“Dinner was delicious.” Damian patted his mouth before folding the cloth napkin and placing it on the table. “You were right, much better than anything the chef could make.”

While his praise pleased me, I couldn’t help remembering Sally’s words from the night before. Did he have a lover in Albany? Was that why he hardly returned home?

I knew it shouldn’t bother me. After all, it was a contract marriage, but he’d said he wanted to forget the contract part. That couldn’t happen if he had a side piece. I realized I wasn’t in position to argue if that was the truth, but I could never give my heart to a cheater. All I could do was ask and hope he would be honest with me.

I had invited Sally to stay for dinner, since I wouldn’t see her for however long Damian stayed home. She continued eyeing me, urging me with her persistent stares to bring up the topic. I shook my head gently at her.

This was something I had to do on my own. I was sure she wanted to be there for moral support, since our friendship already felt so close, but I wouldn’t put Damian on the spot like that. If the answer was my worst fear, then it wasn’t something he could easily admit in front of a potential voter. I’d never betray him like that, no matter what. My job was to support his campaign chances.

“Bella?” His questioning tone brought me back to attention. “Is everything okay?”

A troubled frown pulled at my lips, no matter how I tried to twist it into a smile. “I think it’s time for Sally to leave, since you’ll be with me at least tonight.”

He stood up, coming around to my chair and gripping my shoulder. “I’ll be here until Sunday afternoon. I’m yours for three nights. You don’t know how I’ve dreamed of being with you.”

Sally made a slight scoffing sound, then covered it with a cough, though I knew what she meant. She obviously didn’t believe Damian, which only fed my anxieties.

“I’ll see you Sunday evening then,” I said to her, finally managing a bright smile. “Thanks for everything you do for me.”

Sally walked with me to the doorway, and Damian stayed behind. She gave me a skeptical look. “You are going to talk to him, right?”

“Yes, Sally. Thanks to your constant suspicions, I don’t trust him right now.”

“It’s not my fault. He’s the one staying away from his new bride for so long at a time.”

Yeah... that helped me feel better. Ugh!

“Sally, I’m sure it isn’t what you’re thinking. He’ll have a good reason.” I gave her a hug. “Now, have a good weekend off. Maybe find yourself a man.”

She chuckled. “Well, I never want ’em for long, but a weekend fling might be fun.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, then disappeared out the door.

Rolling my eyes while also trying not to laugh, I shut and locked the door, then turned to face the rest of the house. It was time to confront my husband.

Before I could take more than a few steps into the front room, Damian appeared, a frown on his face. “What’s this about needing to talk? Are you okay?”

I sighed, sitting on the couch. It would be better to get it over with quickly. I’d rip my suspicions open like a used band aid. “Why don’t you come home on the weekends? Do you have a girlfriend in Albany?”

“What?” His shock seemed genuine, and I peaked at his face. Rather than angry, Damian seemed entirely flabbergasted.

He slumped onto the couch next to me, eyes fixed on the floor and an unusual twist to his lips that looked like he was in pain. “Is that really what you think? I call every day because I miss you so much. I’d call more if I had time. Plus, I worry I’ll bug you if I call every time I think of you. When we’re together or talking, I feel so happy. I thought you did too?”

“If you want to be with me that much, why do you leave me here? When we discussed the contract, you said you’d be by my side every night. I feel more like I’m married to Sally than you.”

“That’s bullshit.”

Without warning, he scooted over, snatching my arm and pulling me to him. I struggled in his embrace for a few seconds, surprised and a little afraid. His arms tightened further, and I finally gave up, breathing fast and trying to control the sudden fear. It took everything I had to stay in the present.

I might love talking to him, but it wasn’t often we were physically together. I couldn’t help but remember my attacker when he touched me so suddenly, but I struggled to push the memory away.

“I want to be with you,” he said, voice coming out husky. “I’ve never given a shit about another woman. One-night stands were my thing until I met you. There’s no way I’d ever have a woman on the side!”

His arms kept tightening with each word, and I cried out in fear and a bit of pain. “Damian! Stop! Let me go!”

He took in a gasping breath, dropping his arms from around me but staring straight into my eyes. “I’m sorry. Don’t be afraid of me. I’d never hurt you again. It’s just...” He ran his hand through his hair, a characteristic I already knew meant he was frustrated.

As frustrated as he was, I couldn’t help but notice what he’d said. “What do you mean, you’d never hurt me again?”

His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before settling down to normal. “I’ve hurt you emotionally, right? I didn’t mean to. All I’ve been able to think about is holding you in my arms, making love to you, showing you how precious you are to me while I’m home. What made you distrust me?”

Other than Sally’s constant worry?

Ugh... I hated this, but I needed to know the truth of what he felt before I could risk my heart to this marriage. “Why haven’t you taken me with you to Albany? If it’s not another woman, I don’t understand.”

Damian held his hand out, seeming to encourage me to take it. Though I hesitated a second, I finally placed mine in his. He relaxed, as though comforted, and a puff of air forced from him as he leaned back on the couch.

“I didn’t know that was making you insecure,” he said, seeming to pick his words with great care. “There’s nothing there for you, that’s why I haven’t had you come with me. I had a moving company take everything out of the house except what’s in the bedroom, considering the session is coming to an end and I’ll be giving up my position in the assembly and selling the house.”

It seemed like a plausible explanation. Reminding myself that I’d never doubted Damian one bit until Sally talked her nonsense, I nodded. “I can understand that. You should have just told me in the first place.”

“I should have,” he agreed. “You were also taking care of things here, learning etiquette and meeting with those women’s groups. I figured I could take care of business while you laid the groundwork for our plan. Once this session is over, I’m not leaving your side again. I promise.”

“What if you get the seat in D.C.?” I couldn’t help but think it would be more convenient not to have his fake bride along for the ride.

“When I stay in D.C., you’ll come along. We’ll travel together always once I finish up this session. I shouldn’t have packed the Albany house so early, but I did that before I found you.” His blue eyes gazed at me, clear and honest. He wasn’t lying, I could feel it in my very soul. “If you want, I’ll have a bit of furniture moved back in and you can come up for the last few weeks.”

I shook my head, pulling his arm around me so I could lay my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I went a little crazy. You haven’t done anything wrong, but in the future, we need to talk about these things so no one has a misunderstanding.”

“Agreed.” His tender caress against my hair made me feel safe and loved. We might not have known each other long, but when he was so careful with me like this, it made me feel like we’d been together forever.

“Now,” I said, looking up at him. “I seem to remember someone attacked me in the kitchen. Why don’t we go to the bedroom and resume what Sally interrupted?”

Damian needed no further prodding, scooping me up and rushing to the bedroom. His mouth was everywhere as he walked, teasing and nipping and turning me on faster than I thought possible. Damn, but this man did something to me. It had always been hard for me to trust people, even the ones I took as lovers. I always had to be in control, demanding the exact way they gave me pleasure, dominating each second of the encounter.

While Damian admitted he usually only partook in one-night stands, the truth was, he was the first regular partner I’d ever kept too. Our one-month marriage was longer than any relationship I’d ever tolerated.

“Damian?” I whispered, breathless as he stood me next to the bed and stripped my dress off.

“Hmmm?” His mind was clearly elsewhere—the place mine should be if I could turn my brain off. He seemed especially distracted when he saw the sexy black lace of the panties I’d picked.

“I’m glad you’re home,” I said, needing to tell him that before we made love. I wanted it to be more than sex to simply satisfy needs, but to do that, I had to open my heart a little bit. “You’re the first person who isn’t a one-night stand for me as well.”

That got his attention. The lips that had been tracing over my bra lifted, and his eyes met mine. “Really? What idiot would have a one-night stand with you?”

I shrugged. “It’s always been my choice. I don’t really... well, you know I have trust issues because of being attacked. It’s just never felt right with anyone else.”

His gaze clouded over, and his eyes narrowed. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t look so heartbroken.” I stepped into him, making quick work of removing his clothes, loving his muscular, smooth body. I ran my hands over the hard planes of his chest and abs, smiling when just my light touches caused his manhood to pop up and say hi. “It’s not your fault that happened to me,” I continued, trending my hands down lower until I gripped him in one hand while fondling his balls with the other. “I’m just happy to have someone in my life I can trust now.”

“It’s... I can’t...”

While I could tell he tried to say something, I no longer wanted to talk. I’d made my confession, and now I wanted my husband. I rubbed him harder, smiling as his member stiffened even more. Once I was sure he could do nothing but desire me, thoughts or sadness no longer interrupting, I pulled him onto the bed, seeking his lips.

I kissed him as deeply as I could, mapping the contours of his mouth. His taste was just what I’d dreamed of the last two weeks. He was as wonderful and as hot as I’d remembered. When he drew away, it was only to lean down, covering one of my nipples and biting at just the intensity I loved.

Tipping my head back, I let out a low moan. “Yes, Damian. You feel so good.”

His hand slid with tantalizing slowness down my chest and stomach, yanking my panties to one side so his finger could slip beneath them. He caressed me with delicious pleasure, sending a small jot of ecstasy up my spine.

“Damn, sweetheart,” he murmured. “You’re already so wet!”

“I want you,” I panted, already seeing little stars in my line of vision as his talented hands and mouth pleasured my body. He bit down again, and everything inside me tightened with anticipation of the thrill.

“I can’t wait, Bella.” He pulled at my panties again, tearing the fabric with an ease I wouldn’t have believed if I hadn’t witnessed it.

He fit me more firmly on his lap, entering me in one swift motion. I cried out, so happy to be joined with him after our long separation. Instead of moving and starting to pump, he held his lower half still. His lips and fingers returned to work, stroking me all over. My back became so ticklish as he traced my spine that I giggled out loud, squirming around but unwilling to separate from him.

“I can solve that tickle problem,” he whispered before latching his lips onto my neck.

His powerful suction immediately stopped my giggles. I moaned with pleasure, reaching for his small, tight nipples and twisting them slightly. His gasp matched my own, encouraging me to continue the motions.

“So hot,” he whispered against my neck, sucking on it again. “So fucking hot.”

His words only provoked me more, and I couldn’t stop my hips from shifting against him, grinding him and loving the sensation as I tightened around him inside me.

“I don’t want to wait longer,” I said, needing him to need me so that I could be totally assured our earlier argument had been forgotten. “Please, Damian. Please me.”

One of his hands slipped between our joined bodies, moving me away just enough to hook my clit with one finger, rubbing it so quick and fast that moan after moan escaped me. I continued riding him in a gentle manner, never getting him in deep enough that he couldn’t continue playing with me.

Just as the tension in me built to a breaking point, I shifted to suck on his shoulder, using my teeth lightly.

“Ready for that, are you?” he asked. He gently pushed me away from him, then gripped both my hips as his mouth went to my chest.

The love bites that followed each thrust was too much pleasure to handle. Completely at the mercy of this wonderful man, I cried out as my release took over. When Damian followed along, it was damn near perfection.

DAMIAN

The moment when our releases were complete, when Bella once again became feminine and tender in my arms, had become one of my favorites. I cradled her against me. Even though my guilt returned as soon as I caught my breath, I still loved holding her.

She’d only had short-term partners before, just like me, but her reason for it was different from mine. Her reason was because she couldn’t tolerate a man for long, still traumatized from when I’d robbed her. How could I ever make it up to her? To top it all off, I’d basically left our Hudson apartment for Albany with little explanation, hiring a companion for her at night before rushing to my job. I hated the fact that she had worried I cheated on her.

There was no way I would ever do that, but I shouldn’t expect her to realize that. We barely knew each other—she didn’t know how well we were actually acquainted, and she could never find out why I was so devoted. Despite the few peculiarities left over from the robbery, Isabelle Taylor, now Grogan, was a strong woman—one I admired for real. The deep feelings I had weren’t only due to guilt.

Given her strength, there was no way she’d stay with me if she found out, no matter how much I’d fallen for her. She was strong enough to turn me in, walk away from me, and deal with whatever consequences she had to suffer from breaking the marriage contract.

But I had fallen for her. I didn’t care if it was fast or I wasn’t the sort of man to fall in love. There was something so special about Bella. I’d spent my life being arrogant and thinking I should never worry about the girl I’d hurt that night because I bettered myself and stopped rebelling after that. It wasn’t the truth, but a shield I put up to stop my guilt. Meeting her again helped me see a true path to salvation. With her by my side, I felt I could honestly be a better person.

“You’re too tense,” she complained. “Didn’t I tire you out enough? I’m exhausted, but I’m up for round two if you want.”

When she popped her head upright to give me a sexy grin, I couldn’t help but smile. Engaging in a tender kiss, I savored the moment, wanting to create as many memories as I could to get me through the last couple weeks I’d be away from her.

After I’d had enough of her mouth to satisfy me for a bit, I pulled away and dropped my head to the pillow. “I was thinking about us,” I admitted, “thinking about how much I already love you.”

“L-love me?” She shook her head. “You don’t have to say that.”

“Yes, I do, because it’s the truth.”

She sat up again, adjusting her black bra into position. “I don’t want you to cheat on me, but that’s a little too much pressure to put on this new marriage, don’t you think?”

Her rejection stung, but I tried not to let it show. “Am I not allowed to say how I really feel?”

“That isn’t real.” Her blunt reply held no emotion.

Confused, I rolled to my own side of the bed, standing up and pulling on the robe Bella must have prepared for me earlier. “Why do you care if I’m cheating if you don’t think we can fall in love?”

“I didn’t say we couldn’t fall in love.” She pulled her own robe on before turning to face me. “Maybe in the future, but right now, I think we’re both a little broken, don’t you?”

“Broken?” I took in a few deep breaths to keep my cool. I’d never been in the habit of hearing someone out if they said something I disagreed with. Must have been a trait from my father—one I had to work to improve. “What do you mean by that?”

“Come on, Damian, use your brain. I can’t be in the dark by myself and need pain to enjoy sex. You can’t hardly sit in the same room with your own father, and obviously have some deep-seated issues that need fixing, even though you won’t open up to me about what they could be. If there are things in your past that can hurt your campaign like you said at the marriage party, I highly doubt you simply egged a few houses and smashed up some mailboxes.”

Damn... she’d had too much time to think while I’d left her on her own. “My past issues are nothing for you to worry about.”

“Okay, it’s true that you don’t have to share with me, but how much can you really love me if you can’t tell me your secrets?”

Why must she challenge me? “Look, that’s enough. I want to tell you about the past, but I just can’t.”

“Whatever.” She shrugged. “But that proves my point. There’s no way whatever you feel right now is love. Let’s grow our relationship and see what happens. Don’t label it perfect love and a great marriage when we barely know each other.”

She had a point. I cared deeply for her and wanted to make her happy, but did I really love her? I’d never been in love before so how could I know? I constantly thought about her, worried over her mental state, and wondered what I could do to make up for the mistakes that had hurt her so deeply. That sounded more like guilt than love.

I sat on the end of the bed, patting the spot beside me. Once she joined me, I folded my hands in my lap to keep from my default mode of wanting to hold her. “Maybe you’re right. I really like you, but we’ve hardly spent any time together.”

She gave a faint smile. “I’m glad you can see that. You do know that I’m not saying never on love, right? So far, I really like you. Talking to you every night has been so nice. I feel like I can trust you, which isn’t normal for me with many people. My family, my old roommate, you and Sally. That’s the entirety of my trust list.”

Even though she couldn’t know how her words drove a knife right into my heart, it still hurt. Then again, I deserved that pain. It was my fault she was like this, so I should welcome the pain while doing my best to take it from her.

“I have an idea,” she said, suddenly sounding more cheerful. “Why don’t we visit my parents this weekend? You said you wanted to know more about a regular American family, but you haven’t been in the city long enough for us to pay them a visit. I bet my brothers could come if we called and asked right now, as long as they don’t have work.”

Somehow, I felt afraid to face her parents. Would they see through me, realize I was the one that had terrorized their little girl? Would her brothers instinctively know that I wasn’t good enough for their sister?

“You’re frowning,” she noted, teasing a finger at the side of my mouth. “Don’t you want to meet them? You’d learn a lot more about me, just like I learned a bit about you after seeing your family. Isn’t that the path to loving each other?”

When she put it that way, how could I refuse? Besides, I was sure seeing her family could help boost her happiness. If that was the case, we had to go.

“Okay,” I agreed. “If you want to go, I’m happy to accompany you. I’d love to see the people who raised the woman I’m developing feelings for.”

She grinned. “Good, I like that. Better to state it that way, especially since I’m developing feelings for you too.”

She was? I couldn’t help returning her grin. “Fine. I can accept that. Let’s keep working together, keep trying.”

“Agreed. Now, let’s take a shower and then call my family.”

Taking a shower together? She might not love me, but she was certainly my kind of woman. “Race you to the bathroom!”