Page 24 of New Year in Kentbury
A soft groan pulls my attention back, and Damian stirs, his eyes fluttering open. For a moment, he looks disoriented, but then his gaze lands on me, and his lips curve into a sleepy smile.
“Happy New Year,” I say, my voice hushed, as though the moment might shatter if I speak too loudly.
“Happy New Year,” he murmurs back, his voice raspy from sleep. He stretches, his hand reaching out to touch my chest, his palm warm against my skin. “What time is it?”
“Early,” I reply, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. “Too early to get up, but I couldn’t sleep. Not with you here.”
Damian laughs softly, the sound rumbling through the quiet. “That’s a nice way to say I snore.”
“You don’t snore,” I tease, tracing lazy circles on his shoulder. “You just make this little noise when you exhale, like a baby piglet.”
He swats at me, laughing louder now, and I can’t help but join in.
We settle again, the laughter fading into a comfortable silence. After a moment, Damian speaks. “Do you think we’re ready for all this?”
“All this?” I repeat, though I know what he means.
“The barn. The animals. The family. Us.” His voice dips, not with doubt but with the kind of vulnerability that comes when you’re daring to dream too big.
I reach for his hand, threading our fingers together. “We are. We’ve been through the worst, Damian. If we can survive that, we can handle anything. And if we mess up? We’ll figure it out. Together.”
He nods, his smile returning, and it feels like the sun itself has decided to shine just for him.
“What do you want in the barn first?” I ask, shifting the conversation to something lighter.
“Goats,” he says immediately.
“Goats?”
“Yes. Have you seen how they just bounce around? They’re hilarious. And maybe chickens. Fresh eggs sound good.”
I laugh. “Goats and chickens. Got it. But I want ducks too. I’ve always liked ducks.”
Damian looks at me, his eyes softening. “Ducks it is. And maybe a donkey. For character.”
“Obviously. A barn isn’t complete without a donkey,” I reply, grinning.
Damian shifts closer, his grin fading into something softer, something deeper. His hand trails over my chest, his fingers grazing my skin with a deliberate slowness that sends a spark through me. His eyes meet mine, and in them, I see everything—desire, love, trust.
“You’re ridiculous,” he murmurs, but his lips are already brushing against mine, his words dissolving into the warmth of the kiss.
What starts as playful quickly turns into something else entirely. His mouth moves against mine with growing hunger, his hand sliding down my side, his touch leaving a trail of fire in its wake. I feel him respond to me—his breath hitching, his body pressing closer, harder.
We’re naked beneath the covers, skin to skin, and the intimacy of it wraps around me like a spell. I groan against his mouth as my arousal grows, undeniable and insistent. Damian’s body reacts to his length pressing against me, hot and firm.
His hands slide to my back, his fingers digging in as he pulls me closer, and the kiss deepens. It’s not just a kiss—it’s a claiming, a searing connection that leaves no space between us.
“Damian,” I murmur against his lips, my voice low, rough with need.
“Paul,” he replies, his voice barely a whisper, his breath warm against my mouth.
I shift, rolling us so I’m hovering over him, his body arching into mine as I settle against him. The friction is maddening, his hardness against mine, every movement igniting something primal in both of us.
His hands grip my hips, holding me to him, and I can’t help but grind against him, a slow, deliberate motion that has us both groaning. The kiss breaks, but our foreheads stay pressed together, our breaths mingling in the space between us.
“I love you,” I say, the words tumbling out, raw and unguarded.
“I love you too,” Damian replies, his voice trembling with the same emotion that’s coursing through me. But then his eyes lock onto mine, dark with need, his breath hitching as his hands slidedown my back. His fingers grip me tightly, pulling me closer, his body arching against mine in silent desperation.
