Chapter 26

Damon

The smell of Beth clung to him, leaving the rest of the day difficult to get through. Focusing wasn't usually an issue at all, but he wanted more, so much more of her. Something had to give.

After kissing her goodbye, he closed himself in his office and muddled through a few more projects until it was time to head over to Masquerade for Ben's party. Bethany had promised to get Ben over to the club and to blindfold him just for shits and giggles. Everyone would be there. Ben was one of the beloved members of Damon's staff.

A knock at the door caused him to glance up. "Come on in."

Surprisingly enough, Damon's dad stuck his head in the office. "You got a few minutes?"

"Of course, Dad. You don't need to knock." Damon leaned back and let out a sigh. "What's going on?"

"You're going to Ben's promotion party, right?" His father gave him a stern look.

"Of course I am." Damon snorted. "You should be too."

"I am, but only for a few minutes." His father dropped down in the seat in front of his desk. "I learned a long time ago that getting home to the pretty woman waiting on me is far more important than anything else. Weddings are a maybe, but funerals are a must."

"Wait. What?" Damon brushed his hand down his face, trying to clear his mind. The scent of Beth on his fingers caused his cock to swell. Not now.

"The old saying, ‘Weddings are a maybe, but funerals are a must.' You've never heard that?" His father seemed amused.

"No, I haven't. Do you mean, literally, I should go to all of the funerals I'm invited to, but none of the weddings?"

"Basically, but it could be said for business too. Drop in for a quick hello at the parties and celebrations, and be at the office when the shit hits the fan, but only then. I messed up with your mother. I was never there." Kent shrugged and reached up to run his fingers through his hair. "She made the decision to cheat, but I can honestly tell you that I don't blame her much for it. She must have lived a lonely life. I was never there, and I mean never."

"Dad. Cheating is a choice."

"So is abandoning someone, Damon. I've thought about it a lot over the years." He leaned back. "The things I would have done differently. My mistress was this place."

"Are you in here like the ghost of Christmas past to warn me?" Damon smirked.

"Something like that. I know you've been here a lot lately, and I honestly appreciate it, but your happiness is far more important to me than this place. Karen went over last night to have dinner with Bethany, and they had a good girls’ night together, but I know your soon-to-be bride misses you, son. That's not a good way to start your marriage."

"I understand that." Damon nodded and tried to take his dad's advice for what it was worth. No need to get defensive or explain his actions in being at the office half the night, though he wanted to. His dad was only trying to help. "I'm working on it."

"No, you're not." Kent rubbed his chest and watched Damon. "But you need to be. Why don't we talk about bringing in a few more senior executives when you get back?"

Damon chuckled. "Right, because your selection of people has been stellar lately."

"Okay, so I deserved that." Kent smiled. "But, you can interview them when you're back from your honeymoon. This place can't be your mistress, or you're going to repeat my mistakes, and that's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."

Damon nodded. "All right. We'll bring in some more people, but for now, get out of here. I need to finish a few big projects before the wedding next week. I'm running out of time."

"You're horrible at delegating. Have Linda help you. She's not." His father stood up and walked to the door. "See you at Ben's event. Don't be late."

"I won't." Damon waited until his father left to get back to work, his focus spot on and desire to get out of the office stoked. Had his father just picked up some of the blame for his parents' divorce?

He had. Interesting.

***

"Is everyone in place?" Linda glanced back and smiled, her excitement almost palpable. Ben had made an impact on everyone's life at the firm. It was obvious by the hordes of people gathered on the third floor of the club. "Here he comes!"

Damon pressed his hand to his mouth as Ben stumbled out of the elevator with Bethany holding on to him, Sadie and Philip behind them. Ben was blindfolded and less than happy about it.

Damon's father pressed his shoulder against Damon's. "Whose idea was the blindfold?"

"Who knows." Damon chuckled.

Beth caught his attention, and he winked at her. She'd found time to go home to change into a pretty black cocktail dress and heels. She looked like a goddess. One he wanted to spend a long time worshiping.

"You ready?" Beth called out, but poor Ben must have thought she was talking to him.

"Yes. Can I please take this damn blindfold off? I feel like I'm in an S&M nightmare," he barked, and everyone laughed as she pulled it off.

"Surprise!" the group yelled, and Damon joined in. It was nice to be around everyone in a different setting, but he couldn't stop himself from wanting to throw Beth over his shoulder like a caveman and take her home. They'd fucked off and on for the last few weeks, but making love was overdue. It wasn't about grinding body parts, but connecting in a way that reminded her that he was her man, her number one fan, her future.

"No fucking way." Ben glanced around, his eyes wide, his face red. "It's just a promotion, guys."

"Senior manager is a big deal, dude. It's partner next or death. We're like the mafia, move up, but you don't get to move out." Damon moved through the crowd and walked toward Ben.

The guy's smile widened as Damon approached. "Thanks, boss."

"Boss at the office. Friend everywhere else." Damon reached out and pulled Ben into a quick hug. "The night's on the firm, so drink, eat, be merry."

"Just don't get the cops called on us, buddy." Philip patted Ben's back as he walked toward the large dance floor in the center, pulling Sadie along with him.

"Are they?" Damon turned and put his hand on his hip. "Really? I thought he was into you?"

"He was. Thanks for the reminder that I'm old news." Bethany pushed out her bottom lip, looking too cute for her own good.

"You're always front and center for me." Damon reached for her hand as the music started to play from the speakers in the ceiling. "Ben... the DJ is over there, man. Tell him what you want to hear. It's your night, buddy. Congrats."

"Thanks, bo- Damon." He smiled and jogged toward the bar as several of the staff followed him.

The dance floor filled up, which was good. Damon was used to playing the stiff asshole at the office. No one at the firm had seen him let his guard down, and he wasn't sure he necessarily wanted that to start tonight but dancing with his woman? Hell yes.

"Remember this place? Bottom level, the dance floor, you in a skimpy something with a mask and me pressed to the back of you?" He moved behind Beth, wrapping his arm around her and pressing his hand to the front of her tight stomach. "You were so fucking hot that night."

She moaned and rolled her hips as more people piled in around them. Glancing back, she stole his heart. Everything about her. He didn't let her answer, but leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her several times softly.

"What was that for?" She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Because I couldn't help myself." He memorized the way she watched him with interest, the look of love in her eyes, the sexy smile tugging at the side of her perfect mouth. "You were horny the last time we were here, remember? Demanding and shit?"

"You were a bastard." She pressed herself to him and licked her lips seductively. "You threatened to take me on your desk or in your bed, and then you took me home and left me wanting. Asshole."

"I had to make sure you wanted me for me and not my money." He brushed her hair back. "Never in a million years did I expect this."

"You thought we'd just sleep together and then become family and what?" She laughed, the sound of it causing his heart to flutter. How the woman had so much power over him was a mystery, a concerning, disturbing mystery.

"No... I thought we'd fuck a few times, you'd get addicted and become a stalker, and I'd have to put a restraining order on you." He laughed deep in his chest as she yelped and pulled away. "I'm teasing you, baby. I didn't know what would happen." He wrapped her in a tight hug, moving her around the dance floor, but never taking his eyes off of her. "I still don't know what's going to happen, but I wouldn't be anywhere else in the world besides here with you."

"You're getting sappy in your old age." She gave him a cheeky grin and pulled him down for a few short kisses. "I like it. A lot."

"Good. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to keep aging." He wagged his eyebrows as she grumbled something softly. "It's the best option I can see."

"My turn, boss." Ben cut in, stealing Bethany from him.

Damon moved back and smiled. Ben was about the only guy that could take his girl for a spin around the dance floor and Damon not be upset about it. He would come out of the closet sooner or later, but that would be his choice. Damon would support him no matter what. Ben's future was locked in with M&B without a doubt. The guy had given them 150% of himself since the day he was hired.

"Boss." Philip moved up beside him, a beer in one hand and the other tucked into his pocket.

"You get through that audit I put on your desk last week?" Regardless of the fact that he actually liked Philip and found his work to be outstanding. The guy had been interested in Beth. There was no getting around that.

"Sure did. Linda has the final files for you. She was typing up the opinion letter, and then it's all yours." Philip grinned. "It's two days earlier than the deadline you gave me."

"Yep. Buy yourself a beer on me tonight. Good job, kid." Damon patted his back and walked toward his dad and Karen, who were laughing about something in the corner together. "What are you two up to?"

"Just enjoying each other." His dad moved toward Karen and pulled her into a side hug. Bethany's mother looked like an older version of Beth. It was almost uncanny how much they resembled one another.

"It's not hard to do." Karen glanced up at his father. "I think we'll always enjoy each other though. He's soft when I'm not and hard when-"

"Too much info." Damon pressed his fingers to his ears and gave them a look of false disgust.

"Oh, hell." Karen pressed her hand over her mouth as her pretty face turned bright red.

"Damon. Jeez." His father rolled his eyes and popped Damon in the chest. "You'd be grounded for a week for that comment if you were just a little younger."

"A little younger?" Damon smiled. "I was teasing." He glanced around. "I know this is an office party, but I'm ready for Matt to get his ass home. When did he say he would be in?"

"Sometime on Sunday. We're picking him up unless you want to."

"This Sunday?" Damon's interest was piqued. "So he'll be here all week with us?"

"Yeah, Bethany wanted him involved in all the stuff for the wedding this week. You know she didn't want to do most of the stuff until the week of, which is insane, but she enjoys the last minute rush of getting things done." Karen rolled her eyes.

"She's a pantser." Damon glanced over his shoulder to find her dancing with another one of their associates. "Good thing I'm a planner."

"Yeah, well, just let her be who she is. That's who you fell in love with." Damon's dad patted the side of Damon's face as he turned back to them.

"You're just full of advice today, aren't you, old man?" Damon responded.

"I guess I am." Damon's dad shrugged. "It feels like you're growing up, finally. You'll have kids of your own soon, and then you'll understand."

"Wait a minute. Let us get married first and then-" Damon started.

"Kids! I cannot wait. Please tell me it's going to be sooner than later." Karen moved toward him, pressing her hands to his chest. "I would love to hear the sound of little feet filling up the hallways. You have to have three, or maybe four, or five."

"Or more," Damon's father chimed in.

"Or more what?" Beth moved up beside him, her breathing off kilter from dancing.

"Five or more kids." Damon wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "Your mom's request."

"What? Not only no, but hell no." Bethany reached out and took her mother's drink. "You want more kids; you have them."

To his surprise, Karen glanced up at Damon's father and smiled. "You wanna?"

"Oh God," Bethany mumbled and dragged Damon back to the dance floor, saving all of them from yet another awkward conversation. It would seem they were getting good at them, without Matthew being there to facilitate.

The world was suddenly a strange, strange place.