Hailey
College ended early today.
After skipping for two days, I couldn’t push my luck any further-and Damien sure as hell wouldn’t let me. When I’d tried convincing him to let me stay home just one last time, he had given me a look so sharp it could’ve cut glass and said, in exact words:
“Don’t be a brat, Hailey. And before you argue, don’t bother-I’ll drag you there myself.”
And just like that, I’d gone to class. And then I’d come home. And then, of course, Damien had pulled me straight into his room. Now I was sitting on his bed, forced to finish my homework while he worked on his laptop. But that wasn’t the worst part.
The worst part was that he wouldn’t stop teasing me.
Every so often, he’d saunter over, press his lips to my neck, ghost his fingers down my spine-just enough to send a shiver rippling through me-before pulling away with a wicked smirk and going back to his damn laptop like nothing happened. And the bastard knew exactly what he was doing.
I clenched my jaw, my frustration mounting, but there was nothing I could do about it. With a sigh, I finished the last question on my Literature assignment, dropping my pen onto the notebook with a soft thud. My eyes drifted to Damien.
Black t-shirt. Grey joggers. Tousled hair. Sharp eyes locked onto whatever the fuck he was doing on that screen that apparently held more of his attention than I did.
I rolled my eyes. Unbelievable.
Shaking my head, I pushed up from the bed and wandered over to the balcony, letting the cool evening air brush against my skin. Thick clouds blanketed the sky, heavy and dark. It seemed like it’d–
Nature moved before I could finish my thought.
Raindrops. Soft at first, delicate little taps against the pavement. Then, within seconds, a full downpour.
A slow smile spread across my lips.
Finally.
Spinning on my heel, I rushed back inside. “Damien! It’s raining!”
He barely looked up, his expression unimpressed. “So?”
I blinked at him. “So?! It’s been months since the last rain!”
“Yeah, and?” His brow furrowed slightly, like he was genuinely trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do with this information.
I stared at him, horrified. This man…
“Damien,” I said slowly, like I was explaining something to a particularly dense child. “There’s only one rule when it rains-you go outside and enjoy it.” I strode toward him, grabbing his wrist. “Come on.”
A chuckle rumbled from his chest, deep and amused. “There’s no way in hell I’m doing that, Bunny.”
“Damien-”
“Nope.” He shook his head, already shutting it down. “This is non-negotiable.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I could drag you out there if I wanted to. You do know that, right?”
His smirk deepened, his amusement growing. “Oh? I’d love to see you try.” He leaned back, eyes glinting with challenge. “Let’s see how much strength you have left after last night.”
The words hit me like a bolt of lightning.
Last night.
God.
I didn’t need to explain it, did I? The soreness in my muscles spoke for itself. He had-once again-fucked me into complete oblivion. And the less I thought about it, the better chance I had at living like a normal human being and not a touch-starved, hormone-fueled mess at the mercy of Damien Black.
His brow lifted, knowing exactly where my thoughts had gone. “What?” he teased. “Not in the mood for the rain anymore?”
I scowled, heart pounding as he reached for my waist-about to do the predictable thing.
Nope.
Before he could pull me into him, I dropped his hand and took a deliberate step back.
“No, I very much do!” I shot back, narrowing my eyes. “And I am going. So you stay here and rot in front of your stupid laptop.”
And with that, I spun on my heel and bolted out the door. I heard Damien call my name-sharp, commanding-but I didn’t stop. Instead, I pushed forward, feet pounding against the wooden floor until I burst through the main entrance and into the open.
And then the rain hit me. Cool. Cleansing. A rush of sensation that seeped into my bones, washing away every ache, every burden I hadn’t realized I was still carrying. A slow, shuddering sigh slipped from my lips as I tilted my head back, closing my eyes. Raindrops rolled down my skin, trailing like whispers over my cheeks, my collarbone, my arms. And before I knew it-before I could even think-I was smiling.
God. If I hadn’t stepped outside tonight, I wouldn’t have known just how much my soul had been craving this.
And then, without hesitation, I let myself go.
I ran, arms outstretched, spinning, laughing-just like I had years ago. Like I was a child again, chasing nothing but the feeling of being alive. The grass was soft beneath my bare feet, the wind curling around me like an embrace, and the rain? It felt like a balm against every part of me I’d neglected for so long.
If I could disappear into this moment, I would.
And then, through the haze of rainfall, I saw him.
Damien.
He stood on the terrace, beneath the pergola, watching me.
The rain blurred my vision, making it impossible to read his expression from this distance, but I didn’t need to. I could feel his gaze on me-dark, unwavering.
A rush of something unnameable shot through me, and before I could think twice, I called out, “Come here, Damien! It’s not too late-I promise you’ll feel good!”
He let out a low chuckle, resting his hands on the railing. “Not convincing enough, Bunny.”
I pouted. “Pretty please?” My voice dipped into something softer, sweeter.
That only earned me another laugh.
I huffed. “Whatever! Your loss!”
Turning away from him, I let the rain consume me once more. My world shrank to the sound of the downpour, the coolness against my skin, the way my breath mixed with my laughter. Maybe to anyone else, I looked like an idiot-spinning, giggling, completely lost in the moment. But I had never felt more alive.
The seconds melted away. I don’t know how long I stayed like that, but when I turned back toward the house, my breath caught in my throat. Damien wasn’t on the terrace anymore.
He was at the front door.
Leaning against the frame, arms crossed, watching me.
Watching me… strangely.
I forgot how to breathe.
I must have looked like a mess-drenched, hair clinging to my skin, my white cotton dress utterly soaked and no doubt leaving very little to the imagination.
And then-before I could form a single word-he moved.
Damien pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside.
Slow. Deliberate.
The rain devoured him instantly, soaking into his skin, dripping from the strands of his dark hair. Without breaking stride, he ran a hand through it, pushing it back effortlessly, looking every bit the storm god that had stepped into this downpour for me.
And then he stopped. Right in front of me.
The evening, the house, the servants-if they were even here-none of it mattered.
He was here. In the rain. With me.
I chewed on my bottom lip, glancing up at him through my lashes. “I thought…” My voice was barely above a whisper. “I thought you didn’t want to join.”
And then he did something unexpected.
He smiled.
Not his usual smirk. Not a knowing, teasing curve of his lips.
A full, unguarded smile. Whole. Bright. Breathtaking.
He reached for me, sliding a hand around my waist in one fluid motion, pulling me flush against him. His warmth bled into my rain-cooled skin, a contrast so sharp it sent a tremor through me.
His voice was lower now, thick with something dangerous, something certain.
“Couldn’t help myself when you looked like this, Bunny.”.