Sleeping with the Enemy (An Enemies to Lovers Collection)

Now, all we had to do was sit, wait, and let it all play out as it will. We’d done all we could.

CHAPTER 28

Carla

It was going to be great to relax on the bus and get some sleep. I’d been burning the candles at both ends with work as there was so much to do with my father retiring soon. For the next ten days, it would be a road trip, tasting some good wine, and meeting my fellow wine makers. The bus also stopped at some of the quaint small towns we were going to pass through and I couldn’t wait to look around them. There was always so much a person never got to see of their own country.

I opened my brochure and started to read about the towns and wine farms I was going to visit on my trip. I was just starting to feel nice and sleepy when a deep familiar voice jolted me from my warm fuzzy feeling.

“Carla? What are the chances of running into you on this tour?” Damon’s voice resonated in my ear.

At first, I thought I must’ve drifted off and dreamt of his voice. I had been dreaming about the insufferable man a lot lately. But as soon as I felt his warm body sit down next to me, I knew this was not a dream. Damon Winters had somehow wangled his way onto this tour to once again annoy me! I had managed to avoid him for the past nine weeks since I’d gotten back from Hawaii, and now here he was and I was trapped with him for the next ten days.

“What are you doing here, Damon?” I looked at him coldly. “Have you come to ruin yet another trip of mine?”

“That’s a little harsh.” Damon looked at me. “I thought we had a great time on the last trip.”

“Were we at the same wedding in Hawaii?” I asked him. “We nearly ruined the entire trip for our best friends because we couldn’t get along.”

“I don’t know about that.” Damon gave me a sexy smile. “I thought we got along most pleasurably.” His voice dipped low.

“That’s it.” I stood up just as the bus took off and was rudely thrown back into my seat.

“I don’t think you can get off now.” Damon raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. “Especially if your luggage is stored in the luggage compartment. The bus is on a schedule.” He looked at his watch. “From what I’ve heard about this trip, they stick to it.”

“Agh.” I balled my fists and had a mini-tantrum moment. “I came on this trip to relax and enjoy the Californian countryside and some good wine.” I glared at him. “Do you want to schedule Christmas dinner with me so you can ruin my favorite holiday as well?”

Damon looked like I’d slapped him in the face.

“Wow.” Damon’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t realize you felt that way.”

“No.” I shook my head. “Because you’re Damon and you only ever think about yourself.”

I knew that wasn’t fair. But for nine weeks I had to try and keep him out of mind. I was just starting to feel better and that terrible bruised feeling in my chest had just started to ache less when Celeste sent me another picture. This one was taken just the other day here in Napa. She was being embraced by Damon on his front lawn.

I had even started to avoid Hayley because I didn’t want to hear about Damon. She was trying to tell me that I’d misread the messages I’d seen that last morning in Hawaii. I guess Hayley was wrong. Now, here he was stuffed next to me on a bus for the next ten days. It was Hawaii all over again.

“Look Carla,” Damon sighed, “I just wanted to let you know that there is nothing between Celeste and I.”

“I don’t really care.” I put my neck pillow on and closed my eyes. “We have a couple of hours before our first stop. So, if you don’t mind, I was really hoping to catch up on some sleep.”

I’d no sooner said that when the tour guide came over the PA system to welcome us all aboard, tell us about our journey, and that we’d be served a complimentary snack in a few minutes.

“You can’t sleep now,” Damon whispered to me. “You’ll miss your complimentary snacks and we really need to talk.”

“No,” I said to him. “You need to talk. I need to sleep.”

Damon sighed and put his head back on the chair.

“Celeste has been stalking me, Todd, Sophia, and Drew.” Damon started to talk to me while I continued to pretend to ignore him.

“I had to change my phone number,” Damon continued. “I did send you my new number.”

I continued to pretend to sleep. I knew Hayley tried to tell me something about that but I had cut her off and threatened to leave if she insisted on talking about Damon and Celeste.