Both Damien and Sarah knew that the pain of that goodbye would echo through their lives, a constant reminder of the love they had shared, the future they had lost, the destiny that had pulled them apart.
He kissed her lips until they became swollen, then moved down to her collarbone. She moaned and lifted her head. She bit his lip and kissed his Adam's apple until he started groaning. He placed her gently onto the bed and used his teeth to remove the strap of her dress from her shoulder. She called out his name... "Damien"... Something in him broke, and he took her hands in his, placing them above her head while holding them with one hand. He kissed her fiercely, passionately. His raspy voice called her name, "Isabella"... She freed her hand and started unbuttoning his shirt. He looked at her face as if making sure she wanted this as much as he did, and she kissed his lips in affirmation.
The clothes fell to the floor, and their bodies became entwined in a desperate, steaming embrace. They moved together, giving in to the fierce need to affirm their connection, to claim each other one last time against the forces tearing them apart. He didn't hold back, and she met his intensity. He moved deep inside her, and she moaned. He felt like every fiber of his being was claiming this woman, and he couldn't get enough. "Isabella, you're mine." She wrapped her legs around him and bit his lip... "Damien... I'm..." "Sarah, me too..." Their release came at the same time, and a feeling of warmth and desperate finality settled within them.
The exhaustion from the pressure and fear of losing Sarah caught up with them. He just held her in his arms, refusing to pull out, kissing her collarbone. Sarah moaned, and Damien wanted her, again and again...
Damien: "Kitten, you are mine."
Sarah: "Damien..."
Damien: "I'm not letting you go. I'm never letting you go."
Sarah: "I want you..."
Damien: "You have me. I'm forever yours."
They fell asleep entwined together. Exhaustion from pressure and the fear of loss finally overcame Damien, and for the first time in a long time, he slept soundly. Sarah, equally tired, slept peacefully in his arms.
The morning came, and the light peaked through the window. Damien was the first to open his eyes. He kept looking at her sleep, thinking, I wish we could stay like this forever. He smiled at her, seeing that she was about to wake up.
Damien: "Sarah..."
Sarah: "I'm in pain..."
Damien: "Where?" He grew concerned.
Sarah: "My whole body aches. My legs feel numb."
Damien smiled and kissed her.
Damien: "I love you."
Sarah: "Aren't you late for work?"
Damien: "I don't want to go to work today."
He then got up and took her in his arms, saying, "Let's get you cleaned up."
Sarah: "What are you doing? I can walk."
Damien: "Didn't you say your legs feel numb?"
She punched him lightly in the chest, and he carried her into the bathroom. He placed her on a bench and turned the water on. He took a loofah and knelt in front of her, moving it from her collarbone to her arms and legs. He then kissed her senseless, and she passionately kissed him back. He got up and lifted her while kissing her lips, then pinned her against the wall, the water running down. "I want you," Damien said and looked at her, questioning, and she just nodded.
They shared a second, deep, wet embrace in the running water, their actions fueled by the profound fear of impending loss. He made love to her as if his life depended on it, and she responded with equal fervor. "Isabella, I love you," he murmured, his voice ragged with emotion. "Damien, I love you too..."
He got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, then took another towel, wrapped her in it, and took her in his arms. He placed her on the sink, wiping her hair and taking a blow dryer to dry it. He kissed her again and again. No words passed between them, just little moments that felt like the last they would ever share.
He carefully took her in his arms and carried her like something fragile back into the bedroom. Sarah felt his affection; the way he slowly placed her on the bed, every gentle movement, made her burn with desire to kiss him.
Damien: Do you want me to help you get dressed?
She barely registered his words, then shook her head saying, "No need, I can do it myself." She looked at him—the towel wrapped around his waist, his firm abs and muscular figure. Her cheeks flushed and her mouth parted. She quickly looked down at the floor and said, "You should get dressed too." He smiled at her, amused.
He went back to his room, quickly dressed in a plain white T-shirt and pants, and headed downstairs to prepare breakfast for Sarah.
Mrs. Blue: Damien, my dear. Breakfast is ready.
Damien: Thank you, Mrs. Blue. You can take a day off today and tomorrow; I'll take care of Sarah these days.
Mrs. Blue said, "Alright, my dear. I see your relationship with your little kitten has improved." She smiled knowingly.
Damien chuckled. "Mrs. Blue, I love that little kitten of mine."
Mrs. Blue: I know, my dear child. I also saw that you gave her your mother's necklace. If she were here, I'm sure she would support you unconditionally.
Damien: Mrs. Blue... Thank you. I'm sure she would like Sarah...
At the mention of his mother, Damien felt a pang of sadness. If only she were here.
Mrs. Blue departed. Damien took a tray, arranged the food on it, and carried it upstairs. Sarah was still dazed from the passionate moments she shared with Damien, feeling sleepy and weak all over. She took her phone and called her manager, Kate, to report feeling unwell. Her manager informed her that the CEO, Garth, had already notified him about her taking a two-day leave and wished her a fast recovery. Holding the phone, Sarah thought, "A two-day leave? Did Damien arrange this?"
Damien entered with the food. Sarah simply stared at him, thinking, "This man is so good-looking... But he will never be mine..." She felt heartbroken at the thought of losing him.
He placed the tray in front of her, kissed her on the forehead, picked up an egg, and began peeling it, looking at her lovingly.
Damien: What are you thinking?
Sarah: Did you ask Mr. Garth for my two-day leave?
Damien: Yes.
Sarah: When did you do that?
Damien: I texted him this morning.
Sarah: But I have to meet James Holland later to discuss the design details.
Damien: Don't worry; Garth can handle it.
Sarah: Only a designer in charge can do that, Damien. You're putting Mr. Garth in an awkward position.
Damien: I don't like the way James Holland is looking at you.
Sarah: The way he's looking at me?
Damien: He wants you.
Sarah: Yes. He wants me to be a part of his upcoming show.
Damien: That's not what I meant, Sarah. What I meant was he wants to take you to his bed.
Sarah: Didn't you just take me to your bed?
Damien: I'll need to correct you here... I believe I was the one who crawled out of your bed. His lip turned upwards, and amusement was in his voice. "You, Miss Walker, were the one who took me to your bed."
Sarah: You're shameless!
She rolled her eyes at him and said, "Let's not talk about this," pointing between them with her hand. "And let's not talk about James anymore."
Damien: James?
Sarah looked at him and arched her eyebrow. "Both James and I are single, Mr. Sterling, so if he too wants to jump into my bed, that would be fine because he's not engaged to another woman out there."
Sarah felt enraged by Damien and his insinuations. James was just friendly; his friendly nature doesn't mean he wants to sleep with her.
Damien clenched his teeth. She was right—they were single, and he was engaged with another woman, the woman he had never touched. Yet he felt overwhelmed by jealousy and possessiveness. Sarah was his; he had claimed her, and she could never sleep with another man.
Sarah refused his breakfast. She got up and picked up the dress James Holland had gifted her. The dress was broken. Damien observed her action. She folded the dress and took it to the bathroom. She threw it into the washing machine and pressed a button.
Damien then yelled from the bedroom: Throw it away. I'll buy you ten better ones.
Sarah: I don't want them. Save your money... Or better yet, give them to your fiancée, I'm sure that would make her happy.
Damien wondered, Is this dress so precious to her that she'd rather keep it, even broken, than throw it away? Is she jealous of Penelope? He smiled at himself...
When she got dressed and headed downstairs, Damien was already sitting in the living room, focused on his laptop.
He looked up as she started to leave. "Where are you going?" he asked, surprised. He had arranged the leave hoping they could spend the entire day together.
Sarah: The pharmacy.
Damien: Why? Are you feeling unwell?
He quickly jumped up. "I'll take you there."
Sarah, seemingly devoid of emotion, simply said, "No need," and kept walking. But Damien's next words stopped her.
Damien: I wasn't asking, he said coldly. He grabbed her hand, and she reluctantly followed.