Chapter 363 Love Me Gently, Carry Me Against My Will

His eyes searched mine, and I hurried to continue before the emotional lump in my throat stopped me.

"We can’t go back and change those years, no matter how much I wish we could, but we’re here now. We’re older, together, and finally free to fight for each other without asking for anyone’s approval. That’s what really matters to me."

For a moment, Damien just looked at me, stripped of the cold mask he wore in front of his parents.

Then he pulled me into his arms and kissed me again, with a tenderness that made the rest of the world feel miles away.

"You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me," he whispered against my lips.

I smiled, resting my forehead against his.

"You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, too, even if you are an asshole with terrible parents and an alarming tendency to treat every minor inconvenience like a hostile corporate takeover."

"I’ll try to do better."

I laughed, and he kissed me again, this time smiling against my lips, before settling back against the sofa with me snuggled up against his chest.

We stayed like that for a while, exchanging quiet confessions and gentle touches as the tension slowly melted away.

Damien’s fingers combed through my hair, occasionally brushing my neck, as if he craved the reassurance of touching me.

Meanwhile, I traced idle patterns along his forearm, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing.

Every now and then, one of us would remember something absurd William had said, and the conversation would dissolve into incredulous reactions.

"I still can’t believe he called me a gold-digging rat," I said eventually. "A rat, Damien. If he wanted to insult me, he could have at least picked an animal with better PR."

"What would have been better?"

"A fox. They’re clever, good-looking, and generally seen as resourceful. A rat just trashes my brand."

Damien laughed so hard I could feel it in his chest, and I lifted my head to give him a pleased look.

"See? This is why you need me. Without me, your life would be filled with business shit and emotionally stunted relatives."

"My life was definitely quieter before you."

"Quiet is overrated."

"I’ve noticed."

His phone buzzed on the coffee table, and Damien glanced at the screen before reluctantly letting me go.

"I need to make a couple of calls."

He kissed my forehead before walking a few paces away to call Naomi, confirming that the legal process regarding Isabella’s engagement was still moving forward as planned and that the public statement would focus solely on the canceled arrangement without dragging in any details about our relationship.

Then he called building security, instructing them to keep tight access controls and to notify him immediately if either of his parents showed up unannounced.

He also asked Naomi to flag any unusual inquiries regarding St. Jude University or Frank’s medical team from his parents, ensuring that no one shared info about either of them without proper authorization.

His voice remained calm and efficient throughout both calls.

Although I could still sense the anger bubbling under the surface, he channelled it into safeguarding the life we had built instead of letting it consume him.

When he came back to the sofa, he placed his phone facedown on the table and held out his hand.

"Come here."

I took it, letting him pull me into his lap, where I settled comfortably with my arms around his shoulders.

"Everything sorted?" I asked.

"For now."

"Good. Because I’d like to spend at least one afternoon in this penthouse without watching you rearranging the lives of several unfortunate souls."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, I have hobbies, Damien. I enjoy reading, sipping coffee, and occasionally annoying my boyfriend until he threatens to confiscate my phone."

"I’ve never threatened to take your phone."

"You threatened to do just that last week after I sent Joey a photo of you sleeping."

"That photo was taken without my consent."

He narrowed his eyes at me, but the look was undercut by the smile playing on his lips. I leaned in for a kiss before he could launch a legal defense against my photojournalism.

Damien’s expression softened completely at that, the last of the cold edge melting into something warmer and more open.

He kissed me back with more feeling than heat at first, the kind of kiss that carried gratitude and recognition and a quiet kind of wonder.

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When I finally pulled back, he regarded me with a different kind of interest.

Damien’s eyes darkened in a different way now, the earlier intensity transforming into something hungrier and more intentional.

He smirked, the expression slow and knowing, and leaned in until his mouth was close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my lips.

Oh no.

I recognized that damn look.

I’d seen it earlier in the kitchen just before his phone rang and interrupted what was about to be a very promising afternoon.

"What the hell is that look for?" I asked, suspiciously.

Damien’s smile deepened as his fingers traced a slow line along my waist.

"I was just remembering something."

"That sounds risky."

"We were interrupted earlier."

I blinked innocently. "Were we?"

His eyebrows lifted.

"Really, Sunshine?"

"I’ve had a very stressful afternoon. My memory is a bit faulty, I can’t remember much right now."

"Interesting, because I clearly recall you sitting on the kitchen counter, kissing me as if you had no plans to let me go."

"I was trying to restrain you. You’re a danger to society."

"Of course."

"And you were being incredibly distracting."

"I recall that too."

His voice had dipped, the teasing warmth morphing into something softer and more intimate, and I felt my cheeks warm up as his gaze roamed over my face.

"Damien," I warned, though my warning lacked force.

He leaned closer, brushing his lips against mine without quite finishing the kiss. "What?"

"Don’t."

"Don’t what?"

"Whatever you’re planning."

"That’s a pretty vague instruction."

"You’re so fucking irritating."

"And yet," he murmured, kissing the corner of my mouth, "you seem really reluctant to leave."

I tightened my arms around his shoulders, determined not to let him win the argument just because he had the unfair advantage of being attractive with a voice that made me forget my own name.

"I’m staying because this is my home."

"Of course."

Damien chuckled softly against my cheek before planting a kiss on my neck, and I had to admit the situation was becoming harder to defend from a position of moral superiority.

"You’re still blushing," he noted.

"I’m recovering from an extremely stressful encounter with your dumbass parents."

"Then perhaps I should help you relax."

Before I could think of a reply, he stood up, effortlessly wrapping one arm around my waist and lifting me off his lap.

The whole room tilted sideways before I had time to register what was happening.

"Damien!"

He tossed me over his shoulder.

I let out a surprised laugh, banging my fists against his back in a way that was meant to communicate outrage but unfortunately came off more like enthusiastic applause.

"Put me down, you freaking, overgrown maniac!"

"You’re welcome."

"That’s not what thank you means! Put my ass down!"

He laughed as he strolled down the hallway, his hand firmly against the back of my thigh while I continued to deliver increasingly unconvincing protests.

"You know I hate being carried around like a sack of potatoes! I am a grown man! I hope you know I’m going to get my revenge."

"I look forward to it."

"You should be scared."

"I am terrified, Sunshine."

His laughter echoed down the hallway, and even as I kept protesting for the sake of dignity, my own laughter bubbled up between complaints, shedding the last of the tension that had settled over me after his parents left.

The bedroom door closed behind us with a soft, decisive sound, sealing the rest of the world on the other side.

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