Endless Love by Bianca Borell
Chapter Eight
BRIA
After finishing our meal and saying our goodbyes, we head outside. The sun peeks through thin clouds, and a ruffle of wind musses my hair as we stroll toward home.
“You just shocked Alexander for life,” Damien says, satisfaction etched in his features.
“He’ll get over it. He’s really only seen one side of me, the one that circumstances forced me to become.”
“This will sound stupid, but I’m glad he doesn’t know what I do.”
“Damien . . .”
“I’m not jealous, but more egotistical.” I crane my neck and an eyebrow at him, and he admits, “Fuck, I’m both.”
“Weirdo.”
We grin at each other. I inhale happiness and exhale hope. We are young, in love, and have a life ahead of us.
Minutes into our walk, my steps falter, my chest caving under an elephant stomping, and Damien halts, and I remind myself my healing is a process.
“Let’s take a break. The park is just ahead of us.”
We find a bench and take a seat, craning our necks toward the sun.
“I’ll get us something to drink.” He bends to kiss me. I soak in the summer rays, leaning back.
Damien returns with two bottles of water, and I gulp it as if I just finished a marathon. His eyes crinkle in amusement at me.
“What, some inappropriate jokes on my condition running through your head?”
“You would need to have a condition, don’t you think?”
“I’ll rectify it and go back to swimming.”
I nod more to myself, and he throws his head back, “From all the potential sports, you pick the one that exposes half of your body.”
My core shakes with laughter at his sullen answer. Love knows no reason at all, of this I am sure like I’m absolutely convinced I love this man completely, the way he is, perfectly imperfect.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“You still put up with me. It must mean something.”
“You’re everything to me,” I say, and his features soften, the playful Damien re-emerging.
“Come on, let’s get home. We’ve had enough fresh air for today.”
***
We walk in silence, our fingers entwined, and our eyes mostly locked on the other as we share smiles that breathe life into me. I am happy, and it’s an out-of-this-world feeling.
Damien opens the door to our condo, and the notion of us overtakes me. Us is my new favorite word.
“Whatever caused you to smile the way you are right now, I love it.”
“How do I smile?” I ask, wrapping my hands around his neck.
“Like you have everything you have ever wanted.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I say, beaming at him.
“Baby, I know I’m right. I mean, look at this fine specimen of a man you have all for yourself.” I roll my eyes at him.
“I’m sure of one thing, and that is your ego knows no bounds. If it were a real thing, it would explode in our faces.” I bite my lower lip to suppress the laughter bubbling inside. He hears it though, then throws me over his shoulder and drops me on the couch, tickling me. Laughter erupts and tears leak from my eyes, but he still doesn’t stop. We tumble to the floor, and not even this interrupts our playfulness.
I have to get out from under him. I roll and climb on him, pinning him down. His eyes bore into mine, completely absorbed and enthralled with me. I forget everything else when he slams his lips on mine. I’m gone, lost in and to him. He rises, picks me up, and carries me to our bedroom, where we make sweet love.
“I swear you were made for me. Every time I’m inside you, I lose myself in you. You’re the most potent drug, the one addiction I will never recover from.”
I cannot form coherent words as I focus only on the pleasure he induces with his skilled fingers, with every thrust, sending me higher and higher.
“Damien, I . . . don’t stop . . . never stop.”
“I could never stop. Now come.”
My release finds me, the beats echoing to my toes. He finds his release and crashes next to me. We both catch our breaths, and he kisses me from my jaw up to my lips. Our eyes find each other, and it’s surreal to notice how love takes form as he gazes at me with raw adoration.
It’s more of a whisper when I let out a shaky but truthful, “I love you so much.”
