One -Minute CH 26

Miranda’s POV

I watched, barely containing my irritation, as Damon casually stretched his hand toward the guy who had been talking to me moments ago. His movements were smooth, confident. He was always like that, calm and controlled. But today, there was something almost smug in the way he held himself.

“Hi, I’m Damon,” he said, his voice smooth, almost a little too friendly as he introduced himself to the guy. “Miranda’s husband-to-be.”

I stiffened, my heart pounding in my chest. I shot a quick glance at the guy, trying to gauge his reaction. His eyes widened slightly, a flicker of shock and disbelief crossing his face. He turned to me with an expression that I couldn’t quite place.

“Uh, well, that’s… surprising,” he said, his voice betraying a mixture of curiosity and discomfort.

Damon, with a self-assured grin, didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, I know, it’s a lot to take in. But it’s true.”

The guy hesitated for a moment, then forced a polite smile. “Well, in that case, I’ll leave you two to it. It was nice meeting you.”

And just like that, he turned and walked away, leaving me staring at Damon, bewildered.

I didn’t say a word for a moment, letting the tension between us build up. My mind was racing. I had been so caught off guard by his bold move that I could hardly process the situation.

“What the hell was that?” I finally demanded, my voice rising with the frustration I could no longer suppress.

Damon’s grin widened, a gleam of amusement in his eyes. He knew exactly what he was doing, and I hated how easily he was able to throw me off balance. He always had that effect on me.

“I just introduced myself as your husband-to-be,” he said, his tone casual, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

I shook my head, incredulous. “Why? What was the point of that?”

He stepped closer, the space between us shrinking with every step. “Because you’re going to be my wife, Miranda.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I took a step back, trying to maintain my composure, but my heart was racing. I couldn’t get the image of that guy’s confused face out of my mind. This whole situation, this ridiculous charade of a marriage, was never supposed to feel real. I reminded myself of that constantly.

I crossed my arms over my chest, forcing myself to stay calm. “You know this is a marriage of convenience, right?” I said, my voice tight with barely restrained anger. “Nothing more. I’m not some possession for you to show off.”

Damon’s smile faltered for just a second before returning, even more confident. “Doesn’t matter,” he said with that characteristic coolness of his. “You’re still going to be my wife.”

I felt my cheeks flush with frustration. “I can date other people, Damon. You can’t just lay claim to me like that. This marriage is a business arrangement. Nothing more, remember?”

His eyes darkened, a flicker of something I couldn’t quite decipher flashing in them. I didn’t like how that made me feel. Unsettled. Vulnerable, even.

“I don’t care what you think this is,” he said, his voice lower now, more serious. “This is different. And you’re mine. I’m not going to stand by and let you throw yourself at someone else.”

I wanted to laugh, to tell him how ridiculous he sounded, but I couldn’t find the words. My mind was too busy reeling from what he had just said. “You don’t get to control me,” I replied, my voice shaking slightly despite my best efforts to stay strong. “You don’t own me.”

He moved even closer, until there was hardly any space between us. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the pull of his presence too strong to ignore.

His hand reached up to touch my face, his fingers grazing my cheek lightly. It sent a jolt of heat through me that I couldn’t explain.

“Miranda,” he said, his voice softer now, almost coaxing. “You’re mine. And I’m not letting go.”

My breath hitched. I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could say anything, Damon cut me off, his lips crashing down on mine in a kiss so forceful, so overwhelming, that all thoughts of defiance fled my mind in an instant.

For a moment, I stood there, frozen. But then, almost against my will, my body responded. I didn’t know if it was the frustration that had been building up inside me or something else entirely, but I kissed him back, matching the intensity of his kiss.

His hands moved to my waist, pulling me closer. My pulse quickened as I realized just how close we were, how badly I wanted to break free but couldn’t. I was caught in his grip, physically and emotionally, and I hated how much I wanted him to keep holding me.

Damon broke the kiss, his lips hovering just above mine as he panted, his breath hot against my skin. “Don’t fight this, Miranda,” he whispered, his voice rough. “You know you want it.”

I shook my head, trying to push him away, but it was no use. My hands were pressed against his chest, and my body betrayed me, leaning into him instead of pulling away.

“You’re wrong,” I managed to say, though my voice was shaky. “This doesn’t mean anything.”

He chuckled, low and dark. “It means everything, Miranda. You can deny it all you want, but you’re mine, and I’m not letting you forget it.”

Before I could respond, Damon grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the parking lot, his grip firm and unyielding. I couldn’t stop myself from following, though every part of me screamed that this was wrong.

This wasn’t how I wanted things to go, but I was too lost in the rush of emotions to pull away.

We reached his car, and without a word, Damon opened the door and ushered me inside. I climbed in, my mind still spinning from the kiss and the heated exchange. He followed after me, slamming the door shut behind him.

The moment he was inside, he wasted no time. His hands were on me again, pulling me into another heated kiss, one that I couldn’t escape from even if I tried. His lips were insistent, demanding, and I found myself responding with equal intensity, my body reacting to him in a way I couldn’t control.

His hand slipped under my shirt, fingers brushing against my skin, and I gasped, the sensation of his touch lighting a fire inside me.

I hated how much I wanted this, how badly my body craved him, even when my mind screamed for me to stop.

Damon’s lips trailed down my neck, his breath hot against my skin as he whispered in my ear. “I don’t care what you say, Miranda. You’re not leaving me.”

My hands found their way to his shirt, tugging it off in one swift motion. I didn’t know why I was doing this, why I couldn’t stop myself from giving in to him, but it didn’t matter. I needed him, needed this, whatever this was.

I felt his hands moving down my body, tugging at my clothes, the urgency in his movements matching the desperate pounding of my heart. There was no stopping now.

In the backseat of the car, I let myself go, succumbing to the heat between us. His body pressed against mine, and everything else faded away, every doubt, every protest, every reason why this shouldn’t happen.

It didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was him, and how much I needed him.

As the world outside the car went dark, all I could feel was Damon. All I could think about was the way he made me feel alive, consumed, and completely at his mercy.