Chapter 20
Apr 30, 2025
Damon’s POV
I wasn’t prepared for what I saw when I opened that door.
There she was, completely drenched in soapy foam, her skin glistening under the soft light. My jaw dropped. I was frozen in place, unable to move, unable to speak.
She gasped. Her cheeks flushed instantly, turning a deep, fiery red. “Damon! Get out!”
I blinked, finally catching myself. But instead of backing out, I laughed.
I couldn’t help it. The situation was ridiculous. Here was my fiancée, standing stark naked and covered in bubbles, and all I could do was laugh like a fool.
“You think this is funny?” she snapped, stomping toward me and giving me a firm whack on the shoulder. “At least get me a towel!”
“Right, right,” I chuckled, backing away with my hands in the air. “Stay put. I got you.”
I grabbed a towel from the closet and tossed it toward her, still chuckling.
“You’re enjoying this way too much,” she muttered, wrapping the towel around herself.
“I won’t lie, it’s definitely a highlight of my day,” I teased. “What happened?”
“The water just stopped mid-shower,” she grumbled. “And of course, I didn’t bring a towel in. Rookie mistake.”
“Let me call maintenance,” I said, pulling out my phone.
Within minutes, the issue was sorted. The pipes were just acting up again, something I should’ve fixed weeks ago.
Miranda went back into the bathroom, slamming the door with just enough force to make her irritation known.
While I waited, I paced the room, my mind spinning. That image of her… it wasn’t leaving anytime soon. She looked like a goddess standing there, even if she was scowling at me.
When she finally emerged, her hair damp and clinging to her shoulders, I was sitting on the bed, pretending to scroll through my phone. But I wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all myself.
She stopped when she saw me. “You’re still here?”
I put my phone down and stood. “Yeah. Wanted to make sure you were okay.”
She rolled her eyes and started walking past me.
But I reached for her.
I don’t know what came over me. Maybe it was the way her skin glowed under the light. Maybe it was the fact that we had been dancing around each other for weeks. Maybe I was just tired of pretending I didn’t want more than an arrangement.
I took her hand and gently pulled her toward me.
“I didn’t know you were this beautiful, Miranda,” I said softly.
She blinked at me. Her lips parted slightly, surprised.
Then she pulled her hand back. “I’ve always been beautiful. You just didn’t notice.”
That hit me harder than it should have. Because she was right.
How could I not have seen this beauty? From the very first moment I saw her in those corporate wears, looking like one disobedient clumsy assistant that she wasn’t.
I stepped closer, not letting her words deter me. “Well, I notice now.”
She turned her face, but I caught the way her lips trembled slightly. She wanted to stay mad. But something shifted in the air between us.
“Why now, Damon?” she asked, her voice softer. “Why do you suddenly care?”
“Because I see you,” I said. “Not just as someone I made a deal with. Not just as my pretend fiancée. I see you. The woman who doesn’t flinch when I’m angry. The woman who speaks her mind and fights back. The woman who looked like a damn vision tonight.”
She stayed silent, eyes locked on mine.
My heart pounded in my chest. I didn’t know what I was doing. All I knew was that I couldn’t stand another moment pretending.
So I did the one thing I’d been thinking about since she stepped out of that bathroom.
I kissed her.
It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t desperate. It was slow, searching, testing.
For a second, she froze.
And then she kissed me back.
Her hands moved up to my shoulders, and I pulled her closer, letting my fingers trace the line of her back through the towel.
When we finally broke apart, she looked up at me with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
“What was that?” she whispered.
“Something real,” I said. “Or at least, I hope so.”
She stared at me. “You’re confusing.”
“So are you. But I’d rather be confused with you than clear with anyone else.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Took you this long to figure that out?”
We both laughed, and for a moment, it felt easy. Natural.
The tension between us didn’t disappear, but it shifted into something warmer. Something welcome.
And I kissed her again.
