Taming Damian by Jessica Wood Page B

to do it spitefully in front of me. I’d thought he had changed. I’d thought he cared about me. I’d thought he had loved me. But when I’d seen the way he had taunted me with the blonde in his arms, my image of who I’d thought he was shattered into a million pieces along with my heart.
    My hands moved to my stomach as I worried about the future of this unborn child. “What am I going to do? He’s not ready to be a father. Can I get through everything on my own?”
    I knew the answer to my last question. It was a no. I wasn’t sure I could face everything on my own. I knew I needed Damian to be there for me.
    But he’s not there for you . Fresh tears fell down my face at this thought.
    Just then, there was a knock at my door. I tried to wipe away the tears from my face as I walked to the door. When I opened the door and saw who was on the other side, my heart stilled.
    It was Damian.
    “Alex, I’m so sorry. I really fucked up.” I saw a fresh bruise on his face and the pain in his eyes, and I fought back the urge to sink into his arms and believe that everything would be okay.
    “I don’t want to see you.” My voice shook as I spoke. “You really hurt me.” I halfheartedly pushed the door closed and turned to walk away.
    He blocked the door and followed me inside. “Please, Alex. I know I’ve hurt you. I…I was just going out of my mind. I thought you were cheating on me. Nothing happened with the blonde! I swear! I just wanted to upset you because…I was upset.”
    I turned back to him, surprised at his words. “What do you mean, nothing happened?!”
    He walked over to me. “Baby, I thought you had cheated on me, so when I texted you to come down and see me, I purposely got that girl to pretend like she had gone down on me in front of you, but she didn’t. Nothing happened. I just wanted to make you jealous… I wanted to inflict the same pain on you that I had been feeling.”
    As I took in his words, he pulled me into his arms. “I’m sorry,” he whispered in my ear. I pushed him away and smacked him across the face with every ounce of strength I had.
    I gasped in surprised at what I had just done. From the look in his eyes, he was surprised too.
    “Did that feel good?” he asked and gave me a boyish grin.
    I couldn’t help but smile. “Yes. That helped a little.”
    “Good. I deserved that.” He smiled down at me, his rich, blue eyes filled with concern and remorse. “Can you forgive me for being such an asshole?” His face twisted with sadness, and I felt my resolve waver. And for a brief moment, I felt all my sadness leave me.
    “So nothing happened with that girl?” I looked at him hopefully, wondering if I could really forgive him.
    “I swear to you. Nothing happened. My boxers were on and she didn’t do a thing. I told her I’d take care of her drinks for the rest of the night if she helped me out. She wanted more, but I just couldn’t.” He pulled me into his arms and I sighed as my cheek sank into his muscular chest. I could hear the rapid beating of his heart, and I felt comforted by his presence.
    Why does he make me feel so safe and happy without even trying?
    “But why were you so upset? Why did you talk to me first?”
    “I don’t know. You’re right. I should have talked to you first.” He pulled me gently from his arms and looked down at me. His eyes twinkled as I watched him look at me in that way that’d always made me feel special and loved. “I’m sorry for being a fool, baby. I just thought you had cheated on me with that guy, and I’ve never felt so destroyed by something before.”
    I looked at up him and saw the man that I had fallen in love with—the broken man who had been scared to love someone before me—and I tried to understand how he must have felt when he’d thought I had betrayed him.
    “How could you think that I would cheat on you? And why do you think I’m pregnant with Chris’s baby?” I knew he could see the hurt in my eyes.