Chapter 109 Baby
JASMINE
Before I could react, he pulled me off the couch and into his chest. His arms wrapped securely around my waist.
My palms landed against his chest as I stared up at him in shock. “D-Damien!” I whispered urgently.
“Mother is right here!”
Darcy waved dismissively as she stood. "Oh, don’t mind me.” She headed toward the door. “Anything that gets me a grandchild sooner.”
And then she left. I stared after her in horror.
Slowly, my gaze returned to Damien. His eyes were locked on my face like he was memorizing every detail. He inhaled deeply. “God, I missed you.”
He buried his face into the crook of my neck.
A small smile slipped onto my lips. “You’re such a baby,” I teased softly. “I missed you too.”
He pulled back instantly, narrowing his eyes at me. “A baby?” I giggled. He blew raspberries dramatically before burying his face back into my neck. “Fine,” he muttered. “For you… I’ll accept being a big baby.”
He scrunched his nose. “That sounds awful.”
I laughed again.
He lifted his head, pouting dramatically.
“Are you crying?” I teased. I cupped his face gently. My thumbs brushed over his cheeks.
“No,” he denied.
“Oh,” I said thoughtfully. “If you were crying I would kiss you…”
I began pulling my hands away. He grabbed them quickly. “No! No, I’m crying!” He widened his eyes ridiculously. “See?”
I burst out laughing. Smiling warmly, I leaned forward and peppered kisses across his face. His nose.
His cheeks.
His lips.
He beamed like a child.
“You’re my best stress reliever,” he sighed happily.
I narrowed my eyes playfully.
“Oh? So you have others?”
He shook his head immediately. "No way.”
His voice softened. “You’re my one and only.”
My cheeks turned red again. “Everything about you makes the world easier,” he murmured.
“You make me forget everything else.”
I swallowed quietly.
He was right.
He was my drug.
And I was hopelessly addicted.
His kisses made my thoughts disappear.
My fears faded. Everything became secondary to the feeling of being with him.
Somewhere along the way…
Damien had become my safe haven.
My comfort.
The air in my lungs.
And I knew one thing with terrifying certainty.
If I ever lost him… I wouldn’t survive it.
~
“Happy Birthday!”
My voice rang out bright and excited as I ran toward him. Before Damien could even fully react, my arms were already wrapping around his neck, pulling him down into a tight embrace.
He laughed softly, the sound deep and warm, and his hands immediately found my waist. In one smooth motion he lifted me off the ground as if I weighed nothing at all. “Whoa—!” I squealed, giggling uncontrollably as he spun me around.
The room blurred around us in a swirl of colors and sunlight, but all I could focus on was his face when he finally stopped. I looked down at him, my arms still draped around his shoulders, my feet dangling as he held me effortlessly. His algae-green eyes—those mesmerizing eyes that could swallow me whole if I stared too long—were shining with happiness.
Real happiness.
The kind that softened the sharp edges of his usual composed demeanor. “Thank you, love,” he murmured.
Before I could respond, he leaned up and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to my lips. I giggled against his mouth, my legs instinctively wrapping around his torso as he held me firmly by my derriere. His grip was strong, possessive, secure.
I could feel the warmth of his body through the thin material of my clothes. “Where’s mother?” he asked casually once he pulled away, his eyes flickering around the room.
My stomach flipped.
Right.
Darcy.
The lie.
I bit down lightly on my lower lip.
I was supposed to keep Damien busy until exactly six o’clock. At six sharp I would take him to the venue where everyone was waiting to surprise him.
Darcy had made it very clear.
No earlier.
No later.
Just the thought made my heart pound. How on earth was I supposed to keep Damien Blackwood distracted for hours without him suspecting something? I honestly had no idea.
But somehow… I had to.
He raised one dark eyebrow, clearly noticing my hesitation. “Jasmine?”
“Oh!” I blinked quickly, forcing a smile. “She had to go see your cousin. The baby needed help.”
His expression softened instantly. “Ah,” he said with a small chuckle. “That sounds like my mother.”
“But she left you this,” I added quickly.
Before he could ask what I meant, I leaned down and placed three exaggerated kisses on his cheek.
One.
Two.
Three.
He laughed, shaking his head.
“Just like my mother.”
“Oh! And this,” I added mischievously.
I pinched both of his cheeks, hard.
“Ow!” he groaned, flinching slightly as he rubbed his face. “Just like my mother.”
I burst out laughing. “Come on,” I urged, squeezing his cheeks again before finally letting go. He set me down gently, his hands lingering on my waist for a moment longer than necessary.
“So,” I asked brightly, clasping my hands behind my back. “What are we doing today?”
Damien pressed his lips together thoughtfully, pretending to think. He looked ridiculously adorable when he did that. “Hmm,” he hummed, tapping his chin. His eyes suddenly lit up. “Well… we could stay in bed all day and watch more of those… movies.”
He said the word movies like it physically pained him. I raised a brow. “You mean the romantic comedies you complain about but secretly enjoy?”
“I do not enjoy them,” he muttered.
“You cried during The Notebook.” I raised a brow, smiling at him
“I did not cry.” he denied
“You sniffled.”
“That was allergies.” he lied.
I crossed my arms, unimpressed.
“How about a spa date?” I suggested instead.
His entire face brightened instantly at the word date.
“I’ll be back,” I added quickly, turning toward the door. Before I could take two steps, Damien grabbed my wrist and gently pulled me back.