Page 107 of Deliah
“Come on.” He tugged me gently up the steps, the warm wood of the deck beneath my heels. “You’re gonna love it.”
I looked around in disbelief as we stepped fully onto the yacht. Everything was pristine—glossy teak underfoot, soft uplighting along the railings, loungers with cream cushions and fluffy throws. There was even a hot tub bubbling quietly near the back. The ocean spread out in every direction, calm and endless.
“This is insane,” I said, turning in a slow circle. “Damion, where are we going?”
He gave a small shrug. “Nowhere far. Just out. Just away.”
I stared at him, still stunned. “Whose yacht is this?”
“Just a friend’s,” he said casually. “Someone who owed me a favour.”
I blinked again, half laughing, half drowning in disbelief. “Of course. Of course you know someone with a billion-pound boat.”
He laughed, low and warm, eyes crinkling. “Don’t look so scared. You deserve nights like this.”
Then I saw it.
At the far end of the deck, just where the railings curved and the water glittered beyond, was a small table. Set for two.Draped in white linen. Tiny gold lanterns hung above, flickering like fireflies, and there was champagne already chilling in a silver bucket beside it. I felt my breath catch. For once, I didn’t have anything clever to say. Damion walked me over, pulled out the chair, and gestured for me to sit. I did, slowly, letting my hands fall into my lap to stop them from shaking. Everything was glowing—me, him, the boat, the water. The night didn’t feel real.
“I…” I looked at him, completely speechless. “I don’t even know what to say.”
He poured the champagne without breaking eye contact. Then he lifted his glass.
“You don’t have to say anything yet,” he murmured. “Just be here with me.”
And I was. I was so fucking there.
As I lifted the glass to my lips, the yacht gave a soft, humming shudder beneath us, the engine starting up. I looked out over the water just in time to see the lights of the port slowly beginning to blur into the distance. We were drifting out into the open sea, into the kind of quiet that only existed beyond the shore. The sky was navy now, stretched out wide and endless above us, the first stars just starting to blink awake. The sea reflected them like glass, and the warm breeze kissed my shoulders as we moved through the water. I turned to Damion, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak. He was just… watching me. Like I was the only thing in the world worth looking at.
“What?” I asked, breathless, half laughing.
He shook his head slowly. “Nothing. Just... you.”
We ate slowly—seafood, fresh and perfect, like it had just been pulled from the ocean. I barely tasted any of it. I was too busytrying to calm the flutter in my chest. Something about tonight felt heavier than just romance. It felt like something was coming. Something I wasn’t quite ready for but desperately wanted anyway. Between bites and sips of champagne, we talked. About the villa. About our families. About how Cherry was definitely going to scream when I told her about this date. Then I said it—without planning to.
“I don’t know how I got this lucky,” I whispered. “You. This. All of it. It doesn’t feel real.”
Damion leaned back in his chair, eyes locked on mine. “It is real. Every second of it.”
I swallowed hard, heart pounding. “I’m grateful,” I said. “For everything. But mostly… for you. You changed my life.”
He didn’t smile. Not right away. His jaw clenched slightly, and his eyes softened in that way they did when he was about to say something serious. Something that mattered.
“I’ve loved you,” he said quietly, “from the minute I saw you.”
I stopped breathing.
“I don’t mean just your body. Though, fuck, that got my attention.” He gave a soft laugh, but his voice was thick. “I mean you. Your fire. The way you walk into a room like you own it. The way you test me. The way you fucking challenge me.”
My heart thudded harder in my chest.
“I tried to stay detached at first. I didn’t want to feel like this. I didn’t want anyone to get under my skin. But you… you didn’t give me a choice.”
He leaned forward, forearms resting on the table, eyes blazing with intensity.
“I love you, Deliah. I love you with every single inch of me. You make me want to be better. You make me want to stay still. You make me want forever.”
I blinked fast, but the tears still came.
