Damen (The Marquette Family Book Two) (5 page)

“Yes, I was married.”

Heaven started at the tone of Damen’s voice. He always sounded open and friendly, but at the mention of his ex-wife, he closed off like a vault. She had been worried the conversation would turn to the kids, but they seemed to be the farthest from his mind.

“I’m sorry if I brought up something painful.”

He rolled his shoulders, and this time she knew it was to release the tension. “No, it’s fine. I loved her.”

Heaven refused to identify the twinge in her own chest.

“Vida wasn’t right for me.”

The world dipped and bobbed around Heaven, but she sucked in a deep breath, slowing her gait. Damen fell back to match her step, and she worked hard not to let him notice how his words affected her. She wanted to change the subject because she hadn’t expected him to even share about his ex-wife with her. No other topic came to her befuddled mind.

“I’m sorry,” she said lamely.

“I thought she was like us.”

“Like us? You mean more in love with books than anything else?”

He gave a sheepish grin. “The way I used to be, yes.”

Used to be. Now he was like a social butterfly.

“I was content to live a quiet, comfortable life back then, most nights spent at home with an occasional visit to a cultural event or the museum. A movie or two wasn’t so bad.”

“Wow, when you put it like that, I guess it does sound dry.” Heaven tried to think of the last time she went out and did something crazy just to have fun. She couldn’t recall, but then her life had been controlled, except for when it came to Gideon. If Gideon wanted to watch a movie, she took him. Almost anything he wanted, she was there. Now, though, her son seemed to stretch his wings a bit more and was doing more on his own, like the self-defense classes and the sports. He’d never been interested in that. In a weird way, he was behaving like Damen without the two of them knowing each other.

“Yeah.” Damen scowled.

“I didn’t mean you’re boring, Damen. You don’t come off that way to me at all. I don’t know what you do in your private time, but you seem radically different from the way you were years ago.”

He stopped walking, and she felt obliged to as well. “Heaven, are you still attracted to me?”

“W-wah?” she croaked.

“Are you?” He stepped closer. “I want you to be honest.”

She swallowed and weighed the options. “You’re a sexy man, but you knew that.”

“Meaning intellectually, you’re turned off.”

She laughed. “No, for all I know you’ve dumped Tolstoy for the latest football stats or something like that.”

His smirk made butterflies stir in her belly. “I was never into Tolstoy.”

“So kidding.”

He moved even nearer, stealing her breath. “In my private time, I create apps for android phones.”

“For fun?”

He shrugged. “I also rock climb, go jet skiing, and invest in failing businesses just to see if I can turn them around. I think I might try sky diving sometime.”

“The rumors were true.”

“Yes.”

“You really rock climb?” She was in awe.

“Heaven, you haven’t answered my question.”

“I said you’re sexy.”

He waited in silence.

“All right. Yes, I’m still attracted to you. That makes no difference because I…” She had been about to say getting involved with him wasn’t why she was there. He wasn’t even asking her the crucial question of what the heck she was doing working as a waitress. Then again, he might think she was doing what he did, some radical lifestyle outside of their norm just to see what it was like. Did he think she would disappear soon when the novelty wore off? Probably so.

“Then let’s have an affair.”

“What?” She screeched too loud and looked around to see if other people on the street had noticed. Several looked their way, and she cleared her throat, embarrassed. “You’re not serious.”

Damen ran a finger along her jawline, sending chills racing up and down her spine. “I’m very serious. When you left all those years ago, I wasn’t done with you. I wanted more of you, but you disappeared. Since we had agreed we were just having a little fun, I let you go. It was obvious your fun was over.”

She tried to think of a response. The best course was to agree, but the truth was that’s when her father had sent her away to have the baby. He had grudgingly footed the bill, but as soon as she could, Heaven had gotten onto her own two feet and had taken care of her and Gideon ever since.

“As you said,” Damen continued, “we’re different people now. We’ve had more experiences, and I’m curious to see how it will translate with the two of us in bed.”

Them in bed, Heaven thought, and her body came to life. Her panties were wet, no doubt about it, with just the suggestion of his hands touching her skin. Yet, Damen still loved his ex. She could see that, and she was fresh from leaving hers. Sure, she wasn’t stupid enough not to use protection this time, but meeting Damen wasn’t about her.

Not to mention, her body had changed. She maintained a small size by reason of the abuse. That wasn’t the case now, but she had had a baby. Her belly was covered in stretchmarks, her pussy probably not as tight as it had been at age twenty. Hell, nobody’s was even without a baby after so many years. Even so, the physical changes weren’t what scared her.

The fear came from this man, Damen. Would he be a tender lover as he had been then, or did that part change too, and he was rougher? More experience didn’t translate into being good or caring about the satisfaction of one’s partner. Damen came off as a man whose chief concern was getting his, and she had to wonder how many of the waitresses had been in his bed.

Heaven spun away and started walking again. “I don’t think so, Damen. You’re going to have to let this one get away. Creed said—”

She slapped a hand over her mouth. Damen frowned. “What did my brother say?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me, Heaven.”

She kept walking, but he grabbed her arm. She didn’t mean to cry out, and Damen’s eyes widened in shock when she raised her other hand to block a blow. Breaking free, she started to run, but Damen passed her in a couple long strides. He didn’t even have to break into a run. He obstructed her path, but he didn’t attempt to touch her again.

“Someone hurt you, Heaven.”

“No.”

“You’re lying again.” He didn’t sound angry this time, at least not at her. When she had a moment to calm down, she realized his grasp on her arm hadn’t even hurt, and he hadn’t been about to hit her. The reaction was automatic, and she kicked herself for letting him see it.

She raised her chin and looked him in the eyes. “Whatever happened in my life is my business. You said earlier you wouldn’t violate my privacy.”

He seemed disappointed, but he nodded. “I won’t.”

“Good. Please, let it go, okay? It’s in the past.”

“Promise me it
is
in the past, and I won’t bring it up again.”

She didn’t answer fast enough.

“Heaven!”

“It is.” Then she smiled, remembering their new start. “We…
I
am free, and no one is going to hurt me ever again.”

She thought of her dad and decided in that moment she wouldn’t see him either. Not that he ever touched her, but he knew how to hurt her feelings. She was cutting him off too, and with so many miles between them, it was easy. A new calm came over her.

Damen must have sensed it. “I’m glad. No wonder you were afraid of Guy. I’ll keep him out of sight from now on.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want you to feel safe while you’re at Marquette’s for as long as you’re there.”

His words confirmed what he thought she was doing, giving waitressing a try for the heck of it. Hell, if she was going to
try
something, it wouldn’t be standing on her damn feet all day. She’d let him believe that for the time being.

They started toward the restaurant again.

“Heaven, what did Creed say?”

She sighed. “You’re not going to drop it, are you?”

“I could ask him.”

“Fine. He said you’re not serious, and you won’t cross the line, so basically, don’t get any stupid ideas.”

Damen laughed. “And I make him wrong by asking you to be my lover.”

“You’re saying you haven’t slept with every waitress there?”

“Of course not. What do you think we’re running?”

“You like to flirt.”

“It’s just something to do. How about this, if you agree to be my lover, I won’t flirt with any other woman but you.”

She found herself panting. Stupid idiot shouldn’t say stuff like that. “That’s feeding right into Creed’s warning about getting ideas.”

“Hm.” He rubbed his jaw as if he considered it, but there was a twinkle in the fool’s eyes that she didn’t like. “I suppose so. You are a woman, a beautiful one, but still a woman.”

Heaven cut her eyes at him. “Thanks.”

“Can’t be helped,” he grumbled. “I want you, and I can’t turn it off. So, we can do it like last time. Any time you want to disappear, just go.”

She gaped at him. “Damen, are you serious?”

He blocked her path and leaned so close, his breath warmed her lips. “I’ll give you whatever you want, Heaven.”

Chapter Five

“Damen, what are you doing?”

“Fuck off, big bro.” Damen popped a grape into his mouth and leaned back in his chair. Light construction had begun in his new office, but for the time being, he shared space with Creed in his. Damen didn’t care because he never sat still for long. His duties kept him serving, seating, and schmoozing their guests. He didn’t mind that part of his job either, so long as he got time to go off on his own and disappear from the world.

“Damen!” Creed jerked his shirtfront and forced Damen forward. Damen ground his teeth and narrowed his eyes at his brother. Right away, Creed released him. Damen, more than his brothers, hated violence. Creed knew that and apologized. “Why are you going after her? You don’t usually do more than flirt with the waitresses. They know it, so I don’t bug you. This one is different. Is it because she’s black, because of Shada?”

Damen wrinkled his brow. “What does your woman have to do with anything?”

“Jealousy.”

Damen laughed. “No, you’ve got your own problems with that one.”

“The two of you never liked each other.”

“I don’t dislike her. She’s going to be my sister-in-law as soon as you convince her to stop running from you.”

His oldest brother grumbled in annoyance, but he didn’t deny the truth. Creed had taken to calling Shada his fiancée to everyone and within hearing distance of Shada. She’d said yes, but so far, she wouldn’t set a date. Talk about being backward. Men were notorious for skirting commitment. His brother was all for it, but Shada’s past kept her digging her heels in. Damen wondered who would win in the end, him or her.

“Good luck breaking down those walls, bro.”

“This isn’t about me,” Creed snapped.

“Hey, you’re the one that brought up Shada.” Damen was matter-of-fact with the conversation so far, but Heaven came to mind. He wanted her. Back in college, he’d enjoyed every time they had sex. Her body was incredible and her responses to his touch so sensual. Even while he had loved his ex-wife she had never responded to him the way Heaven had. Would it be the same, or worse? Maybe better.

Thinking of Heaven, his cock swelled in his pants, and he leaned forward to slide up to his desk. Good thing he was on break. He had to get control of this hard-on before he scared the old ladies that dined with them on an almost nightly basis.

“Damen, are you listening?”

“Yeah.” He hadn’t been.

“It’s becoming obvious that you can’t take your eyes off her. I’ve had complaints.”

That got Damen’s attention. “Who complained?”

Creed hesitated. Had Heaven gone to Creed? The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her. She’d said she wasn’t afraid of him, but she could have been lying. He had seen the way she reacted thinking he would hit her, and it had ignited a rage in him that probably rivaled Creed’s anger. There was also the instance when she first spotted Guy. She might have smooth chocolate skin, but she had gone pale and shook so hard he thought she would faint. Who had dared to make her that scared?

“Who?” Damen repeated. “Was it Heaven?”

Creed appeared surprised. “I doubt any woman you set your sights on will turn you down.”

“Heaven is different.”

“Oh, is it love?”

Damen scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Love doesn’t exist.”

“Just leave her alone, Damen. Let her do her job. She’s obviously been through something, or she wouldn’t be here.”

Damen considered telling Creed about their past together but dismissed it. He had a feeling it would make no difference one way or another. Heaven wasn’t working tonight, and he wished she was. At least her round ass and perfect breasts gave him something to look at. Despite what his brother told him, he knew he wasn’t being obvious about staring at Heaven. The only way anyone would know was if they were staring an inordinate amount at him. Tiff came to mind, and he sighed. He shouldn’t have flirted so much with her after Marisa, his brief lover and Shada’s sister, had passed away.

Damen pushed fingers through his hair and shut his eyes. He ran through the mental exercise he’d given to Heaven but with a few modifications. After some time, his hard-on eased, and he rearranged his cock.

Music started up in the main dining room, and he knew it was Stefan playing rather than the man they had hired to entertain at night. His youngest brother couldn’t get enough of music, and in truth, neither could he. Music soothed the savage beast—Creed—and it helped Damen’s temperament too. He chuckled to himself at his silent joke at his brother’s expense.

He pushed back his chair and stood. “I’m going out there and joining him.”

“You’re singing tonight?” Creed asked.

Damen grinned. “Relax. We won’t rope you into anything.”

“As if you could.”

“All it takes is a bug in Shada’s ear.” Damen let out a bark of laughter at the anger in Creed’s eyes. He loved ribbing Creed. “Creed, you’re easy.”

“Shut the hell up, and get out so I can get some work done.”

Damen hummed the tune his brother played as he left the office. When he pushed through the kitchen door into the dining room, he spied the kid that had come by not long ago. He had disappeared, but now he stood against a wall, eyes wide, pulling ear buds from his ears. Damen followed his line of sight and found him staring at Stefan as his fingers danced over the piano keys.

“Another music lover,” he said and shook his head as he weaved through the tables toward the boy. “Ah, I see you’re back. Couldn’t stay away?”

The boy looked up at him with wide, brown eyes, desperate eyes, Damen thought. He had a flashback to his and his brothers’ early days when they were teens. So many days were spent hungry, so many with the same worn clothing and sometimes bills unpaid so the electricity was out.

At least the boy had ditched the ratty jacket. He didn’t wear one tonight, but that might have something to do with the heat. Damen didn’t want to jump to conclusions about this kid or every kid he came across for that matter. He and Stefan had discussed with Creed about starting a foundation for kids that were in the same boat they had been in all those years ago. Maybe with the project on his mind, he was projecting need onto this boy. Well, either way, he wouldn’t turn him away no matter what.

“I’m not hungry,” the boy said, and Damen chuckled.

“Okay.”

“But…” The boy shuffled from one foot to the other and ducked his head. “Can I stay?”

Damen scoured his memory for the boy’s name. What was it again? While he thought, the boy seemed to assume his answer was no and turned to go. Damen called out after him. “Gideon.”

Sunshine seemed to break out on the small face. His eyebrows rose. “You remembered my name!”

“Of course. We’re friends now, right? Come on. Why don’t you move closer?” Damen pointed. “I happen to know there’s a spot right there beside the piano that’s available.”

Gideon gasped. “No way. I’d get in trouble.”

“With who?” Damen wrapped an arm about the thin shoulders and drew Gideon to his side. “You forgot I’m one of the bosses.”

When Damen had Gideon settled, he strode over to Stefan, and they nodded to each other. Damen bent to remove his guitar from the case and plugged it into the amp. He set a few of the dials and tested the strings to get the sound where he wanted. A quick run over the scale, and he shut his eyes a moment to feel the music. So satisfying.

Damen didn’t have a desire to go pro. He never did, and he knew his skill was mediocre at best, but playing with Stefan just gave him that extra thing he needed. Just like getting lost in a good book fed his soul, so did music and rock climbing. Creed got onto him sometimes about changing himself to meet what he thought a woman would want. He had said Damen ran after Stefan to appear to be the impulsive, fun type of man. Maybe that was true in the beginning, and in some respects it might still be true. He knew he had unresolved issues. Regardless, he had freed his soul too, allowed himself to be anything, and he wouldn’t change back for Creed or any woman.

Stefan gave the signal, and Damen stirred from his reverie. He and his brother sang, harmonizing with ease. Damen glanced over at Gideon to find the boy staring at him this time. He winked, and the kid blushed. Damen chuckled. Cute kid. He’d better not find out someone was neglecting him.

For a straight hour, Damen and Stefan played, and Damen met the gazes of several women dining tonight that met his interest. Normally, he would choose one and meet her later for drinks, except he was holding out that Heaven changed her mind. Perhaps he needed to step up his seduction. Yeah, that’s exactly what he would do later.

When the performance ended, Damen crouched to lock his guitar away. Before he could shut the case, a pair of sneakers appeared beside him, and a small, hesitant voice asked, “Can I touch it? I promise, I won’t break it.”

Damen glanced up at Gideon and then to his brother. “Hey, Stefan, why don’t you distract the ladies for me for a while.”

“Sure.” Stefan rubbed his hands together as if ready to feast, but Damen knew he was joking. He assumed his youngest brother had lovers, but he had never seen any, nor did Stefan ever favor any of their younger guests.

Damen shook his head at the man and pulled the guitar out of the case. “Slide that chair over here, Gideon.”

The boy complied, and when he was seated, Damen placed the guitar in his arms. Gideon’s eyes bugged. “Are you sure?”

“Why not? It’s just an instrument. If you damage it, it can be repaired. Besides, it’s not that delicate. Go for it.”

Gideon’s chin dropped to his chest as he maneuvered long, slim fingers. Well, he had the hands for it if nothing else. Damen winced at the discordant sound and moved behind the boy. He leaned over the small frame and placed his hands over Gideon’s. Gently, he began to show him, sliding the boy’s fingers up and down the strings, placing pressure when needed. He marveled at the fact that Gideon completely gave into him and let him lead him. The music, although still not perfect, flowed enough for both of them to enjoy. Damen leaned to the side a little more so he could see Gideon’s face. The boy had shut his eyes, mouth agape.

“You really love music, huh?” Damen asked.

Gideon snapped out of it and jumped to his feet. He shoved the guitar at Damen. “I guess.”

“You want to be a musician when you grow up?” Damen knew some kids dreamed of it. For a while, Stefan was determined to follow that path. Creed and Damen never tried to talk him out of it, but they had hoped he would let it go. Their dad had been a musician by trade, a poor one, because he drank up any profits and ruined opportunities by getting into fights while drunk. Damen was glad his daughter Nita hadn’t inherited their love of music, at least not so far, and if he had his way, she never would.

“I don’t know,” Gideon said. “I just like it a lot. I never thought about playing any instruments.”

Damen wondered if had he inadvertently introduced the kid to new ideas in that direction? “Well, you’re only what, nine?” He guessed low on purpose to see the kid’s reaction.

Gideon frowned and clenched his hands into fists. “I’m eleven!”

Damen chuckled. “My mistake. I apologize.”

“Sorry.” Gideon ducked his head and shuffled his feet. “I’m kind of short for my age. Everybody in my class is always taller.”

“Hm, most likely your growth spurt hasn’t happened yet.”

Gideon rolled his eyes. “That’s what my mom keeps telling me. I think it’s just what grown-ups tell short kids to make them feel better.”

Damen laughed. “Okay, how about some science?”

“Huh?”

“How tall is your mom?”

Gideon told him, and Damen nodded.

“Okay, how about your dad?”

The boy hesitated, and Damen kicked himself. Maybe he didn’t know or had never met the man. Then Gideon got a funny look on his face. “Your height.”

“Great. I’m six feet. So, the formula goes like this—to predict a boy’s height you add five inches to his mother’s height and add that to his father’s height. The total is then divided by two. Can you come up with the number?”

“I’m uh…do you have any paper?” Gideon said.

Damen didn’t know if Gideon was too nervous to calculate in his head or unsure of the formula. He ran down the figures as he counted them in his head. “So basically, we can predict that you’ll be about six feet tall when you grow up. There’s no guarantee of course. It could go up or down by a couple inches, but you’ll probably be close to that. What do you think? Sound good?”

Gideon’s mouth fell open. “You didn’t make that up, did you?”

Damen grinned. “No. I collect a lot of useless facts up here.” He tapped the side of his head. “But in your case, it came in handy.”

“I always have a hard time in school. I can barely pass my classes, and my mom has to put me in tutoring every year. I hate it. I hate being stupid. I wish I was smart like you.”

“Easy, partner.” Damen squeezed his shoulder. “You’re not dumb.”

“Tell that to my grades.”

Damen scratched his head. He had zero idea how to make Gideon feel better about himself or how to encourage him. The height thing came easy because he had studied up on it for no other reason than it was something to do. That was a hobby of his, right up there with getting a Ph.D. in Forensics for the hell of it.