Page 70 of Fragile Twisted Vows

“I kept the truth from you, and I’m sorry. But you don’t get to treat me like that. You talk to me and confront me like a man, not a monster,” I say and he starts to retreat, but I walk to him and grab his jaw, forcing him to look up at me like he’s done so many times.

“And you don’t get to run away when shame starts to fill you, when actual, real, guttural emotions confront you. You face them, like a man. Like a human should,” I say and his eyes search mine.

“I am not your enemy, Damien. I’m here because you want me to be your wife, because you need me, for some stupid reason, you need me. Whether you care to admit it or not. I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t. You wouldn’t fuck me like you do if you didn’t,” I say and he swallows tightly.

I can tell he wants to run right now, away from the feelings that are rushing forth, away from the inevitable words I have to let out.

“I love you,” I say, and he closes his eyes on a sharp exhale.

“Look at me,” I bark, and his eyes snap open instantly.

“Don’t hide. I love you and some stupid part of me always has. It started when I met you in my father’s living room, it expanded when you beat a man that attacked me. It grew alongside my hatred for you, alongside my sadness when you abandoned me. It grew when I knew that you chose her, that you were with her every night while I suffered,” I say, a tear falling from the corner of my eye as I speak my truth.

“I’m not saying this because I want to, or because you need to hear it. I’m saying it because it’s truth. Because I promised no more lies. Because I know that you will never feel the same about me, but I would be doing you and myself a dishonor by keeping it from you,” I say as I stand and press myself against his knees.

“You’re just as broken as me, Damien. Just as twisted and fucked up as I am, but I know there’s good in there. There’s good in everyone, just as much good as there is sadness. Just as much good as torment,” I say, and his breath catches at my words.

The "I love you" hangs in the air, creating a palpable tension that fills the room. My heart pounds in my chest as I watch his reaction, his face a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. The silence that follows is deafening, each second feeling like an eternity. I can see the wheels turning in his mind, processing what I’ve just confessed. The atmosphere is charged with anticipation, every breath I take weighted with the fear of rejection and the hope for reciprocation. It’s as if time has slowed down, and we’re both suspended in this moment of vulnerability. The room, once a space of comfort, now feels like an arena where the future of our relationship, of whatever the fuck this complicated mess is, hangs in the balance.

He doesn’t move for a while, but when he does, he shifts to retrieve something from his pocket. It’s a box, a ring box actually.

“I was going to give this to you this morning. I saw it at one of my stores last week. It just felt like…you,” he says as he opens the box to reveal my engagement ring.

The centerpiece is a massive, pear-shaped black diamond, its dark facets gleaming with an almost hypnotic intensity. Encircling the dramatic stone are tiny, shimmering white diamonds that create a stunning contrast, making the black diamond’s rich, deep color even more striking. The platinum band is sleek and elegant, perfectly complementing the opulence of the ring. It’s a bold, unique piece, exuding sophistication and mystery, just like me.

And in a way, just like us.

“I’m sorry, Lucy. I’m so fucking sorry,” he says, and I can’t tell if he’s apologizing for his actions or for not saying that he loves me back.

With the way his eyes search mine, I realize that I don’t care. Right now, with the way that he’s looking at me, it’s enough.

He slides the ring onto my finger and I watch as he does.

“I can’t promise you the world. Can’t promise you much at all really. But I can promise that I will keep you safe. Safe from the world. Safe from me,” he chokes on the last word and I can’t ask what he means by it.

I can’t really do much at all because as soon as the ring slips onto my finger, Damien rises. He grabs my face in his hands, stares into my eyes with so much emotion that it renders me speechless, and then he kisses me. For the very first time.

As soon as his lips press to mine, it feels like a fire igniting within me. His lips are urgent and demanding, sending shivers down my spine. The intensity of the kiss takes my breath away, and I can feel the raw emotion and desire behind it. It’s as if the world around us disappeared, leaving only the two of us in that moment. Every touch, every movement, is filled with a fervor that makes my heart race. It is a kiss that speaks volumes, a silent declaration of the depth of our connection, whatever it is.

It is powerful, like this kiss. It is remarkable, like this kiss. It is unforgettable, like this kiss.

We tumble back on his bed and I start peeling the clothes from his body. He lets me, but doesn’t break contact with my mouth. He swallows me down with lips and teeth and tongue. Consumes me for all that I’m worth. Like he’s been dying to kiss me.

I can feel the heat radiating between us, our breaths mingling as we lose ourselves in the moment. Every touch, every movement, is filled with a raw, unspoken emotion that leaves me breathless.

I am suspended through space and time and I can’t tell where I end or where he begins, but I don’t care. I’m kissing Damien Reed.

He peels my clothes away tentatively, sliding down my yoga pants to find that I’m already naked underneath all my clothes. I straddle him then, my wet center pressed against his hard length. I’m dying to take him now. Right now.

He breaks the kiss to look at me, and when he does, I feel like I can see the entire world through his eyes. I trace his scar as he slides inside of me. My teeth sink into my lip and his hands wrap around my hips, holding me still, memorizing every detail.

It feels like the first time our bodies ever joined.

It’s…different. Much more intimate. Like our souls are mating this time.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, and I start to ride him, deep and slow.

“Take me. Take all of me,” he growls and I do, I listen to him.

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