Page 67 of Damien
“No reason.” Vince shrugs. “I figured with it being Saturday, he’d be over when you got off shift.”
“Uh, he does have better things to do than hang out with all of us,” I remind him.
Vince steps up to Syd and kisses her on the cheek. “Need help with anything?”
“No… I’ve got it. Did you hear anything from Ryan?”
“Yeah,” Vince says, taking a cookie that’s cooling on the counter. “He’ll be here in a little bit. He says he needs a study break day because finals are kicking his ass.”
“I can totally relate,” I admit. I’m ready for my exams, but I’ll be so freaking happy when next week is over.
I’ve just pulledmy shirt over my head when I hear a knock at my bedroom door. “Van, you in here?” comes from the sexiest voice I know.
“It’s open,” I call, and my pulse races. Sure, we’ve seen each other this morning, but that doesn’t mean I’m not eager to see him again
When the door opens, I’m greeted by the gorgeous man himself. His dark hair is tousled perfectly, and a devious grin forms as his long legs eat up the distance between us. “Hey, you,” comes out on a growl as he leans in to kiss me.
In that moment, I’m overwhelmed by my overload of senses. Traces of his masculine cologne send shivers down my spine as I instantly recall our last night together. His lips taste even better than his cologne. When his tongue sweeps across my lips, I part them, letting mine tangle with his.
Knowing there’s a house full of people due any moment, it takes everything in my power to keep from getting carried away. Who the hell knows where Jules is—but in this moment, she’s the least of my worries. All I want is this man.
When I fist his hair, intensifying our kiss, a light chuckle pulls from his chest as he lets me have my way for a few minutes. Then, he pulls back, panting. “Okay, then…” he muses. “Guess you’re happy to see me.”
“Yeah.” I feign innocence—as if he didn’t just rock my world with a single kiss. “I’d say you’re right.”
Quickly kissing me once again, he pulls back and playfully says, “Wouldn’t have it any other way, Van. But unless you want me to lock us in here all night, I suggest we get out to the crowd forming in your backyard. Or I won’t be held liable for my actions.”
“Promises, promises.” I pretend to pout, but he has a point. I could get carried away if we were left to our own devices for an evening. Why did I have to agree to host this party again?
“Did you finish the counters?” I ask, wiping lipstick off his perfectly formed lips.
“Yeah. I’m pretty happy with them.” He nods, wiping his palm down his face, getting the remains of my lipstick.
The sound of Julia running in our direction has Damien stepping back from me.
“Momma?” Julia calls from the hall.
“In here, Jules. What’s up?”
Even though she’s breathless, her eagerness is infectious. “Dame, you’re here. You wanna play cornhole with me? I was gonna ask Momma, but I can play with her any ole’ time.” She looks to me and shrugs apologetically.
Yeah. I’ve clearly been replaced with him as her shiny new toy.
Damien looks to me, looking for approval, and I nod an assurance.
Of course, my eagle-eyed girl sees this and squeals with joy, then grabs his hand. “Great. Let’s go. I need to beat Unks. He’s silly and thinks he’s the king of cornhole.”
“Well, we’ll have to see about that,” Damien encourages her competitiveness.
By the time we enter the backyard, I see Drew and Abby have arrived as well as Chloe, Ryan, and Drew’s roommates. I quickly make introductions and visit while Jules whisks Damien to the back of the yard where the game is ready to play. Vince and Ryan have a game started, and they each shake Damien’s hand in greeting.
“Where can I put this?” Grey, Drew’s roommate asks, holding two bags of ice.
Pointing to the cooler by our back door, I say, “Over there.”
“I’ve brought a fruit tray, too,” he adds. “God knows, no one wants me to cook anything.”
Drew chuckles. “Hey… everyone needs ice. But God help you when I leave.”
