Chapter 97
Aria’s POV
I pulled back slightly, my heart hammering against my ribs. The question hung in the air between us, heavy and inevitable.
“Damian, I I started, then stopped. How could I explain this without hurting him? “I want to. God, you have no idea how much I want to p>
His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
“But p>
“But not yet.” The words tumbled out quickly. “Not until everything with Ethan is settled. I need to finish this, cleanly. “
I trailed off, searching for the right words. “I want to give you all of me. Not the version that’s still tangled up in legal battles and Pack politics p>
The silence stretched between us. I watched his face carefully, trying to read his reaction.
Finally, he exhaled slowly through his nose.
“Alright p>
That was it. Just one word.
My chest constricted. “Are you angry with me p>
“No.” His hand came up to cup my cheek, thumb brushing along my cheekbone. “I can wait, Aria. Waiting is what I do best p>
Something in my chest cracked open at those words.
The quiet resignation in his voice, the acceptance. Like he’d spent his whole life waiting for things that might never come, and he’d do it again for me without question.
“Damian p>
“I mean it.” His gray eyes held mine steadily. “Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere p>
I rose up on my toes and pressed my lips to his, trying to pour everything I couldn’t say into that kiss. When I pulled back, his eyes had darkened considerably.
His hand closed around the back of my neck and pulled me into him. His mouth crashed onto mine, hot and hungry, tongue sliding deep, tasting me like he owned me.
His other hand grabbed my ass, fingers digging into the flesh, pulling my hips hard against the rigid outline of his cock.
I moaned into his mouth and arched into him, my body answering before my mind could catch up.
For a long, dizzy moment, I forgot where we were, forgot about the pasta, forgot everything except the weight of his tongue and the hardness pressing against my thigh.
His hand slid up my back, fingertips tracing my spine through the thin fabric, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.
His lips moved to my jaw, then down to my neck, teeth grazing the sensitive spot just below my ear. I whimpered and clutched his shoulders, my legs threatening to give out.
“Damian,” I breathed, my voice barely a whisper.
He pulled back just enough to look at me, his gray eyes dark and heavy-lidded, his lips slightly swollen.
His thumb traced my lower lip, and I parted my mouth instinctively, letting him push the pad of his thumb inside. I sucked it without thinking, my eyes locked on his.
A low, rough sound escaped his throat.
“Now I don’t want the pasta. I want you p>
The words cut through the haze like cold water. The pasta. I shoved at his chest, hard enough to make him stagger back half a step.
“Now sit down before this pasta burns,” I said, my voice embarrassingly breathless.
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “Yes ma’am p>
I finished cooking while he watched from the counter, his presence a warm weight at my back even when he wasn’t touching me.
When I finally set the plate in front of him, he ate with the kind of focus that told me he’d probably skipped more than just dinner today.
“When’s the last time you had a real meal?” I asked, leaning against the counter.
“Does coffee count p>
“Damian p>
“Yesterday morning, maybe.” He didn’t look up from his plate. “Things have been busy p>
I made a mental note to start checking in on him more. The Alpha King might be powerful, but apparently, he was terrible at taking care of himself.
After dinner, I cleared the dishes while he dried them, falling into an easy rhythm that felt far too natural for how new this was between us.
When everything was put away, I glanced at the clock. Just past ten.
“Want to watch a movie?” The question came out before I could second-guess it.
His eyebrow lifted slightly. “A movie p>
“Yeah. Unless you’re too tired p>
“What kind of movie p>
I bit my lip, suddenly feeling oddly vulnerable. “A horror movie p>
Something flickered across his face—surprise, maybe even amusement.
“You like horror movies p>
“I love them,” I admitted. “But I hate watching them alone. When I was younger, back at the orphanage, my friends and I would watch them together. After I grew up p>
I shrugged. “Never had anyone to watch them with again p>
A memory surfaced unbidden—Ethan taking me to see one in theaters shortly after we got together. I’d been so excited.
But he’d been terrified, leaving the theater three separate times before we both gave up and left. We never spoke about horror movies again after that.
“I don’t watch many movies,” Damian said carefully.
My heart sank a little. “Oh. That’s okay, we don’t have to p>
“But I’d like to watch one with you p>
I looked up sharply. His expression was serious, but there was something soft in his eyes that made my pulse skip.
“Really p>
“Really.” He tilted his head slightly. “Though I should warn you, I’ve never seen a horror movie before p>
“Never?” My eyes widened. “Not even one p>
“Not my usual form of entertainment p>
A grin spread across my face. This was going to be interesting.
“Rachel downloaded this new one for me last week,” I said, already pulling him toward the living room. “She said it’s supposedly terrifying. Perfect for late night viewing p>
“Sounds ideal,” he said dryly, but he followed without protest.
We settled onto the couch, and I started the movie. Within minutes, I realized the couch wasn’t quite comfortable enough for the angle I was sitting at.
I glanced over at Damian—he sat perfectly upright, spine straight, looking like he was attending a board meeting rather than watching a movie.
Slowly, I scooted closer.
“Damian?” I asked, tilting my head to look up at him. “Are you scared of scary movies? We can turn it off if you are p>
I didn’t know why, but seeing him sitting there so composed and unruffled made me want to tease him.
Usually, I watched these movies for the thrill. Tonight, though, I wanted to see if I could get a reaction out of the unflappable Alpha King.