Damian's POV
I wasn't supposed to feel this way. I wasn't supposed to want her. But Ariana had already gotten under my skin and it pissed me off that I couldn't control it. Every time I tried to push her out of my head, she forced her way back in. No matter what I did, I found myself needing her.
Kingston gave me my schedule while I adjusted my suit. Meeting after meeting, deal after deal. I nodded, but I wasn't listening. I was busy thinking about her. The sound of her voice, the way she looked at me like she was both scared and drawn to me at the same time.
I left for my meeting and handled business like I always did. My empire didn't run on kindness—it ran on power, on fear, on respect. Everything went smoothly until I was about to leave and Lucious showed up, blocking my path like the snake he was.
"What's this about, Lucious?" I asked flatly.
"No need for pleasantries," he said with that stupid smirk. "I heard about the little princess you rescued. Tell me, when will you introduce her? Or have you already found a better use for her in your bed?"
I clenched my jaw. He was baiting me, trying to make me slip. If I didn't know him so well, I would've thought he was just curious. But no, Lucious never asked without a reason.
I stepped closer, my eyes locked on his. "You seem very interested in my woman. Should I take that as a sign that your whore is pregnant again with another man's child?"
His smirk dropped for a second. I leaned in, my tone sharp and cold. "Mention Ariana again and I'll cut your tongue out myself."
I walked past him, not giving him the satisfaction of a reaction. My driver opened the car door and I got in without looking back.
The rest of the day dragged. More meetings, more deals. Money and power moved as usual, but my thoughts weren't in any of it. They were on her. By the time I got home, I was exhausted, but I didn't go to my room. I went straight to hers.
I didn't knock. I never knock. I own everything under this roof.
And then I froze.
She was standing there, a towel wrapped around her chest, drops of water still running down her skin. Her hair was damp, sticking to her shoulders. My eyes trailed over her body without shame. Every part of me wanted her.
"Is there anything you need, Mr Carter?" she asked, her soft voice hitting me like a drug.
"Need?" I repeated, my voice low. I took a step closer. "Since that night, I can't get you out of my head. Tell me, Ariana, what did you do to me? Because I can't stop thinking about you."
She froze. She didn't speak, didn't move. I closed the distance, raising her chin so she had no choice but to look at me.
And then I kissed her.
It wasn't soft. It wasn't gentle. It was rough, desperate, hungry. The moment her lips parted for me, I knew I had lost all control. She clutched my hair, kissing me back like she needed me just as much.
I wanted more. I wanted to rip that towel off, press her against the wall, and make her mine right there. But I forced myself to stop. Not because I didn't want to, but because she wasn't ready for the kind of man I was.
She pulled back, gasping for air. I grabbed her again, this time hugging her so tight it almost scared me how much I needed her. And when she hugged me back, something in me snapped.
"Be mine, Ariana," I said, my voice rough.
She blinked at me, shocked. "Wh…what?"
"Be my woman."
"I can't," she whispered. "I don't have anything. No family. No reputation. No wealth. I don't belong with someone like you."
"I don't give a damn about any of that," I cut her off. "I can give you all those things. What I want is you. From the first moment I saw you, I haven't been able to think of anything else. Ariana Richardson, you will be mine."
She hesitated. I saw the fear in her eyes. She wasn't just scared of me, she was scared of what saying yes meant. But I wasn't asking, I was claiming.
"I'm scared, Damian," she whispered.
"You should be," I said truthfully, brushing her cheek with my thumb. "But I'll protect you. No one touches what's mine and lives to tell the story. All I need from you is a chance."
She sighed, her voice barely audible. "Okay… I will."
A slow, dangerous smile pulled at my lips. I held her closer, feeling something I hadn't felt in years. It wasn't weakness. It was possession. She was mine now, and the whole world would know it.
"I'll have Félix move your things to my room," I told her. "From now on, you'll stay with me. That way I can keep you safe. Don't worry, I won't touch you until you want me to. But when you're ready… you'll never leave my bed."
Her cheeks flushed. She whispered, "Okay."
I kissed her one last time before leaving for my study. There was work to do.
"Create a profile for Ariana," I ordered Kingston without looking up from the files. "Set up an account in her name. Transfer enough that she won't need to ask me for anything."
Kingston shifted. "Are you sure about this, sir?"
I slowly lifted my head, my eyes narrowing. "Since when do you question me?"
He stiffened.
"Have it ready by tomorrow evening. If not, don't bother showing your face again."
"Yes, sir."
I leaned back in my chair, letting out a low breath. The taste of her was still on my lips. The world already belonged to me. My enemies feared me. And now… she belonged to me too.
Ariana was mine.
******
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