Chapter 5

- Mr. Mason, Miss. - A uniformed man greeted us and opened the car door.

Damien made way for me to get in first. I nodded and slid into the other side of the car, hoping he would understand my subtle gesture, but he ignored it and sat down next to me.

I felt nervous when I found myself in the car with Damien by my side. I ran my hands down my suddenly uncomfortable dress as I calculated how long it would take us to get to Ipanema.

- And where does the beautiful lady live? - Damien asked me. His face was dangerously close to mine and his lips were pulled into a mischievous smile that I already recognized as his trademark. It took all my concentration to breathe:

- In Ipanema. - I gave him the address.

Damien finally moved away, giving me a bit of space, and relayed what I had said to the driver. Then he pressed a button and a black barrier went up in front of us, dividing the car and leaving the uniformed man out of my sight.

- That's better. - He pulled me by the waist, gluing our bodies together. - Damien... - I started to protest, but he stopped me:

- I love hearing you say my name like that. - I felt his nose brush the skin of my neck and then his lips planted a kids on the area below my ear.

I had to dig my nails into the leather seat of the car to avoid getting them in his hair into his hair. God! I wasn't like that! What was that man doing to me?

- You... You're taking things the wrong way... Damien. - I tried to pull away from him, but his arms were now around my waist and I couldn't move.

- It's you who's getting it wrong, Ellen. - He kissed the exposed part of my shoulder. - I'm not the kind of man who gives up.

- Stop... Stop doing that. - My voice sounded weak and he laughed.

- You don't seem to want me to stop my Darling. - He moved his lips to my neck and his hands also went up my bare back. - You're so soft. So warm... You're driving me crazy with that skin showing.

He was also making my mind go down the drain with those hot lips of his, but I couldn't forget that the woman he was seeing was a fake. I was nothing more than a poor girl living a Cinderella night.

- I can't. - I pushed him in the chest, but he held my hand. - Why so resistant, Ellen? I know you want me too.

I stared at him for a few moments. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen. His black hair was up in an unruly bun. His nose was aquiline and the lines of his jaw emphasized his masculine face, giving it an air of nobility. Everything about him exuded refinement and I felt very inappropriate at that moment.

- We don't match. - I turned my thoughts into words.

- I disagree with you once again. Look how attracted we are to each other. I can't imagine a better match. - He kissed caressed my waist and then wrapped his arms around me again. - How about we change Tom's route to Leblon?

My heart pounded with offense. What kind of woman did he think to accept an invitation to spend the night with a guy I'd just met?

The car stopped, signaling our arrival.

- I think I'd better go home. - I turned to open the door, but Damien stopped me:

- Why are you doing this? Is this some kind of game?

- It's no game. - I tried to stay calm. - I appreciate your good will in bringing me home, Mr. Mason, but I'm tired and I want to go to bed.

I'm tired and I want to go to bed. That's why I'm asking you to please let me out of the car. - I finally managed to get a firm tone to my voice.

Damien arched an eyebrow and his eyes studied me visibly interest.

- All right, my Darling. - He moved closer and whispered in my ear.

- You can go if you like.

- Thank you, my Darling. - But he still had his arms around me, preventing me from moving any movement on my part.

- I need you to let me go, Mr. Mason.

Damien laughed. Then he nibbled on my earlobe, making me let out a low, unusual moan.

- What are you... What are you doing? - My hands tried to push him away.

He breathed heavily next to my ear and finally pulled away, grabbing my chin afterwards.

- Know that you won't be able to get away from me. - His eyes were cloudy and I could see the latent desire in them. To my surprise, I was filled with a misplaced feeling of feminine satisfaction.

- In the end, everyone does what I want and I get what I want. - He concluded his words with a domineering look indicating that I was included in everyone.

- Want is not always power, Mr. Mason. - I raised my chin. I wasn't going to be everyone and give in to his whims.

- Not for me, my Darling. I can have what I want when I want it. I want. That's how things work in my world. I give the orders and the rest follow.

- You're very arrogant! - I retorted, irritated by the conversation, and tried to let go of him once more.

- It's one of my qualities. - He boasted and smiled.

- Then I don't want to meet the others.

Damien let out a loud laugh. The sound was beautiful and harmonious and momentarily took the edge off my irritation.

- Ah, you will, my Darling. And I'm sure you'll love them all. - He put one of his hands on my bare back and pulled me against him while smiling mischievously. - But I'd prefer it to be somewhere more appropriate, where you can call my name without any shame and I can discover the rest of that wonderful skin. Damien lowered his face and kissed my collarbone, making me gasp. -- No, Damien... No...

- Almost like this, my Darling, almost like this.

He moved one hand down to my hips and began to make circular movements with his thumb on the side of my thighs. I felt my breathing become heavy with his touch.

- Your body betrays your words. - He leaned his forehead against mine. - I can make you see stars right here on this upholstery, but I have a much more comfortable bed where we can have all the privacy. - Damien traced my lips with his thumb and his blue eyes fixed on mine as his other hand left my hip to linger hip to lodge himself between the hairs on the back of my neck. - The end of this was already written from the moment we had that dance, my Darling. You can't deny that.

His words brought me back to reality. He seemed certain that I would end up in his bed and I wasn't doing anything to prove otherwise. I was acting in a way that only confirmed his convictions. I wasn't like that. I wasn't the type who could go to bed with someone and then just forget about it. The whole thing was a mistake.

His lips reached my chin and his fingers caressed the back of my neck nape of my neck. Then he brought his mouth close to mine to kiss me, but I stopped him by keeping my hands flat against his chest:

- You're wrong. You can always write a new ending. - I took my hand away from him and shook my head in annoyance.

I shouldn't have gone to that party. I shouldn't have danced with him, nor should I have accepted his offer to bring me home. But above all, I shouldn't have wanted someone like Damien Mason. I'd already been through a similar experience and I knew that nothing good could come of it.

- It was all a mistake. - I muttered.

I opened the door and got out of the car quickly, but I had to pause as soon as I found myself on my feet. My legs were still shaking and I had to concentrate to stay on my heels concentrate to stay on my heels.

I sighed and then walked down the sidewalk with as much dignity as I could muster still had. I could feel his gaze on my back and avoided thinking about my daring cleavage.

But before I reached the gate, I caught a whiff of masculine perfume and his hand closed on my wrist, making me turn my body.

- I think you were forgetting something. - Damien held up the house keys and shook them.

Then he held out the key ring and I reached out to take it, but he didn't give it back and pulled me into his arms. I let out a surprised yelp.

- I didn't see any mistake here, my Darling. I just saw an intense attraction between two grown people, but I'm not going to push you anymore. I'll let you beat me for today. For today. - Damien pointed with his face inches from mine and then smiled seductively. - But don't think I'm giving up. I never give up on something I want.

I held my breath and my heart skipped a beat when he moved closer and planted a kiss behind my ear, in a sensitive spot that I didn't even know I had.

- Have a good night, Ellen. - He smiled mischievously again. - You'll be hearing from me very soon.

Damien made his words sound like a promise. O smile died on his lips instantly and his expression turned serious became serious. I realized at that moment that I'd walked into a big scam. He finally pulled away and got back into the car. I didn't wait any longer and entered the house.

I crossed the garden and in an instant I found myself in the sumptuous living room of Jeniffer's aunt and uncle's house.

I locked the front door and threw the keys I was carrying onto one of the nearby sofas. Then I let my back slide down the cold wood, still feeling my heart beating fast, and sat down on the floor.

What now? I hadn't managed to get rid of Damien as planned. The tenacious glint in his eye, in fact, made me suspect that I had made the situation worse.

I lifted the cell phone that I had luckily managed to keep in my hand during the journey and sent a message to Arianna saying that

I was already home.

Then I walked over to the upholstery in front of me and lay down on it.

I stared at the plaster ceiling, mentally trying to convince myself that there was no point to all the anxiety that was lodged inside me. He wasn't going to come after me.

Come on, Ellen. You're no Julia Roberts causing a stir on the streets of Beverly Hills and seducing tycoons!

I was irritated by the little expectation I had created around his words.

There was no chance of me seeing him again. Besides, men like Damien always had women at their disposal. He would go back to the party and find another, prettier woman who would surely accept his invitation for a night in Leblon.

And that was just as well. Damien didn't seem like the kind of nice guy and he certainly wasn't going to come into my life to save me or anything, just in case I turned out to be a Vivian Ward. He still couldn't have been any Edward Lewis and we weren't in an afternoon movie.

And finally, I didn't need or want a savior. I knew how to fight and win my own wars on my own.

I smiled in satisfaction at my own realism.

I wouldn't fall for this dream of modern fairy tales. I wasn't foolish enough to idealize myself as A Beautiful Woman.