THE FIRST RULE TO FALL
946 Words
The ballroom glittered with crystal chandeliers and expensive smiles.
Ava stood beside Damian, her hand resting lightly on his arm as cameras flashed around them. The annual Blackwood Charity Gala was supposed to be simple.
Smile.
Pose.
Pretend.
That was the deal.
Yet nothing about tonight felt simple.
"Relax," Damian murmured without looking at her.
"I'm perfectly relaxed."
"You nearly broke my arm."
Ava loosened her grip immediately.
Damian's lips twitched.
Not quite a smile.
Not quite.
The sight irritated her more than it should have.
"You think this is funny?"
"I think you're terrified."
"I'm not terrified."
"You hate crowds."
Ava blinked.
She hadn't told him that.
Before she could ask how he knew, another guest approached.
"Damian!"
A beautiful blonde woman wrapped her arms around him without hesitation.
Ava stiffened.
The woman smelled like expensive perfume and confidence.
She stepped back and looked Ava up and down.
"So this is the famous wife."
The words sounded polite.
The tone wasn't.
Damian's expression cooled.
"Victoria."
Ava immediately recognized the name.
Victoria Sinclair.
Model.
Socialite.
Damian's ex-girlfriend.
The woman every newspaper had expected him to marry.
Victoria smiled.
"I'll admit, you're not what I expected."
Ava smiled back.
"That's usually a compliment."
Victoria's smile tightened.
Damian glanced between them.
He looked like a man watching a bomb count down.
"Victoria, don't start."
"I'm just being friendly."
"No, you're not."
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
Then Victoria laughed.
"I missed your honesty."
She touched Damian's chest.
Ava hated how familiar the gesture looked.
She hated it even more when jealousy stabbed through her.
Rule one.
No love.
No feelings.
No jealousy.
The contract was clear.
So why did her stomach twist?
Victoria finally walked away, leaving tension behind like a perfume trail.
Damian sighed.
"Ignore her."
"Why?"
"Because she wants a reaction."
Ava folded her arms.
"Did you love her?"
The question slipped out before she could stop it.
Damian's eyes met hers.
For one strange second, the noise of the ballroom faded.
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Too instantly.
Ava wasn't sure she believed him.
Before she could ask another question, a waiter approached with champagne.
Damian took two glasses.
Handed one to Ava.
Their fingers brushed.
Heat shot through her.
Dangerous heat.
The kind she was trying very hard not to feel.
"You're staring," Damian said quietly.
Ava looked away immediately.
"I wasn't."
"You were."
"I was thinking."
"About me."
His voice was annoyingly confident.
Ava took a sip.
"Trust me. You're not that interesting."
Damian laughed.
Actually laughed.
The sound surprised both of them.
Because for the first time since she'd met him, it sounded real.
Not controlled.
Not calculated.
Real.
Ava found herself smiling.
And when she noticed, she quickly looked away.
The smile disappeared.
But not before Damian saw it.
His expression changed.
Something softened.
Only for a second.
Then it vanished.
The auction began shortly afterward.
Guests took their seats.
Millions of pounds changed hands with casual waves of numbered paddles.
Ava watched in disbelief.
One painting sold for more money than she'd earned in ten years.
The room applauded.
Someone spent another fortune on a vintage necklace.
More applause.
The wealthy lived in a different universe.
Then the host stepped onto the stage.
"Our next item is a private dinner with Mr. Damian Black."
The crowd erupted.
Ava nearly choked on her champagne.
"What?"
Damian didn't even look surprised.
"It's for charity."
"People bid for dinner with you?"
"Apparently."
The bidding started.
Twenty thousand.
Thirty thousand.
Fifty thousand.
One hundred thousand.
Ava stared.
The numbers kept climbing.
Mostly because women were bidding.
Victoria included.
Of course.
The final price reached nearly three hundred thousand pounds.
Victoria won.
The room applauded again.
Ava felt something ugly twist inside her chest.
Damian noticed immediately.
His eyes narrowed.
"Are you jealous?"
"No."
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You absolutely are."
Ava stood abruptly.
"I need air."
Without waiting for permission, she left.
The balcony overlooked London's skyline.
Rain clouds gathered above the city.
The wind felt cool against her skin.
Ava gripped the railing.
She wasn't jealous.
She couldn't be.
This marriage wasn't real.
Damian wasn't hers.
None of this was real.
Then why did it hurt?
The balcony door opened behind her.
She didn't turn around.
"I said I needed air."
"And I ignored you."
Of course he did.
Damian stepped beside her.
Close.
Too close.
The city lights reflected in his dark eyes.
Neither spoke for several seconds.
Finally, Damian sighed.
"Victoria means nothing."
Ava laughed bitterly.
"You don't have to explain."
"I'm not explaining."
"Then what are you doing?"
His jaw tightened.
For once, Damian Black looked uncertain.
"I don't know."
The honesty shocked her.
He turned toward her.
She could feel the heat of his body.
Could feel her pulse speeding up.
Rule two.
No kissing.
The thought appeared instantly.
Because suddenly she was very aware of how close he was standing.
Very aware of his gaze.
Very aware of her own heartbeat.
"Ava."
Her name sounded different in his voice.
Softer.
Dangerous.
She swallowed.
"Yes?"
His eyes dropped briefly to her lips.
The movement lasted less than a second.
But she noticed.
And so did he.
Neither looked away.
The distance between them felt impossibly small.
One step.
That was all.
One step and rule two would shatter.
Then Damian suddenly moved back.
The moment broke.
His face became unreadable again.
Cold.
Controlled.
Safe.
"Let's go inside."
Ava nodded.
But disappointment hit her so hard she almost staggered.
And that terrified her more than anything.
Because for the first time since signing the contract...
She wasn't afraid of breaking the rules.
She was afraid Damian never would.
- Writer
