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2054 Words
“Gee they are pretty thrashed,” John commented lifting Mary’s hand and letting it drop limply at her side. “This one’s already passed out.”
“At least she didn’t vomit.” Donna pointed out. “I’m going to take a stab in the dark and guess that they don’t drink too often… or ever.”
“I can’t take them home like this,” Damien said. “Their parents will never forgive me.”
“So, don’t take them home.” Blake offered. “Take them back to your home and let them sleep it off.”
“What do I tell their father?”
“Who care’s they’re both adults. They can stay out all night if they want. Let them deal with him in the morning. You didn’t force them to drink themselves stupid.” John added.
“That’s true,” Donna said. “Take them home and send them packing in the morning.”
“That’s a little irresponsible don’t you think?” Damien argued.
“Oh, are you going all noble on us now?” John laughed. “I thought you didn’t even like her.”
“I don’t.” Damien snapped defensively. “But that doesn’t mean that getting them into trouble is right.”
“Wow, he is going all noble, last week it would have been their loss.” Donna giggled. “Ok, I got a solution. Do you have daddy’s number?”
“Yeah.”
“Give me the number.” Damien took the piece of paper that the phone number was written on from his pocket and passed it to Donna. Donna took out her cell phone and punched in the numbers then waited for the call to be picked up. “What’s their name?”
“Cassie.”
“Hello Mr. Cassie,” she said happily and as sweet as could be when they answered, “this is Donna. I’m one of Damien’s friends. I was out with your girls tonight… Oh yes, it is. We just ended up with a flat tire and wouldn’t you know we don’t have a spare, so we got stranded out here. I offered the girls to stay the night in my guest room, and I’ll have them home tomorrow when the tire is fixed… yes, you too. Good-night.” She ended the call and smiled. “Problem solved.”
Blake snickered. “You used to do the same thing when we snuck off in high school.”
“And it worked then too.” She turned to face Damien. “So, take them back to your place, let them sleep it off then take them home to daddy. It’s all good.” Donna waved her phone at him like a parent scolding a child. “I shouldn’t be helping you though. I don’t know why I am.”
“Because you love me and you want me.” He teased blowing Donna a cocky kiss.
“Like a hole in the head.” She snickered back.
The limo came to a stop outside Damien’s apartment twenty minutes later, and Blake helped Damien carry the women inside. Damien dropped a snoring Mary onto the guest bed in the room down the hall from his own. She immediately sprawled across the bed and snorted in her sleep. Damien cringed, wow not very charming at all; but he could make her allowances since she was not accustomed to drinking so very much. He would imagine he too did not look too appealing on nights when he had to be carried in either.
“Where should I put this one?” Blake asked standing in the doorway with Eve draped over his shoulder.
Damien looked at the bed and decided that sharing with Mary was out of the question since she looked like a bed hog. “She can have my bed.” He said walking over. “I’ll take her.” Blake passed Eve to Damien who cradled the small woman in his arms.
“Ok, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Blake asked.
“Yeah, sure we’ll do lunch,” Damien said stopping at his bedroom door. Blake waved good-bye and walked out shutting the front door behind him.
Damien took Eve into his room and placed her gently down on the king-sized bed. She sighed and snuggled down into the pillows. Damien had a sudden desire to see what her dark hair would look like flowing freely over his pillow. Gently and skillfully he removed the band and the pins that had been holding her long raven mane in place. Placing the pins and band on the nightstand, he ran his fingers through Eve’s soft silken curls and combed them out over the pillow.
She looked tempting laying there Damien had to fight the urge to kiss her. He should leave the room before he did something he shouldn’t. Damien pulled the blankets up around Eve and tucked her in then left the room. He would sleep on the couch.
***
Eve’s eyes flew open and her stomach wretched. She tossed back the blankets and leapt from the bed. Oh god, where was she and more importantly at that moment where was the washroom? She ran out of the room trying not to be sick and rushed down the dark hall bumping into a table holding a vase that went crashing to the floor. Eve stopped so not to step on the glass.
All of a sudden, a tall, dark figure was at her side and Eve screamed. His hand clamped down over her mouth. “Shh,” Damien whispered in her ear. “You’ll wake up Mary.” He said moving her aside, so she was away from the broken glass.
“I need to be sick,” Eve confessed holding her stomach.
Damien reached out his hand and pushed open the door next to them. He flicked on a light revealing a large bathroom. Eve rushed in and dropped to her knees beside the toilet. Hugging the bowl, she brought up everything she had drank that night. She felt Damien kneel behind her. His hand grazed her neck as he brushed back her hair and held it out of the way so it would be kept clean. For what seemed like forever Eve emptied her stomach wishing she could shrink away and die. How embarrassing it was to be so sick with him right there next to her.
When Eve was done Damien offered her a glass of water to rinse the taste from her mouth, and then he flushed the toilet. “Feeling better?” He asked sitting down on the edge of the bathtub. Damien stroked Eve’s hair back and smiled down warmly at her as she sat ungracefully on the tile floor. She nodded and rested her head against his knee. Damien had changed out of his party wear and into a loose pair of navy-blue pyjama pants that he held up with a drawstring at his narrow hips.
“Is it always so bad afterward?” Eve asked, naive to the aftermath of a foolish night of boozing. She found it oddly soothing as Damien softly stroked her hair.
“Not if you know your limits.” He told her. “How about some mouthwash, it always makes me feel better after I get sick.” She nodded again. It would be nice to feel a bit fresher. Damien stood up and helped Eve to her feet. He went to the sink and took the bottle of Scope from the medicine cabinet. Pouring a capful, he offered it to her. She rinsed her mouth and grinned. He was right the tingling in her mouth did make her feel better. “I’m sorry.”
“Why it’s not your fault?” Eve said still feeling a little nauseated.
“Yes, it is. I knew you were probably a lightweight, but I didn’t cut you off. I should have.” Damien said keeping his voice low.
Eve leaned against the counter watching him put the Scope away. It was sweet he felt responsible for her wellbeing. “Where am I?”
“My apartment. I thought you wouldn’t want your parents seeing you in this condition, so I brought you home.”
“Oh, they are going to be so mad that we don’t come home.” She cringed knowing how her parents could get. They were going to make this her fault she just knew it.
“No, they won’t.” He assured her. “Donna called your father and told him you were crashing at her place because we got a flat tire.”
Eve smirked that was clever. “Where is Mary? Is she sick too?” She asked concerned for her sister.
“She’s sleeping like a very loud baby in the guest room,” Damien answered with a boyish grin. He looked good standing there naked from the waist up and barefoot. His body was hard all over with well-defined muscle. His shoulders were broad and his biceps large. His waist narrow and his abdomen sported a much-coveted washboard look. He was an incredible specimen of male beauty and virility. Eve could feel a strange tingle of need between her legs as she remembered how well he kissed. How that body felt pressed against hers however brief it had been.
Eve laughed awkwardly lowering her gaze to the floor and trying not to stare. “So, I am in the other guest room?”
“No, you’re in my bed.” He said leaving the bathroom and going to a small closet in the hallway. Eve followed him and watched Damien take a broom and dustpan from the closet. He knelt and started to clean up the broken vase. She felt terrible it was probably very expensive.
“I’m sorry about that.”
“No big deal I’ve busted a few in my time too.”
Eve bent down and helped him clean up the larger broken pieces. She paused as their fingers brushed. Eve looked up and his heated gaze held hers for a silent moment. Suddenly he stood up breaking the spell that hung between them. “If I’m in your bed then where are you sleeping?” She asked.
“I was on the couch.” He said taking the broken shards to the trash. Replacing the broom in the closet, he took Eve by the hand and led her back down the hall toward the bedroom. “It’s late; let me take you to bed.” He drawled a phrase that held such promise it sent shivers through Eve.
Damien led her into the dimly lit room and stood beside the bed with her. Eve looked up at Damien hopefully. His bright green eyes held her gaze. Would he try to kiss her again? Should she let him? Eve bit her bottom lip filled with anticipation. His lips curved into a sly smile and then he tapped his finger to the tip of her nose. “That is so damn cute.” Damien grinned. “Good-night Eve.” He said heading for the door.
“That’s all?” She heard herself say without thinking.
Damien paused in the doorway and looked back at her with a suave, debonair smile. “What more were you expecting?” He asked his eyes softly rolling over her body. She suddenly felt naked under his gaze. She didn’t know what to say as they watched each other in silence. “Good-night Eve,” Damien said once more and disappeared through the door leaving her alone.
- Writer
