Chapter 32

Alison

I hated being in this damn mansion. Every second I spent here, I felt like I was drowning.

Damien was still avoiding me, and Gemma—God, Gemma—was as annoying as ever. The only peace I found was in the garden, where at least the air was fresh, and I could pretend for a little while that I wasn’t trapped in this never-ending nightmare.

I stood among the roses, letting my fingers brush against the petals absentmindedly, trying to push away the thoughts clawing at the edges of my mind.

The silence around me was comforting, but it didn’t last long. The sound of approaching footsteps made my shoulders stiffen.

I turned around, and my eyes landed on Damien.

He stood there casually, hands in his pockets, watching me with an expression I couldn’t read.

“The weather is lovely, isn’t it?” he said.

I blinked at him, confused. What the hell?

“It is,” I replied slowly, unsure of where this was going.

Damien nodded and looked up at the sky as if he truly cared about the weather. “My uncle loved spring,” he said, his voice strangely distant.

I frowned. What was he doing? Was this his version of small talk? Because if it was I wasn’t feeling it, and why was he even trying to talk to me? He has pretended like I didn’t exist for weeks.

And then I remembered—Damien was fucking bipolar.

I sighed. “I’m going inside,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m feeling sleepy.”

I turned to walk away, but before I could take a step, his hand shot out, grabbing mine. I gasped as he yanked me backward with enough force to make me stumble slightly.

My heart pounded in my chest as I stared up at him. “What the hell, Damien?”

“You’re not allowed to leave,” he said, his grip tightening around my wrist.

“Excuse me?” I pulled against his hold, but he didn’t budge. “I just told you I’m tired.”

Damien smirked. “That’s funny,” he said. “I haven’t fucked you yet Ally, so why are you tired?”

My mouth fell open. Why was he calling me Ally? And what did he mean by we haven’t fucked yet? Was he planning to…

I stopped myself before that thought settled.

During that moment, I felt Damien’s hand on my face as his hands brushed my hair away. My breath hitched as he leaned in, his dark eyes locking onto mine.

For a moment I was lost in his eyes enjoying the feeling of his hands against my skin but suddenly he pulled his hand away from my face but his grip on my wrist remained.

“Stay,” he murmured. “Enjoy the weather.”

My brain short-circuited. Was this some kind of sick joke?

“You’re out of your mind,” I muttered , shoving at his chest.

But Damien didn’t move. If anything, his grip on me tightened.

“I have a mission I want to discuss with you,” he said smoothly as if nothing had just happened.

And just like that, I was reminded of the last mission I went on with him. How it had ended.

“Is that all I am to you?” I asked bitterly. “Some girl who runs missions for you?”

Damien tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Do you want to be more?”

“No,” I snapped.

His smirk widened. “Don’t be shy, Ally. If you want to be my fuck buddy, just say the word.”

I gaped at him. “Are you—”

Before I could say more words, Damien took my hand and dragged it downward, pressing my palm against the front of his jeans.

My breath caught in my throat.

He was hard.

I tried to jerk my hand away, but he held it there. My fingers twitched against the solid heat beneath the fabric. I found myself getting wet, thinking of how it would feel inside me.

“I’m not sure you can handle all this load,” he murmured, catching my attention.

My pulse was a wild drum in my ears. I gulped, but my throat was too dry to swallow properly.

Damien leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. “Can you handle it?”

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing my body to stop reacting. But my body had a mind of its own. My hands moved against his trousers and I felt his hardened cock pulse.

My eyes fluttered open and I stared at him. His expression had changed, and he had this dangerous look on his face.

Maybe I was overthinking but Damien looked like he wanted me just as much as I did.

“Tell me!” He spoke up again, but his voice sounded a bit hoarse. “Can you handle all this?”

When I didn’t answer, Damien’s smug look returned and he chuckled lightly. “From the look on your face, you look afraid. That’s enough reason to make me realize that you can’t handle me.”

And just like that, he released my hand, leaving it hanging awkwardly between us.

He stepped back, his expression shifting back to something unreadable. “Just focus on the mission, Alison that’s all you’re good for.”

I wanted to speak up to tell him I didn’t want to go on missions anymore. The last mission traumatized me. Being Damien’s fuck buddy didn’t seem bad.

Then I reminded myself that I was married so that was out of the picture. There had to be something else I could do.

I decided to ask Damien if I could do other things but before I could speak up Damien beat me to it.

“Come by my study tomorrow morning,” he said firmly. “We have a lot to discuss.”

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.

I stood there, with an annoyed look on my face. My mind wandered to Aiden. I needed him to get me out of here.

Sadly, I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

I sighed, and during that moment I stared down at my hand.

My fingers tingled and suddenly I remembered the feeling of Damien’s length.

I could still feel him.

I closed my eyes, cursing under my breath.