Page 58 of Bound By Longing

“You didn’t have to keep me company.”

I gasp and sit up, staring into Damien's awake—and alive—face. “You’re ok.”

“I feel like a cement truck ran me over, but otherwise, I’m good.”

My hand is still holding his, and I quickly let it go. His lips quirk into a smile. “You’re alive,” I say.

“I’m alive. You saved me, Mila.” He sounds in awe of that fact.

“I guess I did. Where do we go from here?”

“We form an alliance,” Mikhail says from the doorway.

Damien stares at Mikhail for a beat before smiling. “Are you sure about that?”

“It’s the only course of action we can take now. You better not fuck it up, Damien.”

Damien retakes my hand in his and smirks. I can’t help it—I blush. “I can’t make any promises. But I’ll try not to fuck up. Not when I have Mila to think about.”

My heart flutters at his words. Damien cares for me. He’s shown that through his actions.

But there’s still one question floating in my mind—can he ever truly commit to me?

Will he ever marry me?

Chapter

Fifteen

MILA

Damien spends the next week getting better, and during that time, I remain at Mikhail’s house, unable to see him because we don’t want to risk Lev or Dimitri finding me again, especially with Damien in such a bad state.

So, I spend my days pacing around, waiting for him to get better. My mind can’t focus on anything else. He’s consumed me in more ways than one. The way Damien used his mouth on me still lives in my head every waking moment. A part of me wants to give him my virginity, but I want to wait for marriage.

The guilt of having sex out of wedlock would kill me. I can only think about my father and how he thought of me as an angel. He would be so disappointed in me if I didn’t wait.

But Damien is testing me.

Finally, I can’t take it anymore and have to see him.

“No,” Mikhail says when I try to leave. “Damien is healing. He can’t protect you if Dimitri tries anything again.”

“But you made a truce with him. Isn’t that saying something?”

“I did. But that still doesn’t negate the fact that Damien is still bedridden.”

“Can’t you send a guard with me?”

Mikhail hesitates, and that’s my win.

“Please,” I say. “Send a guard with me. I just need to see Damien for a little while.”

Finally, Mikhail sighs. “Fine. But be careful, Mila.”

And with that, I’m on my way to Damien’s house with a guard in tow. I’m so eager to see Damien again that when I get to his house and knock on the door, I’m practically vibrating.

Collette answers and leads me inside. “Damien is in his room.”

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