Chapter 142: a vivid dream

Chapter 142: Chapter 142: a vivid dream

The inn was exactly as Damian remembered.

Warm afternoon sunlight spilled across the polished wooden floor, bathing the empty dining room in quiet gold.

There were no other guests.

No footsteps.

No clatter of dishes.

Only the two of them.

Vivienne sat across from him, just as she had the day before.

A slice of strawberry shortcake rested between them.

She looked at him with the same playful smile.

"Would you like one?"

She lifted a small piece of cake with her fork.

This time...

He didn’t hesitate.

He leaned forward.

The cake melted on his tongue.

Vivienne laughed softly.

"I knew you’d like it."

He watched her smile.

Unable to look away.

Then she frowned.

"...Oh."

"A little cream."

She reached for the linen napkin resting beside her plate.

"Hold still."

With gentle care, she dabbed at the corner of his lips.

She drew the napkin back and frowned ever so slightly.

"Hm."

"It didn’t come off."

Damian opened his mouth to speak.

Before he could...

She rose from her chair.

Slowly, she walked around the table until she stood beside him.

Her perfume drifted toward him, light and floral, familiar in a way that made his heartbeat quicken.

She looked down at him with an amused smile.

"Let me."

Before he could process her movement, she swung one leg over his thighs, straddling his lap completely. Her skirts billowed and fell around them both as she settled against him, her knees framing his hips.

Damian froze.

The sudden, intimate weight of her body on his sent a searing jolt straight through him. An immediate, undeniable surge of heat pooled abruptly lower, an intense arousal hitting him so hard and fast it left him utterly breathless, his body reacting to her presence with a fierce, helpless urgency beneath his trousers.

She cupped his cheek.

Their eyes met.

Time seemed to stop.

Without another word, she leaned in. Instead of the napkin, the sweet, velvet press of her tongue brushed against the corner of his mouth, softly licking away the lingering trace of cream.

Every coherent thought scattered.

His pulse thundered in his ears.

Some distant part of him whispered that none of this should be happening.

Anthony.

She’s Anthony’s fiancée.

The thought surfaced...

Then dissolved beneath the impossible warmth of her nearness and the undeniable throb of his own body pressed against hers.

Vivienne smiled as though she could hear every conflicted thought racing through his mind.

She reached for his hand.

Their fingers intertwined naturally.

She guided it gently between them before resting her forehead against his.

He could feel the warmth of her skin.

Hear the quiet rhythm of her breathing.

She looked into his eyes.

Softly...

Almost shyly...

"Do you know..."

"What tastes sweeter than cake?"

He couldn’t answer.

She smiled.

"Damian..."

"I think..."

"I like you."

His heart lurched.

Without thinking, he lifted his free hand, wanting only to hold her a little closer—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The sound cracked through the silence like breaking glass.

The sunlight vanished.

The warmth disappeared.

The empty dining hall dissolved into darkness.

Damian’s eyes snapped open.

He lay motionless in the quiet of his room, breathing harder than he should have been. His heart pounded against his ribs as fragments of the dream slipped through his fingers, leaving behind only the lingering memory of sunlight, strawberry cake... and Vivienne’s voice.

His body was still burning, heavy and aching with the unfulfilled reaction the dream had coaxed out of him.

"...Damn."

He closed his eyes briefly, dragging a hand across his face.

Of all the dreams his subconscious could have conjured...

It had chosen her.

A second knock sounded.

"Damian?"

Julian’s voice came from the other side of the door.

"You awake in there?"

Damian let out a slow breath before staring at the ceiling once more.

"...Perfect timing."

--

He lay there for a long moment, waiting for his body to catch up with reality. The physical reaction didn’t just vanish at the sound of the knock; it lingered, heavy and insistent, making the contrast between the dream and his cold room almost agonizing.

Thankfully, his roommate seemed to have already left as he rather not have an audience seeing him this way.

He dragged both hands down his face, cursing under his breath as he adjusted himself through his trousers. Taking a slow, steadying breath to force the blood back where it belonged, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat on the edge until the arousal finally began to dull into a faint, frustrated ache.

"Damian?" Julian’s knock came again, sharper this time.

"Hold on," Damian called out, his voice raspy with sleep. He grabbed a shirt from the chair, pulled it on over his head.

Damian let out one final slow breath before pushing himself to his feet.

The lingering warmth of the dream had finally begun to fade, leaving behind nothing more than an uncomfortable memory and a faint frustration he preferred not to examine.

He ran a hand through his hair, then crossed the room.

Another knock sounded.

This time, more impatient than before.

He unlocked the door.

The moment it swung open, Julian grinned.

"Took you long enough."

He stepped inside without waiting for permission.

"I was beginning to think you were hiding something."

His eyes swept over Damian with exaggerated scrutiny.

"...Or someone."

Damian gave him a flat look.

"I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed."

"I usually am."

Julian dropped a paper bag onto the small table before helping himself to one of the chairs.

Behind him, Adrian entered at a far more civilized pace, carrying two cups of coffee.

"Good afternoon."

Damian inclined his head.

"Adrian."

Adrian handed him one of the cups.

"I hope we didn’t wake you."

"No."

"I was already awake."

Julian snorted.

"Judging by how long it took you to answer the door..."

"I have my doubts."

Damian glanced toward the clock.

12: 17 p.m.

"...Apparently I slept longer than intended."

Julian leaned back comfortably in his chair.

"That’s putting it mildly."

"I’ve known you for four years."

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in bed at this time."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Seriously."

"What kept you up?"

--

Tbc