Endless Love by Bianca Borell

Chapter Thirty

BRIA

The following day, Damien introduces me to my security team—Cora, Adrian, and Thomas. All three have athletic figures, sharp gazes, jaws set. Damien asks them to act as shadows, and they nod. The next days prove their word. They trail after me in the shadows, never talking to me, their heads swinging from one side to the other, scoping for potential threats.

Every night they give Damien a report while I scowl but forget all about this mess when I get lost in his touches and love. He leaves every day to spend a few hours at the office because we both miraculously recovered from the virus that kept us from the outside world. I will return when our honeymoon is over, and until then, there’s email. Emma sends me daily reports I peruse before I send them back with either my okay or asking for better alternatives.

I imagine their confusion at hearing about our wedding announcement—engaged to one cousin but marrying the other. We decide not to make a statement, everyone has already formed their own opinion. When our engagement hits the news, the paparazzi trail us. There’s a lot of gossip, and this is why I prefer to stay away for a while. I don’t need the extra stress.

I visit our parents daily and they are more than supportive of Damien’s decision of hiring professionals. No one is on Team Bria.

The bridal shop delivers my dress. When I try it on, I experience the same ineffable feeling. Ten days before the wedding, we go to Cartier to pick our wedding bands. We decide on two elegant platinum rings, mine encrusted with tiny diamonds and his, a flat court ring with a beaded center. We stare at each other, vowing to never take them off after our wedding day. We leave the rings there for engraving

Forever Us, B <3 D and Forever Us, D <3 B

on the inside and leave the shop grinning.

***

One week away from the wedding day, I do the one thing I planned as my wedding gift for my future husband. What better present to show him my undying love for him than a symbol tattooed on my inner thigh for his eyes only. I can’t wait for his reaction. I give Thomas the address of the tattoo shop. He parks, all three following me. I turn around and stop them with a hand gesture.

“No. You will wait out here for me.” Adrian approaches me, his eyes pleading with me to understand. He does that a lot as if I’ll change my mind. It never happens, but he still insists.

“Miss du Mont, we have our orders.”

“I know because it’s my future husband who gave them to you.” I pierce them all with a look and state, “Don’t spoil my surprise. This is a warning. Do we understand each other?”

“But . . .” I shake my head at them and point toward the tattoo shop.

“No buts, I’m going into a tattoo shop, one I personally know the owner of. I won’t be in any danger.”

“Miss du Mont . . .”

“I’m getting a tattoo. I need my privacy, plus the moment Damien sees it and asks if one of you were there, you’re all in a lot of trouble. So, let’s keep this to us.”

I am resolute as I hold my stance. They nod with set jaws about my decision, but I don’t care. What I will do is personal, and these are strangers. I only told Sophia, who gushed over my idea and demanded pictures.

I agreed to one photo only after Damien sees it. The tattoo is for him. He should get to see his gift first.

When I push the door open, a walking piece of art greets me, while my eyes take in every one of her inks. I have difficulty peeling my gaze away from her. She chuckles, surely used to seeing my reaction.

“I’m Bria. I have an appointment.”

“Helene mentioned you’d come by today. Nice to meet you, Bria. I’m Irene.”

She pulls her wild, fire-red hair into a nest on top of her head, wearing a white top, army pants, and boots. Irene approaches me and adds, “She’s sorry for not being able to do your tattoo. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, she should enjoy her maternity leave.”

“What do you want and where?”

I explain to her I want the word “mine” tattooed on my inner thigh, encompassed in the letter D. Night after night, I searched for the perfect symbol, and it popped into my head, reminding me of Damien always writing it on my body and I added his initial. He’ll love it.

Irene draws a sketch, and I choose the one in which the D is scripted in a curvier way ending in an infinity symbol. She tells me it will hurt a lot more on my inner thigh, but I don’t change my mind, and Irene places the drawing on my skin. The picture looks fantastic.

She inks the letters on my sensitive skin, a thumb length painting the inside of my thigh. Compared to last time where I was too numb to even care, this time, the pain sucks the air out of my lungs. Every time the needle penetrates my skin, beads of sweat gather on my forehead, but I grit my teeth. When the buzz stops, I breathe a sigh of relief.

“You did amazing. Come and look. I hope you like it.”

I reach the mirror, and my hand flies to my mouth. It fits perfectly like it was the only thing missing, now perfecting the puzzle of my skin. I trace my finger over the transparent bandage, imagining Damien’s fingers, and all the pain turns to a memory.

“It’s beautiful, thank you. I love it.”

“I hope that man of yours loves it too.” Her peach-painted lips curve into a smile.

“He will.” Before I leave, she hands me a pack of waterproof bandages to protect my tattoo from the sun and sea on my honeymoon and explains the importance of keeping it dry. I pay and exit the shop where my three security guards wait for me. When Thomas opens the door for me, I thank them for allowing me my privacy, and they nod. Now I just have to make sure my surprise will be undetected, which is easy since my period is due tomorrow.

***

I heat the meal Stephanie prepared for us, and my humming stops when I spot Damien leaning on the door frame, smiling. Those eyes shine with endless love and it undoes me. I jump, and he catches me in his arms.

“Hungry?” I ask. He nods and draws his lower lip through his teeth.

“But not that kind of hunger.”

When I bend to load the plates in the dishwasher, Damien rubs himself on me. Too bad for him, but he will have to wait. I turn around and rest my palms on his chest.

“Baby, I have my period.” His head drops on my shoulder, and he locks his arms around my stomach.

“Isn’t it due tomorrow?”

This man, his attentiveness is both a blessing and a curse.

“I have cramps.”

He places a tender kiss on my neck and caresses my stomach. At his sweet gesture, my heart leaps from all the love invading my core.

“One week, baby. Afterward, I’m all yours.”

“I’ll get a heating pad.”

“Thank you, you’re the best.”

It will be a long and exhausting week trying to remain covered as I watch him step back and disappear through the door.