He moves his lips down my belly again, then to my thighs, cupping my ass with both hands and pulling me even closer to him. A wave of heat overcomes me when he backs away, his eyes raking over my completely naked body.
"Don't do that," I whisper.
"What?"
"Look at me like you'll never see me again."
"I don't know when I'll see you again, so I want to make sure your beautiful body is branded in my memory."
The next inhale stings, but I try not to show it. "I want the same privilege then. Strip."
Damon gets rid of his clothes in a few seconds. He's beautiful—perfect, really. His erection catches my attention, and not for a good reason. It's huge. How will it ever fit inside me? He chuckles as if guessing my thoughts, and when I bite my lip, he takes it as an invitation, lounging over me within seconds.
Desire sears through me, turning my blood to liquid wildfire, making me squirm under him. Damon drags his fingers between my legs, tapping my folds lightly. I buck my hips, gasping.
"Shh," he says, grinning as he presses his forehead on mine.
"No one will hear us," I assure him.
"No?" he asks playfully. I feel his fingers travel along my slit, sending flaming tingles everywhere. "You are so wet. Fuck." He spreads my wetness around, then dips one finger inside me.
I grit out his name, shiver after shiver raking my body. "Damon. More, please."
"Be patient. I need you to be ready."
"I am ready," I say, though I have no clue, really. Desire blinds me, and this doesn't hurt at all.
"I want to make it good for you; so good you won't forget it." There it is, the bittersweet reminder again. I kiss him so he won't utter one more word.
"Do you have a condom with you?" I murmur when we break apart, wondering what we'll do if he says no.
"Yes. I put it on the nightstand when I was undressing you." He reaches for it, rips the package and slides the condom over his erection. He slides the tip up my glistening flesh in slow motion that turns me crazy, then down again. I keep my eyes glued on him.
I inch my legs wider apart, and hold my breath when he pushes his tip inside just a fraction of an inch. "Ouch." Damon hovers over me, his hands cupping my face, his lips planting soft kisses on my lips and cheeks. Ever so slightly, he lets more of himself inside me, a slicing pain accompanying his move. Tears spring at the inner corner of my eyes and Damon stills, his body rigid. He settles inside me, allowing my body to get used to him. Kissing me languidly, he fists my hair, tugging at it, sending delicious ripples through me. I’m surprised to realize I don't hurt anymore. I push my hips into him to let him know I’m ready for more.
His labored breathing intensifies, and he catches my gaze as he starts moving again, sliding in and out of me with careful strokes. My tight passage still twinges with the slightest pain, but the delicious ripples each stroke sends through me far overrides it. The sensation of him caressing me on the inside is unlike anything I have experienced before. Like all things tonight, our union is bittersweet. Pleasure laces with pain, and when he pins my hands to the sides of my head, interlacing his fingers with mine, smiles mingle with tears. His lovemaking is intoxicating, hearing his grunts of pleasure—addictive. Dragging one hand between our sweaty bodies, he applies pressure on my clit, flicking it with his thumb as he slowly moves in and out of me. That blessed thumb awakens something dangerous inside me. It unleashes an inferno that sets alight every nerve ending in my body, threatening to undo me. The quivers start from deep within me. I clench around his length, writhing and moaning, slamming my hips against him in my frenzy as I ride the wave of my orgasm.
"Dani," he grits, grabbing my ass with his hands, all thoughts of being gentle forgotten. He spasms inside me as he comes, calling my name over and over again. When he pulls out, I feel a sense of loss. Tiredness overcomes me almost immediately, and I suddenly know I won't be able to fight it. The lack of sleep in the last forty-eight hours is finally catching up with me. Damon fumbles with something on the other side of the bed for a few minutes before cradling me in his arms.
"I don't want to sleep," I murmur, even as the tendrils of sleep threaten to steal the last hours I have with him.
"Shhhh, I'll stay with you."
"I want to be awake and talk." My voice is so weak with sleepiness I can barely hear myself.
"You said no talking," I hear him say as I slide away. "I love you, Dani Cohen. You're everything to me."
***
When I wake up in the morning, Damon is gone. My bed is cold. That's it then. There’s no point trying to deny the pain. It's so alive; it punches holes in my chest with every breath. It curls around me, ensnaring me, dripping in every corner of me, just like a poison would, until I feel his absence in my very bones. I curl, drawing my knees to my chest in the hope of quenching this massive emptiness inside me. Gripping the pillow hard, I can't stop the tears falling on it. I find something underneath my pillow, something silky. Tugging on it, I break into sobs. It's the silk scarf Damon gave me. I stuffed it under my pillow the night after the movie incident. I immediately put it around my neck, covering my mouth and nose with it, breathing in deeply. I search for his scent in it, but it only carries mine. But it also carries something else: whispers from our rooftop conversations and the taste of our kisses. Yes, it holds many dear memories, but now it only causes me pain. I cry and cry for what feels like hours until I feel drained and fall asleep.
The sun still shines when I wake up, and not wanting to fall into crying again, I get dressed and leave my room. I keep the scarf around my neck.
My parents are in the living room, eating lunch together. That’s weird. I join them, eating in silence.
"That scarf looks great on you," Mom comments.
"Thanks. Damon gave it to me." I stiffen when I see my parents exchange glances, a sinking feeling forming in my stomach. "Damon leaves for boarding school today. In Canada. Did you have anything to do with it?"