Chapter 96 Ticking clock
Her eyes met mine then.
They were filled with such overwhelming fear that it knocked the breath out of me.
Whoever this “he” was he terrified her.
And that alone was enough to ignite a cold, lethal rage inside my chest. I pressed my lips gently to the top of her head, tightening my hold around her.
“I promise you,” I said quietly but firmly.
“As long as I’m alive and breathing, no one is taking you from me.”
Her grip on my shirt tightened.
“You belong here,” I continued softly. “Right here with me.”
My voice hardened slightly.
“And I will fight to my very last breath to keep you safe.”
I pressed my cheek against her hair.
“Do you hear me, tesoro?”
Her sobs slowly began to weaken.
Quiet sniffles replaced the broken cries.
“I’m here,” I whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”
My hand moved gently through her hair, smoothing the tangled strands. Minutes passed like that, me just holding her.
Eventually, a faint sound made me glance down.
Soft breathing.
Tiny snores.
I smiled faintly.
She had cried herself to sleep.
Her face was pressed against my chest, her hands still gripping my shirt tightly.
Despite the tear stains and exhaustion etched across her face, she looked… peaceful.
Beautiful.
“My tesoro,” I murmured quietly.
Carefully, I lifted her into my arms and carried her upstairs.
When I laid her down on my bed, I began to step away.
But suddenly— her hand shot out.
Grabbing my wrist.
Her eyes stayed shut, but her brows furrowed as if she were fighting another nightmare. She held onto me desperately. Begging me not to leave.
My chest softened instantly.
“Alright,” I whispered. “If you want me here… I’m here.”
I climbed onto the bed beside her slowly.
The moment I settled down, she shifted closer.
Her arm slid around my torso. Her head rested against my chest. It took me a moment to recover from the shock before I wrapped my arms around her as well.
She melted against me immediately.
A soft sigh escaped her lips as she buried her face into the crook of my neck.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
She liked my scent.
My hand stroked slowly along her side.
And as I held her there in the quiet darkness, a single thought kept echoing through my mind.
Who is he?
Whoever had scared her this badly…
I would find him.
And God help him when I did.
Because no one was taking Jasmine away from me
~
JASMINE
Morning
“Come on, love… talk to me.”
Damien’s voice was gentle, pleading.
I kept my gaze lowered.
Avoiding his eyes felt safer somehow.
His fingers slid beneath my chin, lifting my face until I had no choice but to look at him.
“You scared me last night,” he said quietly.
There were dark circles beneath his eyes.
He hadn’t slept much. “Since you woke up you haven’t said a word.”
His thumb brushed softly against my cheek.
“You haven’t told me what made you cry.”
His voice dropped to a whisper.
“It’s killing me, tesoro.”
Guilt twisted painfully inside my chest.
If only he knew. If only he knew that the thing terrifying me wasn’t just a nightmare.
It was real, he was real and he was coming.
My sperm donor. The man I refused to call my father. And if Damien knew the truth everything would change.
But if I didn’t tell him.. I would have to leave.
Soon.
Before it destroyed him too.
The thought made my chest ache.
Damien sighed softly when I stayed silent.
He pulled me into his arms instead.
His embrace wrapped around me like a shield.
I exhaled slowly, my arms sliding around his neck as I pressed closer to him.
His warmth surrounded me instantly.
Comforting.
Safe.
I rested my head against his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of him.
Gosh. When had this man become my entire sense of safety? This powerful, intimidating businessman had somehow become the only place in the world where I felt protected.
But the truth sat like a ticking clock inside my chest. If I didn’t tell him soon… I would have to leave him.
And the thought of that felt like someone slowly tearing my heart apart
~
Every second I spent with him felt dangerous.
Dangerous in the most intoxicating way possible.
Each moment Damien touched me, each second his lips brushed my skin, it felt like the world tilted slightly off its axis. My lungs forgot their purpose, my thoughts scattered, and the simple act of breathing became secondary to the storm he created inside me.
My mind spiraled completely out of control as his lips continued their slow, relentless rain of torment along my throat.
He kissed.
Bit.
Nibbled.
Every place his mouth touched burned with heat.
Breathless moans slipped past my lips before I could stop them. They escaped without permission, soft and helpless as my back arched against him.
I wanted him closer.
Closer than humanly possible.
My hands moved instinctively, sliding down the firm plane of his chest. The smooth warmth of his skin sent shivers racing down my spine. I explored him slowly, reverently—his muscled back, the tight ridges of his abdomen, the powerful curve of his shoulders and arms.
Damien was strong.
Dangerously strong.
And yet the way he held me right now felt gentle, almost reverent.
My fingers flexed against him, silently begging him to pull me nearer. To erase every inch of space between us.
He paused suddenly at the nape of my neck.
For a moment I thought he would stop.
Instead, his tongue brushed lightly over the sensitive skin there.
A sharp shiver ran through me.
My lungs screamed for oxygen.
Then his voice broke the quiet.
Low.
Soft.
Dangerously sincere.
“You’re so beautiful,” Damien whispered into my skin.My heart fluttered wildly. “I love you.”
Everything inside me froze.
My body went completely still, his warm breath still drifting across my neck.
My hands dropped instantly from his body.
The air between us shifted. He must have felt the sudden stiffness in my muscles, because Damien slowly pulled back.
His emerald-green eyes studied me carefully.
Searching.
Questioning.
There was sincerity in those eyes. Real sincerity. A depth of emotion that made my chest ache just looking at him.
He rolled onto his back beside me, giving me space.
I slowly pushed myself up onto my elbows.