Page 100 of Ghost
“You call me ‘baby girl’. You’ve only ever called me ‘baby’ once, when you were being all sweet. And then you stopped when you got mad at me. But now you’re mad at me again, and you used it. I don’t understand.”
“What in the world are you talking about?” He shook his head. “I’m not mad at you. I’ve never been mad at you. They’re the same nickname.”
“No, they’re not,” I protested. “One takes more effort to say.”
Something flickered in his gaze, understanding and—for some reason—amusement. It was almost offensive, but he tugged me to him before I could protest. “You’re so confusing. They’re the same.”
Confusing?I pressed against him, easily escaping his hold with how loosely he held me.
“Don’t run away from me.” Damen sighed, tugging my crossed arms away from my chest and holding my hands again. “Why are you always running away? I feel like I’m never going to catch up to you.”
I opened my mouth, but wasn’t sure if this was a rhetorical question. In any case, I thought the answer was clear.
Why was he always flirting with me, especially if they thought I was hideous? We were supposed to be friends. They had rules. Why was he making this so difficult?
With my mind in a whirlwind, I allowed Damen to guide me toward the vanity chair. I sat, facing the mirror. He bent over me, his arms braced on either side of the table. And his eyes met mine in our reflection.
“What are you thinking about?” Damen rested his chin on my head. “I know that you’re thinking of a billion theories, and I’d love to know what they are. But I can’t help unless you tell me. I need to know how badly I’ve screwed up.”
Even though his confident grey eyes held mine, there was an underlying tread of trepidation in his tone.
He was afraid. And it was that which caused me to ignore my own feelings.
“I say things without thinking sometimes.” Damen’s eyes never left mine. “Julian keeps me in check, but it’s something I’ve worked on for a long time. It’s one of my least desirable character traits. I’m impatient and impulsive. And I’m not good at apologizing.”
This… wasn’t what I expected. I wasn’t certain what might happen, but this vulnerable side to him was uncomfortable.
Uncomfortable, but also flattering.
“I’m not very good at talking to girls,” Damen continued. “I’ve never had to hold a conversation with someone who wasn’t a student before. Seeing you like this, it’s torture because you’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman. And Maria knows it. She’s having a great time making our fantasy come to life.”
I had been contemplating this newest information about Damen’s innocence, but his words caused my thoughts to slam to a halt. “I beg your pardon?”
It was impossible to miss the redness creeping over Damen’s neck. “The lace, the little booty shorts, the ribbon in your hair, your back—”
“That’s not what I meant!” I interrupted, narrowing my eyes. The pieces of this puzzle were falling into place, and I didn’t like the full picture.
Trepidation entered his expression, and his gaze flickered over my face. After a moment, he moved, turning my stool to face him as he fell to his knees in front of me. From this position, my face was even with his chest. So I only had to tilt my head slightly to glare at him.
How dare he lie to me.
“What did you mean?” Damen’s shyness retreated slightly. “Bianca?”
“Everything you’ve ever wanted in a woman?” I repeated his own words back to him. “You’ve said that you can’t date—none of you can.”
Realization caused his face to redden again. “Well, yes. That is correct. We cannot have relationships. It’s an old rule, enforced by the elders, that dates back thousands of years. Romantic connections distract from our duties, supposedly. So no serious relationships, no marriage, and no children. But wecanhave physical relationships.”
My heartbeat pounded in my ears. “It sounds like you want to have a girlfriend?”
It didn’t make sense, he said he wanted to be friends. But he was flirting with me. Surely he didn’t want me for… that.
Damen grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me forward until our foreheads touched. His hands felt like a brand against my skin, shooting curls of warmth from his palm outward.
I was so distracted by his touch, the closeness of his mouth to mine, I almost missed his response.
“Yes,” he breathed. So softly, and full of emotion, that my heart hurt. “I’ve wanted nothing more in life than to find the woman of my dreams, get married, have babies, and grow old together. I want to be normal.”
Something clenched inside me as the echo of his words mingled with my own desires.
