Chapter 359: The Lockwood Demons Have Been Summoned (18+)

I took his face in my hands, looking him straight in the eye.

"Are you really that clueless?"

His eyebrows went up a notch.

"That’s not the most romantic thing to say, you know."

I held him a little more firmly, making sure he focused on me.

"Listen, Damien. I’m not going anywhere. I won’t just wake up one day and want a new life with someone else just because things aren’t exactly perfect. If we want kids someday, we’ll figure it out together. And if we decide against it, we’ll tackle that together too. But trust me, you’re not getting rid of me that easily."

He opened his mouth, probably ready to respond, but I wasn’t done yet.

"Do you really think I’d give you up after four years of worrying I lost you? Just because having a kid might take some planning beyond throwing together a damn crib and wishing for the best?"

A quiet chuckle slipped from him, though his eyes still held a serious warmth.

"I didn’t mean to imply you’d leave," he said.

"Oh, you were absolutely hinting at it with your sad little face."

"My face is perfectly normal!"

"Normal? Your face looks like a forgotten Victorian orphan when you get emotional!"

That finally earned him a real laugh, and I could see the tension leaving his shoulders as he leaned in, resting his forehead against mine.

"I’m sorry," he murmured. "I guess I still have this part of me that thinks the things I want most are just going to be reasons for someone to leave me."

My teasing faded as I ran my fingers through his damp hair, understanding the fear behind his words more than I wanted to admit.

"Then you’ll have to learn to want things without assuming they’ll be taken away from you," I whispered. "Starting with me."

He kissed me then, slow and deep, the kind of kiss that carried gratitude and affection and a growing heat all at once.

His hands slid down my back and settled low, cradling my ass as he pulled me closer, and the murmur that left his mouth against my neck sent a shiver straight down my spine.

Naturally, that tenderness lasted about twelve seconds before Damien had to ruin the moment.

?

?"Maybe we should keep trying even harder every day until science is forced to invent a medical miracle," he said, the words rough with amusement and something far more heated. "Practice makes perfect, after all. Don’t you think, baby?"

I pulled back, looking at him in disbelief.

"You complete idiot!"

"An ambitious idiot, apparently."

"That’s not how biology works!"

He set me on the cool marble of the counter with effortless strength, stepping between my thighs and claiming my mouth again before I could form another coherent protest.

The kisses turned deep and filthy almost immediately. His hands slid under the hem of the hoodie I was wearing, palms warm and possessive as they mapped the skin of my waist and then higher, thumbs brushing the undersides of my ribs in slow strokes.

I clutched at his still-damp shoulders, fingers digging into the solid muscle there while he kissed me like he had all the time in the world and every intention of using it.

?

?He tasted clean from the shower, a faint hint of mint still lingering, and the way he angled his head to deepen the kiss made my thoughts scatter.

One of his hands left my waist to cup the back of my neck, holding me steady while his tongue slid against mine in slow, thorough strokes that pulled soft sounds from the back of my throat.

I could feel the heat of him through the thin towel still hanging low on his hips, the solid press of his body between my legs making it impossible to think about anything except the way he was grinding against me in lazy rolls.

I made a sound that was half laugh and half moan, tugging him closer by the shoulders so I could kiss him harder.

His hand slid lower, palm spanning the curve of my ass and squeezing with open appreciation while the other stayed at my neck, thumb stroking the hinge of my jaw as he mapped every part of my mouth with his tongue.

The hoodie rode up under his wandering hands until cool air kissed the skin of my stomach, and the contrast of that with the heat of his body made me arch into him without thinking.

He took the invitation for what it was, rolling his hips in a slow grind that pressed the hard line of his cock against me through the layers of fabric still separating us.

The friction was perfect and not enough all at once, a steady build of heat that left me breathless and clutching at him for more.

?

?Damien kissed his way along my jaw and down the side of my throat, teeth scraping lightly over the sensitive spot just below my ear that always made my breath hitch.

"I could keep you right here all afternoon," he said against my skin, voice thick with want. "Kiss you until your mouth is swollen and your thighs are shaking around me. Make you come just from this, grinding against me like you’re desperate for it."

?

?I was already halfway there, the combination of his words and the slow, relentless pressure of his body turning my thoughts into something hazy and liquid.

My fingers tangled in the damp hair at the nape of his neck, holding him close while he worked another open-mouthed kiss against the base of my throat.

The counter was cool under me but everything else was heat and friction and the solid and heavy reality of Damien pressed between my legs like he never planned on moving.

I could feel how hard he was, the thick press of him against the thin fabric of my shorts every time he rolled his hips, and the knowledge that he was just as affected as I was only made the ache sharper.

?

?He pulled back just enough to look at me, eyes dark and heavy-lidded, and the pure hunger in his expression sent another wave of heat rolling through me.

"Tell me you want this," he said, the words soft but carrying an edge of command that made my stomach flip. "Tell me you want me to keep going until neither of us can think straight."

?

?"I want it," I managed, the admission coming out rougher than I intended. "I want you. Just... don’t stop."

?

?The smile that curved his mouth was pure sin. He kissed me again, deeper this time, one hand sliding under the waistband of my shorts to grip my bare ass while the other stayed at my neck, holding me exactly where he wanted me.

The grind of his hips grew more controlled, the friction building into something that had me gasping into his mouth and rocking against him in search of more.

The kitchen around us faded into background noise. The only things that existed were the heat of his skin, the wet slide of his mouth against mine, and the growing pressure low in my gut that promised release if he just kept going a little longer.

My fingers tightened in his hair as he leaned closer, his smile brushing against my skin, and I was just starting to think that maybe I could forgive him for being such an infuriating tease when his phone rang.

I closed my eyes. "No... Wait... A–answer it..."

Damien ignored it as it rang again still sucking on my neck. "No. Sunshine now, work later."

"Maybe it’s important," I replied.

He glanced at the screen, and I saw his expression change when he spotted Naomi’s name.

I nudged him gently. "You should answer it. If your assistant is calling twice, it’s probably not just to check if you’re having nice afternoon."

"I was enjoying a nice afternoon, thank you very much."

"Damien."

With an exaggerated sigh, he picked up the call, placing it to his ear while still keeping a hand on my waist.

"Naomi, this better be important."

Her voice came through clearly, tinged with professional urgency. The shift in Damien’s expression made the warmth in my chest begin to fade.

"Mr. Lockwood, I apologize for interrupting, but there’s a situation we need to address immediately."

"Is it regarding the governance report?"

"No, sir."

"The Sommers documents then?"

"Those are moving along as expected, sir."

Damien straightened a bit, and I instinctively withdrew my arms from around his shoulders. "Then what is it?"

There was a brief pause on her end.

"Your parents have seen the photos circulating online."

The room seemed to grow silent.

Whelp... It’s not like we were shocked about that.

I watched Damien’s face as Naomi explained that William had been calling repeatedly, demanding to know why the engagement was called off, while Evelyn had already reached out to Isabella’s family and learned that they were working on dissolving the arrangement.

Evelyn was furious as hell, and William apparently felt his son owed him a face-to-face explanation.

Damien’s jaw tightened. "Let them contact my office through the right channels."

"I advised them to do that, sir. Unfortunately, neither of them seems willing to follow the proper procedure."

"Sounds about right for them."

"There’s more," Naomi continued, her voice even more careful. "They’ve let me know they’re coming to New Havenport since they can’t reach you."

Damien went completely still.

"When?"

"Today, sir. They’re already making travel plans, and I believe they intend to come straight to the penthouse unless you tell security otherwise."