Chapter 5

The soft knock on my bedroom door echoed like a gunshot in the quiet guest room. My heart slammed against my ribs as I stood frozen in the center of the plush king-sized bed, Damien’s oversized dress shirt still draped over my naked body. The fabric carried his scent—sandalwood, scotch, and raw masculinity—clinging to my skin along with the unmistakable evidence of what we had just done in his study. Between my thighs, I was still slick and sensitive, his release a warm reminder that refused to let me forget.

“Ava?” Sophia’s voice came again, gentle and familiar, muffled by the thick oak door. “Are you awake? I saw the light under your door. I can’t sleep… thinking about leaving tomorrow. Can I come in for a minute?”

Lightning flickered faintly through the balcony doors, illuminating the rain-streaked glass overlooking the dark cliffs. The Puget Sound churned far below, waves crashing against jagged rocks in a restless rhythm that matched the panic rising in my chest. The Blackwood estate felt enormous and suffocating at once—its marble hallways silent, its wings stretching out like silent guardians of secrets.

I glanced desperately at the balcony. Cold wind rattled the doors, offering escape into the stormy night, but jumping from the second floor onto wet stone would be reckless. There was nowhere to hide the shirt, no time to shower the scent of her father off me.

“Just a second!” I called, voice higher than I intended. I yanked the shirt off, tossed it under the bed, and grabbed my silk robe from the chair. The cool fabric whispered over my still-flushed skin as I tied the belt with shaking fingers. My thighs pressed together instinctively, trying to contain the mess, but I could feel the faint trickle threatening to betray me.

I opened the door just enough to slip into the hallway, blocking her view inside. Sophia stood there in pink pajama shorts and a tank top, blonde hair tousled, her blue eyes soft with that trusting glow she’d had since we were kids sharing secrets at sleepovers.

“Hey,” she said, stepping forward for a quick hug. I stiffened, terrified she’d smell him on me. “You okay? You look flushed. The storm keeping you up too?”

“Yeah… the thunder,” I lied, forcing a smile as I pulled her into the hallway instead of letting her inside. The marble floor was cold under my bare feet, grounding me. “Come on, let’s talk in the kitchen. I’ll make us some tea.”

Sophia tilted her head but followed, her arm linking with mine like always. We moved through the dimly lit corridor, passing family portraits that watched us silently—Sophia as a child on Damien’s shoulders, me standing awkwardly beside them at countless holidays. The scent of rain and sea salt drifted from open windows, mixing with the faint aroma of night-blooming jasmine from the gardens below.

In the massive chef’s kitchen, stainless steel gleamed under recessed lights. I filled the kettle, keeping my back to her while my mind raced. Every movement reminded me of Damien—his hands on my hips, his voice growling commands, the way he had filled me so completely on that desk.

“You’re going to kill it in London,” I said, trying to steer the conversation. “Six months at Blackwood Capital’s headquarters? That’s huge.”

Sophia leaned against the island, fiddling with a strand of hair. “I know, but I’m nervous. Dad’s been so intense about it. He keeps saying it’s important for me to stand on my own.” She laughed softly. “As if his name won’t open every door. Sometimes I wonder if he’s pushing me away because… I don’t know. He’s been different lately. Distracted.”

My hand tightened on the kettle handle. Different. Because of me. Because of the nights he’d spent watching me instead of working.

“He just wants the best for you,” I murmured, pouring steaming water into two mugs. The herbal tea scent bloomed, chamomile and lavender, trying to calm the storm inside me.

We sat at the long marble breakfast bar, the estate’s vast windows framing the stormy sound like a painting. Sophia talked about her flight, her new apartment in London, the pressure of living up to the Blackwood name. I nodded, laughed in the right places, all while my body still hummed from Damien’s touch. Every shift on the stool sent a reminder between my legs.

Halfway through her tea, Sophia’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it and frowned. “Dad just texted. He says he’s heading to the city office for an early meeting before my flight. Something about a merger.” She rolled her eyes fondly. “Typical. Even at 2 a.m. he’s working.”

Relief flooded me. Damien was giving us space—giving me space. But the text also felt like a promise. He was clearing the house tomorrow.

Sophia yawned and stood, hugging me tightly. “Thanks for listening. You’re the best, Ava. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Her words twisted like a knife in my gut. “Love you. Get some sleep.”

“Love you too,” I whispered, watching her disappear down the hall.

The moment her door clicked shut, I exhaled shakily and slipped back to my room. I barely made it to the shower before my legs gave out. Hot water cascaded over me, washing away the visible traces, but nothing could erase the memory of Damien’s body, his commands, his release.

I crawled into bed, the sheets cool against my heated skin. Sleep came in fragments, haunted by dreams of strong hands pinning me down, a deep voice whispering filthy promises, and the constant shadow of Sophia’s trusting smile.

Morning arrived gray and drizzly. Sophia’s departure was a whirlwind—suitcases in the foyer, the private car waiting, Damien appearing in a crisp charcoal suit that hugged his broad shoulders perfectly. He looked every inch the untouchable billionaire: silver at his temples catching the light, jaw set, eyes unreadable as he hugged his daughter goodbye.

When Sophia turned to me for one last embrace, Damien’s gaze locked on mine over her shoulder. Dark. Possessive. A silent message that made my core clench.

“Call me when you land,” I said to Sophia, voice steady despite everything.

She waved from the car, blowing kisses. The vehicle disappeared down the long driveway, tires crunching on gravel.

The estate fell silent.

Damien closed the front door with a deliberate click. He turned to face me in the grand foyer, marble floors echoing under his dress shoes as he stalked closer. Rain pattered against the skylight above us, soft and intimate now.

“House is empty,” he said, voice low and rough. His hand reached out, thumb tracing my lower lip exactly like that first night. “No more almosts, Ava. No more hiding behind doors.”

He backed me against the cool marble wall, body caging me in. His suit jacket brushed my thin sweater, the contrast between his polished power and my casual vulnerability sending heat racing through me.

“Tell me you still want this,” he murmured, lips hovering over mine. “Tell me you want me to ruin you properly this time.”

My breath hitched. “I want it. I want you.”

His mouth claimed mine in a deep, hungry kiss. Hands roamed—sliding under my sweater, gripping my waist, pulling me flush against the hard line of his body. We barely made it ten steps before he lifted me, my legs wrapping around his hips as he carried me toward the study again.

But halfway down the hallway, his phone rang sharply from his pocket.

Damien growled in frustration, setting me down but keeping one arm around me. He glanced at the screen, jaw tightening. “It’s my head of security. Says there’s an urgent issue at the downtown office. Potential breach.”

He silenced the call, eyes burning into mine. “It can wait thirty minutes.”

But the phone rang again. Insistent.

With a curse, he answered, voice clipped and commanding. “What is it?”

I watched his expression shift from irritation to cold focus as he listened. His free hand stayed on my hip, thumb stroking possessively, but his body tensed.

“Handle it,” he snapped finally. “I’ll be there in twenty.”

He hung up and looked at me, regret and hunger warring in his dark eyes. “I have to go. This merger… there are complications. Rivals sniffing around.”

I nodded, disappointment sharp in my chest. “Go. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Damien cupped my face, kissing me once more—hard, promising. “Lock the doors. Don’t let anyone in. When I return tonight, I’m taking you everywhere in this house. Starting with bending you over my desk again until you can’t walk straight.”

He left, the front door clicking shut behind him, leaving the estate eerily quiet except for the rain.

I wandered the empty halls, touching surfaces where we had almost been caught—the study door, the kitchen island. The luxury felt heavier without Sophia’s laughter or Damien’s commanding presence. I ended up in the library, curling up with a book on the velvet chaise, trying to distract myself.

Hours passed. The rain intensified again.

My phone buzzed with a text from Damien.

D: Meeting running long. Stay naked under that robe for me. I want easy access when I walk through the door.

Heat flooded me. I obeyed, slipping out of my clothes in the library, the silk robe the only barrier.

Another text.

D: Good girl.

Then, twenty minutes later:

D: On my way. Be ready.

I waited on the chaise, heart racing, robe loosely tied, thighs parted in anticipation.

The front door finally opened with a heavy click.

Footsteps echoed—confident, measured.

But when the library door swung open, it wasn’t Damien standing there.

It was a tall, sharply dressed man in his late thirties, dark hair, sharp features, holding a security badge. One of Damien’s trusted team, but his eyes widened slightly at the sight of me barely covered on the chaise.

“Miss Montgomery,” he said, voice professional but edged with surprise. “Mr. Blackwood sent me ahead. There’s been a security concern. He wants me to check the premises personally.”

His gaze flicked down for a fraction of a second before snapping back to my face.

Behind him, the hallway stretched empty. Damien’s car still wasn’t in the driveway.

The man stepped inside, closing the library door with a soft click.

“Everything secure so far?” he asked, but his tone carried something heavier as he approached, eyes darkening with curiosity.

My robe slipped slightly off one shoulder, the cool air kissing my skin.

Damien’s text had said he was on his way.

But right now, I was alone in the empty estate with a stranger who had just caught me waiting desperately for my lover—half-naked and flushed with unmet need.

And the stranger wasn’t leaving.