Chapter 9
1091 Words
Lila breathed in sharply as warm fingers traced the curve of her waist. Damien was standing in front of her, no cold stares, no intimidating silence. Just him. His eyes were darker than she’d ever seen them, full of something that made her knees weak.
“I shouldn’t want you,” he whispered, voice like velvet.
“But you do,” she whispered back, breathless.
His mouth crashed onto hers, claiming her with a heat that left her gasping.
His hands were on her hips, pulling her against him, and she didn’t resist—couldn’t. Her fingers tangled in his hair as his lips moved hungrily over hers. Every touch, every kiss, burned.
His hands explored her back, her sides, gripping her like he couldn’t get close enough.
She arched into him as his lips trailed down her neck, his breath hot, making her pulse race. Her body trembled under his touch, craving more.
Clothes were a blur. His jacket gone. Her blouse unbuttoned.
“Damien…” she whispered, and the way he growled her name made her body clench with anticipation.
He laid her down gently, his body hovering over hers. Their lips met again, slower this time, deeper, like he wanted to memorize every part of her. His hand slid up her thigh, his breath ragged against her skin, their bodies seconds away from—
RIING!
Lila gasped, eyes flying open. She blinked at the ceiling, her body still tingling from the dream she didn’t ask for.
The phone screamed on her nightstand.
“Seriously?” she muttered, her face flushed, heart pounding.
She grabbed the phone with trembling fingers, voice hoarse. “H-Hello?”
“Good morning, sleepyhead!” It was Jo.
Jo’s cheerful voice rang through the phone.
“How are you girllllll.”
Lila groaned. “I'm fine, but Jo, it's too early.”
Jo laughed through the phone. “I know, that's why I called.”
Lila rolled her eyes.
Jo’s voice came through the phone again. “How's the job, still surviving at Blackthorne?
Lila sat up, rubbing her face. “Yeah, yeah, things are okay there.”
Jo laughed. “Are you sure Lila, has your boss finally breathed fire or is he secretly a teddy bear?”
At the word boss, Lila’s dream slammed back into her head like a gust of wind. She closed her eyes briefly, her cheeks burning. Sweet Damien. Dream Damien. Bedroom Damien. Ugh!
“Lila? Are you there?”
“Huh? Oh! Yeah, yeah, sorry. Um, Damien is... intense,” she said quickly. “Like, serious all the time. You’d swear the guy never blinks.”
Jo snorted. “I’d give anything to work for a handsome billionaire—even if he’s an emotionless robot.”
Lila bit her lip, heart racing. If only Jo knew. If only she knew that said handsome billionaire had just been starring in one of her very unprofessional dreams.
“Anyway,” Lila said, forcing a laugh, “it’s been going okay. Everyone’s nice—well, some people. And I haven’t spilled coffee on anyone this week, so I call that progress.”
Jo chuckled, then softened. “You’re doing great, Lila. I’m proud of you.”
Lila smiled, leaning her head back against the headboard. “Thanks. I just... I hope I can keep it up.”
After she hung up, she lay back down, staring at the ceiling. She tried pushing the dream out of her mind. It was nothing. Just stress. Just a fluke. Just—
Her heart skipped.
Damien’s voice from the dream echoed again.
"I shouldn't want you..."
Lila groaned, pulling a pillow over her face.
Not from annoyance, but because she did not want to explain why she was already a mess at 7:30 a.m.
She had just made out with her boss.
In her dream.
And she liked it way too much.
Lila stepped off the bus with her coffee in hand and her heart in her throat. Today, more than anything, she just wanted peace. No accidents. No mess. And definitely no Damien Blackthorne.
She mumbled softly under her breath as she walked toward the building.
“Lord, I beg you, just let me have one normal day. No awkwardness, no mistakes, and please… no running into my boss. Amen.”
The automatic doors opened as she walked into the towering Blackthorne Enterprises building. She took a deep breath. The marble floors, the sound of heels clicking, the quiet buzz of important people doing important things—it still made her feel small. Like she didn’t belong.
But she smiled anyway. She always did.
“Morning, Lila!” someone from accounting called.
“Good morning!” she called back with a wave.
As she turned down a quieter hallway toward her office floor, she saw someone struggling just ahead.
A janitor, older and hunched, was trying to mop up a mess near the supply closet. His cart had tipped slightly, and water had spilled across the floor, pooling fast. He seemed overwhelmed.
People walked right past him. Some looked. No one stopped.
Lila didn’t even hesitate.
She walked over and bent down to steady the mop bucket. “Need help?”
The janitor looked up, surprised. “Oh, no, Miss—you don’t have to get your hands dirty—”
“It’s just water,” she smiled, already grabbing the nearest mop. “Besides, you’re helping keep this place running. You shouldn’t have to do it alone.”
Together, they straightened the cart and used some paper towels to stop the spreading water. Lila was laughing as she almost slipped, and the janitor chuckled softly too.
When they finished, he looked at her, visibly moved. “You’re the first one to ever stop. Most people walk past like I’m not even here.”
She gave him a kind smile. “That’s not fair. You matter, just like everyone else.”
He nodded, his eyes soft. “Thank you, Miss. Don’t lose that kindness. This place… it can change people.”
Lila picked up her bag again and gave him a wink. “Not me. I’m too stubborn to change.”
They waved goodbye, and Lila headed off down the hall, still smiling. She didn’t notice the pair of sharp, cold eyes watching her from a distance—hidden behind the tinted glass wall of Damien’s private office.
She didn’t see h
im standing there, arms folded, gaze narrowed, watching her every move.
She had no idea he'd been there the whole time.
- Writer
