LOGINDamon had been awake for a while.He lay on his side, propped slightly on one elbow, watching Naomi sleep. The early morning light filtered in through the half-drawn curtains, settling gently over her face. It caught in her lashes, traced the gentle rise and fall of her chest, warmed the crease between her brows that never quite went away even in sleep.He reached out carefully, brushing his thumb along her cheek.She stirred but didn’t wake up, only shifted closer, her nose pressing faintly into the pillow. Damon felt something tight loosen in his chest. Relief. She was here. Safe and right next to him..His fingers followed the familiar lines of her face as if memorising every inch of her all over again. He brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes, then let his hand rest there, cupping her cheek. His eyes went down to her lips.The urge to kiss her was strong, but he didn't. She needed rest and that seemed to matter more to him at the moment. “DAMON! ”The door burst open as Jo
The television volume was low, but no one in the Sinclair living room missed a single word. Their steaming cups of morning coffee sat on the center table untouched, eyes glued to the screen on the wall.The headline crawled across the bottom of the screen in bold white letters: ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING SHAKES ASTER LANE, PROMINENT BUSINESSMAN DAMON SINCLAIR INVOLVED.The reporter’s voice was detached, the way people sounded when they were discussing tragedies that had nothing to do with them.“…authorities confirmed that the suspect, identified as Soonie Marcello, forcibly restrained the victim inside her apartment late last night. Sources say the victim narrowly escaped serious harm before security intervened…”The camera cut to flashing police lights, to a blurred image of an apartment complex and moved to the unmistakable silhouette of Damon ushering Naomi into a black vehicle.The living room was quiet.The reporter continued simply, eyes slightly widening at the words on the teleprom
The hospital smelled like antiseptic and Naomi was starting to get sick and tired of stopping by the hospital every three business days. Damon guided her down to a private ward, his hands gentle and reassuring. She glanced up at him, tears almost welling up in her eyes. He cared. He always had and she had him on her side even when things got dangerous.Naomi sat on the edge of the examination bed, feet dangling just above the tiled floor, a thin blanket draped over her shoulders. The nurse had insisted, even after Naomi said -three times- that she was fine. But Damon wanted to make sure. He believed she was doing okay but he wanted to be certain. Damon stood near the door, arms crossed, his body rigid in a way she recognized all too well. This was the version of him the world rarely saw, the man who looked calm until you noticed how tight his jaw was clenched.“You can sit,” Naomi said softly.He didn’t answer right away.Only when the nurse finished checking her wrists and murmur
Damon did not remember crossing the room. One second he was staring at his phone, listening to Naomi’s trembling breath and the unmistakable edge of another woman’s voice in the background, Soonie’s voice, and the next, he was barking orders at Patrick who seemed to have sensed something was wrong and had come rushing in.“Sir, is everything okay?” “Track her location. Now,” Damon snapped as he shoved his phone into Patrick's hand. “Who?” Patrick asked gently, knowing he could get cursed out for his question.“My wife God damnit!” Damom snapped in anger. Patrick stepped out almost immediately to hand the phone over to the security detail in charge of the house. Minutes later, he returned with news just as Damon was shrugging into his jacket.Patrick didn’t waste a second. “Sir, her call pinged from a residential block on Aster Lane. Apartment 5B.”“That’s Soonie’s apartment,” Damon muttered, voice tightening at the edges. He had men watching the apartment when Naomi decided to leav
Morning light spilled across the bedroom floor, warming the edges of Naomi’s blanket. She blinked awake slowly, feeling Damon’s arm draped around her waist. His breath brushed the back of her neck steadily.Last night felt like closure, something they both needed, one she had stopped believing they’d reach. She leans back into him, a smile tugging the corner of her lips. This is exactly where she wanted to be. Right here, in his arms, spoilt silly by him and loved deeply. Her phone buzzed before she could shit her eyes again and enjoy the peace that finally found them. She frowned as the sound persisted. Why would anyone call her so early in the morning on a weekend for that matter? It better be life and death. Naomi reached for the bedside table and grabbed her phone. Soonie.Her stomach tightened. She slowly slipped out from Damon’s embrace, careful not to wake him. He murmured something incoherent and rolled onto his back, one arm resting over his forehead.Naomi glanced at th
The soft chime echoed through Naomi’s office, the end-of-day bell.She exhaled, a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She didnt even realise how hard she's been looking forward to the end of the day until the bell finally went off. Naomi began to gather her files and slip them neatly into her bag. Her hands moved automatically, but her mind was somewhere else entirely. She told him they would talk when she's home. Home. Their home. Everything that happened earlier this morning was a whirlwind. The way he had handled the situation without telling the whole world she was his wife, the way he stood against Clara like she was threatening the only thing that had him breathing…A knock tapped lightly on her doorframe. She turned.Patrick stood there, hands behind his back as he stepped closer and inclined his head.“Patrick.” “Ma’am,” he said under his breath, low enough that no passerby would overhear. “Mr. Damon asked that you ride home with him today.”Naomi’s eyebrow







