Page 35 of Die for You (Diamond Devils #4)

Damien

The new boyfriend’s name is Todd. Todd . What kind of name is that? The name alone makes him a douchebag.

Except he pulls my mom’s chair out for her and puts his black platinum credit card on the table before the waiter’s even brought the check. He smiles at her, gaze glued to her every time she talks, and his eyes don’t stray to a single other woman in the restaurant.

More importantly, my mother leans into his touch and her eyes light up when she looks at him. I’ve never seen her look at a man like that. The way Aurora looks at me. The way I look at her.

Guess he might not be as big of a dick as I figured he’d be. Maybe.

Mom insisted her two favorite men finally sit down for a family dinner. I ordered the most expensive steak and liquor on the menu, and the guy didn’t bat an eye.

“How is Aurora?” Mom smiles, popping a final bite of tiramisu into her mouth before shoving her plate away.

“Great.”

Way better now that we haven’t seen that asshole Jeremiah since the court hearing. I’m not letting my guard down yet—I know better than that. But the new bounce in Aurora’s step and the easy smile she’s been wearing lately make me hopeful that we’ve started a new chapter, with him far behind us.

“If it’s getting more serious between you two, I want to meet her.” Mom stands and squeezes Todd’s shoulder before she heads for the restroom.

Left with Todd, I lean back in my seat and level my glare at him. He keeps his jovial smile. Not for long.

“So tell me more about this Aurora?—”

“My mother’s one of the few people in this world I give a shit about.” I nod after her retreating back. Despite the low threat underlying my words, Todd’s easygoing expression doesn’t falter. “I play hockey. I can toss grown men across ice. Just remember that.”

Todd lets out a good-natured laugh, resting his forearms on the table. “I’m glad she has a son who cares so much about her.”

I nearly roll my eyes. Bet he is. Bet he was just delighted when he discovered she has a twenty-two-year-old son. “And her son’s got a whole hockey team that would happily follow their captain to prison.”

“Trust me, I’d feel the same way in your shoes. But you don’t need to worry.” He slouches back against his chair, and the easy way he talks makes me think I might actually believe him. “I’d rather hurt myself than her. Your mother is...very important to me.”

I drop my elbows onto the table. “Relax, Shakespeare. I don’t need you waxing poetic. She’s my mother.”

He might not be writing her love letters or sonnets, but if the guy’s half as decent as he seems, I might not have to kill him.

My mother returns, and he stands to pull out her chair again.

I make a mental note to ask her if he’s always like this or if he’s putting on a show.

She doesn’t seem surprised, though. More like she expects the princess treatment from him now.

Maybe she’s finally found someone who can love her the way she deserves.

Maybe we both have.

Though I’m not sure how long what I have with Aurora will last. Graduation is looming, and then what?

She’ll head for Juilliard and forget all about me.

Maybe she’ll realize when she’s gone that I’m not enough for her.

Maybe she’ll still want Knox and Finn. Or maybe she won’t want any of us anymore.

“So what did you two talk about while I was gone?” Mom smiles at us until her attention is drawn to the chair at my side, where someone tugs it from the table.

The most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen sits beside me. “Hi! Sorry I’m late. I was taking my permit test.”

Mom brightens, and I can’t help the goofy smile that takes over my face as I wrap my arm across the back of Aurora’s chair. She never mentioned plans to meet us here. Best surprise I’ve ever gotten.

“Aurora! Oh my gosh, Damien didn’t even tell us you were joining us. I’m so glad you made it! How did your test go?”

She pulls a card from her pocket with a megawatt smile. “I’m now a driver with a permit.”

When I met her, she was the type of girl to keep her accomplishments to herself. To keep everything close to the chest. Shut everyone out; let no one in.

I’m so fucking proud of her. She’s the strongest, bravest girl I know. She faces her fears, and even when she’s trembling, she overcomes them.

I squeeze her shoulder and lean close to murmur in her ear. “I’m proud of you, angel.”

“Thank you, honey,” she purrs.

I bark out a surprised laugh, but Mom is eating this shit up. She grins as her gaze darts between us. Even Todd looks happy for us.

Aurora orders a dessert, and we linger while Mom interviews her and Aurora answers every question politely between bites. I’m dying to lick that smear of chocolate from her lip. When I get her alone.

Mom finally lets us leave the table when I insist we’ve both got studying to do.

Outside the restaurant, she hugs me and Aurora, and Todd shakes my hand.

Firm handshake. He takes my mother’s hand and keeps to the outside of the sidewalk, putting himself between her and the cars passing in the parking lot. Another box checked.

Still keeping my eye on him, though.

“Your mom is so sweet,” Aurora says. “I like her. I like Todd too.”

“Yeah. He’s all right.”

“Wow.” Her eyes shoot up in mock surprise. “You don’t hate him? How many hoops did you make him jump through to win your approval?”

“Yeah, yeah, smart ass. Let’s go.” I grab her hand and tug her toward my SUV. “Knox and Finn drop you off?”

“Yep. But I can drive us home. I’m permitted .”

Her corny pun lands like a rock in the silence between us. I shake my head but bite back a laugh. She’s so damn adorable, even a terrible pun from her lips makes me smile. “I’m glad you showed up.”

“I knew you didn’t want to go. So I figured I could at least help break the tension.”

I drop her hand and tug her close by the waist when we reach my SUV. She looks up at me with those irresistible brown eyes and a perfect little smile with those pink lips that make me want to kiss her every time I see her.

“Thank you.” The words are unfamiliar on my tongue. But she deserves to hear them. “Having you there meant a lot to me. Having you by my side always does. I’m...better. With you.”

Aurora makes me feel stronger. Invincible. Like I could do anything, be anybody, and she’d be right there, cheering me on.

“Me too.” She beams up at me. But when I open the passenger’s side door for her, her smile falls. “I said I could drive?—”

“Get your ass in the car, Aurora.”

She huffs and stomps to the door, ignoring the hand I offer to help her in. I chuckle when I shut the door behind her.

In about ten seconds, she’ll forgive me.

“Guess we better get home and get to all that studying we have to do.” She folds her arms and pouts.

“Or we can do our studying right here.” I pull her onto my lap until she’s straddling me. She’s so soft and pliable in my grasp. “See? I can study you just fine from here.”

“So this is what you meant by studying.” She flashes a coy smirk, and yep, I’m forgiven. Her finger traces my lips with seductive precision. “Careful. There’s an oral exam.”

I match her taunting smile. “That I’ll pass with flying colors.”

She doesn’t get time to land another sarcastic remark before my tongue’s in her mouth, wrenching her open for me.

My hand cradles her jaw for just a second before sliding into her hair and tugging. She yelps, and my lips curl up. “I love how loud you are for me.”

“Maybe I’ll stay quiet this time. Just to torment you.”

“Like you have any control over that. If I want you loud, you’ll be loud. If I want your tears, you’ll cry. If I want your screams, you’ll scream for me until your throat is raw.”

Her little grin tells me she’s eager to see how I’ll force her to be loud. “We’ll just see about that.”

I shove her dress over her head. I’d shred through it if she didn’t look so damn cute in it.

Then I yank her bra down until her tits are in my face.

Her nipple is in my mouth when she finally bites down a whimper.

She gives a pathetic attempt to mute the sound when she remembers she vowed to be quiet.

I suck her into my mouth hard. She’ll sure as shit be bruised tomorrow, just the way I like her. Her hands clutch at my shoulders and she tries to pull away, but she’s trapped between me and the steering wheel. “You’re not going anywhere.”

She mewls low in her mouth when I suck her other nipple just as deep and swirl my tongue, but she keeps her mouth clamped shut. I almost laugh. I love how stubborn she is.

Somehow, she’s the perfect girl for all of us.

She loves the way Knox praises her and she strokes his ego right back.

She defends him because he’s usually the last person to defend himself.

She loves Finn’s silence and learned how to communicate with him the way he likes best. She accepts what he’s able to give her and never pushes for more.

She loves the way I push her, challenge her, taunt her. And she pushes right back, in all the ways she knows I like. Taunts me to get my blood pumping, body temperature rising, because it makes the payoff that much sweeter.

She can take it slow and tender. Or rough and hard. Loud and quiet. The perfect woman for all of us. Our angel.

“Take out my cock.”

Though she obeys, she drops my hard length as soon as she’s unsheathed it from my jeans. I bite her nipple in warning, and she gasps. “I did what you asked!”

“I didn’t say let go.”

Obediently, she wraps her hand back around my cock, thumb tracing over the piercings, but she rolls her eyes.

I nip her shoulder. She yelps, hand involuntarily squeezing my cock a little too hard. “What did I do that time?”

“Don’t roll your eyes at me.”

“If you’re going to punish me every time I roll my eyes, I’m going to be covered in bruises.”

“Exactly how I want you.”