Chapter 10
~Damian’s POV~
I tore through the streets of Texas City, hands clamped around the steering wheel so tight my knuckles ached. My jaw locked. My throat too.
Her voice would not stop replaying in my head.
You are just a small-minded man with deep mommy issues, hiding your trauma behind a cheap mask of mischief and stupidity.
The hit landed every single time.
Am I really all that?
My throat felt tight, and I gripped the steering wheel tighter.
The last woman who made me feel this small was her. It has always been her. Every other woman treats me like royalty, but Cindy? She stomps on my ego, grinds it into the floor, and still somehow makes me crawl back for more.
Why am I still this obsessed with her?
She has made it crystal clear she does not feel a damn thing for me and probably never will, but here I am, still hoping like the idiot I am that she might be mine someday.
One call from Ric and every ounce of my self-respect went out the window. In the blink of an eye, I am already playing the knight in shining armor for her when she clearly does not deserve it.
A kid darted toward the road and his mother yanked him back just in time. I sent them both a glare through the tinted glass.
They could not see it, but it sure made me feel better.
I downshifted hard, cutting through a corner.
She is right. I have mommy issues. Maybe that is why I keep chasing the one woman who could not care less if I dropped dead.
Skyview Hotel rose ahead, tall and gleaming, the late morning sun bouncing off its glass facade like it was trying to blind me. Elegant, towering, smug in the way only the city’s most expensive hotel could be.
I swung into the entrance, tires humming over the smooth driveway.
You want a mature man, Cindy? Fine. You will get one.
The moment I stepped out, a valet materialized like some overeager genie.
I gave him a once-over.
The guy was tall, with hair slicked back like a 1920s gangster and a weird creepy smile.
“You look like you moonlight as a Bond villain,” I said, creasing my brows.
“Is it the hair? Never mind.” I tossed him the keys along with a crumpled note from my pocket.
“Clean spot. No scratches.”
He grinned, tipping an imaginary hat. “As you wish, sir.”
Yeah. Definitely creepy.
God, I miss Martin.
Annoying in his own ways, but at least he does not smile like a serial killer.
And, damn it, was he not done delivering Cindy’s breakfast yet?
Still thinking about her. Will I ever learn?
I shook it off and pushed through the revolving doors. A blast of cool AC wrapped around me, chilling the sting of Cindy’s words.
“Welcome back, sir,” the receptionist said from behind the front desk.
Bright smile, white teeth, black hair in a sleek bun, and the kind of curves you would write bad poetry about.
I smiled back, letting my eyes linger a little too long.
“Hello,” I replied smoothly.
She bent over the desk to retrieve my key card, Room 174, and when she leaned in, I caught a subtle whiff of expensive vanilla perfume.
“Enjoy your stay, sir.” She stretched her hand out.
“How can I enjoy my stay when you are not gracing my bed with that gorgeous body?” I smirked, letting my fingers brush hers just a little too long.
She froze for half a second, a flush creeping up her neck before she glanced toward the lobby cameras. Someone passed behind me, and she quickly pulled her hand back.
“My room is free if you are after your shift,” I murmured, leaning on the counter.
Her lips curved just slightly before she turned back to her monitor without uttering a single word.
I winked and headed for the elevator.
Later that evening, steam still clung to my skin as I stepped out of the shower. A towel hung low on my hips, water dripping down my chest and tracing the path to my v-line. I raked my fingers through my hair, scattering droplets across the black tiles.
The place was big enough to get lost in, with a king bed dressed in crisp white, floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the city lights, and a private pool out on the terrace.
I had been here since I hit Texas, ignoring every attempt from Elis to get me to stay at his place. I like my privacy. I like being able to order in whoever I want without Elis giving me his priest voice.
I crossed to the table, grabbed the decanter, and poured myself two fingers of Château d’Yquem 2005, worth about six grand a bottle, because cheap wine is for men without ambition.
I let the honeyed scent hit me before taking a sip. It burned down my chest.
I was about to head to the private pool when a knock came at the door.
Was I expecting anyone? I guess not.
I took another sip, padded over, and cracked it open cautiously.
The door swung wider, and someone shoved past me. The wine sloshed, spilling down my chest, trailing over my abs, pooling dangerously low along my v-line.
“What the—” I froze.
It was her. The receptionist.
Except now she was out of uniform and in a red-hot dress that clung like it was sewn onto her, with a neckline cut low enough to qualify as a felony.
“You came,” I breathed, stepping aside.
She smiled, eyes raking over me like she was memorizing every inch.
“My shift just ended,” she said, smiling softly, eyes traveling down my body as she walked in.
“And I thought you wanted me here.”
She stopped when her gaze caught the splash of wine on my chest from where she had bumped me.
Damn.
She looked even better without that damned uniform.
She reached out, tracing the wet path with one manicured finger.
My head tipped back involuntarily, a groan escaping as the touch shot straight to my groin.
“You are so hot,” she whispered, “I had to forget the code of conduct.”
“And that makes it even hotter,” I growled, pulling her into my chest, my arm wrapping around her slim waist.
My mouth found hers, and the kiss turned messy fast. Tongues tangling, breathing hard, her nails in my hair while her other hand slid lower, palming my erect cock through the towel.
“Fuck… you are trouble,” I growled against her lips, dizzy from the rush.
She smiled against my mouth.
And the door burst open.
For half a second, I thought the universe was blessing me with another hot receptionist.
But the moment my eyes darted to the door, every ounce of heat evaporated.
Cindy?!
The air suddenly turned cold, my pulse stuttered, and the only thing louder than my heartbeat was the question screaming in my head.
What the hell is she doing here?