Page 24 of Just One: Box Set

Chapter Six

T he last month had been the best of Damon’s life, and as their time in Venice neared its end, the thought of leaving made his chest tighten.

He couldn’t imagine his life without Allison anymore.

When he had shown up at her door, he’d been half-prepared for her to slam it in his face.

But she hadn’t. Instead, they had spent every waking moment together, exploring Venice by day and each other by night.

Their connection was more than just physical—although the chemistry was undeniable—it was deep, emotional, and real.

Her body responded to his in ways no other woman had before, and he knew without a doubt that he wanted to keep her in his life.

Today, however, the weather had taken a turn, leaving them curled up on the couch in her suite, enjoying a lazy day indoors.

It was a rare, quiet moment where Damon got to learn more about the woman he was falling for.

Allison shared stories about her family, giving him even more reasons to care about them.

Her brothers already felt like part of his own life, especially Archer, who was married to his sister Harley.

They joked about the odd coincidence of their familial connection, but it never bothered her.

What intrigued him most, though, was hearing about her career and how it had unraveled because of her ex-fiancé.

“So,” Damon asked, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand, “tell me more about law school? I still can’t believe you were headed for a legal career and ended up as a marketing exec for that guy.”

Allison rolled her eyes, popping the word, “Whelp,” as if it explained everything. “I had planned to work part-time while going to night school for law, but… I got caught up in him. I thought we had a future. Two years later, I was ready to be his wife.”

She paused, placing a hand on Damon’s thigh. “Is this weird for you? Me talking about my broken engagement again?”

Damon smiled, lacing his fingers with hers.

They had discussed Austin a lot over the past month, but hearing about how her ex had messed things up didn’t bother him.

If anything, he was grateful for the man’s mistakes.

“I’m the guy sitting here with you right now,” he said, voice steady.

“I’m the guy who just gave you two orgasms, so no, I’m not threatened by Austin. Unless…”

Damon’s voice trailed off, uncertainty creeping in as he prepared to ask the question that had gnawed at him for weeks. He wasn’t sure if he could handle the answer.

“Unless what?” Allison’s brow furrowed, her gaze curious.

“Unless you’re still in love with him,” Damon said, swallowing hard, his heart racing. He prayed she wouldn’t shatter him with one simple word.

To his surprise, she snorted, nearly bursting into laughter. “No,” she managed between giggles, then took a deep breath. “Looking back on it, I don’t think I ever truly loved him. I got caught up in the idea of being his girlfriend, of being a wife. But I never felt like this with him.”

Her words were like music to Damon’s ears.

He trailed his hand up her thigh, slipping beneath the hem of her shorts.

“Felt like what?” he asked, his voice low and seductive as his fingers found their way to her warm center.

She clenched her thighs around his hand, her body already reacting to his touch.

Allison’s head lolled back against the couch as he kneeled between her legs. “Like this,” she gasped as he slid his fingers inside her, curving them just right. “I feel you everywhere… It’s terrifying, but I’ve never had this with anyone else.”

Damon withdrew his hand, cupping the back of her head as he pressed his lips to hers, the kiss deep and consuming.

He ground his hips against her core, feeling her heat through the thin fabric of his sweatpants.

The friction was almost enough to undo him right there.

“I’m burned into your soul, Allison,” he whispered against her lips.

“Just like you’re burned into mine. I meant it when I said you’re mine. ”

He was on the verge of pushing her shorts aside and burying himself inside her when a loud knock echoed through the suite. “Jesus,” Allison muttered, sitting up with a groan. She narrowed her eyes toward the door. “Who the hell is interrupting now?”

Damon stood, running a hand through his hair, as Allison stalked toward the door.

“If it’s Lorenzo, I swear I’ll kick him in the balls,” she muttered.

Damon smirked, though the interruption left him frustrated.

Lorenzo and his husband, Niccolò, had become fast friends, but neither had a habit of showing up unannounced.

Allison threw the door open, ready to unleash a verbal assault. “Lorenzo, I swear to—” But she froze, her body going rigid in Damon’s arms.

It wasn’t Lorenzo.

Standing at the door was a man whose eyes burned with barely-contained rage.

A man Damon had only heard about in the worst possible context.

Austin. Stepping behind her he placed his hand on her hip, pulling her against his tall frame.

The tension in the air was thick, and Damon tightened his grip on Allison’s waist, his body instinctively protective.

Allison’s voice came out low and cold, “What are you doing here, Austin?”

“Sorry to interrupt your sexy time, Allison,” Austin sneered, his eyes glaring at Damon as if he didn’t exist. “But we need to talk.”

Allison snorted, her expression hardening. “Talk? Are you fucking serious right now? The time to talk was months ago. I have nothing to say to you. Go home to your wife.”

Austin’s face twisted in pain. “I can’t. She left me.” His eyes finally moved to her, his voice tinged with desperation. “I didn’t expect you to move on so fast.”

The anger simmering in Allison bubbled to the surface. She stepped out of Damon’s hold, her fury tangible as she faced her ex. “Don’t you dare,” she snapped. “I’m not married, so who I sleep with is none of your damn business. You need to leave, Austin. Coming here was a waste of time.”

Austin grabbed her arm, his voice breaking. “Please, Allison. I messed up. I should’ve told you about Natalie.”

Allison’s face twisted with disgust. “You think telling me you had a wife would’ve made this better? You’re a piece of shit.”

Austin sighed, his expression heavy with regret. “I was going to leave her for you. But she told me she was sick, so I stayed… Turns out she lied about it all. Please, just give me a chance to explain.”

Damon watched as Allison’s body language shifted, a flicker of doubt crossing her face. He stepped closer, brushing his thumb gently across her cheek. “Allison?” he asked softly, his heart clenching as her eyes met his.

She was conflicted, torn between the past she’d tried to leave behind and the man who had shown up out of nowhere, asking for forgiveness.

Damon knew he needed to give her space to figure this out, but it terrified him.

Still, he stepped back, forcing his voice to remain steady. “I’ll give you two some time to talk.”

He turned and headed for the bedroom loft, his chest tightening with every step. He couldn’t bring himself to look back, afraid the fear in his eyes would be too obvious. The fear that she might choose her past over the future they’d barely begun to build.

Damon could hear their muffled voices as he threw on a shirt and grabbed his wallet and phone.

He took a deep breath before heading back down the stairs.

As he reached the living room, he saw Allison sitting on the couch, her hand locked in Austin’s as she listened to him speak, her expression conflicted.

“Hey,” Damon said, his voice barely above a whisper, but neither of them looked his way. The lack of acknowledgment was a knife to his chest. He couldn’t stay. Not now.

He left the suite, closing the door behind him, and leaned against the cool surface, his throat tight with emotion.

The elevator dinged, and Damon forced himself to walk toward it, swallowing the bile rising in his throat.

He wanted to run back inside, to confess how deeply he’d fallen for her, but he didn’t.

Instead, he pressed the button for the lobby and rode down in silence.

By the time he reached the bar, a whiskey had already appeared in front of him. He hadn’t even realized he’d ordered it, but the burn of the amber liquid sliding down his throat was a welcome distraction.

She loved him once, Damon thought, his forehead resting against the bar. Despite everything Austin had done, she had loved him. And maybe… maybe she still did.

The bartender poured another round, and Damon lifted the glass to his lips. He let the alcohol drown out the swirling thoughts and the pain that gnawed at him. For now, it was all he had to hold onto.