Page 90 of My Ruthless Husband

“What?”

“You need to eat. And I need to see you.”

I let out a soft breath. “You do?”

“Yes.”

This can’t be real. Can someone be this happy like I am right now? I glance around to check if someone is watching me right now. No one is. If they were, I bet they would’ve seen me glowing.

It’s more than happiness; it’s a profound sense of being truly valued.

It feels like all the years I went without love is worth it because this feeling? This tingle in my chest that Damian had awaken is worth everything.

The loneliness I used to carry feels a little less heavy, replaced by the comforting presence of his affection.

“River?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you busy? Can you make time for lunch?”

I stare at the papers scattered all over the table and my laptop. “No. I’m not busy.” Never for him anyway. “I’m actually starving.” Starving to see you. To spend time with you. To talk to you and feast on your rare smiles.

“All right. I’ll see you in twenty.”

“Can’t wait.” I let out another dreamy sigh, and in response, I hear him huff—a sound that carries a hint of laughter before the line goes dead.

I quickly clear the table and wait for him like a lovesick girl with a smile so big people give me side eyes. Because I am alone and smiling. So yeah, I admit that’s kinda creepy. But can you blame me? I get to see my busy boyfriend for an impromptu lunch!

My boyfriend.

My first ever boyfriend.

It really hits me then that I have a boyfriend now. But calling Damian Montgomery a “boyfriend” feels ridiculous. That word doesn’t come close to capturing who he is. Damian is the kind of man who turns heads without trying, whose presence alone makes people straighten their backs. “Boyfriend” is far too small, too casual for someone like him.

But still, no matter how juvenile that word is, I get to call him my boyfriend.

Mine.

The thought makes me so happy, so giddy to the point that I feel like I’m going to explode. I really wish I wasn’t hiding my relationship from Dad. But I am finding this secrecy thrilling.

I’m not yet ready to tell anyone. Not that I have close friends to do that. This is like having a whole new world made just for me. Where Damian is all mine and I don’t have to share him with anyone.

I smoothen my hand over my navy blue pleated plaid mini skirt and the soft fabric of my pale-yellow top, trying to ease the butterflies in my stomach.

For good measure, I check my reflection in the small mirror from my black Louis Vuitton leather backpack, noting how my green eyes reflect a mix of excitement and nervousness. My glossy curls tied in a ponytail are still behaving. Good.

I’m just putting the mirror back when I feel a shift in the air. I don’t need to look up; I just know it’s him. Damian. And when he steps through that door, the entire vibe in the room changes.

He’s dressed to the nines in that black sleek suit of his as always, effortlessly commanding attention. The redhead barista steals a quick glance, the couple by the window pause mid-sentence, and even the background hum of the coffee grinder seems to lower its volume in reverence.

But he has eyes only for me. I rise to my trembling feet when he reaches me. He doesn’t stop until he is in my personal space.He pulls me against his hard body with an arm around my waist. “You look beautiful,” Damian says and leans down as if to kiss me but at the last second tilts his head to press his lips on my cheek before pulling away.

“Ready?” He asks and I nod then reach for my backpack. But Damian beats me to it and carries it for me. Then with a hand on my lower back, he ushers me out.

We are both silent until we are seated in the close confines of the back seat of his car. He’s so close to me, his spicy cologne is making me all hot and bothered. Is that even possible? To be so aroused by just getting a whiff of your man? I don’t know where we are headed. So I turn to ask him but he presses his lips to mine.

My eyes widen for a second before falling shut. The kiss isn’t rough but it feels urgent. Like this is how he wanted to greet me in the café but couldn’t. Bringing my trembling hand up, I cup his stubbled jaw as his tongue slips between my lips while he pulls me closer.

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