Chapter Fifty-Eight

Finley

After our little confrontation in the kitchen Damon seemed to avoid me at all costs. We’d bump into each other during the night as we both got up for Griffin and I implemented a system where I’d get up for him before midnight and Damon would get up after midnight.

I was mad at him but worse than that was that I was hurt. I understood his need to be a part of Griffin’s life but he had no right to interfere in mine. I just had one problem with everything that was going on, I still found him attractive and that infuriated me as well because I was sure the asshole knew it.

He’d walk around the house with no shirt on and a few times he caught me staring at him. My feelings towards him varied between being in love and really hating him. Our routine consisted mostly of him cooking all the meals since he didn’t trust me in the kitchen and me doing things like the laundry.

I had moved my laptop back down to the basement where I wrote in the past but I promised myself I wouldn’t give him any reasons to doubt my capability of looking after Griffin so I kept the basement door open and most mornings I took Griffin down with me.

We’d been living together now for about five months and Griffin was already sitting by himself. Damon had finished fixing the other house and I wondered what he would suggest next. I was afraid that he’d want to move back to Newport to be with his clowder.

I was sitting in the garden with Griffin one afternoon when a shadow loomed over me and I nearly had a heart attack.

“Hey Luce,” he said as I jumped slightly and then jumped up.

“Archer!” I said as he picked me up in a hug.

“Hi Finley,” Kat said with a smile as we also hugged and Archer bent down to pick Griffin up.

They had visited a few times and Archer completely doted on Griffin, everybody did actually. When Harley, Wells and Mimi heard I was back in St Albans they were ecstatic but less so when I said that Damon had moved in again. They didn’t like him very much and I couldn’t blame them.

“Are you guys visiting for a while?” I asked.

“Actually we bought the Council house, we’re moving in over the weekend,” Kat said and my smile just got bigger.

“That’s great!” I said as I led them both inside.

“How are things going with you and Damon?” Archer asked me when we sat down in the living room.

“Please don’t mention his name unless you really have to,” I said and Kat glanced at me.

“I really thought by this time you two would be announcing your wedding,” she said as she smiled at Griffin.

“If he was the last man on earth I’d become a lesbian,” I said and Archer laughed.

“He’s not that bad,” he said and I glared at him.

“No, you’re right, he’s worse!” I said as Damon walked through the kitchen door and I heard it close.

“Hey, look who’s here,” Damon said with a smile as he hugged Kat and he shook Archer’s hand.

“The deal finally went through so we’re moving in over the weekend,” Archer said.

“That’s great, I’m really happy for you guys,” Damon said.

“You knew?” I asked and Damon just shrugged.

“Thanks for fixing the house up though, it looks great,” Archer continued as if I hadn’t just spoken.

“So I guess now we have free babysitters,” I said.

“Yes you do,” Kat said as she took Griffin from Archer and lifted him in the air as he laughed.

“Are you planning on starting dating?” Archer asked me as he glanced at Damon. I didn’t miss it though.

“Maybe,” I said and I saw Damon’s hand tighten around the doorframe where he stood.

“No,” Damon almost growled at me.

“Excuse me?” I said as Archer and Kat shared a look.

“You heard me,” he said and turned around.

“I think we’ll go show Griffin the house,” Archer said as he stood up and left our house with Kat.

“Who the hell do you think you are? You don’t get to tell me what I can or can’t do!” I said to him.

“Yes I can! Even if the Council broke the bond between us we’re still fated to be together and no man will touch you!” he yelled at me suddenly.

“Go to hell!” I yelled back at him.

I had been wanting to talk to him about that because Harley had nagged and nagged for weeks until I finally gave in and agreed to go on a date with one of her other friends that she swore was a terrific guy. I knew she wouldn’t introduce me to yet another asshole because of my history.

“Where are you going?” Damon asked me as I made my way to the stairs.

“Actually I’m going to get ready for my date,” I said to him as he slammed his hand against the wall as he looked at me.

I just ignored him and went up to my bedroom. I took a few deep breaths to calm my beating heart because the way he’d glared at me had made me feel terrified. His reaction surprised the hell out of me because aside from just being himself he never gave me any indication that he actually felt anything for me.

I had arranged with Josh to meet him at the restaurant and I only had a little over an hour to get ready and meet him. He was a history teacher at the high school and I had no idea how he was friends with Harley.

Fifty minutes later I walked down the stairs dressed in a black cocktail dress that Harley had made me promise I would wear with high heels and Damon literally froze in his steps when he saw me on the last step.

“You’re really going out with some other man?” he asked me.

“Yes, we’re co-parents Damon, nothing more,” I said to him.

“I see,” he said and walked through to the kitchen with Griffin in his arms.

I met Josh at the restaurant and we immediately hit it off. He was funny and told me plenty of stories of his students that had me laughing so much I had tears in my eyes. He really was a nice guy just like Harley had said and the waitress left us with menus twenty minutes into our date.

“Hey guys,” Damon said as he pulled up a chair from another table and sat down.

“Uhm hi,” Josh said.

“I’m Damon,” he said as I glared at him.

“What are you doing here? Where’s Griffin?” I asked him.

“With Kat and Archer. Griffin’s our son,” Damon said as he looked at Josh.

“I’m so sorry about this,” I said to Josh as he kept looking at Damon.

“This is a nice place, really romantic, I hope you didn’t have any ideas of taking Finley home,” Damon said as I sat there mortified.

“Who are you?” Josh asked him.

“Oh Finley and I live together,” he said looking relaxed.

“Maybe we should reschedule,” Josh said.

“Yeah maybe like never. Did she tell you about our trip to St. Barts where she got pregnant?” Damon asked.

“Damon, leave,” I said.

“Nope, I’m quite enjoying this restaurant,” he said as he opened the menu.

“It seems like you two have a lot of unresolved issues. I’m just going to go,” Josh said and stood up.

“Take care,” Damon said as he looked at Josh walking away from the table.

“You’re an asshole, I can’t believe you did this!” I hissed at him and stood up grabbing my purse.

“See you at home?” he called after me with a laugh as I walked outside to my car.

I slammed my car door shut just as Damon walked up to me and knocked on the window. I ignored him as I sped out of the parking lot, my hands shaking with anger as I drove home. Damon pulled up behind me just as I climbed out.

“Finley,” he said as I walked up the porch steps.

“Leave me alone, Damon,” I said as I unlocked the front door and almost slammed it in his face.

“That wasn’t very nice,” he said as he locked the door behind him.

“I can’t believe you, Damon!” I yelled as I turned on the stairs to look at him.

“I told you, no man will touch you,” he said calmly.

I took my shoe off and threw it at his head and my hand flew to my mouth as it struck him against his forehead and his eyes flickered yellow as he rubbed the red spot. He looked at me the way a predator looks at his prey and I hurried up the steps.

“Let go of me!” I yelled as he caught up to me halfway up the stairs and threw me over his shoulder.

“I’m tired of this little game you’re playing, it ends tonight!” he said angrily.

Before I could catch my breath Damon had me pinned against my closed bedroom door as he pressed himself against me, holding me in place. I couldn’t even move and his face was inches from mine as he looked at me and then kissed me.

I betrayed myself in that moment as I kissed him back and he let go of my arms as he lifted me up against him. I could feel his leg moving in between mine as he grabbed my thighs and I wrapped my legs around him. My arms were now around his neck as he slammed my back against the door and his hands started pulling my dress up.

I couldn’t even blame alcohol for this since I only had one drink and I knew exactly what I was doing but I couldn’t stop myself. His scent invaded me and he took control as he kept a hold of me and moved us towards the bed.

He stood up from on top of me and pulled his shirt off and unbuckled his jeans before pulling them down. He knelt in front of me and pulled my underwear off, my dress followed soon after as he hovered on top of me kneeling between my legs with his face right by my neck.

“You want me as much as I want you, Finley, tell me to stop,” he whispered as his hands roamed lower and I closed my eyes.

“Silence is also an answer,” he said as he pushed inside me and kissed me again at the same time.

It was raw and powerful and needy. I could feel his frustration with every thrust and I let my body take over as my hips moved to meet every single one. I could feel his teeth grazing the skin of my neck and I turned my face away.

“Let me mark you,” he whispered as I pulled his face closer and then gave him access to my neck. I could feel his teeth sinking into the spot where my shoulder and neck met and the orgasm that went through both of us was cataclysmic.

We were both sweating and out of breath but this time I didn’t pass out from the marking like I had the previous time and I felt that bond flow between us once more. In the heat of the moment I had allowed Damon to mark me and now I was stuck with him forever.

“No regrets Finley,” he said as he pulled me closer to him and closed his eyes.