he’d been using that same look on unsuspectin g women to get what he wanted. But the look in his eyes was not so much charming as it was rapacious.
“Charlie, if you don’t want me to take you right here on the stairs, you’d better run. Now. And if you want me as badly as I do you, my bedroom is at the top of the stairs and to the left. The only door at that end. But know this, you aren’t leaving that room until morning or we run out of protection if you go in there. I hope you go in there, but if you don’t, then that’s okay too.”
“You’d be okay with me going down to my room, wouldn’t you? You’d let me go and not say another word about it. Not make me feel guilty or hurt me, would you?”
“No. I’m not that sort of man. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be disapp ointed. I want you. I want you in the worst way. But I don’t want you so badly that I’ll take you.”
She stared up at him for several seconds and then turned on he r heel and went up the stairs. He stood where he was. When she made a right, he didn’t sa y a word but watched her. She turned back to him.
“I have to get my robe from this room. Why don’t you lock up, Damon? That way you won’t h ave to leave the room either.”
She went down to her room and was just stepping though the doorway when she hea rd him “whoop.” She was in his room first. More nervous than she’d ever been, she walked around.
It was a huge room. Bigger than any of the other bedrooms in the house, this one was twice the size as the one she slept in and nearly three times the size of Connor’s, an d they were all big rooms too. She looked around in wonder.
There was one wall that had nothing but shelves. In addition to books, there were large pottery pieces and small ones. She had heard from one of the women tonight that Byron was a potter and a famous artist. She wondered if any of the pieces were his. The framed photos fascinated her. She could see Damo n as a child in a few of them. There were quite a few of all the men, now and as boys. There was a little girl in a few. She knew her to belong to Spencer and she could see her progressio n of growing up in the photos. The picture of the entire family in formal wear at Dane’s and Jamie’s wedding was nice and it showed a happy, loving family. Moving over, she looked at the book titles.
There were first editions of some great names, also paperbacks alongside of them. Damon seemed to have a m uch diversified reading habit. She liked that about him. She loved to read and didn’t really have one author or genre when she read either.
The ne xt wall was a bank of windows. The view from this side of the house must look out over the tre es along the back of his yard. She couldn’t see anything right now, but she would bet in the spring it was spectacular. The window seat in the little area was deep and the pillows and cushio ns looked used and well loved. There were two books on the little table next to it.
The fireplace was just there. She could see that it too was used and she thought what did the other women he brought here think of it? She felt herself get a little angry ab out that and then pulled back. What Damon did in this room was his business. She turned to leave when she noticed him standing in the doorway.
“I’ve never brought a woman to this house before. I’m not sure what you were thinking ju st now, but you looked pissed. I just wanted you to know that you’re the only one w ho’s ever been in this house. Aside from family.”
“It’s none of my business what yo u do or don’t do in this room. And I wasn’t pissed. I was…I was wondering if that pottery i s your brother’s, that’s all.”
She fussed with the pillow on the window seat as he came toward her. It was everyth ing she could do not to cower. When his fingers ran down her, arm she felt the goose bumps rise on her skin and her nipples pucker.
“I would like for you to make it your business. I would like that
“Charlie, if you don’t want me to take you right here on the stairs, you’d better run. Now. And if you want me as badly as I do you, my bedroom is at the top of the stairs and to the left. The only door at that end. But know this, you aren’t leaving that room until morning or we run out of protection if you go in there. I hope you go in there, but if you don’t, then that’s okay too.”
“You’d be okay with me going down to my room, wouldn’t you? You’d let me go and not say another word about it. Not make me feel guilty or hurt me, would you?”
“No. I’m not that sort of man. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be disapp ointed. I want you. I want you in the worst way. But I don’t want you so badly that I’ll take you.”
She stared up at him for several seconds and then turned on he r heel and went up the stairs. He stood where he was. When she made a right, he didn’t sa y a word but watched her. She turned back to him.
“I have to get my robe from this room. Why don’t you lock up, Damon? That way you won’t h ave to leave the room either.”
She went down to her room and was just stepping though the doorway when she hea rd him “whoop.” She was in his room first. More nervous than she’d ever been, she walked around.
It was a huge room. Bigger than any of the other bedrooms in the house, this one was twice the size as the one she slept in and nearly three times the size of Connor’s, an d they were all big rooms too. She looked around in wonder.
There was one wall that had nothing but shelves. In addition to books, there were large pottery pieces and small ones. She had heard from one of the women tonight that Byron was a potter and a famous artist. She wondered if any of the pieces were his. The framed photos fascinated her. She could see Damo n as a child in a few of them. There were quite a few of all the men, now and as boys. There was a little girl in a few. She knew her to belong to Spencer and she could see her progressio n of growing up in the photos. The picture of the entire family in formal wear at Dane’s and Jamie’s wedding was nice and it showed a happy, loving family. Moving over, she looked at the book titles.
There were first editions of some great names, also paperbacks alongside of them. Damon seemed to have a m uch diversified reading habit. She liked that about him. She loved to read and didn’t really have one author or genre when she read either.
The ne xt wall was a bank of windows. The view from this side of the house must look out over the tre es along the back of his yard. She couldn’t see anything right now, but she would bet in the spring it was spectacular. The window seat in the little area was deep and the pillows and cushio ns looked used and well loved. There were two books on the little table next to it.
The fireplace was just there. She could see that it too was used and she thought what did the other women he brought here think of it? She felt herself get a little angry ab out that and then pulled back. What Damon did in this room was his business. She turned to leave when she noticed him standing in the doorway.
“I’ve never brought a woman to this house before. I’m not sure what you were thinking ju st now, but you looked pissed. I just wanted you to know that you’re the only one w ho’s ever been in this house. Aside from family.”
“It’s none of my business what yo u do or don’t do in this room. And I wasn’t pissed. I was…I was wondering if that pottery i s your brother’s, that’s all.”
She fussed with the pillow on the window seat as he came toward her. It was everyth ing she could do not to cower. When his fingers ran down her, arm she felt the goose bumps rise on her skin and her nipples pucker.
“I would like for you to make it your business. I would like that
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