Chapter 5

Lisa's POV

Damien turns around, and away from the wide window to glance at the door and whoever must have entered, clutching a half filled bottle of water with one hand, the other hand at his hip, and his eyes grow twice their size as his gaze alights on me. The tawny skin of his bare torso is bathed in sunlight, lighting up his concave abs, his big biceps. I saw Glenn shirtless a while ago downstairs, but he didn't inspire any lurch in my chest like Damien just did. His blond hair is wet and slicked back from his face, probably damp from shower.

I have no idea for how long we've been standing this way, staring at each other. But when I open my mouth, an impulsive scream erupts from the pit of my stomach.

"Aaaah…!"

"What is that?" I hear Selena ask from the stairs.

"Did you see a bogeyman?" That must be Glenn. Already thuds are sounding on the stairs. Someone is coming here.

Damien notices, and quickly flies across the room to me and clamps his palm over my mouth, dropping the bottle of water in the process. We both watch the contents of the bottle spill all over the pale marble floor.

"Shhh. Don't scream. Or people will misunderstand."

As if being caught in this room together with a half naked man isn't enough misunderstanding already. And he's so close. So close I can smell the musky notes of his shower gel… soap… whatever. His hand is warm against my face, and I shiver at the contact. The last time we were this close, I'd kissed him. I can feel my face burn at the memory.

I tear his hand away from my mouth. Why did he have to show up here? Of all places? "What are you doing here?"

Damien pulls me inside and reaches behind me to close the door, then takes one step backwards, adjusting the white towel around his hips. "I should be asking you the same thing."

Someone pounds on the door.

"Are you alright in there?" Selena asks.

"Well… yes! Yes! Absolutely! You don't have any to worry about." I hope my high-pitched voice doesn't sound too fake.

"Okay. You can come downstairs for some food when you're done." She begins to shuffle away.

"Sure!" I stare at Damien. He raises a fair, quizzical brow.

"You…"

I am immediately aware of his unanswered question. "Well…" I wave my free hand around. "I happened to be here because Selena invited me over for a pre-wedding vacation, and I just found you in my room. Naked. Well, except for a towel…" Realization dawns on me. "She invited you too?"

"Whoa…" He stalks to the window overlooking the vast stretch of Palm Paradise sky and spins round, coming back to me. "First, to set the record straight, this is my room. You just happened to walk in right after I just took a shower. And… yes. I was invited too. By Wade."

The entire room tilts to one side, and falls back into place with a bone-shattering jolt. "Really?"

"Yes. You mentioned a wedding?"

"Yeah." Willow squirms in my arms, and I walk over to the bed and lower her into it. My arms are beginning to hurt too. And I really should sit down, before my legs give way under me. "You don't mind, right?"

"Totally. I don't mind."

I sink into bed beside her. "My aunt Selena. She's getting married, and I was invited to her wedding." I try not to get distracted by his deliciously ripped torso.

"Your aunt? Wait a whole damn minute. Selena's your aunt?"

I shift in the white cotton sheets of the mattress, confused at the reaction. It's almost like he knows her. "Umm… yeah?"

"Wow." Damien settles down beside me, so I'm seated between him and Willow. She's uncharacteristically quiet too, and is studying Damien curiously. I surely didn't see any of that coming. That, and the awareness his proximity just stirred in my body. My heart is beating a little too quickly, and I'm…aroused down there. "You never told me about her. My friend Wade's getting married here too. In a couple of days. To a woman named Selena."

"Really?" My eyes widen. "My Selena? With the red hair?"

"Yeah. And I'm going to be my old friend's groomsman. You know, we were teammates in the lacrosse club back at high school. Selena's really your aunt?"

I am reminded why I don't bring her up often in conversations. "She's half a dozen years older. Probably half a dozen times hotter too." I intended the last part as a joke. Maybe a joke I took too personal myself. I was just beautiful. I know because my bathroom mirror tells me all the time each day. And right since I was old enough to brush my own teeth myself, I had boys, men even, tripping and falling over themselves to be with me. But that, sadly, was all.

"You're gorgeous, yes. Too gorgeous," Keith told me one evening, after we had just come back from a charity event his law firm hosted, his hand pressed tightly around my neck. "What else? Nothing." He spat. "Not even hot. Or sexy. All you have today, is because of your stupid pretty face. You've never worked hard for anything. And one day, all these will be gone, like poof, along with that beauty of yours. The moron that stared at you all evening knows this too."

Damien considers me with a slight tilt to his lips. "Nah, I don't think so."

"What?"

"I was saying you're so fucking hot."

Damien's POV

What a surprise. By a strange twist of fortune, Lisa is here. Right here, in my room. After I'd just had a shower, and imagined how titillating it would be to have her with me under the spray of water. Naked. And pressed against me, skin to skin.

It's not exactly easy pining after your brother's wife. Even if you met her first. Even if you loved her first. It doesn't get simpler even when you find her at your front porch on a rainy night, after she put four miles behind her because she could not think of anyone else to run to. When you both share your first kiss on a couch in your living room, before your brother frantically pounds on the door, demanding to take her back home. Then he died, and my brother's wife alienated me for a whole year. I respected her decision, kept my distance. Loved her from afar. But she kissed me again, and I can't get over that kiss. Or her. I don't care if I'm being too forward right now. That is the opening I need. I do mean what I said though. She's fucking hot. When she waltzed into my room earlier, and I saw her in that almost sheer baby blue dress that hit mid-thigh, it took all of my willpower to stop myself from ripping that fluttery fabric off her body.

I watch her go from confused to ten different shades of blush pink. "Where'd that come from?"

"Just stating an… observation."

Those lush pink lips fall open. Her sapphire eyes, striking against her pale skin, are like huge jewels on her face. She is even more beautiful now than before. More angelic. My gaze drifts downwards to her chest, to the small, perfect breasts I'm sure would fit right in my palms, to the cleavage just beyond the low cut neckline of her top. My dick twitches.

God I need to, but can't stay away from her.

She is also checking me out, her gaze lingering on my bare chest, and skittering to my abs before she realizes I'm watching, and quickly draws her eyes to my forehead, trying hard not to blush despite the pinkness that is starting to dust her alabaster cheeks. She's so stubborn. And cute while she's at it. I smirk my pleasure.

"Well…" Lisa runs the tip of her tongue along her lower lip, instantly turning me on. If only I can have that tongue in my mouth right now. "Thanks I guess…" She slips a chunk of her chestnut hair behind one ear, and stares at me with hypnotic doe eyes. This is the moment when I shift towards her, my knee pressed to the side of her thigh, skin against skin, a pleasure feeling rippling down my body as Lisa shivers at the contact. Slowly, I'd wrap my fingers around her upper arm, and clasp my other hand around her neck as she inclines towards me, lips inviting, cheeks flushed. I'd leave her arm and shove my hand into her hair, tilting her head backwards, my mouth nearly covering hers. But Willow chose that moment to cry. And Lisa lays a hand flat on my chest and pushes me away.

"I'm so sorry, baby. Mommy's here," Lisa coos, taking Willow into her arms. Fuck, I even forgot she was here. A twinge of annoyance bites at my chest.

"We should get going," Lisa announces as she stands up from the bed, glancing around for her dark red suitcase. "I don't know how I got comfortable here but Willow and I need our own room. I'll check for… other empty rooms."

I nearly ask her to stay here and room with me. But… "Okay. I understand," I say, gathering myself. My body still aches for her, but I should tuck my libido away, and hope for a next time. "Let me come with you. Give me a moment to throw something on."

"Thank you Damien, but no. I've got this." With Willow on one arm, and the other lugging her suitcase along, she heads for the door. And stops only to fluff out her hair and smooth down her clothes.

"I can at least help with the bags…" Without glancing back at me, she steps outside and shuts the door firmly behind her.

Headstrong much? I chuckle. But that's one of her qualities that make her so endearing. I sigh, and walk over to my closet. They say there'll be a party on the beach in a few hours. I hope to see Lisa there.