LOGIN"You won't have to choose," he said. "Because I'm not going anywhere. Whatever happens, whatever they do, I'm going to be right here with you."They walked in silence for a while, the only sounds the lap of waves against the shore and the cry of seabirds overhead."I'm also afraid," Damien admitted, "that I'm not enough for you. That my darkness will eventually overwhelm the good parts. That I'll hurt you in ways I can't come back from."Lyra stopped walking and turned to face him."You could never hurt me," she said."I already have," he said. "I've made decisions about your life without your consent. I've...""Loved me," she interrupted. "You've loved me. In the only way you knew how. And yes, it was unconventional and sometimes wrong, but it was genuine. It was real. And I forgive you."She reached up and cupped his face in her hands.Damien pulled her into his arms, and she felt him shake slightly."I love you," he said, his voice rough. "More than anything. More than life itself.
"You," he said simply. "The moment I realized you weren't actually my sister, the moment I understood that I could have you...everything changed. It made me realize that there were things more important than money and power and control. There were people worth changing for."She felt her throat tighten with emotion."I'm scared," she admitted. "Of what happens when we go back. Of mom and dad. Of losing everything.""I know," Damien said. "And I'm scared too. I'm terrified that I'm not enough to keep you, that eventually the complications will be too much, that you'll leave me.""I won't," Lyra said firmly."You don't know that," he said. "But I need you to know that whatever happens, whatever we have to face, I'm going to face it with you. I'm going to fight for us."The sun touched the horizon, and the sky exploded into color.They sat in silence, watching the sun sink lower and lower, the ocean turning shades of gold and crimson.As the sun disappeared completely, the stars began to
The jet descended lower and lower, and the island details became clearer.She could see the resort nestled among the palm trees. She could see the individual bungalows, each one separate and private.And she could see the private dock where their bungalow was located, the one that jutted out over the clearest water she'd ever seen."That's ours," Damien said softly, pointing. "That's where we're staying."The jet touched down on the runway, and Lyra held her breath.This was it.Paradise.Freedom.Just the two of them.***The speedboat cut through the crystal-clear water, and Lyra couldn't stop staring at the shades of blue surrounding them.She'd seen photos. She'd seen videos. But nothing...absolutely nothing...could have prepared her for the reality of it.The water was so clear she could see fish swimming beneath them. The sand was so white it almost hurt to look at. The sky was so blue it seemed almost unreal, like someone had Photoshopped it to be too perfect."There," Damien s
"You matter to me more than anything," he said. "More than my own life. I need you to know that."He leaned over and kissed her, tender and deep, and when he pulled back, there were emotions in his eyes that she'd never seen before.Fear. Vulnerability. Love."I know," she whispered. "I feel it."***Lyra was packing again, this time with everything spread out on the bed. all her new clothes, her toiletries, her phone charger.Damien sat in the chair by the window, watching her pack with an intensity that made her self-conscious."You're staring," she said without looking up."I'm enjoying watching you," he replied. "Is that not allowed?"She turned to look at him, and he was smiling...that genuine smile that still took her breath away."It's allowed," she said. "I just feel like I should do something more interesting than fold clothes.""Come here," he said, patting the space beside him.She abandoned her packing and settled into the chair with him, curling into his side.For a momen
His hand came up to cup her face, his thumb brushing away her tears."Then we're going to have it," he said. "And when we come back, when we have to return to reality and deal with all the complications and the complications, at least we'll have those memories. At least we'll know what it feels like to just be together without all the rest of the world getting in the way."He kissed her then...not passionately or possessively, but tenderly. Gently. Like he was reminding her of something important.When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers."Pack light," he said. "We won't need many clothes. The water is warm year-round, and I plan on keeping you mostly naked anyway."Lyra laughed, the first real laugh she'd had in days."There's the Damien I know," she said."There's a lot of versions of me you haven't met yet," he said softly. "And I want to show you all of them. But first, paradise."He lifted her slightly and stood up, carrying her toward the bedroom."But first," he
Lyra curled up on the couch with a glass of wine, watching the city lights twinkle below them as the sun set over Manhattan.It was a quiet evening, the kind they'd been having more of lately since she'd back moved in. No frantic sex, no possessive claiming, no tension that needed to be released.Just them. Together. Existing.Damien emerged from his home office with his laptop, and instead of going to his study, he sat down next to her on the couch, pulling her against his side.It was such a simple gesture, but it meant everything."I'm thinking about taking some time off work," he said casually, running his fingers through her hair.Lyra looked up at him, surprised. In all the years she'd known him, she'd never heard him suggest taking time off."Really?" she asked. "You? Taking time off?"He smiled...actually smiled, a genuine smile that didn't contain any darkness or possession, just warmth."Really," he said. "I think I need a break. And I think you need one too.""From what?" s
Lyra tried to focus on work, but her mind kept returning to that conversation.What did Karla know? How did she know it? And most importantly, what was she planning to do with whatever information she'd gathered?Her phone buzzed with a text from Damien.Damien: Working late. I'll pick you up at 7.
The Savoy Hotel was elegant and luxurious, exactly the kind of place where billionaires and CEOs conducted business.Lyra checked into her suite and tried not to think about the fact that Damien was in the same building.Somewhere. Watching. Waiting.She took a shower and dressed carefully in a pro
Damien arrived at the Nightbane Gallery at exactly six-thirty, just as the last of the staff were filtering out for the evening.Lyra was in her office, reviewing the latest proposal from the Rousseau estate executor, when her assistant knocked."Lyra? Mr. Nightbane is here for you."Her heart did
Lyra stared at it with wide eyes, her lips parting."So big," she whispered, almost to herself. "I always wondered... but seeing it..."She wrapped her hand around him....small, delicate fingers that couldn't quite circle his girth.Damien hissed at the contact, his hips jerking involuntarily."Lyr







