Chapter 5 Ready or not

Chapter 5: Ready or not

Naomi stood by the door to the study, leaning against the frame with a playful grin as Damien clicked his pen absently, still deep in whatever business call he'd just finished. She took a step in and perched herself on the edge of his desk, crossing her arms with a little smirk.

"So," Naomi began, her voice low and teasing. "I was thinking... since you're abandoning me for your very important business-" she made air quotes, "I could really use some company while you're out. I mean, I'll be stuck in this huge house, all alone. You know... just me. And this massive place."

Damien glanced up, amusement flashing across his face. He knew she was about to hit him with something. "You really think I'm going to fall for that? You've got the whole place to yourself, and you're telling me you'll be lonely?"

"Well," Naomi said with a slow grin, "there's only so much I can do with an empty house. And there's only so much 'alone time' I can take with the walls closing in, Damien. So, I thought maybe Rachel could come over."

Damien's eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. "Rachel? Rachel who can never sit still for five minutes? The one who's been known to show up at the worst times?"

Naomi winked. "Yep. That one."

Damien leaned back in his chair, folding his arms, still clearly amused. "You know, it was supposed to be just the two of us, Naomi. I thought we were in agreement on that."

Naomi's grin grew wider. "Exactly. Just the two of us. But I was thinking... since you're leaving for work, and I'll still be here, it's just the two of us. Me... and Rachel."

Damien blinked, clearly processing the logic before breaking into a hearty laugh. "Oh, come on. You're really trying to be slick with the 'just two of us' routine? What is that, some kind of math equation?"

Naomi just shrugged, her face full of innocence. "What? I thought it made sense. I'll still be alone here. And Rachel will be here, so technically-"

"You're impossible," Damien chuckled, rolling his eyes, but there was no mistaking the affection in his gaze. He pushed his chair back and stood up, walking toward her, his smile still playing on his lips. "You're trying so hard to be clever. I'm not falling for it."

Naomi didn't break her grin, and before she could say another word, Damien cupped her face with both hands, bringing her closer. His lips met hers in a soft kiss, lingering, his thumb tracing her cheek gently as he pulled her even closer. Naomi's hands instinctively found their way to the back of his neck, her fingers curling into the soft fabric of his shirt.

Damien's lips were barely off hers when he pulled back just enough to speak, his voice low and playful. "If you keep this up, I might just have to cancel my damn meeting and spend the rest of the day with you."

Naomi grinned, her eyes darkening slightly with mischief. She leaned in just enough to brush her lips over his ear, her voice husky. "Maybe you should," she whispered, her fingers tracing the edge of his shirt, "I could think of a few ways to make it worth your while."

Her words hung in the air for a moment, and Damien's breath caught, his grip on his phone loosening. He looked at her, a sudden fire in his eyes that sent a shiver down her spine. His mouth parted in a small, dangerous smile.

"Fuck it," he muttered, his voice rough with desire. Without warning, he dropped his phone onto the desk and grabbed Naomi by the waist. In one swift motion, he lifted her off her feet like she weighed nothing, her legs wrapping instinctively around him.

She gasped in surprise, her laughter turning breathless as he kissed her deeply, his hands roaming over her back, pulling her even closer. It was like the whole world around them disappeared as Damien kissed her harder, deeper-like he couldn't get enough. Naomi's fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as if she, too, was lost in the moment.

Before Naomi knew it, she was lying on the soft, expensive sheets of their bed, Damien's body pressing against hers. He pulled away for just a second, his face flushed and eyes burning with that same intensity.

"Damn," he muttered, his voice rough. "We're definitely not topping that today."

Naomi's cheeks flushed crimson, her heart pounding. She could barely catch her breath, still processing the sudden change in the air. Her body felt like it was still humming from his touch.

Damien, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips, stood up and began pulling off his shirt. He didn't even bother to look back at her as he made his way to the closet, his voice cutting through the stillness of the room.

"I'm gonna call the driver to pick Rachel up," he said nonchalantly, as if nothing just happened. "Have fun today, babe... but nothing's gonna top this."

Naomi blushed even harder, lying there under the duvet with her hair tousled and her lips still swollen from the kiss. "You-you're serious?" she asked, her voice a little breathless, a tiny giggle escaping her as she tried to get her bearings.

Damien glanced back at her over his shoulder, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Trust me," he said, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Nothing's gonna beat that."

He walked out, giving her one last look before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Enjoy the rest of your day, love. I'll see you tonight."

With that, he was gone, and Naomi lay there, the warmth of his kiss still tingling on her lips. She couldn't stop the blush spreading across her cheeks

As Naomi lay there, the sheets tangled around her legs, her eyes drifted to the bedside clock.

Rachel would be here soon.

She hadn't decided if she was going to tell her. About the letter. About the weird time-stamp. About the fact that it's still sitting in the drawer and she can't stop thinking about it.

And now that stupid phrase-tick-tock. Why did Rachel always say that?

Was it just one of her quirks?

Or was it more?

Naomi sighed and turned to the side, pulling the duvet over her head like it could shut her thoughts up.

She wasn't ready to deal with this yet.

But ready or not... Rachel was on her way.