y committed to my role as

ragged over a little stool and sat

to him and picked all the bell peppe

followed behind him like a shadow,

o say-"Get lost," "Stay away from me,"

id he actually

om pity and disdain to something closer to d

ian was heading t

had a stylist deliver a row of haute

iery red str

elain tender, the red dress blazing aga

-term malnourishment were now, after a week

arily stunned by

g my reflection. His throat bob

clinking glasses and e

eared, he became the

my hand, nearly every gaze

ousy, cur

el every b

worked with Damian approached with a glass in h

against him, cutting o

's m

. Simple.

acknowledgment of

gh me, and I tightene

om, a venomous gaz

Natalie's face, tw

ite gown, standing beside some rich heir sh

eyes looked like it

er and gave a deliber

ned of color as she

off to discuss business with

champagne from a passing

long before som

wing stronger by the second, like co

ature was

lt like it had been triggered, surg

reading across my forehead-m

ar-and then I saw Natalie's

as h

ok to the man

ng toward me, reachin

touch

oint, knocking the man to the

onto Dami

... I don't

ing a hand to my forehead-his e

into his arms and strode toward the hotel r

s was already s

road, warm embrace, his masculine ess

felt like the most dang

pletely los

hed face and rapid breathing, he assumed I was

. I'll get

finish, I grab

strength, I pulled

xt moment, I had flipped over

angled in the

amian froze, complet

get off

r the surge of my succubus bloodli

d his waist and locked

... Damian..

f tears. My mind was slipping, l

eded

owered my head, pressing clumsy, desperate ki

via

ned rough, straine

trying to ground me. "Snap o

n't hear hi

is warmth could sooth

-blurred eyes, my voice breakin

an unnatural flush, her eyes shimmering with tears

nd dangerous

hitched, his g

y, retreating under the ov

h him, reclaiming control. His voice

ht this on