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I wasn’t a virgin, but neither was I widely experienced Sex is not so that someone with my history--with my scars--rushes into I’d been burned by a boy I’d trusted, and ed as the scars that marred my flesh
Damien, however, doesn’t see those scars Or, more accurately, he sees them for what they are--a part of me Battle scars froht Where I thought th And it is that ability--to see me so fully and clearly--that has drawn me so irrevocably and coain," Blaine says "I don’t even need three guesses to knohat you’re thinking about Or who Do I need to kick our personal Medici out of the roo to have to live with her sain, I must forceme leave this room unless Nikki is beside me"
I revel in the velvet smoothness of his voice, and I know he means what he says We’d spent this entire afternoon -shopping on Rodeo Drive, celebrating the new job I will start in thehands, sipping calorie-laden frozenno one else in the world existed Even the paparazzi, those vultures with cameras that have beco Damien and I do, paid us little heed
Sylvia, Dah, but Damien had flat-out refused to take the my unspoken question
"Should I alert the financial papers?" I’d teased "Doesn’t it affect theto risk global economic collapse if it means a few hours with you" He drew er "Of course, thewe do, the more we support the econo proo back to the apart ways to spend the afternoon that have no fiscal impact whatsoever"
"Te," I’d retorted "But I don’t think that I could stand the guilt knowing that I traded an orgasm for fiscal ruin"
"Trust hed, and in the end we’d ht asenerous
As for the phone, he’d been true to his word Despite the constant vibrations, he’d ignored it until we’d pulled up in front of the Malibu house and I’d insisted he take pity on whoever was being so persistent I’d hurried inside tohis attorney that the world hadn’t collapsed despite Damien’s temporary absence frohts that I don’t realize that Blaine has approached me He taps my lower lip with the end of his paintbrush and I jump
"Damn, Nikki, you were in the zone"
"Are you done?" I do not ht then, I just want hiht then, all I want is Dah histhe brush to indicate "The light on your shoulder, the way your skin glows, the mix of colors …" He trails off as he walks back to the portrait "Daenius This is you, kid If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you could walk right off the canvas"
"So you’re done? I can co too late that he probably wanted hts vanish Blaine, the painting, the world aroundthat I see It’s Da on the top step, leaning casually against the wrought-iron banister and looking even yuht have spent the entire afternoon with hilieton every perfect feature His defined jaw highlighted by the shadow of stubble The wind-tossed black hair, thick and sers And his eyes Those aht now that I can feel the weight of his gaze upon my skin
He is dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt But even in such infor casual about Day harnessed And e that one can neither capture nor hold on to a lightning bolt, and I do not want to lose this man
His eyes meet mine, and I shiver from the shock of the connection The athlete, the celebrity, the entrepreneur, the billionaire persona all fall away, leaving only the man and an expression thatAn expression that is so raw and primal that were I not already naked, I’ would have turned to ash, burned away by the heat in his eyes
My skin prickles, and I have to force myself not to move "Damien," I whisper, unable to resist the feel of his na in the room, trapped in the air that is thick between us
By the easel, Blaine clears his throat Dah to look at him, and I think it is surprise that I see on his face, as if he’d forgotten that we aren’t alone He crosses the distance to Blaine and stands at the artist’s side in front of the huge portrait From my position, I can see the wooden frame across which the canvas is stretched and, to the side, the two e that is hidden froaze does not waver fro rapturous in his eyes, as if he is looking up at an object of worship, and his silent benediction o weak I want to reach out a hand and steady , but my wrists are still bound behind my back
My iht another smile--I am not free I am Damien’s