Page 34 of A Secret Crush Valentine's

They lay clothed now, to her mild disappointment, cuddling before the flame. Damon had an arm wrapped around her, pulling her close so that her bottom was pressed against his groin. She could feel his erection still pulsating against her. How that was possible, she had no idea, but it excited her to see just how much he craved her.

It was a dream come true, all of this, well, sans theIce Agesetting. Tonight had been full of pleasant yet unimaginable surprises. Even now, she found herself wondering if she’d struck her head on a rock earlier and was having some kind of hallucination. But it was real, and she didn’t even need to pinch herself to know that. Pleasure was as real as pain.

She returned her gaze to the flames. She could feel Damon’s warm breath on the nape of her neck. His presence wassoothing, his hold on her protective. He definitely was into her. But just how much? And did he have any idea how deeply she felt for him? Their lovemaking had spoken volumes, but they hadn’t actually had a proper discussion.

Yet.

Damon’s fingers caressed her belly through her clothes. “You know,” he said, “when all of this is over, I’d like us to have that dance finally. You know, in Caprichor, where it’s safe.”

A flutter filled her belly, but she wasn’t sure if it was from his words or his touch. “Our Valentine’s Day Dance? I… I’d like that.”

Suddenly, she felt like that girl 16 years ago, before the ice gave way under their feet. Before she could start worrying about things like what she was going to wear or whether Caprichor happened to have makeshift clubs with speakers from earth, another thought crept into her mind, piquing her curiosity before she could ignore it.

“Hey,” she said, “do you think those Collectors might have been after just one of us?”

Behind her, she felt him freeze at her question. A second later, he said, “They never mentioned. I think they were more eager to attack us.”

“Good thing you were prepared for them.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Frost Mountain prepares you for everything by throwing the impossible at you. Only the strongest or the smartest can thrive out here on their own, at least. That’s why some people choose to live in villages or towns.”

“You never did?”

“Not for more than a little while. I learned to keep moving if I wanted to survive. Staying in one place makes you complacent. Living in Caprichor, spending the next few years or maybe the rest of my life there is not something I’ve had to consider until now.”

He was survivor through and through. “You never did really explain why we have to go to Caprichor.”

“I did. It’s safe.”

“You said that.” She twisted around, breaking his hold on her and facing him, her eyes searching his face. “But you never told me what you’re running from—orwho.”

“I thought we were pillow-talking,” he said, frowning.

She thought about that. Their conversationwasslowly turning into sort of an interrogation, but her questions remained. Damon knew something he wasn’t telling. She knew that instinctively.

“Wearetalking,” she told him. “When you met me, you wanted to go to Caprichor. Why was that?”

“I…” He stared past her at the flames, and she could tell he was struggling. “I—”

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it.” She gave a disappointed sigh. “I guess whatever it is, it’s a touchy subject for you. I shouldn’t have pried.”

“No, Julia.” He sat up suddenly. “You deserve to know. Especially since it concerns you.”

She blinked up at him.

Wait… what?

“What do you mean by that?”

Guilt flickered in his eyes. “You should probably sit up for this.”

Her heart sank into her stomach as she obliged, not once taking her eyes off him. Damon continued to stare at the fire, shadows flickering across his face. Moments passed without a word. Julia was starting to wonder if he was trying to gather his words when he finally spoke.

“I’ve survived on Frost Mountain for 16 years,” he began. “I learned to survive over time. But when I first got here, I nearly died.”

She held her breath, feeling like she was on the edge of her seat.

He inhaled deeply. “The cold didn’t kill me. But I nearly starved to death. I wandered through the woods for weeks before anyone found me. They helped me, fed me, and took me to someone they knew could help me even more, a person who could make sure I learned to survive on Frost Mountain.”

---