Faking it with Damian Black by Louise Jane

Our eyes locked. His fingers lingered on my l*ps.

Afraid Tid drown in his intense stare. I quickly looked away. My heart was

drumming in my head, and the tips of my ears were blushing, remembering the

night we shared in New York

I chewed and swallowed the popcorn slowly. They made a deal, Lexplained, to

be each other’s date on every holiday.”

“Yeah Damian’s eyes were still on me.

“They got tired of being single every holiday, so they decided to be each other’s

plus one. They thought a platonic relationship would save them the heartbreak.

Hocked eyes with Damian. The intensity of his green eyes madeswallow

hard. “But they caught feelings along the way

“So fake dating led them to the real thing

The sliding door was open, but I was starting to feel suffocated, yet I continued.

“It did. Coz the more holidays they spent together, the more they got to know

each other. But you see, that’s what’s messy about fake relationships. You don’t

know what’s real and what’s not. At the end of the day, all you’re left with is the

reality that the two of you would never even be together if you’re not faking it.”

Damian’s jaw fiuttered. His eyes searched my face. “I think you didn’t get how

the story really turned out, Millicent.”

1 gulped the huge lump swelling in my throat

“Everything that happened since they started seeing each other was real. Every

laugh, every touch, every f u cking word they said was real. They were only

hiding under the pretense of their deal, but it’s f ucking real.”

My response, if I could form any, was cut off by the ringing of his phone

Eyes glued with mine, he let the call go to voicemail, but it rangagain. He

grumbled a curse under his breath, stood up, and left the room, leavingto

digest his words.

Since I read the note he left that night. I promised to keep my feelings at bay.

The intensity of my feelings when I was with Damian was like a bomba ready to

detonate in my face in one fiick I don’t want to fall for him because I know he

would never givethe tof the day if he didn’t needto get rid of Sonja

“They were only hiding under the pretense of their deal, but it’s f ucking real

Does he mean everything was real for him since day one?

I groaned, sliding down the bed, and threw an arm over my eyes, scolding

myself for going down that road again.

This is Damian Black we are talking about. He’s beyond any league. He would

never fall for someone like me,

I’ve fallen asleep with this thought in my head but when I woke up a little later

in the afternoon, I wasn’t alone. Damian was sleeping with me. His b*dy was

tangled with mine in a spooning position. He had an arm draped over my

middle, a leg over mine, and my head rested in his arms. Being wrapped in his

warm, solid b*dy like this feels so good.

|||

Sat, Feb

09:27

Chapter 32

27%

‘Just for today. I thought, snuggling closer to his warmth. His arms tightened

around me, pullingimpossibly close to his b*dy. Just for today, Millicent,

okay? Tomorrow, you go back to your mission of putting that wall between the

two of you. again.

Then I dozed off.

The next day started the sway Sunday began. I woke up alone and found

Damian in the kitchen, making breakfast, shirtless, Kick starting my day with a

view of Damian’s freaking hot back is not such a bad idea.

My cheeks reddened when he caughtstaring at him.

“Good morning.” he beamed.

1 cleared my throat and entered the kitchen, going straight to the coffee

machine. “Good morning.”

A stack of shopping bags was on one side of the kitchen counter. The fruit

basket was overfiowing with fresh fruits as well. “Did you go shopping this

early?” I had to know.

“Danny brought those last night.” He slid a sunny side up on a plate. He placed

the pan back into the stove and expertly cracked another egg on it. His muscles

fiexed as he did. I watch him discreetly over my cup of coffee, taking a sip.

“Those are clothes for you.” He tipped his head towards the shopping bags,

cracking another egg on the pan.

“That’s thoughtful of you,” I murmured, blushing when he lifted his eyes on me

and caughtbiting my l*p. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, babe,” he grinned, sc attering a pinch of salt on the egg he was

cooking. “This is almost done. Can you set up the table?”

“Sure?”

While setting the table, I couldn’t help but feel the normalcy of this situation

and wondered if we were not faking things. Having cuddles at night and waking

up to Damian cooking breakfast is an excellent way to start my mornings. I’d

make coffee and set the table. I guillotined that thought before I go

daydreaming again.

This isn’t real, Millie.

Over breakfast, we talked about our schedule for the day. Damian insisted he’d

driveto work and pickup after.

“You don’t have to do that,” I insisted.

“I have to,” he pressed.

“No, Damian, you don’t. You’re busier than me, and my place is out of your way.”

“I don’t f ucking care, Millicent. I will drive you to work and drive you hafter.

That’s final.”

“How’s your pain?” Damian asked, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in

tune with Kings of Leon’s Sex on

He was drivinghome. I don’t know how he knew I planned to take an early

off to avoid him. Imagine my surp saw him leaning against his Jeep in front of

our building when I clocked out, smirking haughtily.

“I’m almost as good as new. It’s just a scratch,” I say cuttingly without paying

him a glance. I didn’t bother hiding the annoyance in my tone. I’m irritated that

he outwitted me.

“That could’ve been worse, Millicent,” his tone was pierce, almost irritated. His

refiection in the window showcased his fiuttering jaw and blazing eyes

ווו

09.27 Sat, Feb 10

Chapter 32

I shrugged, not giving him a reply. We had this conversation at his place. It

would be redundant to explain myself again. Even though the cool air was

blowing up from the air conditioning, the atmosphere inside his car was tense,

almost claustrophobic. I could hear him clutching the steering wheel tightly

with each turn.

When we reached my parent’s place, he moved at lightning speed and was at my

door before I could sl*p out. I sighed and skirted past him, climbing the porch

stairs as if a ball of fire was chasing me.

With Damian’s long legs, he easily caught up withand grippeil my arm,

spinningaround.

“What’s your problem?” he gazed atthrough the tip of his nose, deep green

eyes perusing my thoughts.

Nose fiaring, I matched his penetrating stare with my own and sn atched my

arm back. “I told you I don’t need you. chaperoning me, Damian.”

“And I told you that’s not up for discussion, Millicent,” he said pointedly.

“Who gave you the right to make decisions for me?”

His eyes sharpen. I swear I felt his energy surging around us. “You are my

responsibility. That’s a f ucking no-brainer.”

I gaped at him, disbelieving. I counted to ten and closed my eyes, inhaling a

heavy breath before looking him in the eyes. again. “You don’t have to do all of

this. No one is watching, and no one knows what happened to me. You don’t

have to pretend that you care for me.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, the air around us cr ackled. Goosefiesh

blanketed my skin as Damian stepped forward, breaching my personal bubble

until he hadtrapped between the door and his huge b*dy. “Pretend? You

think I’m pretending to care about you?”

His pine and waterfall scent enveloped me. I was at eye level with his throat. It

bobbed up and down, and his pulse there was quickening. Damian bent a little

on the waist until his face was leveled with mine, his palms laid fiat on each

side of my head, completely trapping me.

“Letmake one thing clear, Millicent. Everything between us is as real as you

and I. I promised I’d protect you, and that stays on whether you like it or not,

got it?”

His voice’s deep tenor and possessiveness sent a different kind of chill down my

spine. I should be scared. Damian looked like a feral lion marking his territory.

And I was the gazel who st upidly walked in his trap. Something must be wrong

withbecause I swear I felt my lower muscles contract the longer he’s

keepingcaged with his b*dy. I licked my l*ps… Damian’s eyes dropped to my

l*ps as I did.

“Got it?” he asked, his hands rounding to a fist beside my head. His hot breath

swept over my parted lig

Chest rising and falling, 1 mustered the little speck of defiance inand made

my position clear. “Th

contract.”

Fire kindled beneath his eyes. It was so wild, threatening to burnin place.

“Have you forgotten our conversation before you invitedinside your place,

Millicent?” His tone was hard cold as winter. “We’ve breached that contract the

moment I set foot in your apartment and shoved my fingers pu ssy-”

“Damian!” I hissed, eyes going round. That fire in his eyes ignited heat on my

checks. “Can we not-”

He chuckled. “Not what? Not go back to that night? I can’t f ucking do that.”

Shocked, I was held speechless. I thought that night was nothing to him, and

that note he left was just a lexcuse for tellingit was a one-tthing.

He traced my ch*ck with the back of his hand, clutching my chin. His thumb

traced my jawline as his eyes roamed all over my face. “You are mine, Millicent.”

|||