Chapter 139 Morning before Dominic

Chapter 139 Morning before Dominic
“You cannot tell my mother, tesoro. Please,” he added, his tone almost pleading.

I nodded slowly. “I won’t.”

He let out a long, relieved breath, his shoulders sagging slightly. “Thank you.”

“After your meeting with him tomorrow, you have to tell me everything,” I said, squeezing his hand tighter. “Please. And do not agree to anything that would drag you any deeper into this. Promise me you’ll at least try to stay out of it.”

Damien nodded, though his eyes still held a shadow of uncertainty. “I will try.”

I stood up from the bed and walked over to my phone on the nightstand to check the time. It was already 7 a.m.—time for our usual morning jog.

The normal routine felt strange after everything we had just talked about, but I needed something steady to hold onto.

“Come on, it’s time,” I said softly. I walked back to him, took his hand, and gently led him toward our closet. I could feel his gaze burning into the back of my neck the entire way.

“You’re staring again,” I murmured without turning around.

“I expected you to react a lot worse than that,” he admitted, his voice low and rough with emotion.

I frowned and turned around to face him, searching his eyes. “How did you think I would react?”

“By leaving.” His voice grew smaller, almost scared, like he was admitting his deepest fear out loud.

My brows rose in surprise. I stepped closer and cupped his cheeks with both hands, gently bringing his face down to mine. “I am not going anywhere, Damien. You did what you did to protect me. I understand that. You fought your worst impulses for me, and I will not leave you now. Do you understand?”

He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. Relief and something deeper, love, gratitude swirled in his gaze.

I pressed his cheeks a little firmer and leaned in, kissing his lips over and over again in soft, reassuring pecks before finally releasing his face. We got ready for our jog in silence.

The only sound was the rustle of clothes and our quiet breathing. His eyes never left me the entire time, watching me with a mixture of awe and lingering fear, as if he still couldn’t believe I was staying.

The morning jog helped clear some of the heavy tension between us, but the unease still lingered in the air like a thick fog. After we showered and had a quiet breakfast, Damien started getting ready for his meeting with Dominic.

I watched him from the edge of the bed as he buttoned up his crisp white shirt, his movements precise but tense. The fabric stretched across his broad shoulders, reminding me just how powerful and commanding he looked when he slipped back into his businessman armor.

I stood up and walked over to him, my bare feet silent on the carpet. Without a word, I reached for the sleek black tie draped around his neck. My fingers brushed against his warm skin as I began to knot it carefully, just like I used to do when I was his personal assistant. The familiar motion brought a wave of memories flooding back.

Damien’s hands settled lightly on my waist, his thumbs tracing small circles through the thin fabric of my robe. He watched me with those intense dark eyes, a small, soft smile tugging at his lips despite the seriousness of the day ahead.

“You still remember how to do this perfectly,” he murmured, his voice low and warm.

I smiled up at him, adjusting the knot until it sat just right against his collar. “Of course I do. Some habits never die.” I smoothed the tie down his chest, my palm lingering there for a moment, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

“It feels like yesterday when I was fixing your ties every morning before meetings. Back when I was just your clumsy personal assistant trying not to spill coffee on your expensive suits.”

He chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through his chest. “You were never clumsy, tesoro. You were... captivating. From the very first day you walked into my office, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

I tilted my head, curiosity sparking in my eyes as I finished the knot and let my hands rest on his chest. “Really? I thought you hired me because I was the only one who didn’t pass out during the interview.”

Damien shook his head, his expression turning more serious, more honest. He pulled me a little closer, his hands sliding around to my lower back. “No. I was eager to give you the job because I was obsessed with you, Jasmine. Completely obsessed. I wanted you close to me every single day. I wanted to see you, hear your voice, watch the way you moved around the office. It wasn’t just about needing an assistant. It was about needing you near me.”

My fingers paused on his tie as his words sank in. Heat crept up my cheeks, but before I could respond, he continued, his voice dropping even lower.

“And that television screen in your office... it wasn’t just for monitoring the building. There was a camera feed. I used to watch you from my desk when you thought you were alone. The way you’d bite your lip when you were concentrating on emails, how you’d hum softly to yourself when you organized files, the little frustrated sighs when something didn’t go right. I couldn’t get enough.”

Jasmine stared at him, completely shocked. My mouth fell open slightly as I processed what he had just confessed. A camera? He had been watching me the whole time?