“May I touch you?” he asked, slowly raising his hands.
Caroline nodded, feeling all of her pent-up emotions begin to well up to the surface.
She let out a stuttering breath as his large, warm fingers caressed over the place Agatha’s cruel grip had been only a moment ago, and she had to close her eyes to keep her tears from spilling. She forced in deep breaths through her nostrils as she then felt his touch travel to her wrist, which still pulsed with pain.
“Shedidhurt you,” Damien rasped, cradling her wrist with great care.
Caroline opened her eyes just in time to watch him raise her wrist to his mouth, and she let out a stifled sob as he placed the most delicate kisses over the reddened skin. He stopped at once when he heard her cry, his brows furrowing with concern.
“Did that hurt?” he asked.
“No,” Caroline breathed, shaking her head. “It was just... that moment felt so... I just need to catch my breath and calm down before I help Jeremy with the party.”
“Jeremy will survive just fine on his own. Probably,” Damien comforted. “Come, let us get you upstairs and to some privacy.”
He moved to let go of her wrist, but just as his fingertips parted from hers, she reached for him and slid her hand into his. Damien looked back at her, gazing down as if she had just surprised him with the most wonderful gift. He offered her asmall smile as he wrapped his fingers around hers, and then, without another word, quietly took her to her room.
Chapter 26
“Oh, angel,” Damien sighed as he lifted a hand to Caroline’s face.
Caroline had been able to keep on a mask of indifference as they made their way through the crowded ballroom and up the stairs, but the moment he had shut the door to her quarters, she had cupped her hands over her eyes and begun to sob.
Guilt tore through his chest at not getting to her sooner. He had stayed away for the last few days, trying to give her the space she kept insisting that she wanted, but it seemed that he had returned a moment too late to save her from her stepmother’s cruelty.
His heart then threatened to break as Caroline nuzzled into his palm and her hot tears ran down his wrist. She looked so tired, so small and frightened, and it was all his fault.
“I am so sorry,” he rasped, drawing his other arm tentatively around her waist. “I should have been there with you. If I had, things never would have gone so far. I just... You wanted...”
Damien’s words were cut off as Caroline stood on her toes and kissed him. Surprise and yearning surged through his veins instantly, shutting down any thoughts he might have had. He groaned as her arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed herself close, and he quickly responded by wrapping his arms around her, trapping her against him.
After a moment, their lips parted, but instead of letting her go, he pulled her closer, taking control of the moment and pressing his lips back to hers. Pleasure shot straight to his groin as she let out a soft whimper, and he succumbed to his craving to devour her.
Is this what heaven feels like?
He worshiped her lips, drawing each one into his mouth, then let his tongue glide over her bottom lip. He relished the whimper she made when he did, seizing the moment to deepen the kiss. Her grip around his neck tightened as she suckled his tongue gently, sending another wave of pent-up desire to his already aching cock.
When they finally parted, they stepped back, panting. As he met her eyes, he saw them dark and hooded with lust just as intense as his own. Her lips, which were already full, now looked irresistibly tempting, swollen and glistening from the heat of his kiss. He had to stop himself from leaning in to kiss her all over again. But first, he needed answers.
“I do not understand,” he rasped, willing his mind to stop buzzing. “You wanted space. You told me you did not want me to touch you.”
“I know,” she breathed, bringing a hand to his jaw. “I only now realize how silly my rule about no touching was.”
He could not help but let his lashes flutter shut as he felt her soft touch, and he nuzzled into it like the touch-starved man he was.
“It was just a way to protect myself,” she explained. “I was denying that I crave your touch. I thought it was a trick, that you were trying to seduce me into being obedient, but I know now. I know that you care for me. That you want to protect me. I knew it before you saved me downstairs, but that moment only confirmed what I already realized.”
Relief poured through Damien, and he exhaled a deep breath as he let himself bow toward her.
“How? When?” he asked.
A small smile touched Caroline’s swollen lips.
“Two days ago. Right after you disappeared,” she explained. “And let us just say that Jeremy does not always play the fool. He has moments of startling sincerity.”
Damien let out a weak laugh as he placed his hand over hers and moved her palm to his lips so he could kiss it.
“Remind me to let him host another party,” he joked. “And buy him a bottle of excellent port.”
