Page 116 of Claimed By Prince Daddy

After flicking through TV channels, I tossed the remote on the bed with a frustrated moan. A knock at the door sounded. His scent pricked my nose.

“Youcannotcome in,” I growled.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Absolutely.”

“Perhaps use your nose, then reconsider,” Damon said from the other side of the door.

I lifted a brow, then sniffed.

Oh, God.

“Are those… sugar cookies?” I asked.

Damon pushed the door open and stepped in. Balanced atop his hand was a plate of freshly baked sugar cookies. I could only stare at Damon, slack jawed.

With a smirk, Damon said, “Your favorite, right?”

“H-how do you know they’re my favorite?”

“When you first invited me into your office. That day I saw the half-eaten sugar cookies on your desk. There was also the faint odor of cookies that clung to your skin a few times since then, signaling you ate them a lot.”

I swallowed past the ball of emotion lodged in my throat. Moisture gathered in my eyes, but I blinked them away. I couldn’t make sense of it. If he was so disgusted with me being a latent—if he regretted touching me, then why bring the cookies? I licked my lower lip, too scared to ask. Damon placed the sugar cookies on the nightstand and tiptoed back. He looked me over, his brow furrowed. I blinked up at him.

“I’ll…leave you to rest then.” Damon gave me a nod.

Yet, he didn’t move. He remained, his gaze fastened on me. I cocked my head to the side. As if I slapped him, he shook his head and turned, heading for the door.

“Damon?” I called after him.

He cast a glimpse over his shoulder.

I wet my lips. “Thank you.” I gestured at the plate. “For the sugar cookies.”

A slow smile spread to his cheeks. He nodded, then slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him. I allowed a grin to crease my lips. Maybe I could forgive him. After all, who could say no to sugar cookies?

I discovered I was no longer bored while being confined to four walls. But I guess I had Damon to thank for that. When the alpha male wasn’t investigating the murders, he came to keep me company. I tried to ignore him by watching TV while he sat in bed next to me, but avoiding him was like ignoring a rhinoceros in the room. His presence demanded acknowledgement.

One day, I kept the channel on an Asian drama. My gaze riveted to the show, enraptured by the plot. It was a romance drama with the main protagonists skirting around their true feelings for each other for most of the season. The current scene was the climax where the female had confessed her love, leaving the male shocked.

I clasped my hands in front of my chest.

Please don’t reject her, please don’t reject her,I chanted in my mind.

Damon shifted in place beside me. “You know, I’m figuring out why you love these sappy shows so much.”

“They’re not sappy.” I cut him a narrowed look. It piqued my curiosity. “Why do you think I love these shows?”

Damon popped a kernel of popcorn in his mouth from the bowl resting between us. His eyes remained leveled on the TV. “Because you live through the characters falling in love…”

My blood turned to frozen slush. The breath fled from my lungs as I gaped at him.

Damon continued, “I can sense your joy. It’s deep and eternal, like the sea.” His gaze slid toward me, blue eyes covering me. Pity shone in their depths.

Pity for me…

He’d gotten too close. Could see into me… seeing too much! Anger whirled with fear like a maelstrom.

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