be expected in her opinion.
With a resigned sigh, she tucked her hands together on her lap. She had no idea where the driver was taking her, but by the look of the streets he was taking, they were headed down to the marina.
Figures, she thought glumly. Of course he would have me parade around in a bikini for his personal amusement. And of course I’d do it just because he asked. Dammit, I was supposed to be strong about this!
Kiara’s mouth curved downwards as she considered her current options. Eliza’s words still burned in her ears, and every time she thought about that conversation, she felt cheaper and cheaper. When Damien had been out of town, she had managed to muster all of her strength and keep from replying to his messages or reacting to the gifts he’d sent her.
But when he had turned up in person… well. Kiara couldn’t keep the blush from creeping to her cheeks and a warmth from spreading between her legs when she thought back to the kiss they had shared in the conference room.
Somehow, his touch had grown even more commanding than she remembered it, and his lips were firm but tender. There was affection and longing in that kiss, she thought, but at this point Kiara wasn’t sure if she wasn’t just imagining things and seeing a silver lining where there was none. Making up emotions and feelings that she wanted to be there, but weren’t.
Rationally, she knew that she must have been just another trinket for Damien to pass the time with. But emotionally, she couldn’t help but think that there was more there.
The way he looked at her wasn’t the look of a man, who just wanted to sink his dick into a nice body, to put it crudely. Then again, he could have any woman he wanted in the entire world, so why her? Kiara sighed as the familiar train of thought rushed through her head, the same questions she had asked a thousand times already piling on until she could hardly think straight from all the worrying.
Just when she was about to launch into another tirade about how things couldn’t possibly work between her and Damien, the car stopped and the driver opened the door for her. He extended a hand to help her out, and Kiara got up on wobbly legs, wearing heels that were meant more for standing than any kind of actual motion. The warm L.A. sun beat down on her, and her eyes went wide with surprise as she took in the sight before her.
They were at one of the most exclusive marinas in L.A., and the car had driven right up to a big, gleaming white yacht the size of an apartment building. Standing in white slacks and a partially buttoned-up white shirt, Damien greeted her from the bow of the ship, smiling like a man who knew he was impressing the pants right off of her. She swallowed hard. Wealth didn’t make her knees buckle, but the sight of his chiseled chest in that shirt and his dirty blonde hair being whipped around by the wind certainly did.
“I’m glad you could make it,” he called, motioning towards the ramp that lead up to the deck. “Come up. It is about time we head out.”
On shaky legs, Kiara made her way up the ramp until a strong hand was there to help her, Damien’s fingers gripping her hand and pulling her to him. She half-expected him to kiss her again, but he just smirked and waved to the driver to leave, letting go of her.
“Come, I’ll show you around,” he said conversationally, leading her across the ship with her hand firmly in his.
It was one of those impossibly large and expensive power yachts, and wherever she looked, extravagance gazed back. It wasn’t hard to imagine hundreds of people having a big party on the boat, laughing and drinking champagne from crystal flutes. While Kiara had helped plan parties like that for clients, she had never really been on a ship like that, and frankly, it was a bit intimidating.
“It’s gorgeous,” she mumbled as they headed down into the rooms hidden below deck. The engine of the ship rumbled to life, and Kiara could feel
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