Chapter 51 - Night Has Come (Damian's POV)

Chapter 51 - Night Has Come (Damian's POV)
I was standing outside Ivy’s bedroom door as dusk was settling over the estate, my heart was thudding in my chest. It felt ridiculous that a man like me—Alpha, mafia lord, feared by so many—was feeling nervous knocking on a door. But Ivy wasn’t just anyone. She was my mate. My Luna, whether she was accepting the title or not. After the last mating night we shared, I swore I would take things slow, court her properly. Show her I could be gentle, that I wasn’t just the cruel bastard she had met at first.
I inhaled deeply; her scent drifted through the gap under the door, already wrapping around my senses. Damn. That sweet wildflower-and-spice aroma, laced with female arousal—my blood rushed south instantly. My wolf prowled within me, urging me to just barge in and take what was mine. Not yet, I cautioned him. We had to do this right.
I rapped my knuckles on the wood lightly. “Ivy,” I called, my voice coming out huskier than I intended. “It’s me.”
A pause. For a second, I thought she might ignore me. But then I heard the latch click. The door opened partway, revealing her face in the dim orange glow of her bedside lamp. Ivy’s green eyes met mine—defiant, guarded, and damnably enticing. She was wearing a thin satin robe, dark hair tumbled over her shoulders in messy waves. My gaze slid down the curve of her neck to where the robe was tied loosely at her waist. I imagined untying that belt with my teeth.
“Damian,” she greeted coolly, arching a brow. “It’s late.”
Her tone sounded indifferent, but I didn’t miss the slight tremor in it or how her pulse fluttered at her throat. She wasn’t immune to me; she was trying to hide it.
“I wanted to see you.” I kept my voice low. “May I come in?”
Ivy stepped back wordlessly, allowing me inside. As I closed the door behind me, the silence between us grew heavy with unspoken tension. The small lamp cast flickering shadows, painting her in golden light. Beautiful. I wanted to reach out and touch her cheek, but I restrained myself. I needed to do this right—earn her trust, not just her body.
We stood facing each other. Her arms folded across her chest, inadvertently pushing her breasts up where the robe gaped. My mouth went dry at the glimpse of creamy skin. Focus, Damian. I dragged my eyes back to her face.
“How are you feeling?” I asked gently. It was a stupid question, but I didn’t know where to start. After everything I had put her through—hell, after the way I had claimed her last time—I owed her patience.
Ivy’s lips curved in a mocking smile. “Wonderful,” she replied, sarcasm dripping. “Never better, Alpha.”
My jaw ticked at the way she said “Alpha” like a challenge. A part of me liked it—too much. I stepped closer, slowly. “Ivy... I know I’ve been… I know I have a lot to make up for.” Understatement of the century. My past cruelty toward her still hung between us. If I could rip those days out of history and burn them, I would. “I want to make things right. To court you properly. You deserve that.”
For a heartbeat, something softer flickered in her eyes—surprise, maybe even longing. But she blinked it away and let out a low, disbelieving laugh. “Court me? Now you care about doing things the proper way?” She stepped forward, closing the distance until I could feel the heat radiating from her bare skin through the thin robe. Her chin tipped up boldly. “What happened to the big bad wolf who takes whatever he wants?”
Her words both reproached and provoked me. I swallowed hard, hands flexing at my sides. She was toying with me. I sensed it in the coy tilt of her head, the way her robe “accidentally” slipped off one shoulder. My gaze zeroed in on the newly exposed skin, the swell of her breast visible. My control frayed another inch.
“Ivy...” I warned, my voice came out a rough growl. She was daring me to be that wolf, to lose the control I was barely holding onto.
She lifted a hand, and for a second, I thought she might touch me. My chest constricted. But instead, she trailed her own fingers along the open neckline of her robe, drawing my attention like a moth to a flame. Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips, and she gave me a look from under her lashes that struck me straight to my core. Fuck. Did she even know what she was doing? Or maybe she knew exactly.
“You want to make things right?” she purred softly. “Then why are you just standing there?”
It was a taunt, uttered in that low sultry tone that made my cock throb painfully against my zipper. My nostrils flared as her scent of arousal thickened—sweet and intoxicating. She was getting turned on by this little game, too. My vision sharpened; the dim room seemed to pulse. Blood pounded in my ears.
In a single stride, I closed the last gap between us. I couldn’t hold back anymore. My hand shot out to cup the back of her neck, tilting her face up to mine. “Careful what you wish for, Ivy,” I rasped, breathing harshly. “You’re playing with fire.”
She opened her mouth—maybe to offer another cutting retort—but I had had enough talk. I claimed her lips in a hard, hungry kiss, pouring all my pent-up desire and frustration into it. Ivy gasped against me. Her hands came up, and for a split second, I thought she was going to push me away. Instead, her fingers twisted into my shirt, clutching it as she kissed me back with equal fervor.
Heat exploded through me. A feral sound rumbled in my chest. I pushed forward, walking her backward until her spine thumped against the wall. Our teeth clashed briefly; we were a mess of tongues and lips and hot breath. She tasted like wine and cinnamon, sweet and spicy.
I was getting dizzy with it, with her.