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Chapter Nineteen
Damian
He was back to feeling nothing again. Well, except for the ache in his chest that refused to go away. Damian sat up and eyed the empty bottle on his night stand accusingly as a wave of nausea hit him. He was in for a major hangover and he could already feel it. The slumbering redhead next to him received a dispassionate glance. He did a double take and then let out a snort when he noticed the dark roots above the dark red strands. She wasn’t even a natural redhead. She’d looked like one last night when he barreled into the back of his limo with her. Taking her back to his place had seemed like a good idea at the time.
He’d broken a very important rule. He’d brought a one-night stand into his home. “Fuck,” he groaned, already regretting it. Two months had passed since Abby did something no one else had ever accomplished. She’d played him for a fool, ripped his heart out, and trampled it on her way out the door. Even destroying Caleb Aldridge beyond the grave hadn’t done a thing to make him feel better.
Everyone knew the truth about his father’s innocence and Caleb and Celeste’s treachery. The piece of information that he’d tried to keep hidden had been revealed. It was known that Celeste’s husband had two children outside of their marriage, and like a fool, Celeste lied to cover it up. Once there was light shed on who Caleb and Celeste really were, everyone went digging, and everything came to light.
Celeste was in hiding, probably with her family who were on the verge of going bankrupt. Damian had made sure of it. He was done. He’d done what he set out to do…and was more miserable than he’d been when he started. He groaned again, and the woman stirred beside him. She rolled over and opened her eyes to look at him.
“Good morning,” she said.
Damian sighed. And there he went again with the random women and the awkward mornings after. “Nothing good about it.” He peered down at the woman. In the light of morning, she appeared much older, and the heavy makeup didn’t do much for her. Compared to Abby’s natural beauty the woman came in at a very distant second. Damian mentally kicked himself for even thinking about Abby. But, that was why he’d picked up the woman, wasn’t it? Because he’d been thinking about Abby and the red head had caught his attention. If it were Abby beside him, he would have her in his arms, and she’d be talking his ears off. He’d pretend to be annoyed when secretly, he loved it. He’d probably say something to rile her up just to see her blue eyes gash fire, and then he’d make love to her.
“For fuck’s sake,” he said. He had to stop thinking about her. She’d betrayed him!
“Are you okay?” the woman asked, sitting up.
Of course, he had no idea what her name was. “Fine.”
“Who’s Abby?” You kept calling me that, not that I gave a damn,” the woman said. “And what the hell is a Querida?”
Damian looked up to the ceiling and shook his head. If he weren’t so miserable, he would have laughed. “No one. Nothing. You should get going. Can I call you a cab or something?”
She sat up and sighed. “Damn, I was hoping for another round. You’ve got a magic wand there, Damian.”
His brows shot up. He vaguely remembered covering that magic wand before wielding it, thank god. “Thanks.”
“Oh, no. Thank you.” The woman vacated the bed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll get my own ride. This isn’t my first rodeo.”
“At least let me pay for a cab.” He watched in amazement as she slipped on her dress, gave him a wave, and sauntered towards the door.
“No need. I got what I came for. I knew you’d give me a wild ride, and I was right. I’ll see myself out.”
“Well, that was a first,” he said. Could the secret to a successful and drama-free one-night stand be to have them with an older woman? With a shrug, he got up. He was about to shower when he heard footsteps nearing. Perhaps the very calm artificial redhead had forgotten something. Quickly, he hauled on a pair of sweats hanging on the back of a chair.
Camilla rounded the corner, her face full of surprise. “Oh, my god, mi primo. Please, tell me you did not bareback that.”
Damian closed his eyes and prayed for patience. “Camilla, I’m your older cousin, don’t say things like that to me. Please. And no, I didn’t.”
“Good because she looks like a lady of the night, and not even a classy one like I was.”
Gritting his teeth, Damian ignored most of her comment and focused on the last part. “Was?”
“Yeah, it’s a long story, but it involves a crazy, obsessive client who helped me see the danger of that lifestyle. Besides, I have all that I need to finish school, and I still have enough juicy stories to write my biography. All in all, it’s worked out well. I’ll miss the many all-expense paid trips though.” Camilla stared off into the distance and sighed. “I’m already over it. On to you.”
Speechless, Damian shook his head. Camilla was like another version of Abby, a woman who never failed to shock him. “Good for you, and you should go away.”
“And leave you to sulk? I don’t think so. Your mother sent me here to talk some sense into you. She felt you’d listen to me. And why not? I am wise beyond my years.”
This time Damian laughed. “If you were all that wise, you wouldn’t have gotten into escorting.”
“Hey, that was a social experiment. Mostly. And this is about you not me.” Camilla squared him with a determined look. “Damian, you need to stop this.” She waved her hands. “The random women, the salon created redheads, locking yourself away and drowning your sorrows. None of it will help you get over Abby.”
With a scowl, Damian took off. “I got over her the minute she walked out the door.” Heading to the kitchen, he heard rapid footsteps behind him.
“Liar.”
