CHAPTER SEVEN

Damien Cross POV

Clara’s warning still echoes in my head like a curse.

“You’re Adrian’s first love. If you break his heart, I’ll chase you with a butcher knife and cut your dick in half ’til you bleed out. Adrian still carries his demons, but it’s not my secret to tell.”

Her voice rings sharp even now. What demons? What pain is she talking about? Something must have happened in his past, something dark enough that she won’t even say it. My blood boils at the thought. Whoever hurt my Adrian… if I ever find them, I’ll tear them apart with my own hands.

“Damien? Hellooo.” Adrian’s hand waves in front of my face, snapping me back to the present. His soft laughter follows. “You spaced out. Are you okay?”

I blink, pushing the storm inside me away. “Of course I’m okay. Especially now that you’re here.” I tug him onto my lap before he can escape. He squirms a little, trying to fight it, but once I bury my face in the warm skin of his neck, he melts against me. His scent drives me wild. It's addictive, comforting, and maddening all at once.

Earlier this morning, I surprised him at his apartment. Within hours, Sam was already packing Adrian’s things and moving him into my house where he belongs. And now, after dinner, the two of us are curled up on the couch like we’ve been doing this forever.

Then I noticed something. My phone is in his hands. He’s fumbling with it like a guilty kid.

“Hey,” I lean closer, eyebrow raised. “What are you looking for?”

“Nothing,” he answers too quickly, but the corner of his mouth twitches. He opens my gallery and frowns when he sees it empty. “Seriously? No selfies? No photos at all?”

“I don’t keep pictures on my phone,” I tell him honestly. “Unless it’s you.”

The words make his face burn red. He bolts from my lap like I just set him on fire and disappears into the bathroom. I chuckle, shaking my head, but curiosity pushes me to follow.

The moment I step inside, I freeze. Adrian is standing in front of the mirror, holding my phone like it’s his. Lips puckered, fingers making a V-sign. Click. The shutter sound echoes.

“What the hell are you doing?” My voice comes out amused instead of stern.

He rolls his eyes, not even embarrassed. “Taking a mirror selfie, duh.” He tosses me the phone like it’s obvious.

On the screen is his pouty face, his messy hair, the little smirk that makes me want to eat him alive. My lips curve into a grin before I even realize it. Without hesitation, I set the picture as my wallpaper.

“You look so damn cute here.”

He crosses his arms, trying to pout but failing. “So I’m not cute in real life?”

I throw the phone aside and drag him close by the waist. “No. You’re not cute in real life.” I pause, watching his eyes widen. Then I whisper against his lips, “You’re gorgeous. That’s way better.”

His cheeks flush crimson. “You’re handsome though,” he murmurs.

“And you’re gorgeous,” I shot back instantly. “Which means we’re obviously meant to be.”

I kiss him before he can argue. His lips part, soft and eager, his hands diving into my hair while his legs hook around my hips. I press him against the cold bathroom wall, swallowing his moan like it’s mine. The friction of our bodies hard against hard sets me on fire. My heart pounds so loud it drowns everything else.

But no. Not yet.

I tear my lips away, panting, fighting the urge to take him right here. His glazed eyes stare at me, confusion mixing with hunger.

“Damien… what’s wrong?” His voice trembles with desire.

“We can’t. Not yet.” My jaw tightens. I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anyone, but this us it has to mean more than lust.

He slides off my waist, his face still flushed but calm. “It’s okay. I’m not ready either,” he admits softly.

Relief washes over me, though frustration still claws at my chest. Of course he isn’t ready. Adrian is still a virgin. And I refuse to take that from him until after the wedding. I want our first time to be sacred, not rushed against a wall.

He kisses my forehead, smiling cheekily. “Just make sure the wait is worth it.” Then he dashes away before I can pull him back.

God, this man. He already makes my lifeless house feel like a home.

I laugh to myself, grab my phone, and join him in the living room. He’s on the couch now, playing with the remote. Without asking, I pull him back into my lap, burying my face in his neck again. My body is still hard beneath him, but his presence alone calms the storm.

Then the doorbell rings.

Before I move, he’s already up. “I’ll check it!” he says quickly.

My gut tightens. What if it’s a stranger? What if it’s dangerous? I spring up, heart pounding only to see Adrian open the door to… Thomas.

My best friend.

“Who the hell are you?” Thomas’s voice is sharp, accusing. His glare lands on Adrian like a knife. “And what the fuck are you doing in my friend’s house?”

For a second, relief floods me, it's just Thomas. But then I hear Adrian’s shaky reply, and my relief shatters.

“I-I’m Damien’s fiancé.” His voice cracks.

Rage surges through me.

Thomas sneers. “What the fuck? A gold digger? That’s all you are ” His words cut short when his eyes finally meet mine. “Damien?! Who is this man?”

Tears glisten in Adrian’s eyes. Without thinking, I storm forward, pulling him into my arms, shielding him from Thomas’s cruelty.

“Seriously, Thomas?!” My roar rattles the air. “I invited you here to meet my fiancé, and this is how you treat him? Show him respect before I smash your face in.”

Thomas falters, his confidence cracking. “I-I’m sorry, man. I didn’t think you’d ”

“Oh shut the fuck up! Stop being a fucking idiot for once!” My voice is thunder, sharp enough to make him flinch.

He mumbles weakly, “I’ll just… go in.”

I nod stiffly but keep Adrian close, kissing his temple as he sniffles into my chest. “Shh. Don’t cry. Please. I hate it when you cry.”

He lets out a small chuckle, even through his tears. “Okay. I’ll go wash my face before I look like a balloon.”

I let him go, but the second he’s out of sight, I turn back to Thomas, fury simmering.

“What the hell was that?”

“I just thought you’d never fall for anyone again after… you know.” His voice shrinks under my glare.

“Who the hell are you to judge me?” My fists clench. “I was excited for you to meet him, and you insulted him in my house. My fiancé. The man I love.”

Thomas stiffens, guilt flickering in his eyes. “I’m sorry, okay? I judged too quickly.”

“Too late,” I snapped. “If Adrian wasn’t so kind, I’d already have broken your jaw.”

Before Thomas can answer, Sam clears his throat from behind us. “Sir… Mr. Hale has left the house.”

My blood freezes. “What?!”

“He said he was going for a walk, and that you gave permission.”

“I didn’t! When?”

“Just a few minutes ago. He hasn’t come back.”

I curse loudly. “He can’t be far. We need to find him!”

“I’ll help,” Thomas offers.

“This is your fault,” I growl. “If one hair on Adrian’s head is harmed, I swear our friendship is over.”

I bolt out of the house, lungs burning. At the gate, the road splits. “Sam, go right! I’ll take the left!”

I run like a madman, shouting his name. “Adrian! Where are you?!” My chest aches, but I don’t stop. Not until I see him.

There at the park, on a lonely swing, muttering to himself.

“Way to go, Adrian,” he whispers, voice cracking. “Everyone thinks I’m a gold digger. But Damien makes me happy. He makes my days brighter. And now I’m sitting here, talking to the air like an idiot.”

My chest tightens. I step closer, my voice low. “You haunt my mind too. Like a ghost.”

His head snaps up. The second his eyes meet mine, he runs straight into my arms.

“It’s only been days, Damien,” he whispers, trembling. “But I can’t help it. I think I’m falling for you.”

I cup his face, staring deep into his watery eyes. “At first, I wanted to marry you just to fulfill my grandfather’s wish. I thought it would be a deal, nothing more. But now?” My voice shakes. “Now I want forever with you. I love you, Adrian Hale.”

His lips part. “You… Do you love me?”

“I do.”

Tears slip down his cheeks, but this time, they’re tears of joy. “I love you too, Damien Cross.”

Shock rattles me. Four days, and he already loves me? “You do?”

He smirks, playful even now. “No, I was joking. Of course I do, you idiot.”

I laugh, relief crashing through me. “You don’t care what people say? About us?”

“Not at all. It’s you and me. That’s all that matters.”

“Yeah,” I whisper, kissing him hard. “You and me.”

We kiss like it’s the only thing keeping us alive, like the world doesn’t exist beyond us.

When he finally pulls back, he grins. “I love you.”

“I love you too, my one-week bride.”

“I’m a groom, not a bride,” he protests with a pout.

I scoop him up under the arms and spin him around, his laughter filling the night. “You’re my bride. My wife. My forever.”

He giggles, clinging to me as I shout into the open air like a lunatic, “YES! Adrian Hale loves me!”

And I don’t care who hears it. Because with him, everything feels right.