He also found he liked the sight of her with a baby in her arms, how natural she looked. He couldn’t stop the picture forming in his mind of it being their child. Before he had a chance to chastise himself, he was walking toward her, his movements slow and sure.
He wanted her with an intensity that didn’t make sense, but he wasn’t taking the time to analyze it. His anger was still warring with his desire and he didn’t know if he wanted to kiss her more or strangle her. Maybe a bit of both, but desire won out.
Without saying anything, he gently pulled her into his arms, being careful so he wouldn’t crush the small baby between them. Without hesitation his head descended capturing her lips in a kiss.
His tongue glided enticingly across her gaped bottom lip, before he gently bit down on the soft pink flesh. He drank in her soft sigh before releasing her as he took a retreating step.
“You shouldn’t have left,” he whispered for her ears only and her eyes widened.
He watched the emotions flicker across her face as she realized the anger behind his desire. She was starting to realize he wasn’t as calm as he was portraying.
“I…uh, well, I…” she stuttered, having a difficult time with her words.
“Exactly,” he said with a satisfied grin on his face. He found his anger simmering down, placed on the back burners as he held her. He’d missed her, more than he’d even be willing to admit even to himself.
“Well Sierra, I think you’ve been holding out on us,” Bree said with a laugh. “You’ve just made me want to drag my husband off for some alone time,” she added with a wink, causing a becoming shade of red to infuse Sierra’s cheeks.
Damien turned and gave Bree a smile before looking back at Sierra who looked quite shaken. He was a bit concerned for the baby in her arms, at the shell-shocked expression in Sierra’s eyes. He gently took hold of the infant before she dropped her.
Damien felt warmth spread through his chest as he looked down into the soft grey eyes of the innocent face looking back at him. She was just so small. He found himself unable to look away, taken in completely by her sweet little features.
“I can take her so you two can have some time to talk,” Jennifer said as she walked up and held out her arms.
With reluctance, Damien handed over the baby, bemused at his desire to continue snuggling the little one.
“You seem like a natural,” Jennifer said as she smiled at him.
He’d held his best friend’s children and found himself always happy to do so, but something was shifting in him, some desire to have his own – something he’d never really thought he’d want. He told himself it was just a desire to make sure his name lived on – make sure his parents lived through him, and then their grandchildren.
When he’d thought Trinity would be alone in raising the baby she carried, he’d offered to marry her, and would’ve been the best dad possible for her child, but he hadn’t wanted to be a father at that time, he’d just wanted to do the right thing for his best friend.
Now he found himself wanting a child, wanting to ensure his life wasn’t for nothing, that he’d somehow continue living, even after he was gone. He tried shaking off the thoughts, but they were planted in his head, and weren’t going away. He shook of the disturbing images as he focused once again on Sierra.
“Let’s take a walk,” he said, putting his arm around her back. He finally realized she hadn’t said one word to him. He wanted to know what was going through her mind. He also needed to make sure she never ran from him again – not without facing his wrath.
Silently, she allowed him to pull her from the room. He led her out the back door and looked around. He wasn’t sure where they were. He just started walking further from the house.
“What the heck was that?” Sierra finally asked, gaining her voice. Good. He liked her with some fire.
“What?” he asked, wanting her to have to spell it out.
“The kiss. Now, they’re all thinking we’re…we’re…well, that we’re a couple,” she spluttered, confusion and anxiety heavy in her tone.
“Aren’t we a couple, Sierra? Before you ran away, I seem to recall one heck of a week in bed together,” he said, his voice low, making her have to step closer to hear him.
“We’re not a couple, Damien. I work for you, though who knows what I’m supposed to be doing. Our week together was, well, I don’t know what it was, but it’s not continuing. I just got out of one prison, and I refuse to step into another,” she said as she started pacing.
Damien froze as he looked at her. She didn’t reveal much about herself, was very secretive of her life, so her little slip gave him a small piece of insight into her past. She considered her life at home a prison. That was interesting.