Chapter 46 The way you make me feel
THIRD PERSON’S POV.
In the few days that led to the will readings, Trisha had left the hospital and moved in with Serena at her family's house. So, she was present when Serena received a message from Damian inviting her to dinner.
He hadn’t called or texted, instead, he sent one of his drivers with a package to Serena’s house.
It had taken three maids to bring the boxes up to her room. The package had included a red sequin minidress that stopped just below her ass.
The other boxes had contained a pair of Versace strapped heels, and a bouquet of roses.
“That’s the biggest bouquet I’ve ever seen in my life.” Trisha gasped.
“There’s a note.” Serena pointed,
“Well, what are you waiting for? Read it.” Trisha urged.
Serena plucked the letter off one of the flower petals and opened it.
“I’d like to steal you for dinner tonight.
Wear this, it will make it hard for me to look away. Damian.”
“Oh my God, Trisha fanned herself dramatically. “That’s so hot.”
“Trisha, is this a sexual invitation?” Serena stammered.
“Obviously, did you not read that note?” Trisha was grinning from ear to ear.
“But he can’t, this is just a merger not a real marriage.”
“Girl, real marriage or not, you can still have fun, plus,” she winked, “the court will be expecting you to consummate your wedding night.”
“Jesus Trisha, stop.” Serena’s cheeks reddened.
“Cmon, it’s not like you two haven’t already done something.” Trisha wiggled a brow suggestively at Serena.
“Don’t make me throw this pillow at you Trisha.” Serena threatened, raising the pillow high above her head.
“Okay okay” Trisha laughed and raised her hands in mock surrender.
“But seriously,” Serena whispered. “Does this mean I have to shave?”
They both burst into laughter, “Wow, your first sex since your rebirth. I wonder if this makes you a virgin?” Trisha wondered.
“Okay, that’s enough out of you.” Serena laughed, standing to her feet.
“Where are you going?”
“To my room, I’m done listening to your bullshit.”
“No, don’t leave me. I’m sick, remember?”
Trisha pouted.
“Girl bye.” Serena walked out the door but not without flipping her middle finger at Trisha.
“I still don’t understand why I can’t just do my own makeup.”
It was evening now, and Trisha had wheeled herself to Serena’s room to help her prepare for her date with Damian.
After much convincing Serena had agreed to
Use Trisha’s makeup artist, the same makeup artist who was now running late.
“She already said she’s less than twenty minutes away. Relax.” Trisha tried to calm Serena.
“I’m already super nervous and her delay isn’t helping.”
“Try to breathe, why are you even so nervous?” Trisha asked her.
“I don’t know, I’ve been feeling this desperate need to impress him.” Serena sighed and sat on the foot of the bed. “It’s pathetic.”
“Naah,” Trisha smiled. “It’s not. What’s happening is your heart is growing fond of him, which is completely normal.”
“I can’t grow fond of him.”
“Yes yes, because it’s a contract marriage. I know, but the heart doesn’t care for all that.”
“If we..”
A knock on the door stopped Serena from completing her sentence.
“Come in,”’she shouted at the doors.”
“Ma’am. The makeup artist is here, should I let her in?”
“Ah yes please,” Serena replied, moving from the bed to go sit on the vanity table.
The makeup artist entered the room, apologized for her tardiness, and then immediately got to work.
An hour later she was done with the makeup and Serena was fully dressed.
Her tanned legs shine bright under the dress, the curve of her hips fully accentuated. She completed the outfit with a single low-neck gold necklace that trailed all the way down her exposed cleavage.
“My goodness,” Trisha exclaimed, “you look phenomenal.”
Serena watched herself in the mirror, twirling she said “I feel even more phenomenal. I think red may have become my favorite colour.”
“Oh Rena,” tears welled in Trisha’s eyes, “you really do look amazing. I’m so proud of how far you’ve come.”
“Stop it, you are going to make me cry.”
Trisha took Serena’s hand in hers. “Tonight, I want you to put everything else going on at the back of your mind and I want you to enjoy yourself. Just have fun. Okay?”
“I will,” Serena said, squeezing Trisha’s hands in return.
When Serena reached downstairs, Damian was already waiting by the door, and he had a little square box in his hand.
The moment he set eyes on Serena, his jaw dropped. Initially, he had planned the exact words he was going to use when she came down, but when he saw the real thing, words could no longer describe how he felt.
“Hi,” she said with a seductive smile.
Damian ran up the stairs to where she was and took her hand, helping her down the remaining flight of stairs.
“Hello Mrs Crowne, I’m lost for words to describe how absolutely stunning you look tonight.”
“Thank you,” she blushed. “Someone with really good taste picked the dress.”
“Hmm” Damian breathed, “it’s not the dress, it’s the person wearing it.”
Her heart did a backflip, but she didn’t let it show. She just smiled and tried to focus on walking one foot in front of the other.
Outside, he opened the car door for her made sure she was comfortable, and then turned around to his side of the car and within minutes they were driving out the Gregory gates.
“You never told me where we are headed,” Serena said to him.
“I didn’t “ was his reply.
Serena scoffed, “So are you going to tell me now?”
“No,” Damian laughed. “It’s a surprise. Just relax and trust me.”
“I trust you.” She whispered back.
Damian didn’t turn to her again, he tried not to. But he had heard the words, the words that melted his heart of stone.
After some minutes of driving on the main road, Damian made a sharp turn toward a smaller road.
The road must have been made with gravel because the loud noise of the tyres rolling down the road made Serena fear the tyres might burst.
The car finally came to a stop in front of a tiny cottage.
Serena looked around, “Where’s the restaurant? Or club at least?”
Damian laughed. “We are not going to the club.”
“Oh, so where are we? This seems like the middle of nowhere.”
He held out his hand, and she lit hers in his.
“I told you to relax. Trust me.”
She nodded and followed closely behind him.
They didn’t go inside the cottage immediately, instead, Damian led them to the backyard of the cottage and it was the most beautiful sight she had ever laid eyes on.
The cottage balanced at the edge of a mountain. A waterfall roared softly behind it, and the stars overhead burned brighter than she’d ever seen, they were almost close enough to touch.
The wind was perfect, so perfect that it blew strands of her hair to Damian’s face.
He gently untangled the hair with his fingers.
“What do you think?” He asked her.
“This is the type of place you only read about in books.” She replied in awe.
“Years ago stumbled upon this cottage and I just knew I had to have it.”
“Wait, this place is yours?” She gasped softly.
“Yes, I only come here when I need to think.”
“Hmm,” she said
Damian turned to face her.
“What’s hmm?”
“Nothing, I’m just wondering how many other women you’ve brought out here.”
He chuckled. “Is that jealousy I hear in your voice Mrs Crowne?”
She scoffed, folding her hands in front of her. “Of course not, I was just wondering.”
“Well,” Damian started. “If you care to know, I’ve never brought another woman here. The only woman I’ve ever wanted to bring here is standing right where she needs to be.”
Her eyes found his and held it, both of them unmoving.
An eternity later, Damian cleared his throat,
“We should go in, food is ready.”
Inside the cottage was nothing as she expected, it looked luxurious and much bigger than any cottages she had seen in the past.
“Wow,” Serena exclaimed.
Damian came up behind her,
“Wanna hear a fun fact?”
Serena giggled and nodded.
“The designer who did the interior for this house is blind.”
“Wait, what” Serene’s face fell.
“Yup, but you know what he says?”
“What does he say?”
“He says,” Damian says quietly, “seeing beauty takes no effort. But feeling it, in every breath and every motion of your body. That’s the ultimate truth.”
“That’s beautiful,” Serena replied slowly, “He’s basically saying you can always forget what something looks like but you never forget how something made you feel.”
“Exactly.” He takes Serena’s hand and slowly places it on his chest.
“I’ll never forget the way you are making me feel tonight.” He whispered in her ear. Then as if choreographed, they both then, lips pressed against each other.
The kiss was brief, accidental in timing but not in meaning. A slow press of lips, warm and lingering, just long enough to steal her breath before he pulled away.
“Let’s eat.” He finally declared.