Page 38 of Damon

She sat down across from me ready to hear my woes. I’d purposely chosen a quiet lounge that wasn’t all too busy. Sipping a strawberry daiquiri, I crossed one leg over the other then back again, unable to get comfortable. It wasn’t the chair. It was me unable to relax with myself.

“I have a problem,” I began, using my straw to stir my drink needlessly. “It’s Damon.”

Codie nodded knowingly. “Of course it is. Let’s hear it.”

“I think I’m getting addicted to the rush of being with him. The danger he brings to my life. I keep trying to remind myself that it’s temporary. Soon I’ll be a teacher, and I can’t be involved with someone like him. But then he stayed over last night, and we talked so much. This morning he made breakfast. I’m so confused, Codie.”

A soft smile spread across her face. She tipped her head to one side, her black hair falling over her shoulder. “Damn, Athena, I do believe you’re smitten. I’ve never seen this before with you. It’s adorable.”

“No it isn’t. A man making me the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had shouldn’t confuse me this much. What is wrong with me? How do I stop this?” I dramatically pouted into my drink.

“Maybe it’s just me but I fail to see the problem here,” Codie said. “You obviously have a thing for this guy. Why are you fighting it? Okay, I guess there’s the whole criminal aspect which may not look great for a teacher.”

“It’s not even just that. He keeps dragging me into these dangerous situations, and I fucking love it. I know that I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself.” A weight lifted from my shoulders as I confessed to Codie. “You get it, right?”

A slight frown creased her brow. “Kind of. I definitely understand the rush of being with a dangerous man. However, he’s dragging you into criminal situations, Athena. That’s a different kind of danger. What if you guys get caught? Is this man worth going to prison for?”

I sat there in silence, watching my straw swirl in the pink contents of my glass. She was right. Participating in Damon’s craziness was an extreme risk. Yet this foolish part of me believed he would do anything possible to keep me from taking the fall if something went wrong. Although there was no guarantee.

Finally, I said, “He makes me feel something I’ve never felt before. I’m afraid of never feeling this way about anyone again. I’m also afraid of what he does to me. I’m so torn, Codie. I don’t know what to do.”

Her expression sympathetic, she reached across the table to take my hand. “Nobody can make that decision for you, sweetie. Welcome to falling in love.”

Her words set off a panic alarm inside me. Vigorously, I shook my head, my hair flying about. “Oh no, that’s not what this is. Not at all. I can’t love him. I won’t. I refuse.”

Even I knew how ridiculous I sounded. Codie’s laughter didn’t help. I’d never felt so unsure of myself. So betrayed by my feelings.

“I think it might be too late for that,” Codie said. “If you think you can really love this guy, I say give him a chance. I also think you need to be careful. Just because Damon chooses a life of crime doesn’t mean you have to. It’s okay to separate yourself from that part of him.”

Softly, I whispered, “What if I don’t want to? What if I enjoy it all too much?”

A life of crime was not what I had set out for. I had no interest in helping Damon hurt people. Murder and mayhem was not in my blood. Still, I couldn’t deny how much I’d enjoyed the heavy high of adrenaline when I helped him start that fire or drove after he robbed that house and ended up with a bloody gash in his arm. Even though it shouldn’t have been, it was fun. I wanted more.

“Don’t get me wrong, Codie,” I continued. “I don’t want to hurt people. I will never help him do that. There was just something about being with him after doing a job, knowing the cops would be looking for us, I can’t describe it. It was a total high.”

The amusement vanished from her face. “Promise me that you’ll be careful, Athena, no matter what you do. I want you to be happy. I also want you to stay the hell out of prison.”

“I know. You’re right. I need to keep from getting in over my head. Somehow.” The real question was, how would I break away from Damon? He made it clear he had no intention of letting me go. Part of me didn’t want him to either.

Codie gave my hand a squeeze. “Hey, it’s all right if you have feelings for him. You deserve to be happy, and if he makes you happy, then that’s amazing. Just be careful.”

I truly appreciated how much she cared. That’s why I didn’t mention how often I had been rethinking my career choice. I wasn’t sure I should become a teacher and be with Damon. Although who knew if he even really wanted to be with me at all. I may have been nothing more to him than a way to kill time until he got bored.

This wasn’t like me. I was the one who bounced from man to man, keeping myself entertained. There was no reality in which I allowed a man to do that to me. I’d never been so conflicted.

I should probably take the teaching job and move away without a word to Damon. The thought of leaving him behind and falling into a daily mundane routine made me feel trapped. I didn’t know what I wanted anymore, and it was making me crazy.

It was almost dark when Codie and I left the lounge. She veered off to the left of the parking lot toward her car while I went right toward mine. I’d rounded the car and reached for the door handle when someone stepped up behind me, covering my mouth with a hand. His woodsy aroma drifted around me, telling me exactly who it was.

“Not a sound,” Damon warned, his voice low and close to my ear. “When I let go, you’ll turn around slowly and get on your knees.”

Something warm and wet smeared across my cheek as he removed his hand. I turned around to find him standing there with death in his eyes and blood on his hands. Obviously, he’d been up to no good.

When I didn’t immediately follow the rest of his instructions, he gave a pointed nod toward the ground. Glad that I wore jeans out tonight, I lowered myself down. The sound of Codie’s car exiting the parking lot indicated she hadn’t noticed a thing.

“That’s right, cream puff,” Damon crooned softly, stroking a bloody hand through my hair. As he unbuckled the leather belt around his waist, he added, “Now suck my cock like a good girl.”

The dizzying rush that hit me made the parking lot momentarily spin around me. He expectantly offered me his hard cock, impatiently pressing it between my lips. I stared up at him in enamored wonder. The raw primal hunger burning in his eyes swept me up in its hold.