Page 23 of Heat Me

Suddenly, Damien opened his eyes and looked at me with some desperation.

"Are you gonna stay with me for the whole heat?"

There was so much unease in his voice, almost like he was afraid I’d just stand up right now and leave on the spot.

"Damien…" Now was finally the time to try to soothe his anxiousness with something more than AO sounds and vibrations. "You can absolutely relax. I can feel how tense you are. Everything’s gonna be fine, I promise!"

"You can’t promise that. Not during the heat," he said, his tone unsteady. Then, with his eyes closed again, he blurted out, "I just want things to be… good, predictable, safe… That’s all I want." There was so much despair in his tone…

"They will be," I said quietly, a hint of melancholy creeping into my voice.

We both knew no one could make promises at a moment like this. It was an unspoken rule during heat—everyone in the ABO society knew it. The raging hormones and our out-of-whack mental state made it too risky.

"When the heat is over, everything will be sorted out. Of course, we shouldn’t discuss the future during a time like this, but for now, please relax and try to enjoy it."

Damien slowly nodded.

There was a temporary moment of silence, as he was attempting to regain his composure.

Then, he suddenly sat up, put on his glasses, and looked at his nest. "It didn’t even fall apart. You actually did a good job reinforcing it."

Noticing his surprised expression, I gave a small, sheepish smile. "Well, I wasn’t exactly great with my exes’ nests before, so… making up for it now."

He kept staring at it. "Nobody’s ever really cared for it before. My nest’s been wrecked so many times—my brothersused to tear it up, and even our butler would leave it all messed up when he took the sheets."

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I stayed quiet. My family didn’t have butlers—then again, we weren’t Lowens.

But there was something I needed to mention.

"Listen, I’ve gotta step out for a bit to grab my laptop from the office. I could arrange for the IT tech to come by, but I don’t want him showing up here at your address. Might raise questions since I reached out to you outside work hours."

Damien’s face fell, his eyes wide with panic.

"Wait—you’re leaving now?"

His anxiety didn’t surprise me, considering how he’d felt during the sex.

Was this the confirmation of the fears he had? That I might just stand up and leave? The nervous energy radiating from him was sharp and intense, his heartbeat racing like a frightened bird's.

I immediately sat up and reached for his hands, which I slightly squeezed to focus his attention. "Damien, I swear I'll be back. Two hours, tops. I'll just grab some clothes—I'm pretty sure you don't have anything in my size," I added with a small, calming smile.

But he still looked so uneasy, almost teary-eyed, and my protective instincts kicked in. I moved closer and pulled him into my lap, pressing his head against my chest. For a moment, I stroked his hair lightly.

"Hey… Look, I’m leaving my phone here. I never go anywhere without it, so you know I’ll come back, okay?"

Damien seemed to relax into my arms, leaning in just a little, almost like he wanted to snuggle. Well, the phone thing seemed to work like magic. So many people were firmly glued to their cells—it successfully convinced him.

Finally, he gave a slow nod, a cautious smile tugging at his lips for the first time. I grinned, gently squeezing one of his love handles, and pressed a soft kiss to his temple.

"You’re cute when you smile."

His cheeks flushed, and he quickly looked away.

"I’m gonna take a shower, then head to the company," I said, tilting my head to try and catch his gaze.

"Okay. Towels are under the cabinet," he muttered, pulling out of my arms.

Not wanting to drag it out, I hit the shower for a quick rinse. When I came out, Damien was in the kitchen, standing there in a long white t-shirt with a blank expression.

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