“Don’t tell Damien I said this, but Hades is hot. And definitely don’t tell Sofia I said that.”
I laughed. “Your secret is safe with me. But I’m sure she already suspects every woman thinks that.” I definitely knew every time Heath went anywhere, every woman was staring at him, wanting to rip off his clothes. “So, how are you guys?”
She didn’t talk about the rift between Damien and me, trying to stay positive so it wouldn’t bring me down. “We’re fine. He’s been a little distracted lately, but he’s getting better with every passing day. What about you?”
I didn’t answer because the waiter brought our food. After setting it down, he walked away. I grabbed my silverware and started to eat my salad. “Honestly, I haven’t been all that great. I’ve been staying at Heath’s to help him… He was in such bad shape.” That was all I could say about it.
Anna had pity in her eyes, but she was also quiet, like she didn’t know what to say. She was loyal to Damien, and she also had a strong attachment to my father. Her feelings were obviously conflicted. “Is he doing better now?”
“Much,” I said quietly. “He’s not the kind of man to let anything defeat him, so he’s working hard to heal.”
“That’s good.” She pushed her salad around with her fork.
I could feel it beginning already, feel the awkwardness that descended on the table when we discussed the man I was sleeping with, the man who had been unanimously ostracized by my family, even Anna, who wasn’t actually married to my brother yet.
“So…you’re going to stay with him, then?” She stabbed her fork into her food, bits of egg, bacon, and cheese, before placing it into her mouth. There was a melancholy tone to her voice, as if what she asked was forbidden.
“I…I don’t know what I’m doing.” I tried not to think about the decision I would have to face since I was falling more in love with him every second I was by his side. He looked at me in a way no one else ever had, like he saw me all the way down to the bone.
She stopped eating, giving me all of her attention. “Yeah… I can’t imagine.”
“This is the man I love. But I know everything Damien said is right. It’s not the kind of relationship that I want forever.”
“Then be with him until it burns out. You’re young.”
“I’ve thought of that, but I’m afraid it’ll just get harder and harder to leave.”
“Yeah…”
I pushed aside a big chunk of tomato then went straight for the cheese crumble. “I don’t understand why this is happening to me. I don’t know why I have to love a man who’s not right for me.” Why did the gypsy give me that reading? This was bound to happen whether I visited her or not, but why did it have to happen at all?
“I’m sorry, Cat. Did you tell him about all this?”
I shook my head. “No. If I do, he’ll try to talk me out of it, and I’ll be stuck. I need to think it over for a while, then make a clean break if I decide to.”
“Honestly, it sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.”
I looked at her. “Yeah?”
“It sounds like you’re going to leave him…eventually.”
I dropped my gaze, my heart breaking at the thought. What we had was real, true, and I didn’t want to live my life without that man beside me. But I didn’t want to lose my family either, lose the future I’d pictured in my head since I was young. My father wouldn’t be around much longer, and Damien would be the only family I had left.
When I got home, Heath had already showered after his workout. He wore sweatpants without a shirt, standing in the kitchen while he put together a sandwich for lunch. His ribs were no longer wrapped and there were still blotches of discoloration on his skin, but he wasn’t the punching bag he used to be. His firm muscles were visible again, his fair skin beautiful now that some of it had healed.
He tore a few pieces of lettuce and placed it on top. “You want a sandwich?”
“No, I already ate.” He didn’t ask me where I’d been even though he knew I’d left the house. I moved into him, seeing the strong muscles of his back.
He turned to me, his arm circling my waist as he pulled me in. His face looked down into mine, and he stared at me like he was waiting for permission. His mouth wasn’t cut up anymore, and the swelling had gone down. He had even healed enough to shave.
We hadn’t kissed yet. He’d been too injured for that kind of affection. But now he looked at me like he wanted to, like he wanted to embrace me the way he used to. He tugged me a little closer, his large hand spreading across my entire back.
I rose on my tiptoes, my eyes open and locked on to his, and I kissed him.
He kissed me back, watching me with his possessive gaze.
Just like always, I felt it. Felt that powerful spark between our lips. My hand moved to his arm, and I felt his muscles, felt the powerful frame that was still strong under those bruises. I closed my eyes as I let my lips linger against his.
His other hand moved into my hair, sliding until he cupped the back of my head. He kissed me again, moaning between our breaths like he’d never had a kiss so good, even though we were barely moving our lips. It was our chemistry, our connection, that lit us on fire.
He pulled away and placed his forehead against mine, his eyes closed. “I can’t wait to make love to you.”
My hand cupped his cheek, looking up into the face of the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. The second we were apart, I was cold as ice, but when we were together, I melted all over again…became a slave to this powerful man. “You’re doing it right now.”
I packed my bag on the edge of the bed and zipped it up.
Heath entered the bedroom but stopped when he noticed what I was doing. He leaned against the frame of the door, crossing his arms over his chest, like he intended to block my path so I could never leave.
“I have to work tonight…and tomorrow.”
He stared at me coldly, like he didn’t accept that answer.
I pulled the strap over my shoulder. “You’ll be fine without me.”
“I never needed you to begin with. It was just an excuse to have you here.” His voice was quiet, but it contained a natural amplification, like the depth of his voice made it more potent.
I moved around the bed and headed toward the door. “I can’t stay here all the time.”
“Why not?”
A sigh escaped my lips. “I’ll be back in a few days.” I approached the doorway and waited for him to move.
He stared at me defiantly, like he wasn’t going to go anywhere. But then he dropped his arms and stepped aside.
I moved down the hallway and started to descend the stairs.
He was close behind me, his bare feet loud against the hardwood floor.
I didn’t want him to take the stairs when he was still recovering, so I turned around to say goodbye.
He wore a slightly sad expression in his eyes, like it was hard to watch me go. He never asked me if I wanted to be with him or if my stance on our relationship had changed. He just assumed we were together again.