Trust Me (26 page)

“Yes. Oh.” He scrubs his hand down his face. “I don’t know why they’re here. I’ll deal with it.”

He starts to get out of the car when I grab his hand. “We’ll deal with it. Together.”

He looks torn.

“They can’t say anything that will change how I feel about you. Plus, it might help for them to see that we’re a united front.”

Since Vegas, Cassandra has continued to try and get in touch with Damien. So many times, I have wanted to send her a dictionary with the words
stalker
,
liar
,
infidelity
,
loyalty
,
bitch
, and
irritant
highlighted.

Damien nods before extricating himself from the car. He comes to the passenger side and helps me out. Jon and Cassandra exit their car, and we meet them near the front door. Damien and his father look alike with their similar builds and same hair color. The most notable exception is the color of his dad’s eyes. They are a pale green versus Damien’s enigmatic blue. His mother must be the one with the blue eyes.

Damien is holding me possessively by his side. “Father, Cassandra, this is Allison.”

Jon looks at me. “Allison.”

I smile at him. I’m about to say something when he glares at Damien with obvious dislike for me in his eyes.

“We’d like to talk to you alone,” Jon says.

Talk about an awkward encounter with the parent and the ex-girlfriend.

“Allison and I are together, Father. I suggest everyone understands that.”

Damien’s tone shocks me. Speaking to my father that way would have never happened. Then again, my parents wouldn’t have ever dreamed of doing something like this.

At that, Cassandra musters up some excellent tears as she leans into Jon for support. I want to yell the word
traitor
to his dad, but I refrain. The more pressing need is to slap some sense into both of them.

Jon responds, “Damien, it’s time to get out of this phase you’re in. We just want what’s best for you. You can’t keep running from all the pain. At some point, you are going to have to face all your mistakes.”

Cassandra pats his dad’s shoulder as she looks at Damien sadly. “I forgive you. Come home to me. She’s trying to trap you.”

The situation is getting out of control, and I can feel Damien tense, preparing for a strike.
Oh shit.

Damien steps in front of me. “I will not tolerate either one of you disrespecting Alli or my relationship with her. She is the most important thing in my life. I suggest you both back the fuck off.” He turns abruptly and wraps an arm around me before he starts walking us to the door.

Cassandra calls after Damien, “How can you say that about a gold-digging whore who is probably trying to get pregnant and trap you? She wants your money, sweetie.”

That’s it!
That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Before Damien even has a chance to respond, I spin around. In a scary tone I didn’t even know I had, I say, “You might have everyone fooled with this little charade, but you’re not fooling me. I’m not the one who screwed up by sleeping with his best friend.” Turning to his dad, I keep going. “I cannot believe you buy into these lies. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

With that, I turn and walk inside the house without looking back.

The thought of Cassandra and her lies just makes my blood boil. I have yet to meet Damien’s mom, Meredith, and honestly, I’m not looking forward to when that time comes.

Flipping through the last few pages, I smile at the photos of Damien and me at his house. I used the timer function on my camera to capture these moments of us together. In one, he’s spinning me around in front of the stables in his backyard. The next one was taken after a picnic. We’re lying on the grass beside each other, looking up at the sky. Finally, I stop at the last picture of us. We’re kissing while snuggled up for movie night in the den.

I close the album and store it at the bottom of my bag, so Damien doesn’t accidentally see it.
I hope he likes my present.
I head back to my closet to look for my teal button-up cowgirl shirt.
Ugh.
I’ve come to realize that the thing I hate the most about living in two spots is that my stuff goes missing in the transition. There’s no telling where I put it or misplaced it.

After zipping up my suitcase, I check the thermostat and turn it down a few more degrees. In the last days of August, the heat in Georgia has been brutal. Last week, Sam started back to school, and she has been thriving on all the social events that come with a sorority. I don’t miss school at all though. It’s actually a relief that I have started my career. Being a photographer is what I am meant to do.

When my phone pings, I see a text from Sam.

Sam: Hey, girl. Are you still going to Texas this weekend?

Me: Yes, I can’t wait. What’s up?

Sam: Having a party next weekend and want you to come. ’80s theme. Please say yes! You haven’t come to one yet.

Me: I’ll be there. I promise.

Sam: Great. Tell Mr. Worrywart that it’ll be fine. Have fun. xoxo

Me: You, too. xoxo

Oh, Damien is not going to be pleased.
His party-thwarting days are coming to an end. Sam has been patient with him since he’s always sweeping me away every time something comes up, but I know she’s about to put her foot down, and Sam’s way is much more abrupt than mine. Sometimes, she and Damien are so alike that it’s scary.

When I hear keys jingling at the door, I cannot help but run through my small apartment to wait for who will greet me from the other side.

Damien and I exchanged keys right when he began persistently pushing me to move in with him. It seemed to placate him since it further tied us together. Although I wouldn’t need his keys to get into his place since he has staff at his house at all times, he seems to like the thought that I could get in if the Wales compound were ever in complete lockdown. He’s adorable on so many levels.

As soon as he clears the doorway, I throw myself into his arms.

He kisses my neck sweetly. “Hey, baby. Sorry I’m late. Guess you’re glad to see me?” He spins me around while giving me a good and proper kiss hello.

As he sets me down, I breathlessly say, “Of course I am. I’m even more excited about where you are taking me this weekend. And you’re forgiven for being late.”

He smells divine, and with his denim-clad thighs and button-down shirt, he looks like he just walked off a magazine shoot.
How can someone always be this incredibly sexy?
He brings his mouth down again for another kiss. I feel so loved and cherished by him.

“Are you almost ready? I have your favorite plane fueled and ready whenever you are.”

Yes. Oh yes.
I jump up and down like a little schoolgirl. This trip just keeps getting better. Since Vegas, we have taken the plane with the bed every time we fly somewhere for a getaway. It really is a classy way to travel. Being wrapped in my lover’s arms makes the time fly by, no pun intended.

“Let me grab a few more things, and then I’ll be ready to go. Texas, here we come.”

“Hurry, and we’ll be on our way.”

I cannot help the bounce in my step as I make my way back to the bedroom. I can hear Damien chuckling from the other room.

He’s taking me to the ranch he inherited from his grandparents when they died.

As I return with my suitcase, I tell him, “I can’t believe I get a whole two days with you to myself out in the country. What’s not to be ecstatic about? Plus, think of the trouble we can get into.”

I give him a big kiss on the cheek as he smacks my ass, and we make our way out the door.

It’s the middle of the day when Damien and I emerge from his bedroom. Like everything else Damien owns, this home is absolutely stunning.

While Damien is taking a quick phone call in the office, I grab his gift from the bedroom and then decide to look around the house. It’s fashioned after a log cabin. Both the inside and outside décor are done in a manly rustic theme. The backside of the house has floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the large wooden deck and prairie. It reminds me of those log towns I used to build as a child.

Walking outside, I lay his present on the chair seat and then make my way to the deck railing, gazing out to the prairie. The stables and barn are done in complementary woods to match the main house. As the wind sways the dry grass in the distance, the scent of wildflowers permeates my nose.
I could live here forever and be completely content.
I decide that I’ll take some photographs for my collection before we leave.

While I’m standing on the back porch, lost in my thoughts, I feel two arms come around my waist.

“Do you like it here?” Damien nuzzles my neck with his nose.

Absorbed in the ambiance, I lay my head back against his chest. “Of course I do. You have such a lovely home. It’s like a dream.”

“I was hoping you would like it. I came here a lot as a child when my parents didn’t need me to climb the social ladder. It’s always felt like home to me.”

My heart melts a little as I listen to him. He misses his grandparents like I miss my parents.

He continues, “It could be your home, too, if you would move in with me.”

He makes it sound so romantic, but I must stay the course on my decision.

“Oh, Damien, we’ve talked about this. It’s just too soon.”

Momentarily, he pauses at my words. I try to make my voice soft and understanding, so he doesn’t get offended, but my voice goes up a few notches when he runs his nose along my jaw.
Gah, he’s going straight to playing dirty to try and persuade me to move in with him.
He resumes his assault as he begins sucking on my neck. Goose bumps form in his wake.

“Yes, but I don’t like the answer I’ve been getting. I’ve been asking for two months, and you have yet to say yes. I want you to move in with me, Alli. It’s time.”

“We’ve been through this. I want to keep my place for now. I will continue to think about it. As my dad would say, I’m taking it under advisement. Plus, I already stay with you every night you’re in town.” My thoughts are starting to become less coherent as he keeps touching me.

He makes it to my earlobe and gently bites down. He whispers, “That’s not an answer, and you know it.” He continues kissing my neck. “I love you, Alli. What’s causing your reservation? Do you think I am not serious about us?”

He raises his head and turns me to face him. His blue eyes are drilling into me, trying to penetrate my thoughts. How am I going to answer this? Geez, now would be a good time for some type of interruption. Why is it when I want privacy, we are constantly interrupted? And now, no one is around. Good grief! We maintain our connection as we look into each other’s eyes.

He asks, “Do you need more of a commitment from me?”

“Damien, I know you’re committed. I just need to be ready.” Honestly though, I do feel like it’s putting the cart before the horse. I don’t want to officially live with anyone until I am married, but telling him that seems like I am pushing for a proposal.

“What are your thoughts on marriage?”

Oh shit, he’s narrowing in. He’s like a bloodhound, searching for why I keep saying no to moving in with him. Why has he decided today of all days to be so intuitive?

A general response—that’s what I need. Think…think…think. Okay, I’ll go with what I know.
“My parents had a wonderful marriage. I think it’s a beautiful thing between the right people.”

Our eyes are still locked in a trance.
This conversation took a huge left into very serious territory.

“Would you like to see more of the grounds?” he asks.

Whoa! Now, we’ve just taken a severe right.
It reminds me of riding in the car with my dad when I was a kid. He would be driving along, and all of a sudden, he would start moving the steering wheel back and forth as he said,
Captain, captain, she’s out of control
. I could not stop giggling at the jarring motion. But this type of swerving right now is causing me to be carsick.

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. “That sounds great, but I have a gift for you first.” I go to the table, grab the box off the chair, and hand it over to him. A wave of excitement rushes through me.

He gives me a curious glance before he tears open the box like a kid on Christmas morning. Immediately, he sits down and starts looking through the album, staring at the photos and reading the notes. He doesn’t say a word, but the happiness on his face tells me I have made, using his world’s terminology, a touchdown.

He stands, swiftly walks to me, and brings me into him. “I love it. I love you. Thank you. It’s the best gift I’ve ever received.”

“You’re welcome. I love you, too. Each time you flip through that, you can see how much I’m head over heels for you.”

He slowly leans down, and our lips meet. His tongue swipes for entry, which is immediately granted.

I’m about to try and deepen the kiss when he pulls away.

“Do you want to go horseback riding with me and see more of the ranch?”