Page 47 of Deliah

B y the time we got back to the villa, we were both completely wrecked.

Like we’d been chewed up by the night and spit back out into the morning.

Still, even in his exhaustion, Damion tucked me into bed like I was something precious.

He kissed my forehead, climbed in beside me, and pulled me close without a word.

His arms curled around me like they were built to fit mine.

Within minutes, we were both fast asleep.

When I finally opened my eyes, it was past midday.

The sunlight bled through the curtains in soft golden stripes, and everything felt slow, warm, and still.

I turned my head, and there he was. Damion.

Sleeping beside me. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, the muscles in his arms slack for once, his jaw relaxed.

Peaceful. He looked younger like this. Softer.

And somehow, even hotter. His hair was tousled, lips slightly parted, like he’d just stepped out of a dream.

I didn’t move. I just watched him. Let myself take in every inch—every line of his collarbone, the freckles on his shoulders, the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw.

The man who had wrecked me and rebuilt me.

Who’d held me through the worst night of my life like I was his whole world.

I curled in closer, pressed my body gently to his.

That warmth… God, I could’ve stayed there forever.

Eventually, his eyes fluttered open. Still heavy with sleep, he blinked a few times, then smiled as soon as he saw me. “You okay, baby?” he mumbled, voice rough and deliciously hoarse.

“Yeah,” I said softly. “Just taking a peek before the demon wakes up.”

He laughed, then pulled me tighter. I sank into him like I belonged there.

And then I felt it. That slow, aching throb between my legs.

My body craving him—not rough or wild like before, but something else.

Something slow. Something real. I looked up at him, then kissed him.

Soft, deliberate. He kissed me back just as slowly, lips pressing into mine like a promise.

I rolled over him, straddling his waist. My hair fell around us like a curtain.

His hands instinctively found my thighs, but I caught them and placed them on the bed beside him.

“Deliah,” he said carefully, searching my face. “Are you sure you’re ready? Your head—”

“I’m fine, Damion. I promise,” I whispered, pressing my lips to his jaw. “But today… we’re doing it my way.”

His brows lifted slightly. There was a flicker of something amused, maybe even uncertain, in his eyes. I could tell he wasn’t used to giving up control like this. But he trusted me. I felt it in the way his hands stayed exactly where I placed them.

“Just lie back,” I murmured. “Let me take care of you.”

“Deliah… your head.”

“Shhh,” I said, brushing my lips over his. “You owe me, remember?”

That made him smile. A crooked, adoring smile that melted me from the inside out.

I leaned back and pulled my oversized t-shirt over my head, baring myself completely in the soft afternoon light.

His eyes darkened instantly, tracing every inch of skin like it was sacred.

He didn’t move, didn’t try to take control.

He just looked. Like I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“You’re unreal,” he whispered.

I kissed down his chest, then slid my thong to the side with one hand while the other pushed his boxers down just enough to free him.

He was already hard. I reached down, guided him to my entrance, and slowly—achingly slowly—sank down onto him.

We both gasped. His hands gripped the sheets.

I stayed there, just for a moment, letting the stretch and the heat wash over me.

Letting the fact that we were here—together, connected—anchor me.

I began to move, rolling my hips in slow, fluid circles.

Grinding down, then rising just enough to feel the friction, the fullness.

My hands on his chest, his eyes locked on mine like I was rewriting every page of his story.

He groaned. “Fuck, Deliah…”

I leaned down and kissed his neck, letting my tongue drag across his skin.

“You feel so good,” I whispered. “So deep. So mine.”

His hands trembled at his sides.

“Can I—” he started.

“No,” I said with a grin. “You don’t get to touch. Not yet.”

He groaned again but obeyed. I rode him slowly, teasingly. My pace shifted—sometimes grinding hard and fast, then slowing back to a soft rhythm that made us both ache. Every time I clenched around him, he cursed under his breath. His hips twitched upwards, desperate for more.

“Deliah… baby, please…”

I leaned in, pressing my forehead to his. “Tell me what you want,” I murmured.

“You. Just you. However you want me.”

His words made my heart stutter. I kissed him deeply, hips picking up pace now, our bodies sliding against each other in a slow, slick rhythm.

“I love you,” I whispered into his mouth.

His eyes opened wide. And then it hit him.

His grip snapped free from the sheets, and he clutched my hips as we moved faster, harder, deeper.

We came together—loud, messy, overwhelming.

I felt him shudder beneath me, his hands squeezing my thighs, his mouth buried against my collarbone as I moaned his name like it was the only word I remembered.

When the tremors faded, I collapsed forward onto his chest, skin slick, heart racing.

We lay there tangled in each other, panting, sweating, smiling like idiots.

He brushed a damp strand of hair off my face and looked at me with that soft, stupid look.

“I love you too,” he said, still breathless, eyes glassy. “Baby, you’re insane.”

I grinned, pressing a kiss to his jaw. “You’re welcome.”

He chuckled, then pulled me tighter. “Don’t get used to being on top, though.”

I smirked, voice syrupy-sweet. “Why? You scared I’ll steal your title?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Deliah…”

“What?” I said, already giggling. “You said I could have control today. I’m just exploring my power.”

He rolled us over, pinning me beneath him effortlessly. “You’ve got about five seconds of power left, baby.”

“Bring it,” I whispered.

Later that day, I finally rang Cherry back. She’d tried to call me what felt like a hundred times since everything went down at work. As soon as she picked up, her voice came through in a panic.

“Babe! What the fuck? I’ve been calling you nonstop. Are you okay? You had me going mad!”

“I know… I’m sorry.” I sighed, sinking deeper into the sofa. “I’ve just been resting. I couldn’t even look at my phone.”

There was a pause. “Are you feeling better? How’s your head?”

“Yeah, getting better. Just... exhausted.”

“Deliah,” she said gently but firmly. “Where the fuck have you been? You scared the shit out of me. What the hell happened?”

“You saw Charlie, right? He was being a total prick as usual.”

“Yeah, I saw. But I didn’t see the fucking wreckage after. What happened with the fight? With Damion?”

“It’s... a long story.” My voice cracked slightly, and I swallowed it down. “Come over tomorrow. I’ll explain everything then. I don’t think I’ve got the energy to go into it now.”

She was quiet for a second. Then: “Okay. As long as you’re safe. Jesus, babe—I thought something really bad had happened. I’ve been sitting here with this horrible knot in my stomach.”

“I’m alright. Just shaken. And Damion’s been amazing, to be honest.”

“I swear to God, if anyone touches you again, I’ll—” She stopped herself, then let out a breathy laugh. “God, I even screamed at him, Del. I lost it in the car on the way to the hospital.”

“You did what?”

“Yeah… properly lost my shit. Thought he’d done something to you. I didn’t know what was going on.”

“Oh, fuck. Really?”

“Really. I told him if he’d hurt you, I’d bury him in the sand and dance on his grave.”

Despite everything, I laughed. “Jesus, Cherry.”

“Well, I was worried! You’re my best mate. Don’t go ignoring me like that again, alright?”

“I won’t. I promise.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. I’ll call you in the morning—see if Damion can grab you before he heads to work.”

She groaned. “That’ll go down a treat after I threatened to murder him.”

“Yeah… might wanna soften that up with a coffee or something.”

“Noted,” she said, chuckling. “Alright, babe, I’ll let you go. I’ll get a taxi if I have to.”

“Okay. Speak in the morning, yeah?”

“Yeah. Get some rest. You sound done in.”

“I am.”

The next morning, Cherry came over—dropped off by Damion, who barely made eye contact when I opened the door.

He gave me a tired, dramatic roll of the eyes like he’d just survived a full interrogation.

I smirked. “She been grilling you?” He didn’t even answer—just shot me a look that said help and drove off.

“Jesus, finally,” Cherry huffed, barging past me and throwing her arms around my neck. “I thought I was gonna have to walk here barefoot if I didn’t get answers soon.”

We flopped down onto the sofa, and she took one look at me before wincing.

“Fucking hell, babe… You look like death that’s been microwaved and left out overnight.”

“Wow,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “Thanks. You really know how to lift a girl’s spirits.”

She shrugged with a grin. “Just keeping it real. Now spill. Every last bit.”

I took a deep breath. “Alright. So basically… Damion and Charlie got into it in the staffroom. Full-blown fight. And in the middle of me trying to split them up, I got knocked and hit my head.”

“Yeah, okay—but why were they fighting? Don’t give me the polite version, Del.”

I hesitated. “Turns out... years ago, they were both seeing the same woman.”

Her eyes nearly bulged out. “A woman? Isn’t Charlie like forty-odd? What was she? Some sort of time-travelling harlot?”

“She was thirty. Damion was about twenty at the time. So technically, it wasn’t that scandalous.”

Cherry gave me a look. “Still, he doesn’t exactly scream ‘into younger women.’ I pictured him with, like... I don’t know, someone terrifying in heels. Not a cougar in a cocktail bar.”

I let out a laugh. “I think she played him. She was working in a club that Damion used to go to, and Charlie managed the place. Long story short—she was playing them both.”

“Classic.” She shook her head. “Okay, fine, but that still doesn’t explain the punch-up. What started it?”

“He walked into the staffroom just as Charlie called me a whore.”

Her jaw dropped. “Oh, fuck. That’ll do it.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Didn’t even hesitate. Straight in.”

She leaned back and grinned. “Something about you, Deliah. You always manage to have men fighting over you. Swear it’s your toxic little superpower.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Cheers, babe. Real supportive.”

She grinned. “I’m just saying—drama follows you like glitter.”

I smiled, then paused for a second. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, course.”

“That night… Damion walked into the staffroom like a man on a mission. But he’s never even set foot in the club before. Did you say something to him? Like when you went outside?”

She looked sheepish. “I did. I told him Charlie was giving you a hard time, but I didn’t think he’d storm in. He practically bolted before I could even finish my sentence.”

I let out a long sigh. “It’s been bugging me. For a second, I thought he’d tapped my phone or something. Like full psycho—listening in.”

Cherry burst out laughing. “What next? Secret earpiece? Babe, you’ve got him so whipped he’d probably wiretap your pillow if he could.”

I laughed too. “Yeah, I know. He’s just... intense.”

“You’re intense. He’s just matching you,” she teased, nudging me with her foot. “But seriously... I’m glad you’re alright.”

“I am. Sort of.”

She softened. “You scared me, Del. I know you’re tough and all that, but I had a mini heart attack when I couldn’t get hold of you.”

I leaned into her a little, resting my head on her shoulder for a second. “Thanks for always showing up. Even when I look like microwaved death.”

She snorted. “You’re welcome. Now get in the kitchen and make me a coffee, you dramatic little troll.”

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself off the sofa, stretching as I made my way towards the kitchen. Just as I reached the doorway, she shouted after me, “So it looks like we’re ladies of leisure again!”

“Yeah,” I called back. “Fuck going back to work there.”

We both burst out laughing. Once again, we had no jobs, no plan, and too much time on our hands. Which, for us, was always a dangerous combination.