Page 9 of Rekindling Desire

Gabriella

A laugh bubbled from my throat as I looked around the small bathroom, my body still quaking from my orgasm. “This isn’t exactly how I imagined my wedding day or its consummation.”

“I meant what I said. In five months, I’ll give you the wedding you deserve.”

A million thoughts cascaded through my mind, settling on the most important. I’d married Damien. Two weeks ago, I would have called him the devil. Now, we share a last name.

Swallowing, I felt the return of the heaviness in my chest. “I feel bad about the people who didn’t share our day. Your dad…” I shook my head. “My parents, Charlotte, Hunter, and Kensie.” My sister Charlotte. Her husband, Hunter, and their daughter, Kensie. “Niles and Jeremy.” More names came to mind.

Damien reached for my cheek. “In December, we will invite everyone you want.”

A legal ceremony.

That’s what we’d done.

A real ceremony in the future.

My mom would be upset, but then again, she always liked Damien.

Inclining my cheek toward his touch, I sighed, looking into the calming waters of his eyes. “I want Derek in attendance.”

Damien’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Me too.”

“Maybe we could keep our marriage to ourselves.”

“The board will need to know, to see proof.”

“We can swear them to secrecy—have them sign an NDA. That could give us five months.” I sighed. “If this doesn’t work, I don’t want the world to know I’m divorced.”

“You won’t be,” he said with steely determination.

“We could give my mom the illusion of planning my wedding.”

“To a man she probably hates.”

I shook my head. “I told my family the truth. I left you.” That made me think of Damien’s parents. “Oh God. Do Marsha and Derek hate me?”

“No. Like I said before, they always liked you, and fuck, you heard Dani. I think they’d take you over me.”

“What about Amber?” The question left a sour taste in my mouth.

His countenance immediately turned. “Amber is a conniving bitch. My parents know that…if you didn’t catch Mom’s venomous stares out there.”

“I was preoccupied with the absurdity that she and Darius married.”

“So are we.” Damien said.

“Can we keep it quiet?”

Damien nodded. “We can try.”

Lifting myself to my tiptoes, I kissed his cheek. “I’m not sorry.” I scanned Damien from his hair to his loafers. Despite his messy dark-golden mane, he looked as handsome and put-together as always. Me on the other hand…

Turning on the water, I covered my palms with soap and washed my hands. The bathroom didn’t appear dirty, but it was a hospital. As I dried them, I looked into the mirror, ran my fingers through my hair, and scanned over my clothes. “Do I look freshly fucked?”

Behind me, Damien grinned.

“Do I?” I asked again.

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