Just One Night Together by Deborah Cooke

Nine

Damon was awed by Haley.She would have been awesome to have on any team, because she just didn’t quit. She certainly didn’t get discouraged and there was something about her cheerful persistence that eliminated Damon’s resistance.

When he was with her, he could forget about the nightmares and the effects of his experience. He could forget his sense that he’d failed in the past and could just focus on success in the future. He could believe in conquering it all, maybe even having a normal life again. He felt hope when he was with Haley. He feared, deep in his heart, that it wasn’t possible for him to ever be normal again, but when he was with Haley, he wanted it to be.

And that was potent.

He wondered if the people who believed in mermaids were the only ones to find them. He wondered who would convince Haley to believe in them, and wondered if he might be able to do it. The more he was with her, the more he wanted to be with her.

The more he began to hope that there could be more to this than just sex.

They were in the kitchen, considering the contents of the fridge and making a plan for dinner, when his phone rang.

It was Ty.

Time to face the music.

“My partner,” Damon admitted. “I’ve got to take this, since I walked out of the weekly meeting.”

“You didn’t.” Haley looked surprised.

“I did.”

“You must have had a good reason.” Her confidence in him was unswerving and Damon knew he could get addicted to that.

“I didn’t. That’s why I have to take this call and apologize.”

Haley smiled at him, the sight making his heart skip. “And you think I don’t see your moral compass.” She shook her head, teasing him gently, and he wished he could evade Ty’s call and kiss her instead.

Damon answered the call, stepping into the living room to do so. He could hear Haley putting vegetables on the counter, continuing with their ‘big salad’ plan.

“Hey, I’m sorry about leaving the meeting,” he said as a greeting.

“Not a problem,” Ty said, as calm as ever. “I wish you’d told us sooner about your mom.”

“I probably should have.”

“I’m sorry about your mom.”

“Thanks.”

“And I’m sorry I leaned on you last week,” Ty replied. “I couldn’t understand why you weren’t stepping up to help Cassie more. I should have known you’d have a good reason.”

“Well, I should have told you. I didn’t mean to be secretive.” Private, maybe, but not secretive.

“I’m thinking you’ve had a lot on your plate. Of course, your first concern would be your mom, not us,” Ty acknowledged. “Is there anything we can do to help out?”

Damon nodded even though Ty couldn’t see him, knowing that Haley was the reason why he had an answer. “I’m going to organize a celebration of life.” It felt good just to say it out loud. “It would be great if someone from the team could come.”

“We’ll all be there,” Ty said, his tone warming. “Let us know the date and I’ll be sure Kyle and Theo know.”

“They can’t fly back from the coast just for that...”

“Yes, they can.” Ty interrupted him firmly. “We pull together, Damon. Some of us are closer than others, but I wish you’d believed you could talk to us about your mom. We haven’t been supportive of you in recent months and we’re going to make it up to you now.”

“You talked about it after I left,” Damon guessed.

“Of course, we did. It’s a team problem and the sooner it’s addressed, the better. What else can we do? Do you want to take some time off?”

“No. I need the routine of coming in.” Damon decided to make a joke to lighten the mood. “And if I miss my workouts, I’ll get fat.”

Ty scoffed. “I don’t think that’s going to happen very quickly.”

Damon frowned. “Actually, I might need some time. There’s a therapist in Boston I’d like to talk to again.”

“In Boston?” Ty echoed. “Sure. Let us know when you need the time.”

Damon thought about confiding more in Tyler, but it was all too fast. He’d been too private for too long. He had to work up to sharing more.

He had a better idea. He wanted to reassure Ty that he still wanted to be on the team, and there was one good way to do that. “Are you still at the club?”

“Still in the conference room,” Ty admitted. “Cassie’s here somewhere, too. Why?”

“Because I know we were supposed to talk about the model suites for the condos in the tower, and I did get some plans done. There’s a tube of drawings behind my desk. If you grabbed it, we could talk about it now.”

“Sounds like a great plan,” Ty said, then called to Cassie. Damon heard her say that she’d get the drawings, then closed his eyes to remember the designs. He could see them clearly and wanted to be sure he pointed out the details. He heard paper being unrolled and Cassie setting weights on the corners, then Ty caught his breath. “How’d you get all this done?”

“After we discussed it the last time, I just kept at it. It’s an interesting challenge.” Damon shook his head. “I did a lot of work at night.”

There was a moment’s pause and he heard Haley starting to chop vegetables. It sounded like she was singing under her breath, too. Just knowing she was close made him feel more centered.

For the first time in a very long time, Damon thought that things might be okay.

* * *

“Have you been getting any sleep?”Ty asked. “There’s a lot of work here.”

Damon almost laughed. “I pretty much forget what sleep is.” He then explained the order of the panels, and knew that Ty was spreading them out on the conference table. “The first two are more predictable, both in palette and layout. You can see there’s a studio apartment layout, then two one-bedroom plans.”

“The decor is all in white and dark grey, neutral and elegant,” Ty said. “Stainless appliances, dark floors, white tile, lots of light in these drawings.”

Damon could hear that Ty wasn’t amazed by them.

“Touch the sky at F5F,” Cassie contributed. “Very nice.”

“But kind of boring,” Damon said. “I wondered if we wanted to make more of a statement.” He cleared his throat. “You know, there’s an axiom, that in design there are three reactions: bad, good, and wow. Aiming for wow is the way to go.”

“I agree,” Cassie said.

“So, turn to the next three illustrations,” Damon invited. “These options are more expensive but I think they take it up a notch.”

“Oh yes,” Ty said with approval. “This is striking.”

“It’s got style,” Cassie said. “And would be easy to live with.”

Damon was encouraged. “I thought we could make the design more unique than the usual neutral palette. So that first option uses a warmer neutral for the light elements, like the wall paint and the fixtures. The floors and the counters are dark but with a cool undertone. I show it with a charcoal that’s almost black. And there’s an option for the tiles, both in the kitchen and the bath to be either dark or light, with accents that are metallic.”

“That black tile in the bathroom with cream fixtures looks amazing,” Cassie said.

“The taps are polished nickel, which is a warmer silver, and we could find matches for door hardware and lighting, too. I was still sourcing some of that.”

“A warm cool,” Cassie said. “I like it. It’s not sterile or impersonal. It looks like home, but has such verve.”

“Especially the way you’ve chosen the furnishings,” Ty said. He was moving through the stack of Damon’s presentation. “This mix of traditional elements and clean design is really inviting.”

“And upmarket,” Cassie said. “I think it’s perfect for F5F. Leather couches and chandeliers.”

“Keeping it neutral puts the focus on the people,” Damon said and heard Cassie snap her fingers.

“We’ll make sure the team selling the units aren’t just attractive, but dress so that they look at home in the model suites.”

“Selling the fantasy,” Ty mused.

“Well, the building itself does create some constraints,” Damon said. “We can’t have massive windows, for example, because of the building’s frame. But we can try to make the most of what we have.”

“I think you have,” Ty said. “This second option is fabulous.”

“The mirrors are great,” Cassie said. “I can’t wait to see this one built out.”

“I like how luxurious these appear to be,” Ty said. “The look fits the F5F brand.”

“And they look spacious with the open design,” Cassie agreed. “How many units did you think you could fit in?”

They talked about the details, and Damon told Ty where to find his cost estimates for the finishing. He knew that Ty would do a better job of calculating total expenses and ensuring that they made money on selling the units.

“We’re doing these as condos, right?” he asked. “With a maintenance fee?”

“Yes, because we’ll continue to own the building,” Ty agreed. “And take care of all maintenance.”

“We’re going to have to get a doorman,” Cassie joked. “People will expect it if the places look this good.”

“I was thinking we probably should hire one,” Ty said. “Again, it fits with the image.”

“Touch the sky at F5F,” Damon reminded them, because he thought it was a good slogan.

“The problem is that I want this one,” Cassie said, tapping her finger on something before she laughed. “I could totally live in this one-bedroom design with the chandelier, Damon. It has just enough shiny for me.”

“Let me guess. You love that black bathroom,” Damon teased.

“I do! I’d look so good in there.”

“But who would ever see you?” he asked and she laughed.

“Hey, give the new tattoo some time!”

“So, we don’t have to worry about selling the model, then,” Ty teased. “It’s already sold.”

“Now, wait a minute,” Cassie protested and Damon smiled at the usual bantering tone. “I would buy it, but should I have to? You already live here, Ty.”

“Not all the time.”

“But you have an apartment here already,” Cassie corrected. “I think all five of the partners should have one. It’s only fair that we get a perk like that.”

“Do you want one, Damon?”

“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about living downtown.” Damon wondered what Haley would think of that. It was strange to be considering her perspective, considering that he’d only just let her back into his life.

Now that he’d realized he wanted her to stay, Damon needed to make it happen.

Could he change her mind about only wanting a career?

He had to know more about Garrett first.

“Easier commute,” Cassie noted. “It should be fair.”

“But Ty put up with a lot of construction while living in his place, and paid for some of the finishing, too.”

“Thanks for defending me, Damon,” Ty said, a smile in his voice. “But the option is worth reviewing. Have we been fair? I thought so, but I’ll go through the math and create a presentation for next time. We need to all be sure.”

“Theo said he’s going to be shopping for a place in the city when they get back from San Francisco,” Cassie said. “It might suit him to live here, too.”

“It might,” Ty acknowledged. “I don’t know if Kyle wants a place in the building since he and Lauren moved in together. But if neither of you do, we could work out some alternative compensation.”

“Sounds good to me,” Damon said.

“Me, too,” Cassie agreed.

One of the things Damon liked best about his F5F partners is that they seldom turned anything into an emotional dispute. It was always rational, and always readily resolved.

They did take care of each other. Ty didn’t have to create a presentation to prove that the compensation had been fair. Damon trusted him, but he admired that his partner would do that to ensure that everyone was happy. If anyone was disgruntled about anything, there was never an opportunity for resentment to fester.

“These are amazing, Damon,” Cassie enthused. “We’re going to sell these so fast it’ll leave heads spinning.”

“Then we should charge more for them,” Ty said easily. “Thanks, Damon. I’ve got lots to work with here.”

“I’m going to take pictures of these with my phone and send them to Kyle and Theo,” Cassie said. “Don’t put them away just yet.”

“Tell Kyle that I’m still working on the lobby design for F5F West,” Damon added. “I’m playing with glass mosaic tiles for the lobby but haven’t quite got it right yet.”

“Because you don’t have anything else to do,” Cassie scoffed. “Let Kyle wait.”

Damon smiled at that.

“And Damon, anything you need, just let us know,” Ty added. “Text me the arrangements about the celebration of life if you don’t have time to call. I’ll spread the word.”

“Thanks,” Damon said and meant it.

He ended the call and glanced toward the kitchen. Haley was singing, a little bit off-key but with enthusiasm. She was probably dancing, too, from the sound, and he found his smile broadening.

She’d been right about his partners and he wished he’d confided in them sooner. They really did have his back, and once he’d started to tell them, it hadn’t been that hard.

Damon wanted to thank Haley in the way they both liked best.

But first he’d call the priest and make an appointment to discuss the service. He had a feeling that once he started thanking Haley, he wouldn’t be calling anyone for a while.

* * *

Haley had already hungup her coat and taken off her boots when Damon’s phone rang, as well as taken a glance around while he was checking the fridge. The house was perfectly clean although it seemed a bit empty. She wondered how much he’d been home since his mom went into the hospital.

The fridge had been stocked with healthy food, so he must have been eating there. They’d agreed on some grilled chicken breasts with a big salad and rice when his phone rang. She’s found the ingredients for a major salad and they were so fresh that she started to get hungry. She found a big bowl after he answered his call, then a cutting board and a knife, and set to work.

She was really curious about how Damon lived and whether there were any clues to his secrets to be found in the house, but she didn’t want to look nosy. She had a definite sense that she’d pushed him far enough for the moment and that her curiosity would probably be unwelcome.

She’d never even expected to be invited into the house.

She liked him, really liked him, and respected how honorable and strong he was. He was the kind of man she could fall in love with, if she had been inclined to do such a thing again.

It was too easy to remember how much Garrett’s betrayal had hurt. Her heart clenched a little even now and she felt a little of that old yearning for his company. She’d thought they were so good together. She’d thought she could have it all.

And she’d been so wrong. Haley never wanted to be that vulnerable again. She still thought of Garrett as the ideal man, even though his decision to marry someone other than her was far from ideal.

Was she waiting for another man just like Garrett to walk into her life?

Or maybe Garrett himself?

Was her story about never being vulnerable the truth, or was it an excuse? Her new perspective for the year made her wonder if it was an indication of fear.

She had been badly hurt by Garrett. She knew she’d never love anyone else the way she’d loved him.

All the same, there was something about Damon that drew Haley back over and over again. She felt a connection with him, and couldn’t resist him. It was more than sex, even if it couldn’t be more than it already was. Haley knew better than to want something impossible. Love was fleeting, no matter how powerful it was, and the trick was to enjoy it while it lasted—not to hope for it to last forever.

They were in the best moment. That’s what was seductive and made her think of the future. But the best moment always ended. It was better to be prepared than to dream and be surprised.

Damon would meet someone else. She might meet someone else. They would have sex with other people and move on.

But she would enjoy this while it lasted, because being with Damon made her happy.

She could hear Damon talking to his partner, but didn’t want to eavesdrop on him.

Haley put in her earbuds and turned on some music on her phone, placing it on the counter as she diced vegetables. She had a loop of various versions of her favorite song, which seemed perfectly appropriate under the circumstances.

She’d drive all night to have sex with Damon, that was for sure.

That impulse couldn’t possibly be a bad thing.

* * *

Damon leanedin the doorway to the kitchen, watching Haley. She was in her stocking feet, wearing tights and a swingy knit dress, dancing in his kitchen. She had her back to him and was singing, oblivious to his presence thanks to her earbuds. Her phone was on the counter beside her, and she was adding diced carrots to a big bowl as she sang. It was already loaded with mixed greens and chopped peppers.

She was singing out of tune.

Loudly and passionately.

She was impossibly cute.

He knew she wouldn’t be able to hear him approach and didn’t want her to jump in surprise and get hurt. She’d chosen a big knife and job one was making sure it didn’t fall. He covered her hand with one of his in the same moment that he caught her around the waist from behind. He held that hand down on the cutting board, ensuring that the knife couldn’t do any damage. She released it, then twisted in his embrace and smiled up at him, still singing along.

But now she was singing to him.

Damon removed one of her earbuds and put it in his own ear. It was Cyndi Lauper’s version of I Drove All Night, an infectious and energetic song that he heard often at the club. The beat was perfect for working out or dancing.

“My favorite,” Haley admitted when it ended. “Next up is the Roy Orbison version.” She lifted a finger. “Which was recorded first but released second. Posthumously.”

“And after that, Céline Dion’s version?”

“No, Pinmonkey is next.” She shook her head, making that ponytail bounce. “They have to be in chronological order.”

“Ah, I missed that bit.”

“Then Céline Dion, then the Maccabees, then the Protomen, and then Carly Smithson.” She gave him a triumphant look. “Before this, I listened to Ray Dylan’s version and John Waite’s version.”

“All of them singing I drove all night to get to you?”

Haley nodded. “Of course.”

“Why?”

“Because it is The. Very. Best. Song. Ever.”

He leaned against the counter beside her, intrigued. “You seem to be uncertain about that.”

She laughed and picked up the knife again, resuming her chopping. She was blushing, just a little.

Maybe he should say thanks before dinner.

“Why is it the best song?” he asked. By her own admission, she wasn’t a romantic. Was she a relentless optimist? She seemed to have no doubt of her abilities to fix things.

Even him.

“Why?” she echoed, as if the very question was ridiculous. “Come on! It’s about wanting someone so much that you have to get to their side. A.S.A.P. No matter the cost.”

“Even if you have to drive all night.”

“Yes.” Haley nodded. “It’s about passion and great sex and obsession and it’s just perfect.”

“Isn’t it about true love?”

She bit her lip, considering it. “I guess it could be.” Her gaze flicked to him. “I think it’s more about that moment in every relationship when the other person is the only thing you can think about, the bit where everything seems perfect and full of promise.”

“The part that doesn’t last.”

She nodded easy agreement. “It can’t last. Nothing that good can stay that good. Maybe the moment is sweeter because it doesn’t.”

“Maybe.” Damon spoke his thoughts aloud. “My mom would have said true love does last.”

Haley nodded. “So would mine.” She shook her head. “I think that’s a fantasy for most people.”

“And our moms?”

“They want to believe it. Maybe they ignored the truth because they didn’t want to see it.” She winced. “Maybe it’s easier to believe the fantasy after you’re widowed.”

There was that.

“Don’t talk about mermaids again.”

Haley smiled. “It’s kind of the same. I can like this song without believing that true love lasts forever.”

Damon was skeptical. “Tell me about Garrett,” he invited, not really expecting her to do so.

Her sidelong glance was wary. “Why?”

“I’m curious.”

“I’m curious about lots of things about you, but you usually say it’s not my concern.”

Damon smiled. “Guilty as charged. Do you still love him?”

“Yes.” Haley exhaled. “I probably always will.”

Damon’s heart squeezed tightly. “Why?”

“Because he was perfect.”

“Nobody’s perfect.”

“No, but he was perfect for me. We were so good together. It seemed inevitable.”

“Even though you weren’t going to be vulnerable like your mom?”

“He made me forget all of that. He wasn’t a first responder. I figured I was safe, because he didn’t have a dangerous job.” She fell silent again.

“But?”

Haley bit her lip and started to dice again. This time, it was green onions. She didn’t answer his question.

“Where did you meet him?” he asked.

“High school. After we moved from here, I met him my first day at that school. He was nice to me—and he was gorgeous. Captain of the soccer team. Head of the chess club. Handsome. Athletic. The fantasy of every girl in town, yet he talked to me.”

Damon found himself experiencing a major case of jealousy. “So, he had good taste.”

Haley smiled. “I don’t know. I thought it was kismet at the time. He was two years ahead of me. I was overwhelmed by his interest and just how amazing he was. I fell in love, hard, and it seemed like the feeling was mutual.”

Once again, Damon had to prompt her to continue. “And? When high school ended?”

“Oh, we went to the same college.” She cast him a glance. “Not an accident. He was going to be a doctor, and I enrolled at the same college in the nursing program. He was so excited that we’d be able to see each other during the year. He drove me there and moved me into my dorm room. We saw each other every day, and spent a lot of nights together.” She sighed with a yearning that made Damon want to hurt this Garrett guy.

“But something went wrong.”

“Not soon. I graduated and went to work in the hospital in the town where we’d gone to high school. His dad was a family doctor and he was going to take over the practice, so we had this plan of going back there to build our future. He had to go to Chicago to do his residency, so I was working and saving my money for a house, talking to him on the phone and waiting for him to come and visit. We’d decided that the wedding would be when he came back to town and started to practice.”

She fell silent again, so Damon guessed. “He didn’t come back?”

“Oh, he came back in the spring, right on schedule.” Haley met Damon’s steady gaze. “He brought his wife.”

“His wife?”

“Seems they were both doing their residencies and fell head over heels. Just one look was all it took, from what I understand. They couldn’t wait so went to city hall in Chicago to tie the knot.”

Damon was stunned. “He didn’t even call to tell you?”

Haley shook her head. “It was a good thing I hadn’t gone ahead with the wedding plans. I had a bad feeling when he stopped calling after Christmas. I knew something was wrong because he never wanted to talk, but I thought he was just worried about his residency. I thought we could work out the details later, have a more casual ceremony or a later one.”

“Maybe gone to city hall.”

“I did think of that.” Haley frowned and squared her shoulders. “They were the perfect couple. Everybody said so. They looked great together and their marriage was obviously destined to be. They were two of a kind: both finishing med school, both the oldest children of doctors, both aiming for success. He said he hadn’t told me about her because he didn’t want to hurt my feelings.”

Damon couldn’t help but scoff. “You seeing him married wasn’t going to do that?”

Haley smiled. “He was just avoiding the unpleasant job, I imagine.”

“Or he wasn’t very smart.”

“Garrett is brilliant,” she enthused and Damon felt a fierce stab of jealousy.

“You must have been really upset.”

“I was devastated. That was when I realized I’d made my mother’s mistake without meaning to. Loving a man more than anything else makes you vulnerable. Something can happen out of the blue on a random Tuesday morning and the meaning can be stolen from your life. I thought because Garrett was going to be a GP that I’d be safe, but that didn’t matter in the end. Any guy can fall in love with someone else and dump you, then walk away without looking back.”

“So, never again.”

“Never again. He’s still got my heart and it’s better that way.” Haley smiled at him and he saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes that made him want to do serious damage to this Garrett guy.

“So, just sex.”

She nodded. “Just sex. I want to live honestly and to be in the moment, and to squeeze all the goodness out of it before it’s gone.”

“Because it will be gone.”

“Of course.” There was no emotional charge in her words, just an acceptance of how the world must be. “And when it is, there are still the other constants in life. Friends, family, good work. I think those are the places to find joy, because they don’t lie about the future.”

Damon respected that view.

“And the good moment is what this song is about, to you.”

Haley nodded. “Plus I just like the raw need of it. I could listen to it all day long.”

He indicated her phone, knowing it was time to tease her. “Sounds like you do.”

She smiled at him, unrepentant. “I often do.”

Damon wanted to kiss her more than anything in the world. He pursed his lips as if considering a very serious matter. “But here’s the thing. You’ve got four more versions to listen to. That’s got to be another twelve or fifteen minutes of listening you don’t want to interrupt.”

She leaned against the counter beside him, abandoning the salad, her eyes sparkling. “I could do something else while listening to those versions. Any suggestions?”

Damon pretended to think about that. “I have an idea, but it would take more than fifteen minutes to be done properly.” They were both leaning their backs against the counter and had their arms folded across their chests. The top of her head was at his shoulder, and he could smell her body lotion. The warm press of her against his side gave him very interesting ideas.

Then Haley bumped her hip against his, and tipped her head back to smile at him, giving him a view past her lips to her cleavage. “I can loop the songs, so they start again,” she whispered. She slid her tongue across her lip, deliberately teasing him. “At least if I like your idea.”

“You’ve liked it before.”

“A massage!” she said, pretending to misunderstand. “But I don’t really need one tonight.”

“I was thinking of something more intimate than that,” he growled and bent to kiss her temple. She caught her breath and he felt her shiver, a sign of his effect upon her that captured his interest completely. She licked her lips again and this time, he leaned down and kissed her sweetly.

“You were going to thank me,” she whispered when he lifted his head.

“Maybe we don’t need any music.” Damon moved to stand in front of her, trapping her between himself and the counter with his hips. She wriggled a little and slid her hands up his arms, obviously very happy with her situation. He caught her waist in his hands and lifted her a little. “Maybe I like to say thanks without accompaniment.”

“You might like it better with music.”

“I might, but no earbuds. That’s just too complicated.”

Haley laughed and turned on the sound, then put the earbuds on the counter, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her to sit on the lip of the counter away from the cutting board. Haley wrapped her legs around him, holding him captive against her heat, which was just where Damon wanted to be. He captured her lips beneath his own and understood exactly why Haley thought the song was so perfect. The beat matched that of his pulse and the need in the words found a perfect echo in his heart.

* * *

Damon carriedHaley up the stairs as if she weighed nothing at all. The salad was abandoned and so was her phone, but she could hear the words of the song following them. He didn’t turn on the light, but walked with complete confidence in the darkness. She might have broken their kiss to let him concentrate, but he claimed her lips again, stopping at the landing to lean against the wall and kiss her thoroughly. He leaned into her, crushing her a little, and Haley gripped him tightly. She opened her mouth to him, loving how he feasted upon her and ran his hands over her, how he made a little growl in the back of his throat.

It was as if he couldn’t resist her.

As if he was hungry for all she could give.

This was the good bit.

And Haley couldn’t deny Damon anything. She sensed that he needed her in this moment and she was more than happy to provide whatever he wanted. Whether it was solace or satisfaction, she didn’t care. It would end and he would move on, but she didn’t want to think about that.

She wanted him, no matter how or why he wanted her.

It was funny how she never got enough of him. Other relationships had faded more quickly, losing their power after the second time or even the first. With Damon, it seemed like every time was new and powerful.

Maybe it was because he was so hot. He was hard, his erection straining against the front of his jeans, and she rubbed against him in anticipation. His muscles were taut as if he was holding back, but Haley didn’t want him to. He broke their kiss and nuzzled her, trailing kisses down to her breasts, the stubble of his beard grazing her skin.

“You’re perfect,” he murmured, then kissed her nipple through the soft knit of her dress. He gripped her tightly then grazed her nipple with his teeth, chuckling when she arched her back and moaned. “I can smell you,” he purred.

“No wonder,” she whispered back, then rubbed herself on him again. “I can feel you.”

His smile flashed. “Not well enough.”

“Then what are we doing, lingering on the stairs?” she asked playfully.

“Wasting time,” he replied, then caught her close and continued to the second floor. He went directly to a room at the back of the house and Haley saw as soon as he flicked on the light that it must be his bedroom. It was minimalist and perfectly neat, the single bed made with military precision.

“Hospital corners,” she teased and he laughed a little. There was a large desk, so large that it might have been made out of a wooden door, and a stool beside it. There was a shade drawn over the window and the hardwood floor was bare. He turned on a desk lamp without putting her down then returned to turn out the overhead light before carrying her to the bed.

“Not in the dark?” she asked in surprise.

“I want to see you, Haley. I don’t want to miss one thing.” His words thrilled her almost as much as his kiss had, but then he was kissing her again. He leaned over her, tugging off her clothes as his kiss made her hot and impatient for more. She pulled off her dress, sharing his desire to get her naked, then sighed with contentment when his hands cupped her breasts. As was his habit, he bent and kissed the nipples, teasing one to a taut peak with his mouth and the other with his fingertips. She gripped his head, holding him close, locking her fingers into his hair, and just enjoyed. When he switched sides, she moaned, sure she couldn’t stand it if he kept going so slow.

“You don’t like it?” he murmured against her skin. His breath was warm and his mouth was firm.

“I love it and you know it. You’re teasing me.”

Damon chuckled, a breath that tickled her tight nipple. “I’ve only just begun,” he threatened, then stood up. He peeled off his T-shirt, his gaze smoldering and locked upon her, then unfastened his jeans and kicked them off. His underwear was white against his tanned skin but it quickly followed the jeans. He smiled at her as he took off his watch and set it aside, something about his expression making her wonder what he was up to.

“You look dangerous,” she said.

“You look gorgeous,” he replied, then leaned over and unfastened her pony tail. Her hair fell around her shoulders and he ran his fingers through it, spreading it out as he smiled at her. She was sure he’d never been so big when they’d been together. She reached out to touch him gently and he rose to her touch, catching his breath. “You’ll split the condom,” she said.

“I doubt it.”

She slid her hand down, cupping and caressing his balls until his eyes glittered. Then she slid a fingertip up the underside of his cock, pausing just below the tip. He didn’t even take a breath, just stood, poised and waiting for whatever she would do.

Haley smiled as she decided to surprise him. She bent and took him in her mouth, twisting around on the bed so that she was on her knees before him. She reached around him and grabbed his buttocks, which really might have been made of steel, then began to tease him with her lips and her tongue.

Damon froze. She felt him straighten and guessed that he tipped back his head. His fingers danced over her shoulders, his touch so tentative that she knew she had surprised him, and then he moaned as if the sound was being torn from deep inside him. She caressed his balls and she knew he was pleased because he got harder and thicker with every stroke. She tasted the salt just before he whispered her name and thought she might be finishing him off.

Then he groaned and caught her shoulders in his hands, lifting her away from him. “Haley,” he murmured. “You don’t have to do that.”

“But you like it.”

“But this is supposed to be about what you like. I’m the one saying thanks, remember?” He stretched her out on her back as he was talking, running his hands over her in an endless caress. He looked at her and smiled, the weight of his touch feeling good on her skin. When she was on her back, he ran his fingertip down the inside of her thigh, tickling her with his touch. “Let me please you, Haley,” he said, the thread of uncertainty in his tone nearly finishing her.

He couldn’t imagine that she would decline, could he?

She parted her thighs and smiled as he lowered his weight between them. He kissed her again on his way down, then licked her nipples as if they were candy. His hands bracketed her waist and he kissed her navel, then flicked a wicked glance at her before he closed his mouth over her.

His tongue went right to the point, the way he flicked it making Haley moan out loud. “Bite the pillow if you need to,” he murmured against her thigh. “But no one will hear you here.”

Haley decided to just let go when it was time, to not worry about making noise. It wasn’t like her but she felt a kind of abandon with Damon, a conviction that she was erasing her own boundaries.

Or maybe he was.

She certainly didn’t regret it.

His mouth closed over her again, warm and sweet, his tongue and teeth quickly driving her wild. He moved his hands beneath her and locked his hands around her waist again. Her legs were braced open against his shoulders. His weight and position ensured that she couldn’t move, though she wasn’t trapped or crushed. Haley loved the sense of being confined but sheltered. Protected. He was so much stronger than her but she knew that he would roll away if she made any indication that she wanted him to. She could stop him with a fingertip.

But stopping him was the last thing she wanted to do. He tormented her until she was twisting in his grip, straining for release, her heart hammering and her breath coming in little pants. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and she felt her toes pointing as she neared the summit...

Then he lifted his head. “Do you need something to bite?” he asked and Haley nearly screamed in frustration.

“I was so close!”

“I know.” He was laughing at her and she wanted to kiss him. “But it’ll be better if you have to work for it.” He slid his hands up her torso, caressing her breasts for a moment, then slid them back down to her waist. “Unless you want to stop.”

“You’re bad.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Then you’re very good.”

He laughed and she loved the sound of it. “Which do you prefer?”

“I’d like you to do that again, but not stop.”

“And I’d like you to scream the roof down when it’s time.”

Haley shook a finger at him. “Only if you’re inside me. I want to come with you on top of me, inside me, filling me and claiming me.”

He stared at her unblinking, his eyes dark and intense. She was sure his nostrils flared, but then he reached down to his jeans without otherwise moving. He found the condom and put the package on the bed beside her. Then he met her gaze again, holding it as he sank lower and claimed her one more time.