Chapter 7 - The Master's Bed
The master bedroom was a fortress of dark leather, silk, and polished mahogany. Outside, the sounds of shouting guards and sirens echoed through the estate grounds as Damon's men secured the perimeter.
Inside, the room was quiet, warm, and scented with sandalwood and rain.
Alina sat on the edge of the massive bed, hermaid uniform torn at the shoulder from the attack.
Damon walked over holding a warm, damp cloth and a soft silk robe. He knelt before her once again, gently wiping the dust and blood from her cheek. His hands were unbelievably gentle, contrasting sharply with the ruthless killer who had just executed three men in front of her.
"You don't have to be afraid anymore," he whispered, unbuttoning her ruined apron and sliding it off her shoulders.
Alina looked into his eyes, seeing the raw vulnerability behind his tough exterior. "I'm not afraid of you, Damon."
Damon paused, his dark eyes darkening further. "You should be, little maid. I'm a monster."
"You saved my life," she murmured, reaching up to gently trace the high bone structure of his cheekbone. "You protected me when no one else ever did."
Damon held his breath at her touch. Slowly, reverently, he slid the dark maid's dress down her arms, leaving her sitting in her simple white cotton slip.
When he saw the smooth, untouched porcelain of her skin in the lamplight, he let out a low, ragged breath.
"You're so pure, Alina," he whispered, his large hand gently cupping her face. "I don't deserve to touch you."
"I want you to touch me," she replied, her voice filled with an unshakable certainty. "I offered to help you before... now let me stay with you."
Damon couldn't resist any longer. He gathered her into his arms, leaning down to press his lips against hers in a slow, deep, devastating kiss that stole whatever breath she had left.
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The kiss tasted of whiskey, danger, and sweet surrender. Alina wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, opening her mouth to his, giving him everything she had kept guarded for twenty-one years.
Damon lifted her onto the pillows, his heavy body covering hers like a shield as the night consumed them both.
