Damaged Queen (Darkness Within Duet 2)

“Where is Axel?” she asked. “You keep talking about him and how you both risked your life, and I’m trying not to freak out because he’s nowhere to be seen?”

Draven smiled. “He took off about three days ago. When we finished it and we finally had our freedom, he told me he was done. That he had some things of his own to take care of, and that if we ever saw each other again, it would be a pleasure but not to hold my breath. We both made a great deal of sacrifices, and I’m not saying there won’t be backlash later on, but for now, we’re free men. I have no doubt we’re being watched though, to make sure we’re out for good. I’m not a rat though. That’s how I got out. I didn’t go to the cops. I went to the source. Information for freedom with the right people.”

She reached out, touching his cheek. “You’re sad about Axel.”

“He’s my best friend. There’s no way I can be anything else but sad about that. He’s the only one I have left.”

Seeing Draven upset cut her up inside.

Putting her glass down, she moved across his lap, straddling him. He grabbed her ass, but she only wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him.

Draven ran his hands up and down.

“I’m so sorry for all that you lost.”

He wrapped her hair around his fist and tugged on the strands, pulling her head back. “No, I’m sorry for everything I did to you. For wasting all this time. For believing him.”

“It’s fine.”

“No, Harper, it’s not fine. It’s never going to be fine.”

She traced a finger across his lips. She felt the evidence of his arousal pressing to her core. Harper stayed perfectly still as he stroked the line of her back and stared at him.

“I’ve got a question,” she said.

There was really nothing else for her to say about the other thing. She couldn’t change what happened, nor did she want to sit and think about it all the damn time.

It happened. They both made mistakes.

“Ask me.”

“How are you able to afford this?” she asked. “It’s not that I have a problem with it. I don’t. Honestly. Money has always made me uncomfortable, but if you’re no longer in the business, what about this place? What are you going to do from now on?”

“I wasn’t just in the illegal shady business practices, Harper. I had invested a lot of time already into small ventures. I own a couple of coffee shops, a vineyard out in Italy, and I also love playing with the stock market as well. I’m not as rich as I once was. I made more dirty money, but I don’t have it anymore. It’s gone. I only have what is legal.”

“A man of many talents.”

“Yes.”

His hands ran down to her ass, and Harper tensed up. Climbing off his lap, she took a seat beside him, and sipped at her drink.

“I make you uncomfortable?”

“It’s not you. I mean, it is, but not directly you, does that make sense?”

“Not at all.”

“Fine. I … you hurt me. Kicking me out of your house and after everything we’ve been through. I don’t want to rush this. If you’re planning to stay, and I don’t know, live here, then I’d like the chance for us to date each other. To actually spend time as a couple and not as friends or just as friends. To experience the right kind of stuff we should have all those years ago.”

He stroked a finger across her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’ll happily date you, Harper.”

She smiled. “I didn’t expect you to relent so quickly. We don’t have to get to know each other, but I’d like to date you. To see what it’s like.”

He laughed. “I happen to have a spare bedroom. You can sleep there tonight.”

“Thank you, Draven.” She stared at him. Her gaze dropped to his lips and she knew it was going to be hard to do this, but she would.

****

Dating wasn’t so bad.

It was like being friends, just without the sex and knowing the sex was going to come eventually. In between work, Draven took her out to meals, to movies, and they did everything couples did. He finally met Stephanie. Like Axel said, he’d helped her to break out of her conservative skin and to learn to party.

Harper always had a new story to tell.

Every time he picked her up, she always looked ready to tell him not to bother. That was one of his biggest fears. Harper telling him she’d had enough, that she no longer wanted to be with him, and they were through.

He’d only just gotten her back, and already he was fucking nervous about everything he did or said, and it was killing him.

But he kept on dating her, even when he got nervous picking her up and with each phone call.