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But things between them had changed drastically. Gone was the warm camaraderie, the relaxed pleasure they’d found in each other’s company. Had she made Damon feel suffocated, allowed too much of her own emotions to show through? Is that what had prompted the conversation on the airplane? Or was he simply tiring of her?
Stop it.
She’d played these mind games with herself before, always wondering what she could have done differently to make a foster family care more, make them consider adopting her. In reality, there had been nothing she could’ve done.
Just as there was nothing she could do right now, except enjoy what time she had left with Damon. Whether or not he felt anything for her was irrelevant as long as he held on to his belief that he was incapable of love or a relationship.
A rational conclusion. Too bad her heart preferred to cling to irrational hope.
She traced a finger over the velvety rose petals. Not spending the evenings with him had been a good wake-up, though, that she had spent far too much time with him. She’d used the nights to return to a schedule similar to the one of her former life. Her life before Damon. If it suddenly felt a little emptier, a little lonelier than it had before, well, she’d adjust. She’d keep going, just like she always did.
Satisfaction slipped in and eclipsed some of her moodiness. She’d become invested in seeing Bradford Global succeed, more so than any organization she’d worked for. Being an executive assistant would never replace her own passions and goals. But it had been the first time in a long time that she’d let herself care about anything other than her music and Constanza.
Still, she had tried to focus on the positives of the nights to herself. Monday and Wednesday had been spent in the park practicing and taking photos and videos for her social media accounts. Tuesday had been her weekly session with the Apprentice Symphony. This time, when her section leader had invited her to join the others for a drink, she’d said yes. And, she reflected with a small smile, she’d had a great time.
By Thursday, she hadn’t spoken with Damon privately since that brief moment in his office at the beginning of the week. She’d barely even seen him at work aside from passing him in the hall or glimpsing him in a meeting in one of the glass-enclosed conference rooms.
When her phone had pinged at six o’clock Thursday night, her heart had started to pound frantically against her ribs when she’d seen his name on her screen. His text had been short, telling her a limo would pick her up the following evening and take her to the airport. It had taken her twelve minutes to come up with her brilliant reply—See you then—before she’d run around the apartment like a maniac.
All to pack one small suitcase that hopefully made it look like she’d artlessly tossed a few things together and waltzed out the door.
The limo turned into a small heliport next to the river. Her breath escaped in a whoosh. She had no idea what to expect. If Damon was as cool and distant as he had been Monday, would she be able to enjoy the weekend? If he greeted her with the same chaste kiss he’d bestowed upon her in his office, would it be better to tell him she changed her mind and have the limo take her home?
She’d taken the tags off the lingerie, she thought with a grimace as the limo stopped next to a sleek black helicopter. Oh, well. If she went home, she could slip into the scarlet teddy, pour herself a glass of wine and watch spy movies in luxurious silk.
Damon walked around the helicopter, his face turned up toward the rotor blades, his body silhouetted against the backdrop of dusk in New York City. She stared at him from behind the tinted window, drinking in every detail. The sharp jut of his chin, the broadness of his shoulders, the wind ruffling his thick hair.
Steeling herself for whatever was to come, she lifted her chin and started to open the door, only to find her hand brushing air as the limo driver opened it for her.
“Welcome to the Harbor Heliport, ma’am.”
“Thank you. And thank you for the ride, too, Adam.”
She turned and nearly melted at the smile Damon shot at her as he loped across the tarmac to her side.
“Hi.” He took her hand in his and brushed a kiss across her knuckles that made her breath catch.
“Hi,” she replied.
His grip tightened on hers as he nodded toward the helicopter. “Are you ready?”
She breathed in deeply. She would enjoy the weekend, enjoy her time with Damon, however much she had left. No regrets.
She looked at him, smiled and squeezed his hand. “I’m ready.”
The helicopter ride was a wondrous experience. It was incredibly sexy watching Damon manage the controls, forearms flexing as he expertly flew first over the city and did a quick circle around the Statue of Liberty before turning the helicopter north. As the city gave way to suburbs and then long, beautiful stretches of ocean to the right and the coastline to the left, he played both the role of pilot and tour guide. An hour flew by in the blink of an eye.
And then the house appeared. The sun clung to the pine trees and gave enough light to show the Bradford Estate at its finest. Golden-brown cedar shingles stood out against white trim. Evolet counted at least four porches, five balconies and one stunning staircase off the back that descended onto a green lawn. Beyond the retaining wall, a sandy beach beckoned along the banks of the Hudson River.
Once he’d landed and secured the helicopter, he grasped her hand in his and escorted her inside. The interior was equally incredible. Unlike his company’s headquarters, cozy with its dark colors and plush leather furniture, here the chairs were cream trimmed in blue, the walls a mix of white wood and red brick and the art vivid paintings and photographs of the ocean and nearby town.
Eventually they ended upstairs in the primary bedroom, complete with a white four-poster king-sized bed piled high with fluffy pillows and a veranda that overlooked the river. She moved to the balcony doors and gazed out over the rolling, tree-covered slopes of the Catskill Mountains.
“This is beautiful, Damon.” She glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled. “Thank you.”
He moved behind her, his arms circling around her waist. She sighed and leaned into his embrace. Her hands settled over his. He stiffened, the movement so quick she wondered if she’d imagined it.
Before she could analyze it, he turned her around and pressed his lips to hers. She circled her arms around his neck, moaning into his mouth as his hands moved over her body with a lover’s intimate knowledge. They stripped each other of clothing, their movements almost frantic, as if they both needed the comfort of each other’s touch. He laid her down, then covered her body with his own. She slipped her fingers into his hair and tried to tug him down for another kiss, but he evaded her, trailing his lips down her neck and over her breasts, stopping to suck first one nipple and then the other into his mouth. By the time he reached her most intimate skin, she was trembling, begging. He teased her with gentle kisses and little nips of his teeth before placing his mouth over her. She arched into him, cried out as she shuddered with her release.
