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I don’t send more. I don’t know what else to say. He messages me back after a few minutes.
Damon: I’m an idiot. Where are you? I’ll come to you.
Me: Are you sure?
Damon: Yes. If Abel is safe with you, I will be too. Tell me where you are.
I shoot off the hotel name and my room number. I hope it’s not too forward, thinking he’ll meet me upstairs, but it’s the only place where I know there aren’t cameras. Velli Corp is only a few minutes away, within walking distance of the hotel.
Having already showered, I put on a pair of jeans instead of keeping on the gray sweatpants I had on. I want to be comfortable, but not too comfortable.
A little over an hour later, a soft knock sounds at my door. Pulling in a deep breath, I open it and drink in the sight of Damon. He’s so pretty. It’s a little hot out, so his brown skin gleams with perspiration, but it just makes him look radiant. He has his hair in two braids on either side of his head today, giving me an unobstructed view of his face. His glasses take up a lot of his face, but there’s no denying how attractive he is, with or without them. His bottom lip is pulled between his teeth, and my eyes keep getting drawn to his plump mouth.
“Umm … can I …?” Damon gestures inside and I shake myself, then move out of the way so he can slide in.
He looks around and sees the covered dishes on the table, then turns and raises an eyebrow at me. Shrugging, I slide past him and take off the lids. “I’m afraid it’s nothing fancy.” The burger and fries on the dish are fine fair for me, but I had no idea what he normally ate for lunch, so I went with an American classic.
For the first time since I’ve talked to him, Damon smiles widely and I find myself struck stupid. God, having that smile aimed at me is one of the best things I’ve experienced. It’s so bright and unguarded, lighting up his face. His eyes even crinkle at the edges, like he’s genuinely impressed with me.
Damon takes his messenger bag from his shoulders and puts it on the back of the chair. He palms a bottle of water and opens it, taking a few swallows. I just watch him, mesmerized that he seems so at ease around me. Maybe he finally believes that I’m not a danger to him, after all.
Wiping his mouth after drinking his water, he looks up at me with a blush. “What?”
“Nothing.” I sit at the table across from him, popping a few fries into my mouth. “I’m glad you came. I didn’t think I would see you before I left.”
He eats a few fries and takes a bite of his burger before he says anything further. “Well, I want to apologize. I was wrong for thinking you did something violent to Abel. It was all I could think, and it was unfair.” He looks me in the eyes and I’m helpless to look away. “I’m sorry, Michael. I trust Abel. He says you’re a good guy, so I believe him.”
Chuckling, I shake my head and eat a few more fries. “I’m good to the people I love. But I don’t think I would call myself a good guy. I can’t get into it now,” I tell him when he opens his mouth, probably to ask what I mean, “but I won’t hurt you. I can promise you that.”
Damon opens and closes his mouth once, then nods. “Yeah. Okay. Can I ask you about Canada?”
“Yeah, go ahead.” I push my nearly empty plate away and give him my undivided attention.
“What’s it like? I always wanted to go, but I’m afraid.”
I smile, hoping to put him at ease. “It’s amazing. It was a bit of a culture shock, but the people are friendly, the weather is nice.” I laugh when his eyes nearly pop out of his head. “I mean, it snows a lot in the winter, but I don’t know. It’s nice. There are actually four seasons there, not just hot and cold.” That pulls a sweet giggle from Damon, and it washes over me like cold water on a warm day. “I enjoy it. Wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
“Not even here?” he asks quietly.
“Not even here.” Tilting my head to the side, I study his face. Under his passive expression is a shadow of pain. “Why are you afraid to go to Canada?”
Damon pushes his glasses up with a shaky hand. “I told you my mom died in a plane crash on an international flight to Toronto. There was a mechanical failure or something. Everyone on board was killed, except a nine-month-old baby who was shielded by his mother.”
“God, Damon. I’m sorry. That had to be awful. How old were you?”
“Eight. I’ve been with my stepfather and stepbrothers since then.”
“That’s good,” I say in relief. “At least you’re not alone.”
For a moment, a shadow crosses Damon’s face, but he gives me a shy grin and I almost feel like I imagined it. “Yeah. At least I’m not alone. So, going back home tomorrow?”
“I am,” I say, anticipation and dread filling my gut. While I want to be back at home in my own bed, I don’t want to be done with Damon just yet. He’s just opening up to me, coming to my hotel room, smiling at me, and apologizing. Asking me questions. I want more of this.
He dips his head, then drops his eyes to his plate, using a fry to move around some of the crumbs that are left. “I’ll be going to Nevada soon for work. My boss is sending me to teach new training protocols to an acquired company they have there.”
“That’s great!” I exclaim with a grin. “You must be a great employee. And it’s a little weird to hear that the CEO is branching out to another state. I’ll have to tell Savage.” When Savage was CEO, he wanted to expand, but his other dealings prevented him from doing so without drawing attention to himself and his name.
Shrugging, Damon’s cheeks turn red under his brown skin and I am addicted to the sight. I want to see his face flushed more. I wondered if his face will flush like that if I kiss him. If I touch him. If I take his dick in my mouth and suck it so good he can’t breathe.
