Page 4

Damon

She looks like an angel even while she’s sleeping.

As I carry Alice into my house, her soft breath fanning against my chest, I still can’t believe tonight happened.

I can’t believe a woman like this actually exists and that I’m holding her right now.

And that an hour ago, I had her sweet pussy in my mouth.

I’m not sure why she affects me like this—why I feel so protective of her, why every cell in my body wants her when I barely even know her.

I take her to one of the quieter bedrooms, away from everything, and lay her down gently on the bed. Her dark curls spill across the pillow making her look like a painting.

I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and watch her.

She’s beautiful.

She’s more than just beautiful; She’s ethereal, intoxicating, enamoring. And yes, my body wants her but it’s more than that. In my chest, there’s a feeling I can’t quite put my finger on.

Pulling the covers over her, I take one last look before quietly leaving the room.

The next morning, I’m in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in my hand when I hear soft footsteps. I turn just as Alice steps into the doorway.

She’s wearing the t-shirt I left by her bedside. Her eyes still look heavy from sleep as she looks around the kitchen, her gaze finally landing on me.

“I was out the whole night?”

“You were.” I cock my head. “How exactly did you find your way to the kitchen?”

She walks quietly to the dining table and sits on one of the chairs. “I just followed the smell of food. I have a pretty good nose.”

The way she says it, so simple, so honest, I find it incredibly cute. Beautiful, sexy, innocent, and cute.

“Well, it’s good to know the chef isn’t overpaid. Have a seat.”

Because I wasn’t sure what choice of breakfast she would prefer, I ordered everything possible to be made. Large portions of eggs, bacon and sausages, potatoes and hashbrowns, pancakes and waffles, toast, and coffee.

I wanted to make sure she had everything she could possibly want.

But my heart drops when she doesn’t move to get food. She just looks at the table, her expression hesitant.

The fact that I’ve failed to please her makes me feel inadequate. I don’t like the feeling at all.

“Is something wrong?” I ask.

Her eyes flick to me, then to the food. She bites her lip and that awful look of fear returns to her eyes.

I guess it takes more than an orgasm to win someone’s trust.

“Baby girl.” At that, her eyes snap to mine. But she quickly looks down.

“You don’t like the food?”

“It’s just…why are you doing this? What do you want from me?”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Of course. She doesn’t trust me. Why would she? She’s been through God knows what, sold off like an object in a place like that, and now she’s in the house of her buyer. The fact that she even managed to sleep here... it must have been pure exhaustion.

Without a word, I start to make her a plate with a little bit of everything. Maybe if I continue to show her small acts of kindness, we can build the trust between us.

I gently slide the plate of food onto the table in front of her. Her lips part slightly but she closes them again.

“Uh. Thanks.”

“My name’s Damon Blackwell,” I start. “But you already know that. I’m a businessman—tech, finance, real estate. I don’t have a favorite color, but I wear a lot of black.”

“What…what’re you doing?”

I pause and look at her. “You asked what I wanted from you. I’d like for us to get to know each other.”

Once again, she looks like I’ve just said the most surprising thing.

Does she get surprised very easily, or have the men in her life treated her any less than this? If it’s the latter, they deserve a death sentence.

I continue. “My parents died when I was young, care accident, so I don’t have any close family. Or close friends for that matter.” Alice looks up, sympathy brimming in her eyes, and I clear my throat. “I hate peanuts, and I like to travel, which is a good thing since I do so frequently.” My voice drops as I add, “Though I think I’ve found a reason to stick around.”

Her eyes light up, and she allows herself a small smile before it dims.

“You also buy girls in auction houses.”

Oh. That’s what this is about.

I make sure I meet her eyes when I say, “I was at the auction house to end a business partnership with a man I can’t trust anymore. I never expected to meet someone like you.”

“What is it about me?”

“You captured me.”

She clears her throat and when she looks at me again, the shy smile that appeared is gone again. “And what is it you want with me?”

Even though I don’t want to scare her, I don’t want to be dishonest with her either.

“To fuck you. That’s for sure.” I ignore her silent gasp and continue, “To make you mine. I want to make sure you want for nothing, that whatever you need, whatever you want, it’s yours. I want to make sure no one will ever hurt you, and you’ll never have to do anything you don’t want to do again.”

“Why?”

I nudge her plate of food, knowing she must be hungry. “I don’t have a reason. At least not one I can explain in words.”

She stares at the plate for a few seconds then with a deep breath, she picks up the fork and takes a bite. I watch her carefully as she swallows.

“My full name is Alice Cramer. I was accepted into art school, but I had to defer until next semester. At least I hope I can go then. I…” she pauses. “I don’t have any family besides my father.”

“Does he know you work at the auction house?”

Her eyes glisten and she takes another bite of the pancake with a small sniff. “He’s... the one who…gave me away.”

My breath catches in my chest, and I feel a wave of heat rise through me, but I keep my expression blank. “He gave you away?” I repeat, my voice cold.

Her hands tremble slightly, and she places them in her lap. “He couldn’t pay his debt to Mr. Kirk so he…sort of offered me instead.”

Her words slice through the air, and the pain in her voice makes my blood boil. The thought of anyone doing that to her makes my hands tighten into fists under the table. I want to find her father, whoever he is, and detach his head from his body.

But I push the anger down. This isn’t about me. It’s about her.

“Tell me more about you . What do you like? What do you want?”

She hesitates again, her hands fidgeting with the edge of the tablecloth. “I don’t know,” she murmurs. “I…I like these pancakes. They’re amazing.”

She’s changing the topic, but I don’t mind. She can do whatever she wants.

I watch her slowly take another bite, her lips parting gently as she savors the food.

A speck of pancake hangs by the side of her mouth, and before I even realize what I’m doing, I reach down and lick it off.

The air around us changes instantly.

She gasps but doesn’t pull back. “Oh…”

When I look at her, she has her eyes closed. I’m so close to her now, the scent of her skin intoxicating, mixing with the warmth of the kitchen. Or was it the warmth of her skin, too?

“Open your eyes.”

Her eyes flutter open, but her gaze is heavy with something more than just hunger for food. The tension between us feels like a wave in a storm, growing stronger with every second that passes.

The heat in her eyes matches mine. My pulse quickens and the space between us shrinks as I lean in.

“You know Alice. I’ve not had breakfast this morning,” I murmur against her lips.

“Um. Do you want some pancakes?”

“I’d like that, if I can taste them off your lips.”

Her breath hitches, and she bites her lip, nodding shyly. That’s all the permission I need. In one fluid motion, I pull her chair back and part her legs, kneeling between them.

“Fuck,” I grunt when I see that she’s not wearing panties.

The hunger I feel for her is consuming, and my cock twitches, but I hold back. I want her to feel every second of this.

“Relax,” I whisper, kissing the inside of her thigh, my hands gripping her hips as I pull her closer to the edge. “Let me take care of you.”

She’s trembling, but I can feel the anticipation radiating off of her, see it in the way her body responds to my touch. I place a slow, deliberate kiss on her core, then part her lips with my tongue.

Once I do, I lose myself in her taste.

Her hands grip the edge of the table, knuckles white as I lap at her sweet-tasting pussy.

My mouth works her relentlessly, determined to make her come undone. Her moans grow louder, more desperate, and I can feel her tensing under me, on the edge of release.

“Come for me, Alice,” I growl against her, the vibrations sending her over the edge. She shatters, her body convulsing as she cries out, her pleasure crashing over her in waves.

I rise to my feet, scooping her into my arms. My heart leaps at the satisfied smile she has on her face, but I’m not done with her—not even close.

As I carry her upstairs to the bedroom, I feel her small hand against my chest, her fingers sliding down, tracing the hard lines of my body. Her touch is like gasoline to fire and when she places her hand beneath my shirt, I stop moving. “You don’t want me to drop you, do you?”

“You won’t,” she says and grazes my nipple.

Holy shit.

But she’s right, I would never drop her. Once we get to my room, I lay her down on the bed. Her skin is glowing with the aftermath of her release. Every inch of her is perfection, and I worship her with my mouth, tasting her skin, feeling her shiver under my touch, loving every moment of it.

In my pants, my cock is throbbing hard so I press it against her leg. She tenses.

I pull back and look at her. I catch the slight hesitation in her eyes. Uncertainty and even worry.

I stop immediately. I want her—more than I’ve ever wanted anyone—but not like this. Not when she’s not ready.

I take a deep breath, reigning in the fire that’s burning inside me, and gently pull back.

“Even though I’m dying to be with you, Alice, I told you last night that you would never have to do anything you don’t want to. Ever again.”

Her hazel eyes meet mine and she takes a deep breath. “I believe you.”

I cock my brows and study her face. “You do?”

“I can’t explain it. But I do.”

“Good.”

After one last look, I turn, preparing myself for a long cold shower.

She grabs my hand before I can walk away, forcing me to turn back. “Stay,” she whispers, “Please... stay with me.”

I pause, my heart skipping a beat, and then slowly, I climb back into the bed beside her, pulling her close. She rests her head against my chest, and for the first time in a long time, I feel something more than just lust or desire. I feel... connected.

I don’t know what’s happening between us, but I know one thing for certain—she’s already getting under my skin in ways I never thought possible. And I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to let her go.