Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Chapter 44:

Tatiana’s P.O.V

I never quite understood why weddings made people bawl their eyes out, until this moment.

As the doors opened for the bride and her father, I had gasped along with the rest of the guest when I’d seen Grace in her veil. She’d looked marvellous, almost too dreamy to be real. And then her father had handed her over to Daniel and just like any other man madly in love, he’d whispered ‘you’re beautiful’ in her ears and held on to her hands tight, like he never intended to let go.

And then they had said their vows, the words that defined their relationship and how they felt for each other and then the waterworks had begun. It was a beautiful speech and I’m glad they left out the raunchy parts or Mrs. Summers would’ve fainted from shock.

I could still remember that day clearly in my mind.

"You know what; I have the perfect solution for your little problem."

"Really? What?"

"Sex."

"Sex?"

"Why, yes! What else?"

"How on Earth is sex going to help me with my problems?"

"Honey, there's nothing like a mind-blowing orgasm to clear your head of all thoughts...instantly!"

"Really? Even if I do believe in that ridiculous notion of yours, where am I going to find a partner for this 'mind-blowing orgasm' to clear my head? Last I checked it takes two to tango…unless, of course, we’re taking a trip to the sex shop."

"Oh no, silly! With the hottie over there, of course!"

I shook my head at the memory, because along with that memory came another bitter one. Unknowing to my best friends, that night I’d been texting Connor to come over so we could try and patch up our broken relationship. He had hit me again the previous day and I had been wearing a Hell lot of concealer to hide the mark and I’d been equally thankful and disappointed that my best friends hadn’t noticed.

But that was a lifetime ago and I do not want to relieve those memories ever again.

“Problem?” Damien asked from beside me, startling me out of my flashback spree.

After the Daniel and Grace were declared man and wife by the priest and the pair shared a tender kiss, we were all escorted to the dining area where the wedding cake had been cut and served along with a glass of white wine and we had all gathered around in our assorted tables to feast and toast to the happiness and wellness of the couple. Damien being my escort had sat next to me and it wasn’t helping my mood at all.

I know it wasn’t right to be having such thoughts during my best friend’s wedding, but the resentment was eating up at me, just as much as the desire to be close to Damien was driving me nuts.

Enchanting. That was the first thought that had come to my mind when I’d first looked at Damien Romano. The man was indeed, as Ken had rightfully pointed out, a knight in navy blue Armani. Although he looked very much like Daniel, his features were far sharper and more mature than Daniel’s. And while Daniel looked a bit rakish, for a lack of better terms, with his easy charm and smooth talking abilities, Damien was definitely more sophisticated and reserve, but no less handsome or dangerous.

I could still remember when our eyes had met for the first time and I had felt a chill run down my spine. His eyes had smoldered with desire and it had made things inside me tighten with a kind of want I hadn’t felt in a long time. Even now, as I sat beside him, the constant warmth and power that emitted from his muscled body drew me in like a magnet, making me want to do things I’ve never dreamt of doing before.

“No.” I told him with a smile. “Just thinking about all the raunchy little details they left out in their wedding vows.”

Damien’s eyes gleamed wickedly. “Dan never shares the good stuff with me. Do tell.”

I laughed, remembering that night once more and told him exactly what conversation I’d had with Grace before Daniel had whisked her away to his bedchambers. Damien laughed with me, the sound open and throaty and I felt the laughter in my chest as butterflies danced inside my stomach.

But old memories came back to haunt as soon as the laughter had died down and it made me feel like a fool to even be remembering him. Maybe it was the wedding and how I’d always thought that I’d be the first in my group to get married...to Connor. In many ways he’d been my first and for me it was harder to get past than most people. I’d grown up with my grandma, listening to stories about Princes and Princesses who fell madly in love with each other and then lived happily ever after. My parents had always been overseas doing business deals and that’s why my grandmother’s stories had comforted me so much. They had been an integral part of who I was and even though I’d suffered several disillusionments, I never once gave up on fairytales. It was one of the reasons why I wanted to hold onto Connor even after the relationship went toxic.

But now, as I sat and watched my best friend dance to a love song on the dance floor with their respective partners, I felt like my world was slowly imploding and I had no one to turn to.

“You know,” Damien whispered close to my ear. “You should take your own advice once in a while.”

Confused, I turned to meet his eyes and was greeted by orbs of blazing ice that had me freezing in my spot. Was he really indicating what I think he was indicating? But why?

But the answer was right there in his eyes. Because behind the heat and the lust, I saw the same darkness that was no doubt present in my eyes. We both seemed to have something in common, even though we didn’t know what secrets the other person held. But suddenly, I found the idea of tussling with him incredibly interesting.

It’s not like I’d never had a one-night stand before, I’ve woken up in a stranger’s bed a couple times back in college, but this was different. We were both being overwhelmed by something dark and we wanted to get it out of our system. And what better way to clear your mind instantly than a mind-blowing orgasm?

So when Damien offered his hand to me, I took it. When he led me to the dance floor, I followed quietly behind...and when we slipped right through the crowd to the washroom at the end of the courtyard, I went with him.

And when he locked the door behind us and turned to me, I went straight into his arms and let his lips connect with mine, sending heat soaring all throughout my body and making me wet just by the thought of us being together.