Chapter 135: Hot Wave Of Embarrassment And Distaste

The ride home was quiet in that soft, peaceful way that only comes after a night that felt too perfect to be real.

Damien didn’t rush. He drove with one hand on the wheel, the early morning sun brushing the car interior in a warm golden glow. Tessa kept replaying the night in her head, his smile, the way he watched her, the way he held her like she was something precious. The way he fucked her and made her cum until she couldn't feel her legs.

When he pulled up in front of her apartment, Damien turned to her with that lazy, soft grin that made her stomach tighten.

“Text me when you get inside,” he said. “Not because I’m worried, just because I want an excuse to talk to you again.”

Tessa’s legs felt like jelly. She nodded, muttering a shy, “Okay,” before stepping out of the car.

Damien waited. He didn’t drive off. Not until she was inside the building. And God… that alone made her heart flutter.

Tessa opened her door and froze.

Maya was standing in the middle of the living room, in her oversized Mickey Mouse nightie, hair a total mess, eyes wide with accusation and excitement.

The moment Maya saw her, she gasped dramatically, smacked her hand against her heart, and said, “Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up.”

Tessa blinked. “Maya…”

“Don’t ‘Maya’ me.” Maya marched toward her like a mother hen ready to discipline her chick. “Explain to me, young lady, why I was unable to reach you the whole night?”

Tessa laughed under her breath and brushed past her. “Whatever. Where’s Naya?”

Maya followed her like a detective refusing to drop a case. “I just dropped her off at school. And FYI, I have three hours before I leave for work, so I have time. A lot of time. Now talk.”

Tessa set her purse down and tried, she really tried to keep a straight face. But Maya narrowed her eyes and smirked.

“You look like someone who was busy last night,” she teased.

“I wasn’t doing anything,” Tessa said quickly.

“Oh please.” Maya folded her arms dramatically. “Of course you weren’t. You just had your legs hanging over someone’s shoulders, but nothing happened. Right. Totally believable.”

Tessa’s jaw dropped. “Shut up, Maya!”

Maya burst into cackles. “I knew it! I knew it! Now start talking.”

Tessa rolled her eyes and pushed her hair behind her ears, cheeks burning. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Uh-huh. Go on.”

Tessa sighed, finally giving in. “He… he took me on a date.”

Maya gasped, hands flying to her mouth. “Tell me everything.”

And so Tessa did.

She told her about the restaurant. How Damien rented the entire place out. How the decorations looked like something out of a movie. How the chef personally brought their food. How it felt like she was in a dream the whole time.

Maya’s eyes widened with every sentence. “What?! Girl… he rented the whole restaurant?”

“Yes.”

“This keeps getting better.”

“Yes, Maya.”

Maya squealed like she’d just won the lottery. “Tess, oh my God, this is not normal! This is rich-rich behavior. Not just rich. Extra rich.”

Tessa felt her cheeks warm again. “And then…”

Maya leaned forward. “And then what?”

Tessa lowered her voice. “We went to his house.”

Maya screamed. Actually screamed. “Now you’re talking! This is the part I want to hear!”

Tessa smacked her with a pillow. “Shut up!”

Maya was unfazed. “Please, continue.”

“We just… had a tour,” Tessa said shyly. “Maya… that house is insane. I swear, it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been in. I should’ve taken a video.”

“Oh you will,” Maya said confidently. “Because you’re going back. And when you do, don’t you dare forget to send me videos of everything.”

Tessa laughed softly. “It felt unreal. Like I stepped into a dream. I can’t even describe it.”

Maya placed her hand dramatically over her chest. “And?”

“And then…” Tessa hesitated. “Maya… he asked me to be his girlfriend.”

Maya went still, then she exploded.

“OH MY GOD!!!” She grabbed Tessa and shook her dramatically. “He WHAT?!”

“He asked me to be his girlfriend.”

“Tell me you said yes. Tessa, if you say no I swear I'll kill you. You're too young to die!”

“I said yes,” Tessa said, rolling her eyes but smiling.

“Oh my God!!! I love you so much! Thank you for not being stupid! Tessa, do you understand what this means?!”

For the first time in a long time… she felt hopeful.

………

Damien walked into his office like a man who had just won the lottery. He greeted everyone, smiling.

“Morning, Harold,” he said to the security guard he normally only nodded at.

“Good morning, Sir,” Harold stammered, confused.

By the time he stepped into the executive floor, the entire staff was whispering.

“Why is he smiling?”

“Did the company stocks triple overnight?”

“Is he drunk?”

Evelyn, noticed it the moment he walked in. She stood from her desk, one eyebrow raised, watching him like he was a puzzle she needed to solve.

“Damien, good morning?” she said slowly.

“Morning, Eve,” Damien replied with a bright grin.

Evelyn blinked. Twice. “O…kay.”

Damien sat at his desk, still smiling at nothing in particular.

“Alright,” she said, closing the door behind her, arms crossed. “What’s going on?”

He glanced at her, still beaming. “Morning to you too.”

“Don’t start,” she snapped lightly. “You look like someone hit you with a happiness spell. Did you win the lottery?”

He chuckled. “Better.”

“Hmm. Did we get that bigger contract? The one from the Argent Group?”

“Even better.”

She scowled, stepping closer. “Did the president personally invite you on one of his trips?”

“Evelyn…” He leaned back, smile widening. “Even better.”

She threw her hands up. “Damien, nothing is better than those things! Just tell me.”

He inhaled deeply, like saying it out loud made it even more real.“Tessa agreed to be my girlfriend.”

Silence. A sharp, sudden, heavy silence. It hit the room like an explosion muffled under ice.

Evelyn stopped breathing.

Her face didn’t change at first she’d trained herself too well for that. But her eyes… her eyes flashed with something dark, cold, and deadly.

Something snapped inside her.

The kind of quiet, dangerous possessiveness that comes from years of being by a man’s side, believing she was the closest to him… only to hear he’d chosen someone else. Someone new, that loose piece of crap.

“Oh,” she said softly. But the softness wasn’t gentle, It was brittle. And underneath it something fierce was beginning to burn.

Damien didn’t notice. He was still smiling still lost in thought, still replaying last night in his mind.

Tessa was a squirter. She was so good, he came inside of her three times last night.

But Evelyn’s fingers curled into fists at her sides.

“Congratulation, but that was fast. I thought she was dating St. Eli?”

“Evelyn, I think the congratulation is just fine. You can leave now.” He said that without looking up.

The hot wave of embarrassment and distaste hit her so hard she almost stumbled.