Devious Intentions (Carson Cove Scandals 3)

Or maybe not…

I stayed in Damien’s arms until we were both so turned on that we couldn’t resist the temptation any longer. We made love again, and the pleasure was so intense that I was completely exhausted when we were done. I fell asleep in his arm, and hours passed in what felt like an instant. If there was anyone waiting for me at home, I would have probably tried to get up at that point, but there was no reason to rush back to an empty house. I didn’t want to be anywhere but Damien’s arms, so that is where I stayed until the sun came up.

Damien woke up before I did, and by the time I made it out of bed, he already had coffee waiting for me. I needed it so bad I practically inhaled the first cup while Damien made breakfast. We didn’t make it through our food before we were touching and teasing each other—we didn’t even make it back to the bedroom before the passion engulfed us just like it had the night before. We started on the kitchen table and finished in the shower—our departure was delayed so long that the maids arrived as we were getting in the car to leave.

“We cut that one a little close…” I waved to the maids as Damien put the car in reverse.

“It was worth it.” He put a hand on my leg and smiled.

I can’t deny that.

Damien drove me to my car, and we spent some time talking before we went our separate ways. I was exhausted from everything we did and the lack of sleep, even if it was worth every second that I lost. The coffee had worn off. I made a fresh pot as soon as I got home and worked on my stuff for school. Damien and I exchanged a few text messages later that evening, and it was clear that we were both eager to see each other again. I stayed up later than I should have to make sure I was ahead of schedule on my schoolwork—I didn’t want to miss a chance to spend time with Damien when the opportunity presented itself.

Especially after what he did to me last night…

As soon as I got settled in bed, my phone lit up again, and I expected to see another message from Damien, but it was from my mother. It was a quick apology for being gone so long, followed by a promise that she would be home the next day. She also reminded me that she had some big news to share, which I assumed had something to do with the guy who whisked her away.

Maybe I’m finally going to meet him—then I’ll know things are serious.

“You look tired.” Hank walked up to me at the front desk of the Pembroke Hotel—right in the middle of my third big yawn since clocking in.

“I’m okay.” I looked at him and forced a smile. “I was up late working on stuff for school.”

“Oh? I was hoping you were up late because of Damien Sinn.” Hank nudged me a grin spread across his face.

“I have more going on in my life than the guy I’m dating…” I shot him a sideways glance.

Even if he has been on my mind all morning…

I was dead on my feet by the time I finished my shift. I definitely needed a good night of sleep that started with going to bed at a decent hour. I would have still made sleep optional if I could have spent the evening with Damien, but he was busy with some family stuff. I couldn’t even imagine what he was going through with that situation. I had been lucky in that regard. There were relationships and breakups, but there was nothing that tore my family apart—I always stayed with my mom through it all. My father might not have been in the picture, but at least I knew I wasn’t important to him from the beginning. It would have been a lot harder if I had to choose one parent over the other—or if my father was around to make my life hell the way that Damien’s was.

I never really considered myself lucky not to have my father in my life, but maybe it’s a lot better than the alternative…

A cup of coffee from the hotel held me over on the drive home. I wasn’t planning to stay up late, but I did need to stay up until my mother made it back to our house. Her big announcement was important to her, so I could feign enthusiasm—despite feeling like I should be angry at her for not making much of an effort to stay in contact while she was gone. The world was a scary place and dropping off the face of it, even if it was just for a few days, was totally unacceptable. Sometimes it really did feel like the parental dynamic had shifted to me, but I learned at a young age that a sensible discussion wasn’t possible with her.

She’s already home. Maybe I will get to bed at a decent hour tonight…

“Leigh!” My mom hopped up from the couch as soon as I arrived and ran towards me. “I was just about to call you—I didn’t know when you would be home.”

We’re hugging now?

“I’m here.” I was a bit stunned but managed to return her embrace when she wrapped her arms around my neck.

“So…” My mom took a step back and held up her left hand. “Notice anything different?”

“Mom!” I grabbed her hand. “Is that an engagement ring? Wait—is that a wedding band!?”

“Yes!” She nodded quickly and then trembled with excitement. “I got married!”

“Hold on…” I let go of her hand, and my eyes got wide. “You…”

“I know!” A plastic surgeon couldn’t have put a bigger smile on her face.

“How? When?” I stammered over my words. “Who!?”

“I met the most amazing man.” She held up her hand and stared at the diamond. “I guess you could say it was love at first sight—I mean, he’s rich, obviously…”

This is insane.