate reaction to the moment."But we were a family. We took care of each other... I think. My father tried to take care of the company, be a good husband and father, pay the bills. But he failed," she continued. "He failed miserably. We did not have money, but we had a name. We were still the Collinss in town, and that meant something." Arabella paused, looking up. "Then a proposal came that could change everything. An arranged marriage. The wealthy son of the Donovan family apparently had an interest in me. He wanted me because I was beautiful, educated, from a good family..."Banks covered
Damon's mind was cluttered. All Banks wanted was to live his life. Not the life he could have, but the life he wanted to have.Damon approached Arabella. He still felt he was too dirty to touch her, so he just got close enough to smell her perfume. He wished he could have that woman forever, but he knew that wasn't an option, not for him."I promise by all that I am, Little Angel. When things go wrong, you won't be with me. I will be the only one to pay for the secrets I've chosen to keep," Damon wished he wasn't so rooted in that feeling. He wished he could simply shut it off, as he had done before. He wanted to extinguish the flame in his heart, but he could not. It was too late not to feel, even though it was too dangerous to feel."When you find out who I really am, I hope you've forgotten my name," the man could not resist. He ran his fingers through Arabella's hair, unaware of how intense the touch was for her. Then, Damon hugged her. The woman's back was pressed against his che
FOLLOWING DAYArabella awoke to the weight of exhaustion pulling at her eyelids, her eyes swollen and sore from the tears that had plagued her throughout the night. Toc. Toc.Each knock on her bedroom door felt like a jolt, sending her heart racing as she hurried to open it.Standing on the other side was Mason, his presence a foreboding shadow in the dim light of her room."Surprise?" he asked, his tone dripping with cynicism and irony as he stepped into the room, a predator entering his lair.Arabella, clad in a robe, wrapped her arms around herself protectively. She knew all too well that Mason's unexpected appearances seldom brought anything but trouble, especially for her."What do you want?" she demanded, her voice laced with tension.Mason strode purposefully towards the door of Arabella's bathroom, his movements deliberate and calculated. "I saw the security footage. Damon paid you a visit."Arabella's stomach churned at the mention of Damon's name, a reminder of the tangled