LOGINThe week had passed in a strange and suspicious way. Damien had been… different. Not in a bad way, exactly. He was more attentive, more present. He’d taken me to my favorite bookstore twice, sat through my long rants about corporate law cases without checking his phone once, and fucked me with a kind of desperate tenderness that left me breathless and sore in the best ways. But there was something underneath it all. A quiet excitement he couldn’t quite hide.I noticed the way he’d disappear into his office for “calls” that ended with him smiling. The way Sofia had been texting me less than usual, which was suspicious as hell because that girl could talk for hours about nothing. Something was brewing. I just didn’t know what.By Friday evening, I was exhausted from a long day of classes and another awkward run-in with Alex, who had kept his distance but still managed to shoot me loaded looks across the quad. I stepped into the penthouse expecting the usual takeout, couch cuddling, mayb
The penthouse was quiet, I sat on the edge of the bed, phone still in my hand, staring at that latest anonymous text like it was a live wire.‘You don't really want to know how the dark side of Damien started?’I deleted it quickly, my thumb pressing harder than necessary. Another one that made three in two days. No sender. No proof. Just enough poison to make my stomach twist every time my phone buzzed. I glanced toward the bathroom door where Damien was freshening up. Water ran steadily. He had no idea. Part of me wanted to walk in there, show him the messages, and demand answers. The other part, the tired, scared part just wanted one normal night.I dropped the phone on the nightstand and forced a smile as he stepped out, towel slung low on his hips, water still glistening on his shoulders. He looked every bit the man who had bent me over last night like I was his entire world.“Noodles sound good?” he asked, voice casual, but his eyes scanned my face the way they always did, like
The campus quad felt like a battlefield I hadn’t signed up for. I walked with my head down, laptop bag banging against my hip. I could still feel Damien’s hands on me, the way he’d bent me over the island like he needed to remind both of us who I belonged to, the raw sound of his voice growling “you’re mine” while he fucked me deep enough to make my legs shake for hours afterward. It had been intense.But the afterglow had faded by morning, leaving behind the quiet unease I couldn’t quite shake. His calm, commanding voice on that call still echoed. I loved him. God, I loved him so much it hurt sometimes. But loving Damien Blackwood meant loving the shadows too, and I wasn’t sure how deep they went or if I was strong enough to stand in them without losing pieces of myself.I pushed the thoughts aside as I slipped into the lecture hall for Professor Lang’s class. The room was already filling up, I found a seat near the middle, pulled out my notebook, and tried to focus. I needed normal
I stepped into the penthouse with my bag slung over one shoulder, the weight of the day pressing down on me like a second skin. Alex’s voice still echoed in my head, I had shut him down, reminded him who owned this school, but the encounter left a sour feeling in me.Damien was already home. He appeared in the hallway a moment later, sleeves rolled up, hair slightly messy like he’d run his hands through it a few times. His eyes softened when they landed on me, but there was that familiar edge underneath, the one that said he was reading every micro-expression on my face.“Hey,” he said, voice low and warm. He crossed the distance and pulled me into a hug, one hand cradling the back of my head. “Missed you today. How was class?”I melted into him for a second, breathing him in. God, I loved this part, the way he held me like I was something precious. But the words from the overheard call kept replaying in my mind. Secondary routes. No loose ends. It wasn’t just business. It was somethi
The campus felt both familiar and strangely distant as I walked across the quad the next morning. I clutched my laptop bag tighter, trying to focus on the strategy presentation I needed to finish by Friday. But my mind kept drifting back to Damien’s steady breathing as I slipped out early, the way he’d kissed me goodbye like he could sense the lingering shadows between us.After the intense reconciliation and the quiet doubts that followed, I had thrown myself into school. That was what I needed. No more eavesdropping on calls about “secondary routes” or “permanent consequences.” Just lectures, deadlines, and coffee that didn’t come with a side of moral crisis.My phone buzzed. Damien.Damien: Miss you already. Dinner tonight? I’ll pick you up after your last class.I smiled despite myself and typed back quickly. Sounds good. Miss you too.It wasn’t entirely a lie. I did miss the version of him that made me feel safe. The one who wasn’t tied to locked cases and cryptic conversations.
The morning after our reconciliation dawned softer than I expected. Damien and I still lay wrapped around each other. My body ached in the best way between my thighs, faint bruises on my hips from his grip, and the unmistakable tenderness on my ass. Every shift reminded me of how completely I had surrendered to him.Damien’s arm was heavy across my waist, his breath steady against my neck. I turned slightly to watch him sleep. In the daylight, he looked almost peaceful. The ruthless man who could order releases and threats seemed miles away from this version, the one who made heart-shaped pancakes and held me like I was made of glass after wrecking me.I traced a finger along his jaw. He stirred, eyes cracking open with a lazy smile that made my chest tighten.“Morning, beautiful,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep. He pulled me closer, pressing a kiss to my forehead, then lower to the mark he’d left on my neck. “How do you feel? Too sore?”“A little,” I admitted, smiling. “But wort
I woke up sore in places I didn’t even know could hurt. The bedroom was dark except for the soft gray light leaking through the blinds. Damien was already awake, watching me intensely like I was going to run away. His hair was a mess, eyes heavy like he didn't get any sleep, but there was somethin
The penthouse felt too quiet that afternoon. I was curled on the couch in the living room, legs tucked under me, scrolling through old lecture notes on my laptop. Damien was in his office down the hall, voice low on some conference call. I could hear the occasional sharp word drift out, but nothing
The drive back from campus was quiet, too quiet. Damien's hand rested on my thigh the whole way. I kept my legs pressed together, trying to ignore the lingering ache between them, the faint wetness that hadn't quite dried. Every bump in the road made me clench, and I hated how my body reacted like
The hallway felt longer than usual. Teachers and students parted without me asking. The office door was already cracked open. I pushed it wider and stepped inside.Damien stood by the window, hands in bus pockets, back to me. The room smelled of his cologne. He didn't turn right away. Just let Mr s







