A Dangerous Dare

The drive home was quiet.

The city moved past them in long stretches of traffic lights and blurred buildings, the evening settling in slowly. Naomi sat in the passenger seat with her fingers laced through Damon's. His grip was gentle, almost careful like he didn't want to break something fragile.

Her phone vibrated.

She ignored it.

It vibrated again, more insistent this time. Naomi glanced down, irritation already forming, then froze when she saw the number.

Unknown.

The phone vibrated again.

Damon noticed the slight change in her posture, the way her shoulders tensed. He didn’t look away from the road, but he couldn't tell something was wrong.

“Everything okay?” he asked casually.

Naomi hesitated, then answered the call before it rang again.

She didn’t put it on speaker.

“Naomi,” Soonie’s voice came through immediately, rushed and uneven.

“Naomi, please. I’ve been trying to reach you. They said I could make a call and I…”

Naomi’s grip tightened around the phone.

“Don’t call me again,” she said flatly.

There was a pause, then a sharp inhale on the other end.

“Please. Just listen to me. I know I messed up. I know I went too far, but I need to see you. Just once. I need to explain myself. You owe me that much.”

Naomi felt something twist in her chest, but it wasn’t guilt, it was anger. Cold steady anger that was begging to be let out.

“I don’t owe you anything,” she replied. “You kidnapped me. You tried to hurt me.”

Damon's ears perked up, he knew exactly who that was. His grip on the wheel tightened, his gaze flickering from Naomi to the road.

“I didn’t mean to…”

“Intent doesn’t erase what you did,” Naomi cut in. “You crossed a line you can’t walk back from.”

Damon seemed to relax a bit, Naomi could handle this, she could handle herself. He didn't need to play super everything and he was seeing the reason why by himself. His grip on her tightened.

Soonie’s voice dropped, desperate. “Naomi, I loved you. I still do. Don’t you at least want closure?”

Naomi laughed softly, without humor. “I already have closure.” She spat. “You’ll pay for what you did,” Naomi continued, her voice steady. “I trusted you and you tried to hurt me. You’re never seeing me again. Goodbye.”

She ended the call before Soonie could say another word.

The phone slid back into her bag as if it weighed nothing at all.

Damon waited a few seconds.

“You okay?” he asked.

Naomi met his gaze and nodded with a small smile. “I'm fine.”

Silence.

“It was Soonie.”

Damon nodded slowly, “I figured.”

“She wanted to see me,” Naomi replied. “And I told her no.”

Damon nodded once. “Good.” he placed a kiss on her fingertips, "You handled that well.”

They drove the rest of the way in silence.

When they got home, Patrick was waiting near the entryway, a tablet tucked under his arm.

“Sir,” he said, inclining his head slightly toward Damon, then Naomi. “There’s something you need to be aware of.”

Damon shrugged out of his jacket. “What is it?”

“The annual Sinclair Foundation Ball is next week,” Patrick said. “Attendance is compulsory for board members.”

Damon grimaced immediately. “I’m not going.”

Patrick hesitated. “Sir…”

“It requires a plus one,” Damon continued. “And I’m not dragging my wife into a circus she didn’t sign up for.”

Naomi, who had been quietly removing her shoes, looked up. “Who said anything about dragging?”

Damon turned to her. “Naomi, you don’t have to…”

“I want to go,” she said simply.

Patrick blinked, then very wisely excused himself.

Damon studied her face. “You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

Damon shook his head. “You had a long week Naomi. A very very long week amd..”

Naomi got on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his lips, a brief one.

“Thats not fair.” He muttered, brows furrowed.

Naomi laughed, “it worked didn't it?”

Damon exhaled, of course it did. A kiss from his wife was enough to make him forget he had problems to begin with.

“It won’t be pleasant,” he warned.

Naomi shrugged. “They already know who I am now.”

He searched her expression, looking for hesitation. He found none.

“Alright,” he said finally. “But if you want to leave…”

“I won’t,” she interrupted. “So don’t plan on it.” She smiled.

The corner of his mouth twitched. “You’re enjoying this.”

“A little,” she admitted.

His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, “Now finish what you started.”

Naomi smirked, “You'll have to wait for it.”

She slipped away from his hands, leaving her husband wanting more. Another layer to Naomi, and he's not even complaining.

~~~~Three Days Later~~~

The ballroom was already alive when they arrived.

Crystal chandeliers cast warm light across polished floors, the hall echoed with laughter and chatter intertwined with soothing music.

Heads turned almost immediately when Damon and Naomi walked in.

Her hand rested lightly on his arm, her expression calm. She wore a fitted gown that didn’t scream for attention but commanded it anyway.

Even Damon found it hard to help her zip up the dress without his fingers trembling.

He leaned down slightly. “Still want to be here?”

Naomi smiled up at him. “Very much.”

They made their way inside, greeting a few familiar faces. Naomi handled herself effortlessly, responding politely, as though she’d been doing this all her life.

“Naomi?”

She turned.

“Ethan?”

Her face lit up instantly. “Oh my God.”

The man standing in front of her looked just as surprised, his smile widening. “I can’t believe this. It’s been what…five years?”

“At least,” she laughed. “What are you doing here?”

“Consulting,” he replied. “You?”

She glanced at Damon, then back at Ethan. “Married.”

Ethan blinked. “Wait. You’re…”

Damon extended a hand. “Damon Sinclair..”

Ethan shook it, clearly still processing. “Wow. Mr Sinclair, it's an honour to meet you. Small world.”

Damon iffered a small smile, he gad no clue sj9 this man was.

“We went to college together.” Naomi offered, almost like she could read his mind.

Patrick hurried towards Damon, “Sir, Mr Hansen wants to meet you?”

Damon glanced at Naomi, she gave him an assuring nod. “It's gone.”

Damon gave her a curt nod and left with Patrick.

Naomi and Ethan talked and laughed.

She laughed more than she had all evening; it's been a while since she'd met any of her friends back at college and running into Ethan was quite something.

Damon stood in the distance, watching them. He seemed disconnected from the discussion he ought to be having, his eyes fixed on his wife and this stranger that seemed to make her laugh so much.

“So, are you still friends with…Soonie?” Ethan asked carefully.

Naomi sipped her mind and shook her head. “Not anymore. Things went…pretty bad.”

Ethan nods, “I'm not sure if it's in my place to say this but…Soonie has always been…weird, you know?”

Naomi turned her full attention to him, “What do you mean?”

“Well,”Ethan hesitated, "She's always seemed obsessed with you. It was very creepy. I know friends care about each other but something was just weird about her.”

Naomi went silent, how come she's never noticed all this red flag? She just thought her friend cared a great deal about her and that was it.

Naomi nodded. “Thats why our friendship ended.”

“Woah..”

Naomi's eyes met Damon's in the crowd. His gaze was locked on her and she could see the jealousy simmering underneath the surface.

She noticed.

Of course she did.

She noticed the way his jaw tightened slightly, the way his grip on his glass shifted when Ethan leaned in closer to hear her better. She noticed and… didn’t stop.

When the music changed, Ethan gestured toward the dance floor. “Care to?”

Naomi glanced at Damon.

She smiled at Ethan. “Sure.”

Damon watched her walk away.

He didn’t move but his eyes tracked every step she took, every turn, every laugh.

Naomi danced easily, her hand resting lightly in Ethan’s. She laughed at something he said, leaned closer, spun once when the music called for it.

When the song ended, Ethan leaned down and whispered something to her.

Naomi’s smile widened.

She turned and looked straight at Damon.

His expression didn’t change but his eyes darkened.

She excused herself a moment later and walked back toward him.

“Well,” she said lightly. “That was fun.”

“What did he say to you?” Damon asked.

She tilted her head. “Jealous?”

“Yes,” he answered without hesitation.

Her smile softened. “Good.”

She leaned in close enough that only he could hear her. “He said I look happier than I ever did in college.”

Damon’s hand slid to her waist instinctively.

“And?” he murmured.

“And I told him,” she continued quietly, leaning even closer to him, her exposed thigh resting on his, “that I am.”

Damon exhaled slowly, his thumb pressing into her side just enough to remind her he was there.

“Careful,” he whispered into her ear, “I can barely control myself, don't make it worse.”

Her grim widened, “Is that a promise?”

His eyes darkened.

That's it, they're going home.