Tattooed Emotions Part 12

Damien crossed the room and tossed strips of paper on my desk.

It was my check, shredded to pieces.

"I-I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Vickerman," I stammered as Damien braced his palms on the edge of my desk and leaned forward. "I'll have to call you back tomorrow morning, so we can finish discussing your accounts."

"That's okay. I will be available to speak anytime after eleven thirty in the morning. We have a new gardener coming to make some improvements before our estate sale. He supposedly does phenomenal work," she informed me.

Other than the time and something about a gardener, I'd barely heard her response on the other end of the line because I was too focused on the man invading my s.p.a.ce and glaring at me.

"That's great news," I kindly told her. "I will call you after then. Good-bye, Mrs. Vickerman."

"Bye!"

I became unbelievably nervous as I hung up the receiver, and I inwardly chastised myself. I should have kept Mrs. Vickerman on the phone for as long as possible to avoid what would no doubt be an unpleasant conversation.

"So"-I tried to play it cool, but on the inside, I was practically shaking in my boots-"what brings you here?"

He was quiet for a few seconds, appearing to silently gather his thoughts. "If waking up to you being gone on Sat.u.r.day wasn't bad enough, you had to make it worse by leaving me a check. It made me mad, Raelyn, really f.u.c.king mad," he said, completely ignoring my question. "Why did you leave without saying anything?"

"Because I thought it was the best thing to do," I answered simply. There was no need to elaborate.

"Best for whom?"

That wasn't easy to answer, so I went for a short but honest explanation. "Me. Us." I shrugged bashfully. "Especially given our circ.u.mstances," I added as I briefly glanced at the check before redirecting our conversation to safer territory. "That belongs to you."

"No, it's not mine," he countered, looking even more irritated than when he'd first entered my office. "Cale's debt is not your responsibility to repay."

He was wrong. It was my obligation. Cale and I were attached at the hip in this predicament-that was, if I wanted to salvage my company without a lengthy lawsuit that would undoubtedly damage my reputation and career.

"Please accept it as a good faith payment, and I'll give you the rest of the money soon."

"I don't want your money, Raelyn." He stood up straight and squared his shoulders, clearly affronted. "If that was what I was after, I wouldn't have taken you to my bed. I would have taken you to court."

Reminiscences of that night rushed through my mind-the way his mouth had felt on mine, his tender touches, the way he'd kissed me when he took my body over the edge, and how it'd felt to wake up while wrapped in his arms the next morning. They were all memories I'd never forget.

Even though I longed to create more of them, I'd never allow myself to. I was my own worst enemy.

I shoved my feelings aside and returned to the topic at hand. "I didn't mean to offend you," I said with genuine remorse.

"Well, you did," Damien stated. He turned around and walked to the door where he hesitated and glanced back at me over his shoulder. "This is happening between us, Raelyn, whether you like it or not, and I think we're both powerless to stop it."

I didn't have any doubts that Damien Heathman still wanted me. I could see it beneath the hurt in those stunning gray eyes of his. The problem was, I couldn't let myself be with him again because I already felt like I had let him see too much of me, and there was no way I'd ever give another man the chance to walk away from me again in a time of need. That was heartache that I'd never survive twice.

"You can't have me, Damien," I murmured sadly. "No one can."

"You changed my world the second I laid eyes on you, Raelyn." A soft smile played at his lips, as if he were recalling the memory. "So, in my mind, you're already mine."

Just when I thought he was finally going to leave the room, he added, "Oh, and, Raelyn?"

"Yes?"

"You can make it up to me this Sat.u.r.day morning. Be at my house at ten o'clock sharp, so we can pick up where we left off. Make sure you pack a bag with a change of clothes, sunscreen, and a bikini." He revealed a heart-stopping, panty-melting, earth-s.h.i.+fting grin, nearly knocking me out of my chair.

If he hadn't made me reel by saying I was already his, his demand surely shocked my head into spinning.

Sat.u.r.day morning came all too fast as I contemplated whether or not to leave in less than ten minutes to be at Damien's house if I was going to be on time. I was already dressed with my bag packed, yet I couldn't seem to force my legs to carry me out of my apartment.

I was terrified to spend more time with Damien, knowing the profound effect he seemed to have on me, yet I understood that once the minute past, there would be no way to get it back, and I was tired of feeling like I was holding myself back from having a life worth living. I wanted to be the one to write the next chapter in my life, not watch the days continue to pa.s.s me by without feeling as though I'd truly lived.

So, with my mind made up, I decided to take a leap of faith. I grabbed my keys and belongings, and then I headed for my car without looking back, so I couldn't change my mind yet again.

The half-hour drive to Damien's house went by quicker than I'd expected, and I soon found myself pulling up to the wrought iron gate at the front of his premises where I lowered my window to press the red intercom b.u.t.ton.

"Yeah?" Damien's voice cracked through the speaker.

"I'm here."

"Ah, I was beginning to think you weren't going to show," he teased.

I had a good hunch that he was grinning with victory.

"I almost didn't," I tossed back with a bit of sa.s.s, smiling.

"Don't worry. I would have come after you." His deep chuckle had my pulse accelerating. "Come on in, and make sure you park in front of the first stall by the garage."

A buzzing noise sounded. Rolling up my window, I stared out my winds.h.i.+eld and saw the gate opening. I slowly drove forward up the driveway made of concrete pavers. I navigated the curve beneath the palm trees and parked where he'd instructed. I noticed the garage door farthest to the right was open. His speedboat was inside of it with his GMC Sierra parked directly in front of it.

I grabbed my beach bag and cell phone before exiting my vehicle, so I could begin the short journey over to the black 4x4 truck. Damien was hunched over at the waist by the hitch, rapidly turning some kind of crank that was attached to the metal trailer. His back was facing me as I approached.

I was about to greet him, but I was instantly speechless by a s.h.i.+rtless Damien. A light sheen of sweat glistened down his shoulder blades as his right arm continued with the circular movements, causing every muscle visible to the eye to flex, while his stunning tattoos s.h.i.+mmered in the sunlight.

The black ink that expanded across his shoulders to his deltoids were lines that curved in all directions, and they ended with sharp points, each one predominantly standing out to cover the marred lines beneath the tattoo.

My breathing deepened at the sight before me as an endless array of emotions ran through me-aching with sympathy and understanding for what he must have endured and so many more feelings that I couldn't get a grip on. I had so many questions, but I buried them, not wanting to stir up his past at the possibility of causing him any agony from reliving something that had to be so painful for him.

Damien suddenly rose and pivoted to give me his attention along with a full frontal view of his chiseled chest and abs, causing me to lose my breath all over again as my body overheated with desire. He was so incredibly s.e.xy that I wanted to tackle him here on the concrete driveway.

By the time my gaze finally landed on his, he was already staring at me. His expression was guarded. He knew I'd been checking him out.

"Hey, you made it." He beamed timidly.

"I did." I swallowed thickly, miserably failing to appear casual.

He glanced down at my bag that was tightly clenched in my fingers before looking back at me and extending his arm. "Let me take that for you."

I handed him my bag and watched as he spun around to open the back door behind the pa.s.senger seat of his Sierra. He set my tote on the bench and leaned in. Then, I saw him grab a white swim s.h.i.+rt.

Slipping it over his head, he faced me again and asked, "Ready?"

I ignored my ping of disappointment that he was going to hide his glorious upper body from me all day, and I answered, "Yes," with a genuine smile. I was ready to spend an entire day with Damien.

Our ride to the marina was rather quiet, and the silence made me feel slightly uncomfortable. I guessed the rapid change in his mood from when I'd arrived at the front gate of his home to me standing before him in the driveway was in regard to me seeing him s.h.i.+rtless. Since he had antic.i.p.ated my arrival and could have covered himself before I'd pulled up to the garage, I tried not to let myself feel guilty about it. Furthermore, I was somewhat annoyed that he couldn't see that I found him exceptionally attractive.

It took less than an hour to unload the speedboat into the marina, park the truck, and settle aboard on the boat. When Damien began to steer us into the open water, I witnessed the palpable tension in his body start to ease with each pa.s.sing mile. From my reclined position on the cream leather bench, I studied his side profile, awed by how rapidly his demeanor had altered.

His shoulders were loose. His jaw was relaxed. He looked completely carefree with his dark hair and clothing blowing out behind him from the strong winds.

Damien didn't even need to speak. I could see his love for the ocean in his face. He was clearly in his element.

He continued to drive for another twenty minutes or so before he lowered the throttle to bring the boat to a standstill, and then he turned off the ignition. His bare feet padded across the floor to me, and I took this opportunity to drink in his toned arms. His black-tattooed sleeves were strikingly hot when contrasted against his white swim s.h.i.+rt that was paired with black trunks. His hair was now severely disheveled from the wind, making him look even more irresistible.

That handsome grin spread across his face as he perused me. "You look comfortable."

"Oh, I am." Mirroring his expression, I crossed my ankles on the bench.

He didn't even hesitate as he crawled over my body, placing his knees on each side of my waist to straddle me. He was lucky this bench was so wide, or we would have ended up on the ground.

His expression sobered as he braced his forearms on either side of my head, his body towering over me. "I'm sorry for being impolite to you back at the house." He drew his brows together and shook his head. "I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me."

I did, but I didn't verbalize my thoughts. I accepted that he wasn't ready to show that part of himself to me yet, and I didn't want him to if it was going to make him uncomfortable.

Instead, I lifted my hand to caress his cheek. "It's okay."

He softly kissed the tip of my nose and murmured, "Thank you."

My lips seemed to gravitate toward his mouth to kiss him, and when they finally touched his, b.u.t.terflies leaped in my belly. He returned my embrace, tenderly kissing me, until my lungs were starved for oxygen.

His lips trailed kisses down my neck to the hollow of my throat. He continued to descend, nudging my pink tank top out of the way, until he could press his face into the valley of my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. I found myself utterly content with Damien surrounding me and showering me with affection.

My eyes briefly fluttered closed on a smile as my hands found his hair. I twirled a few strands around my index finger as my mind began to drift, so I asked, "Do you come out here often?"

"Yes." He nodded against my b.o.o.bs, making me giggle. "Something about the ocean helps me unwind and regroup, especially after a long and stressful week at work," he stated before going back to running his lips across the swell of my b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

"Do you have many of those?" I imagined his hefty responsibilities made for countless worries.

"More than I can count," he admitted solemnly. "Now, where was I?" His tone flipped on a dime, instantly sounding playful. "Oh, yes. I was thinking that you were wearing entirely too many clothes for being on a boat at sea."

I wanted to tell him that I reciprocated his sentiment, but I thought better of it. This s.h.i.+rt barrier was going to be difficult. I wanted to see him, too.

He began making work of my tank top and shorts. I helped him by lifting a limb here and there as he removed them from my body. I was grateful that I'd worn my swimsuit underneath my clothing, which happened to be his favorite color-black.

"There." He sat back and grinned triumphantly, admiring his handiwork. "Much better. Now, you're ready to go tubing."

I had noticed a tube strapped to the other bench of the boat, but I hadn't realized we would be using it. "We're going tubing?" I asked nervously. I'd never done it before.

"The water is pretty calm, so I thought it would be a perfect day for it." He inquisitively eyed me. "You've never tubed before, have you?"

"No." I was growing more anxious by the second. My upper body strength was little to none.

"Don't be nervous." The corner of his mouth curved up into a smile. "It's easy."

"Maybe easy for you," I scoffed good-naturedly. "But I give myself sixty seconds tops before I go flying out of the tube and skipping across the water like a pebble."

Damien threw his head back and laughed hard, his chest vibrating. Vibrant sparkling eyes landed back on mine. "You'll be fine." He leaned down and planted a kiss on my lips. "Don't fret. I'll jump in and save you if I must."

"If you must?" I gaped at him, completely appalled, as I shoved at his chest. "Then, if you fly off when I'm driving, don't expect me to stop!"

He feigned shock. "You wouldn't just leave me at sea."

"Oh, I would." I bit back my amus.e.m.e.nt and continued to yank his chain. "And I'll make sure I wave good-bye as I keep going and leave you for the sharks!"

"Now, you're just being mean. Get up, so I can toss you overboard." Damien stood to his feet, taking me with him. He effortlessly threw me over his shoulder and carried me over to the end of the boat.

"No, you can't do that!" I screamed as I grabbed at his midsection, giggling uncontrollably. My cheeks were beginning to ache.

"Then, say that you'd come back for me."

"I wouldn't." I knew I was pus.h.i.+ng it, but I didn't care. I was having fun.

"You would, or I'd be super f.u.c.king p.i.s.sed," he spoke each word slowly.

My mind got stuck on one word. "Super?" I taunted as all the blood rushed to my face. I was grinning like an idiot.

His palm connected with my backside, making me yelp. "Yes. Super. Now, I want you to say you'd come back for me." His tone was domineering and s.e.xy.

"Oh, fine," I caved.

"Say the words, Raelyn." His hand glided over my a.s.s as a clear warning sign.

"Okay, okay! I'd come back for you!" I shouted. G.o.d, he is so bossy. It made me all hot and bothered.

"Good," he stated simply. "Can you swim?" he asked out of the blue.

"Yes, but-"

I didn't get to finish speaking because Damien extended his arms, and I instantly found myself sailing through the air on a loud scream. I hit the water with a big splash. I kicked my legs and pulled at the water until I came up sputtering.

"You son of a-" I broke off when Damien leaped off the boat, grabbed his knees midair, and landed right next to me, sending a rush of water right in my face.

I pushed my wild hair out of my eyes and gave Damien my utmost lethal stare when he surfaced. "I'm so letting your a.s.s drown if I get the chance!"

He grinned boyishly at me. It was a rare, beautiful sight to behold. I was a complete sucker and fell for it.

"You're too sweet to be mad at me." Damien swam the short distance between us and pulled me into his arms. "Now, get over here and kiss me," he demanded before seizing my mouth.

I wanted to push him away, but I didn't have the strength to resist. Damien's kisses were too good to pa.s.s up.

I banded my arms around his shoulders and kissed him with unreserved pure fervor while clinging to him, forcing him to be the one to keep us afloat. He did, and he made it look effortless.