Chapter 9
DAMIEN
I shut Cia’s door like it was about to explode and leaned against the wall in my room, exhaling sharply.
“That was close,” I muttered.
God, what the hell was that?
I rubbed my temples, replaying the scene like a bad romantic comedy gone rogue. That ridiculous hug, the out–of–nowhere kiss, her calling me her high school crush? I almost laughed.
Almost.
Except… it wasn’t funny.
Because something about her did feel familiar.
The first time I saw her, she had walked into the boardroom with that calm poise and sharp, clever should’ve been focused on the quarterly projections, but no–my attention was stuck on her. She wasn’t just smart, she was magnetic. And the most infuriating part? She reminded me of someone I knew.
eyes. I
Or thought I knew.
Same hair. Same lips. Same goddamn voice. And yet, I’d never met a “Cia Jones” in my life.
Maybe I was losing my mind.
Still, she threw me off. From the very beginning.
The way she moved, the way she always had the perfect thing to say. She wasn’t just another intern. And tonight? Drinking to save my ass in front of those stone–faced clients? Impressive. Reckless. But impressive.
Too bad she collapsed into a messy puddle of clingy chaos the moment we stepped back into the hotel.
I shook my head and moved toward the minibar. I didn’t even bother with a glass–just uncapped the bottled water and drank like it was going to wash the weirdness off my skin.
My phone rang. I groaned when I saw the name.
Diana.
Great.
“Hey,” I answered, trying to keep my voice even.
“Hi baby,” she said in that syrupy tone she always used when she wanted something. “Jeff misses you. He’s been asking if you’ll be home by the weekend.”
9:50 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 9
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“I’ll try,” I said, already feeling the guilt creep in. “What’s up?”
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“Well…” Her voice shifted, a little too rehearsed. “I was wondering if we’re finally doing the wedding this year. My mom might not be around for much longer and her dream….”
“Diana,” I interrupted, walking to the window. “We’ve talked about this.”
“You said we would get married.”
“I said if I got married, it would be you. That’s not a promise, it’s a possibility. Stop treating it like a signed contract.”
Silence. Then a dramatic sigh.
“I just want clarity, Damien. I’ve been patient. I’m not asking for a castle.”
‘You are, I thought. ‘You’re just pretending you’re not.’
“I’m in the middle of something,” I said, already done with the conversation. “We’ll talk later.”
I hung up before she could guilt–trip me into another long discussion about lace patterns or cake flavors.
I tossed my phone on the bed and leaned back against the headboard.
Diana.
She’d been part of my life for years now. Mother of my child. Beautiful, poised, ambitious. Everything looked right on paper. But in reality?
There was nothing. No spark. No connection.
We tried once. Just once. She made the first move, I let it happen and we had sex, but I regretted it almost immediately. It felt like sleeping with a stranger. Cold. Mechanical. Awkward.
I avoided her after that, emotionally and physically. She got everything else–money, security, luxury–but
not me.
I gave her my word years ago when Jeff was born. I told her I’d marry her someday. But now? That “someday” kept getting pushed further and further into the fog of never.
And the worst part? I didn’t even feel bad about it.
Maybe I should have.
But then there was her.
Cia Jones.
The woman who showed up out of nowhere and started pulling threads I didn’t even know were loose.
Would I marry a woman like her?
9:50 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 9
The scary thing was… I didn’t hate the idea.
Á(76).
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Even now, after the chaos of tonight, I couldn’t stop thinking about the look in her eyes before she kissed me. It didn’t feel like random drunken nonsense. It felt like something buried. Something familiar.
But it couldn’t be.
I was homeschooled. I didn’t go to high school. There was no way I was her “crush.”
Still… why did her voice sound like a ghost from a life I thought I’d forgotten?
My attraction to Cia was getting out of hand.
I knew it. I felt it.
I told myself I had it under control… right up until my executive assistant ended up in the hospital with food poisoning and Cia was randomly assigned as my temporary assistant.
Right.
Random.
I tried not to react when HR sent the memo, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the smallest flicker of anticipation. The kind that sits in your gut and burns slow.
I should’ve said something. Objected. But I didn’t. Because the truth? I wanted her close. I wanted to figure out what the hell it was about this woman that messed with my head every damn time.
My phone rang.
Diana.
Again.
I picked it up, bracing for impact.
“I heard you traveled,” she said, voice sharp like she’d just caught me red–handed in an affair I wasn’t having.
“I had business meetings,” I replied, short and clipped. “Left in the morning.”
“You didn’t tell me.”
“You don’t run my calendar, Diana.” I replied.
“Your son misses you.”
Here we go again.
Before I could respond, someone knocked on the door.
“Busy. I’ll call you tomorrow.” I said and ended the call without waiting for her reply.
9:50 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 9
I opened the door–and nearly choked.
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Cia stood there, eyes half–closed, shirt halfway undone, her bra and soft curves casually on display like she had no idea. She blinked up at me like a lost kitten, completely out of her mind.
My grip tightened on the doorknob.
“What do you want?” I asked, though my voice came out lower than I intended.
“There’s a monster in my room,” she slurred, swaying slightly. “Stranger… can you help me chase it away?”
Stranger?
My lips twitched. “Wow. Earlier I was your crush. Now I’m downgraded to ‘stranger‘?”
Then I remembered—I’d taken off my jacket. She probably didn’t recognize me without it. I ran a hand through my hair. She was so far gone.
Cute. Infuriating. Dangerous.
I sighed. “Alright, lead the way.”
She spun around dramatically and headed toward her room. I followed, ignoring every warning bell going off in my head.
When we got there, she marched to the middle of the room and shouted, “Monster! Where are you? Come out, come out!”
I stared at her.
God help me.
“There’s no monster,” I said gently. “Just sleep, alright? Lie down and get some rest.”
But before I could leave, she caught my wrist.
“Don’t go,” she whispered. “I’m scared. The monster might come back.”
And then–God help me again–she threw her arms around me.
Her body pressed against mine, warm and soft and trembling slightly. I swallowed hard. I wasn’t someone who got aroused easily, especially not by just anything.
But Cia?
She was something else.
My body responded before my brain could stop it. I stepped back quickly, placing her at arm’s length.
“No,” I said, voice firm. “Not tonight. Not like this.”
9:50 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 9
A
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I’d made a mistake once–a long time ago, under influence I couldn’t even remember–and I swore I’d never repeat it. Never take advantage of a woman. Never blur that line again.
I looked at her shirt–still half open–and sighed. Carefully, without touching her skin, I began to button it
- up.
She stared at me, lips curved in the smallest smile.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I muttered.
She didn’t answer–just kept smiling like I was her favorite toy and she knew exactly what I was thinking.
Damn it.
“Alright,” I said. “Bed. Now.”
“What about the monster?”
“I chased it away,” I replied. “You’re safe now.”
I led her to the bed, helped her down gently, and pulled the blanket over her. She looked up at me for a long moment, then slowly–finally–closed her eyes.
I waited.
One minute. Two.
Her breathing evened out.
She was asleep.
I turned, walked to the door, and locked it from the outside.
Back in my own room, I unbuttoned my shirt, threw it aside, and walked straight into the bathroom.
“I need a cold shower,” I muttered.
Make that two.
田
AD
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