Page 179 of My Ruthless Husband

He’s here for business, yet he hasn’t left my side once. And I love him for it, love the way he’s immersing himself in this moment, just for me.

His gaze meets mine, and my breath catches.

“Like this?” he murmurs, his hands moving in perfect sync with mine.

“Mm-hmm,” I manage, and the faintest smile tugs at his lips, his eyes slipping down to my mouth.

Suddenly, he leans in, brushing his lips against the corner of my mouth. “This is surprisingly enjoyable.”

I flush, torn between wanting to scold him and the thrill dancing through me. “Damian!”

“What? I’m following your lead,” he replies, his voice a low hum that vibrates against me. I’m berating him for not focusing, yet I can’t look away from his arms. His sweater sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showing off the thick veins running along his forearms. My eyes slide to his hands. Those big, warm, calloused hands. I bite my lip as I remember what those hands did to me last night.

Just when I’m reprimanding myself internally for lusting over his hands, he leans in again and presses his lips against my cheek in a quick, tender kiss.

“Hey!” I sputter, flushing. But he simply chuckles, peppering my cheek, jaw and temple with more kisses. I turn, ready to scold him, but his carefree grin freezes me in place.

I forget to breathe, and for a second, I think my heart stopped. Then suddenly, it starts beating fast.

The man I’ve loved so fiercely, so desperately, is finally letting me see him like this—happy, unguarded, and completely real.

My chest hurts the longer I stare at him.

I could spend forever watching him like this, and it still wouldn’t be enough. I’d give everything I have, every piece of myself, just to see him smile like that for a second longer.

Suddenly brimming with love, I lean forward and kiss his jaw. That fast, Damian’s grin fades, his eyes darkening. I press another kiss, this time at the corner of his mouth. Then his cheekbone. Then over his jaw again.

I clear my throat, my cheeks hot. “We should… probably get back to…”

“How about one more kiss before we get back to pottery?”

I bite my lip, seriously tempted.

“Just one little kiss, angel.”

“Just one,” I whisper.

“Just one,” he agrees, leaning down. His lips brush against mine, tentative at first, as if testing the waters. But the moment they touch, the world around us fades away.

His kiss deepens, and I lose myself in the moment. My smeared fingers curl around his sweater, pulling him closer. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me against him.

That’s how we end up christening the studio.

The clay, the wheel, the room—all forgotten as we get lost in our own little world. The clay smears across our clothes and bodies, marking us, painting us. But we don’t care. We’re tangled together, surrendering to the fiery passion.

True to his word, he spends the entire day with me. After making love on the floor, we eventually return to the wheel, resuming his lesson, our laughter filling the room.

At some point, it dawns on me that I can’t remember the last time I felt this light, this…whole.

Being here, with him, feels like a memory I’ve been waiting to relive.

For the first time in what feels like forever, I look at the man I love, and it doesn’t hurt.

Chapter Forty-Five

Istare at him through my sunglasses as he drives the convertible with the top down, his black hair ruffling in the breeze and glinting in the sunlight.

He’s focused on the road, his sunglasses hiding those intense eyes. He’s wearing the blue shirt I picked out, a rare change from his usual black. He looks… softer. Stunning. Like something out of a dream. And so gorgeous like a movie star. I could stare at him forever and still not get enough.

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