He stayed still, observing me for a moment, and then suddenly he clutched his stomach and began laughing. This time, his laughter had a cruel edge to it. "Punish you?" he chuckled, followed by a cough. "How bizarre can one person get?"
His mocking laughter and insensitive words infuriated me, and I couldn't control my reaction. Without thinking, I raised my hand and slapped him across the face.
To my surprise, his expression remained unchanged, aside from the handprint that now adorned his cheek. He stared at me with furrowed brows, and I instantly knew that I had crossed a line. "You hit me?" he said, a faint smile forming at the corner of his lips. My gaze shifted to his clenched fists, and then our eyes met.
Fear gripped me as I witnessed the intensity of his glare. The cold aura emanating from his body made me shiver with apprehension. He closed his eyes, relaxed his hands, and let out a deep breath. "Whenever someone hits my face, I seem to lose control, Ava," he confessed, opening his eyes to meet mine. "Just don't try it again."
I gulped, feeling a mix of fear and confusion. We couldn't deny the tension between us, but his warning was clear. I watched him, the silence hanging heavily in the air. Eventually, he broke the silence with a smile. "I understand that I can be difficult to comprehend, Ava. I don't blame you. Even I struggle to understand myself sometimes," he admitted, his smile widening. "But I don't want you to be scared of me. Is that clear?"
I averted my gaze from him and focused straight ahead, asserting, "I'm not scared, I just don't like you."
He paused for a moment, taking in my response. Then, with a smile, he said, "And yet, here we are, heading to our date."
"This is not a date; it's just the only way for me to go to Wonder Wheel," I clarified firmly.
"That guy who texted you can't take you there?" he mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I understand, his company doesn't interest you."
"Don't get me wrong," I growled, meeting his gaze and seeing a grin on his face. "He has money, and he loves me. I just couldn't go with him because if I reject you, then I will have to go to work."
"Killing two stones with one bird, huh?" he remarked.
Furrowing my brows, I corrected him, "You mean killing two birds with one stone, right?" I muttered, and he took a moment to process what I had just said before chuckling, and then laughing.
"How foolish of me to forget such a thing," he chuckled, finding this exchange amusing. I couldn't understand what was so funny about our conversation.
"I will not allow you to punish Evelyn," I asserted.
"Hmm," he responded, his tone nonchalant.
"You said you like me," I reminded him.
"I did?" He furrowed his brows, a smile playing on his lips. "Oh yes, I did."
"If you like me, then stop punishing them for my sake, and please, do not laugh at this," I implored, holding his gaze. For a brief moment, his eyes remained fixed on mine, and then he burst out laughing, trying to contain himself.
He found it amusing if I attempted to protect people from him. "Oh, my dearest Ava," he leaned in closer, smiling mischievously. "Why did I like you years back?" His words confused me. "Oh yes, I never knew your character. Your beauty did it for me, and I knew you would entertain me well." He lifted a strand of my hair close to his nose and inhaled. "And I was right; you entertain me well."
"What are you blabbering about?" I questioned, exasperated by his cryptic words.
"Nothing serious, Ava," he replied, pulling back and leaning back in his seat, closing his eyes. "We are getting close to the Wonder...whatever you call it." I stared at him, observing the way the air moved into the car, his hair gently swaying.
He is handsome, but also strange. We remained in that position for hours. How far is this place anyway? "Master?" I called out, but he said nothing. "Master!" I yelled, but still, no response. He must be sleeping already. I never expected someone like him to let his guard down so quickly.
Slowly moving towards him, I reached out and gently touched his hair. It was surprisingly soft. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of shampoo he used. "Damon," his name rolled off my tongue. It was the first time I had called his name in his presence, and I quite liked it. "You're so cruel, Damon." My hands instinctively moved to his face. "So cruel that I think you should die." They continued downwards, settling on his neck as I carefully sat on his lap. Holding my breath, I realized he didn't stir, which eased my nerves.
I knew I was walking into the lion's den, but there were certain things I wanted to see. My hands traced down to his chest, unbuttoning his shirt and gasping at the sight before me. I had never seen someone so incredibly built. The broad shoulders, the sculpted chest—it was a sight to behold. My hands ventured further down to his abs before retracing their path back up to his chest.
Having attended countless fighting classes, I knew that nobody could match Damon's strength. Analyzing his physique, it was clear he wasn't just all talk—he truly possessed immense power.
But just as I was about to reach his face, his hand swiftly caught mine in mid-air. I had expected him to wake up, but not this soon. His eyes were still closed, and yet he growled, "How silly are you? No, rather, how foolish are you?" He opened his eyes, and there was no hint of a smile.
"You sit on my lap without permission, touch my hair, and my face, and unbutton my shirt to test my strength?" How did he know that I had done all these things just to assess his power? "And here I was thinking you would kiss me." So, that's why he was angry—because I didn't kiss him. He must be crazy to entertain such thoughts.
"Why would I want to kiss you?" I retorted.
"I don't know, Ava. Maybe because you haven't seen someone as handsome as me before,"
He grinned and let out a fake chuckle. "You impress me, Ava. You no longer fear me. You didn't think I could take advantage of you in this situation. You don't think at all, Ava."
"We have arrived, sir," the driver muttered, but Damon didn't let go of my hand.
"You decided to climb onto my lap and touch me because you remembered what your fighting instructor told you years ago? You decided to risk your life for such silly things... You truly are a senseless little girl, Ava."
"What are—"
"Don't interrupt when I am trying to teach you something." He released my hand and held my chin, frowning. "Before you do things, Ava, think. What you are doing may bring more harm to yourself, and trust me, it did." He pulled me closer, and I could feel his excitement poking me.
My face turned bright red. "Don't blame me. I am a man who decided to rest, but then a beautiful girl decided to sit on my lap, not quietly. She kept moving back and forth, unbuttoning my shirt, and touching me. And to top it off... your arse did it for me." He smiled. "I mean, it is big, right?"
"Damon..."
"And now you're calling me by my name." He didn't frown, and that confused me. Why did I call him by his name when he was awake? I messed up. "Touch me, Ava. I have to release before we step out." He grabbed my hand and placed it on the bulge, and my eyes widened.
He leaned in close and whispered, "It is your doing, Ava, so finish what you started." His voice seemed to push me to get started, but the problem right now was that I didn't know how. Maybe I should do things my way.
Lifting my hand with force, I struck him right there. His eyes widened, and the bulge seemed to diminish. "Mission accomplished." I smiled, but the look on his face revealed that he felt a little pain from what I did.
He growls, pushing me off his lap. "What the hell, Ava."
"You said I should..." I stopped talking when he shot me a glare. "That wasn't what you expected?" He furrowed his brows, and I fought the urge to laugh. "Sorry, it... it was a mistake." He said nothing except to walk out of the car, and I had to follow.
He suddenly stops at the gate and stares at me. "You're not going home tonight." With that, he walks in, leaving me speechless.