the prettiest of them all
summary: What better way to use a closet mirror, conveniently placed beside the bed than to see you writhe in his arms?
pairing: damien nazario x f!mc (written as ‘you’, no name usage)
warnings: mature/smut (minor DNI!)
a/n: couldn’t just leave our man Nazario out after writing for Beckett, so please enjoy this fic with our favourite private investigator! ‘you’ can be yourself or your OC! and don’t forget to leave some sugar! ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ
» fancy reading another choices fic? check out my m.list!
disclaimer! this is a submission for:
‘CFWC Naughty & Nice’ by @choicesficwriterscreations with the prompts (Naughty); “I can’t move.” “That’s the idea.”
‘Picktober: Choices October Challenge’ by @choicesmonthlychallenge using the prompts (Kinktober); Biting & Mirrors.
» smut includes; dirty mind, biting obv, fingering, soft!Damien.
'The single piece of furniture, plus your scandalous moans playing in his head on a loop continuously taunting him.' ;
It was hard for Damien to believe that it's been six months since the end of the whole Eros incident. Though he has yet to sleep without waking up in a cold sweat every once in a while, he was definitely getting better by the day.
Plus, with you in his arms at every step of the way, he'd say he's doing pretty good!
Time flies when you're with the right person— as cliché as it sounds, the statement had resonated with him the moment he knew he wanted to be more than just your friend. He remembered Nadia offering him to hang out with the three of you as a thank-you for dealing with her stalker problem. He also remembered having second thoughts about it, considering how he's always ever avoided making friends with his clients. Yet, somehow, it was the need to see you again that pushed him to say yes.
No matter how hard he tried to deny his own feelings, he knew he had no chance of winning, and he'd often thank the universe for it.
So, getting the opportunity to enjoy an entire week in Hawaii with you, especially after a slew of misfortunes and just plain stress in the office, was like dying a hero.
Not that he'd call himself a hero.
Then again, he couldn't say that in front of you. Don't ever say that, you'd probably admonish him, but not out of anger.
Oh, you. Wonderful, wonderful you. Just an embodiment of pure love and hope.
He hasn't moved from his spot ever since he reluctantly let you leave the bed, glancing between the window and the bathroom. He was conflicted between watching the picturesque sunset and seeing you walking to and fro in the bathroom sink as you did your makeup.
You and Damien had just woken up, having been forced to follow Nadia and Steve to visit the local attractions at the crack of dawn. Sloane, Khaan and Hayden's presence made the activity bearable, considering it wasn't just you and Damien in that ten hour-torture. But what could he do? Nadia was the one paying for the trip, so Damien knew better than to bitch and whine about her itinerary.
Plus, Nadia knew he didn't hate it, as long as you were around, you knew your ways of distracting him.
He covered his eyes with one arm, the cloud-like pillow and your humming nearly lulled him back to sleep, only to raise his head at your soft 'fuck!'.
Something about the noise you made immediately had eyes landing on the closet mirror next to him. The single piece of furniture, plus your scandalous moans playing in his head on a loop continuously taunting him.
Fuck it.
And just like, he shot out of bed, unwilling to ignore what he had been wanting to do the second he got here.
Seeing you meticulously work on your lashes, he was nice enough to knock on the door, your expression shifting from extreme focus to a wide grin.
“Morning, handsome,” You joked and yet, you continued with perfecting your wing, “We should be getting ready, Nadia's been torturing my phone for like, 30 minutes now.”
As if on cue, the 'ding!' coming from your phone only supported your explanation, the 17th message from none other than Mrs Park herself.
Damien answered you with a hum, leaning against the door frame and watching you with his sharp eyes. He took in your current appearance; Dazzling and downright luscious, dressed to the nines, despite the lack of clothing covering you up. A naughty little vixen. A single taste of you and his self-restraints will immediately snap.
“Damien?” You didn’t look back at him, despite his lack of response, only for you to freeze up when he came up to you ever so slowly. The way he approached you with such a look made you feel like a prey, a thought that you couldn’t help yourself as you rubbed your thighs together.
He must’ve noticed it, chuckling as he stood behind you, his erection barely hiding behind his briefs as he pinned you against the counter.
“What are you doing?” You finally met his eyes in the mirror, giving him a nervous giggle.
“Just… appreciating.”
“Yeah? Well, do you mind if you…” You motioned him to step back with your free hand, “Move back a little?”
“Now, why would I do that?” His voice got deeper as if your question had offended him despite the mischief in his tone. You only thought of putting the brush down when he placed both of his hands on either side of you, trapping you between his hard chest and the counter.
“I… I can’t move.” The prominent bulge was impossible to ignore, especially when he began rolling his hips into your backside. You choked out a gasp, the mascara was long forgotten as it dropped to the floor, hints of ink smearing the marble top when it slipped out of your fingers.
“That’s the idea.”
He didn't give you the time to process and dragged you out to the bedroom, carrying you via bridal style. Your demands to put you down were as effective as a Pomeranian yapping at its owner, with Damien's chest reverberating with laughter against you.
Surprisingly, instead of placing you down on the bed as you expected, he sat on the edge of the bed, which faced the unexplainably long mirror. Damien knew he got you exactly where he wanted the second he heard your breath hitching, and he knew it wasn’t only because he had you on his lap.
It was the first thing you noticed when you checked in, the placement and sheer size of it drove your mind to run wild. It didn’t last long, though, for you were forced to snap out of it when Damien came in seconds later. But you should’ve known better than to think he didn’t notice, too focused on the idea of being ravished in front of it to see the smug on his face. You lied when he asked if you were okay, answering him ever so softly without meeting his gaze before running off to the bathroom ‘to change into your bikini’ despite forgetting to grab your swimwear out of your luggage.
Since then, his imagination, too, became anything but appropriate, though if he wasn’t being honest, he would’ve thought about it regardless. But the real problem was finding the right time for it. Since the very first day, he had you bouncing on his cock in the luxurious bathtub and has gone down on you in the sauna but not once have the two of you used the bed. Whether it was because you were too tired or too comfortable in the sheets, and in Damien’s arms no less, it didn’t matter anymore, because he was going to change that.
To hell with Nadia’s plans tonight, he had other priorities.
The way his warm breath tickled your neck as he perched his chin on your shoulder, his calloused hands running up and down your hips before settling them on your top. He grazed his teeth across your neck, easily finding the sweet spot that sent shivers down your spine. He didn’t spare you a second before biting into the soft skin, huffing out in amusement when you choked out a gasp, writhing in his arms, and he didn’t just do it once.
He didn’t want just one hickey on your pretty neck, after all.
He fondled your breasts, feeling your nipples tighten under the material. He dragged the top down, the material folding under your breasts and accentuating your assets. His mouth was dying to latch onto your nipples, but he was already too entranced by the current view in front of him. That didn’t mean who wouldn’t do it later.
He never said he’d be done with it after one round.
And the second his fingers brushed against your sensitive bud, he knew you were done for.
The way his fingers pumped in and out of your pussy had you squirming in his lap, his lips unconsciously parting with yours as he watched your face contort in pleasure. He didn’t even bother removing your panties, opting to move the offending material aside before easing in his thick, middle finger. The more he curled his fingers into you, the more you soaked both his briefs, down to the bedsheets. Not that he gave a shit anyway. In fact, it was exactly what he wanted to see, the same way he wanted to hear that delicious squelching.
Your head rolled back, resting it against his shoulder as he leaned in and whispered.
“Open your eyes, mi vida,” You whined, both from the nickname and how his voice went so far as to make you tighten around his fingers. He growled at the sensation, but managed to keep it together before continuing, “Look at yourself in the mirror and see how gorgeous you are.”
You tried to, you really did, but with the way rolled his hips against yours, it was almost impossible to even open your eyes, let alone keep your head up.
So, he helped you out.
His other hand moved from your waist, his fingers sliding from the valley of your breasts, tits now hard from when he rolled them just moments ago, before holding you by the jaw. It was nowhere near rough, but enough to help you look up.
If it wasn’t for Damien, you would’ve looked away just as quickly, your body growing hotter than you thought was possible at the sight; your skin glowing from the sheen of sweat and dim light coming from the bathroom, his thick fingers thrusting in and out of your tight hole and those blown out pupils of his as he watched you, right before his eyes met yours, now far less innocent of a situation then your brief conversation in the bathroom earlier.
“Cancel our plans,” You didn’t even know what he was talking about at first, not especially when he turned your head to look at him, hair disheveled and looking feral, “I want you to see how beautiful you cum in the mirror. Over and over again.”
˚ · . f i n . · ˚
» gorgeous rose divider by the amazing @firefly-graphics ♡
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Picktober Challenge: Falling for you
Picktober theme(s)-
Flufftober: Sharing Clothes and Holding Hands,
Falltober: Pumpkin and Cider
Fanfiction (Choices The Royal Romance/ The Royal Heir & Perfect Match Fandoms)- Fictober prompt: I’m doing it, shut up.
Books: The Royal Romance 1-3 to Royal Heir and Perfect Match.
Rating: M (18+) Sexual situation and adult themes.
Trigger Warnings in this chapter: NS*W 🍋. Additionally, mention of miscarriage.
Pairing: Liam Rys x Jessica Garcia (MC), former. Damien Nazzaro x Jessica Garcia
Agent Phoenix Forged in Fire Series premise: This is a canon-divergent series set after TRR 3 Tariq is never found. Liam’s duty to his country forces him into marriage. Jessica and Liam enter into a Cordonian arrangement. Both of them wanted to have a life together. However, various obstacles prevent him from a divorce and having the life they both want together. With dreams of a future crushed, Jessica leaves Cordonia. Despite a five-year absence, they are still heartbroken and unable to forget each other and the life they once shared. When Jessica’s career path takes an expected turn, her duty to her country pushes her to Cordonia, back into the society that burned her, and back into Liam’s sights. Will she rise from the ashes or once again go down in flames? Catch up here
Disclaimer
A/N: This is my submission for the Choices Monthly Challenge: Picktober and Fictober.
*This is a oneshot that is a part of the main story, and events will occur in a later chapters and stories in between* in the meantime here is a companion piece to give you some background on the meaning of Koi in Liam and Jessica's life.
Chapter Summary: Jessica and Damien's friends-with-benefits relationship gets complicated.
Song Inspiration: Toothbrush - Dnce
Word count: 4,500 *, please excuse typos and grammatical errors*
Reading time: 10 Minutes
Damien Nazario apartment
Jessica jumped up from the couch and shouted, “Fuck yes! Thank you, Aaron Judge.”
Damien dug his head into the arm of his sofa and said, “Can we turn this off?”
“Why? Because the M-E-T-S are losing?” Jessica jeered.
“I just think I’m disgusted with my team at this point,” Damien mumbled while eyeing the tv remote.
“Damien, you are a sore loser.”
Damien rolled his eyes. “Please don’t do that.”
“Do what?” Jessica said, knowing full well she was being obnoxious.
“You don’t have to rub it in.”
“The fuck I do. All day long, you were talking sooooo much shit; look at this score. We have four more innings.”
Damien snapped back, “Tone it down, okay.”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “Such a baby,”
Damien crossed his arms and huffed, “Just stop.”
“Are you gonna make me, Sir…” Jessica said with a cheeky smile.
20 minutes later…
“Fuck” Damien murmured in a deep seductive tone; she moaned as Damien smacked her ass. She spread her legs, quickly aligning herself with him. Both of them are so hungry for each other. She was dripping while she slowly sank onto him, gasping as she felt him enter her inch by inch. She gave her body time to adjust to his length and thickness before she moved her hips in a figure-eight motion, arching her back in pleasure.
Damien reacted similarly, groaning her name as she got fully seated in his lap. Jessica began to rock her hips back and forth, moans mixing through the air as they were stimulated.
Damien held her hips, thrusting into her with determination. “Mmmm.” Jessica moaned, her head tilting back as Damien reached up to tangle his fingers into her hair again and tug. She squeezed her eyes shut as Damien’s thrusts up into her became rougher, his free hand reaching down to rub circles onto her clit, making her body taut and her pants of breath faster. Jessica could feel herself get close, her first orgasm of many barrelling toward her. She cried out as it hit her, the sound of her ass hitting his thighs becoming clearer and clearer. She heard him moan her name out in bliss.
Jessica stopped on top for a few seconds as she combed her hair with her hand before she laid her head on Damien’s chest and mumbled, “God, that was so fucken good.” They both gave a slight chuckle. Jessica lifted her wrist to look at her father’s watch and said, “So fucken late or so fucken early.”
Jessica rolled off Damien’s side, gently brushing the hair away from her face while he whispered, “Preciosa, stay.”
Jessica pursed her lips. “I don’t know if that ruins our friends-with-benefits situation.”
“Worry when you’re leaving a toothbrush. You don’t have to work tomorrow. If it makes you feel better, just get some rest, and you can leave without waking me up.” Jessica responded by cuddling a little closer, allowing herself to relax; their two bodies were tangled in each other’s arms.
“I’m gonna just close my eyes for a bit.” She murmured.
Damien twirled Jessica’s hair and watched her eyes get heavy under his touch. When he was sure she had fallen asleep, he kissed her forehead and whispered, ‘Me Estoy Enamorado de ti (I’m falling for you).”
10 am …
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Jessica and Damien both woke up at the sound of loud knocking. Damien wiped his eyes. “What the fuck?”
“What’s happening?” Jessica said, half asleep.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
“Sssh baby, go back to bed,” Damien said without thinking as he rushed to put his pants on to answer the door.
Jessica looked at Damien, puzzled, and whispered, ‘Shhh baby go back to bed?’ to herself, silently cursing for oversleeping and confusing their arrangement.
Damien closed the bedroom door behind him and answered the persistent knocking at his door. A woman said, “Ángel, ¿Cómo estás hijo? (Angel, how are you doing, son?)
Damien said in shock, “¿Mamá? ¿Qué estás haciendo aquí? (Mom? what are you doing here?)
“Well, we wanted to surprise you.” Another woman answered with a sassy tone.
“Lucilla.”
“We came to visit Hope and her wife. We are gonna go pumpkin picking. We know you hate that stuff, so we thought we could force you if we showed up unannounced.”
Meanwhile, in Damien’s bedroom…
Jessica covered herself in Damien’s comforter. ‘I want to die. Maybe they’ll leave, and I could just pretend I wasn’t here. Yeah, no sweat. They won’t know I’m here. Crisis averted.’ Jessica silently thought, plotting her escape.
“Dames, since when do you carry around a Marc Jacobs tote?”
“Carina?”
“Goddamn, is this the fucken Nazrio family reunion?” Jessica hissed as she got off the bed and started frantically looking for her clothes.
“Is she still here?” Another voice whispered.
“Yea, she is still here. Shirts on the floor.”
“Hope, come on.”
“Oh Dios mío. Perdóname hijo. Te estás protegiendo, ¿Verdad? (Oh my God. Sorry son. You’re protecting yourself right?”
¡Mamá!
‘Fuck my life hard.’ Jessica cursed at herself in her head.
“You didn’t tell us you were seeing anyone.”
“Is it serious?”
“¡Lucilla cállate!” Damien snapped.
“Bring her out; let’s meet her.”
“She can come with us pumpkin picking.” Lucilla chimed in
“Okay… Okay… can I just talk to her? I’m sure she hears all your loud mouths.”
Damien walked into the bedroom, and a pillow was thrown in his face as soon as he entered. He could see the panic and worry on her face.
“Your whole family is in the living room; they want me to go pumpkin picking with them,” Jessica said in a harsh, whispered tone.
“Preciosa, I’m sorry I obviously didn’t know.”
“Cool it with the pet names! Where are my panties?”
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
“Ohhh, nice bra.” Isabela teased from behind the door. Damien opened the door jar and collected Jessica’s bra.
“Just shoot me. Put me out of my misery.”
“Come on; it’s not that bad.” Damien mused as he held out Jessica’s bra. Jessica snatched it and put it on.
“Yeah, this is bad,” Damien smirked.
“Gee, thanks,” Jessica said as she rolled her eyes.
Damien went into his closet and handed Jessica a shirt. Jessica looked at the shirt and looked at Damien with an annoyed expression. “Really? A Mets jersey.”
“You want me to go back out there and get your shirt off the floor or what?”
“I want to throw up.”
Damien gave a cringe as Jessica put on the Mets Jersey and said, “So I will just tell her we are dating like a couple saying we are just seeing each other will lead to other questions. The usual ones about settling down.”
Jessica roughly adjusted the jersey in disgust and hissed, “You can’t be serious. We’re not an item, Damien!”
He shhed her with his hand while speaking low and said, “I know that, but they don’t. Please, Preciosa. I will never hear the end of it.”
“That’s not my problem.”
Damien looked ready to get on his knees and beg as he gave a pleading stare and said, “Please, Jessica! Just one day of playing the part and pretending. I’m not asking you to go to trader joes or some shit couples do on a Saturday morning; I just want a day of pumpkin picking and you pretending we’re together.”
Jessica stared for a long moment before they heard one of his sisters through the door, “Are you coming out or not? Come on and bring her out!”
Damien gave Jessica a pleading look and sighed heavily while pinching her nose bridge. “Fuck…Okay, one day. One day of pretending, and that’s it.”
Damien released a relieved sigh and smiled before Jessica adjusted herself, and Damien opened the door to greet them. Jessica came face to face with an older woman and four younger women with curious stares her way.
Damien put his arm around Jessica while introducing her as Jessica plastered a fake smile on her face. "Mamá, Hope, Isabela, Carina, Lucilla; this is Jessica Garcia." He gestured to Jessica before gesturing to each sister and his Mother. “Jessica, this is my Mamá, My older sister Hope and my younger sisters Isabela, Carina, and Lucilla.”
Jessica was bombarded by both Spanish and English as everyone seemed to talk simultaneously to introduce themselves and ask questions about her. Damien held up a hand and said, “Guys, I’m sure we can talk plenty on the car ride.”
The one sister Isabela gestured to Damien’s Jersey Jessica wore, “Oh, you’re a Mets fan!”
Jessica forced a smile even though she thought, ‘Fucking Hell.’
Twin farms Orchards, Freehold, New Jersey
Jessica inwardly cringed when Damien held her hand while walking through the grass to the rows of Pumpkins lining the field. She gave him a sideways glare as he leaned down and whispered, “Preciosa, couples hold hands.”
Jessica hissed, “Yeah, but we’re not a couple.”
“One day, Jessica. Please. “
Jessica rolled her eyes as Damien’s sisters ran ahead of them. As she whispered to him, “I’m doing it, shut up.”
Damien gave her a smile with a nod and whispered, “Just…Try to enjoy the day pretending we’re together. After today, we can return to our strictly friends-with-benefits arrangement. I promise…Please, Jessica?” His dark eyes held an intense gaze she had seen so many times in her past with eyes as blue as the Mediterranean Sea.
She stared at Damien a moment and thought to herself, ‘Stop it. That life is behind you now, and it’s not like you’re betraying anything or anyone here. This is just a casual little outing with his family. You’re just doing a friend a favor.’ She reminded herself as she huffed and looked away while Damien squeezed her hand lightly.
Jessica couldn’t help inwardly smiling as she felt his hand in hers, but this time it wasn’t a momentary touch; it lingered, and she enjoyed the feeling. A slight warmth bloomed in her chest as his fingers interlaced her own. She almost felt guilty for enjoying it, even if her brain told her she shouldn’t.
The feeling was cut short by Hope saying, “Hurry up, lovebirds! We need Damien for the heavy lifting.”
Damien smiled and retorted, “So that’s why you called me out of bed to go with you all, and here I thought you missed me.”
Damien looked at Jessica right when his sisters and Mother looked over, and Jessica forced a smile even though all she could think of was, ‘Great. I’m spending my Autumn Sunday in a fucken Mets Jersey with a guy that is strictly friends with benefits, and his family thinks we’re a fucken couple madly in love or some shit…Perfect.’
Jessica sighed to herself when Damien pulled them both towards the pumpkin patch.
Isabela said, “What? Hope, that pumpkin is downright sad. It’s tiny!… Now, that one, on the other hand.”
Damien’s face sagged when he saw the large misshapen pumpkin Isabela pointed at, and Jessica couldn’t help but lightly chuckle as Damien gawked.
“You can’t seriously expect me to carry that thing the whole time, right?” He argued.
Lucilla walked over to their brother with her own pumpkin in hand, “Isabela, it’s not even round. It’s so ugly.”
“So? It’s getting carved anyway.”
Carina gestured towards a row of medium-sized pumpkins and exclaimed, “Uh, who cares about the size and roundness when those aren’t even that orange, and they have bad spots on them.”
Jessica and Damien watched the sisters talking over each other in minor disagreements as Damien gave Jessica a sideways look and mumbled, “On second thought, if you wanted to bail, I’m sure I can come up with an excuse.”
Their Mom chimed in, lecturing them in Spanish as Hope replied, “Sorry, Mamá, we’ll just pick one each. So it doesn’t matter who picks what.” Hope gave while shooting a mild glare to her three younger sisters, who all collectively nodded or shrugged and went off looking for their perfect pumpkins.
"Preciosa, which one?" He asked while scanning the pumpkin patch.
Jessica shrugged, “Doesn’t matter to me.”
Damien sighed, “Come on, Jessica. Try to act like this isn’t killing you to be here, for my sake.”
Jessica blinked at that and said, “I never said it was. I guess I’m just rusty.”
Damien ran a hand over his temple with a cringe. “I know, I know. I didn’t plan this exactly, but I want to make a decent impression, so I’m not hounded with questions.”
“You mean more than what was already asked? Carina asked me how our first date was, and Isabela asked if I planned on coming to Thanksgiving, and Hope and Lucilla wanted to know every detail imaginable.”
Damien gave an apologetic look, “Sorry for dragging you into this mess.”
Jessica eyed him for a moment. The way he looked at her and had her insides twist a bit. She released an annoyed breath through her nose before glancing at the pumpkins.
She thought, ‘The least I can do is try. It’s one day. ‘
“Okay.” She mumbled before walking over to a pumpkin. She bent down to pick it up and examine it. Her hand ran over the smooth surface before nodding. “This one.”
Damien looked slightly surprised, “You sure?”
Jessica nodded at the modestly sized pumpkin and said, “Positive.” Before she handed it to Damien, who smiled relieved and took it.
“Thanks for not picking the biggest pumpkin in this field for me to carry all day.”
Jessica gave a cheeky smirk. She looked around with a hum and said, “Hmm…Actually, maybe that one way over there?” She pointed to a much bigger pumpkin on the other side of the field.
Damien rolled his head back with a groan even if Jessica could clearly see a smirk; he tried to hide, “Oh God, please don’t start acting like my sisters. You already see what I have to fucken deal with.”
Jessica let out a huff-like chuckle, “Save it. I grew up with two overprotective older brothers. I don’t want to hear shit.”
They both walked together, giving the same witty banter and snide remarks they always did with each other, and Jessica couldn’t help thinking, ‘This really isn’t so bad. Damien’s a nice guy, his family is nice, and so far, his sisters and Mom haven’t been bad to me, and it’s a good pumpkin patch… It’s really kind of…Easy to pretend.’ She thought with a slight frown at her mixed emotions as she and Damien walked side by side.
Jessica paused when she saw the Apple Orchard a ways away on the other side of the field. Red apples hung from the faraway trees as a few people with buckets picked them. She stopped in her tracks to stare as a slow sinking feeling dropped in her stomach at all the memories an apple orchard could bring back.
A particular memory of her and the Crowned Prince sneaking off into the Applewood Manors Apple orchard for one of their ‘in-between’ moments. Laughing as he chased her before he caught her, kissing her deeply in secret while Jessica swore she would spend the rest of her life with him.
Damien instantly noticed her expression and stopped alongside her. “Jessica, is something wrong?”
Jessica shook herself and said, “No, just watching….”
Damien eyed her as she forced herself to look away. Analyzing her as she had on her poker face.
Suddenly, they were interrupted when Lucilla walked over to them and said, “Dames, Mamá, and Carina need help with their pumpkins… Jessica, if you want, we can go to the shop together and snag some cider and donuts for everyone. “
Jessica didn’t get to answer as Lucilla grabbed her hand, all while Jessica gave Damien a sideways glance as she was practically dragged away.
Damien nodded, “Sure thing. That’s my job here, apparently, Pumpkin carrier…Try not to keep Jes- my Girl, too long.” He gave Jessica a slight cringing smile as he left.
"No promises, Dames."
Jessica gave Lucilla a look as she let go of her hand, “... You’re gonna interrogate me, aren’t you?”
Lucilla shrugged, “It’s not an interrogation, just…Just Girl talk. About things about my brother.”
Jessica released an exasperated sigh as all she thought in her head, ‘Fuck my life.’
A short while later, Jessica and Lucilla had cider in their hands as they sat on a bench. Lucilla wasted no time asking, “So, how long have you known my brother?”
“Long enough. A year.”
“And we never heard about you because?”
Jessica shrugged, “We were friends first. I actually never expected…This, but here we are.” Jessica laughed slightly, trying to come off as genuine as possible.
“And uh, how did…This happen? Like, was it endless crushing on one of your parts, or did you both just randomly decide?...” She asked while trailing off.
Jessica shrugged, “I think it just kind of happened. A snarky remark here, a dig there, and before you know it, we hit it off.” Jessica gave a small smile. “I guess it was our way of flirting.”
Lucilla watched Jessica intently as Jessica sipped her cider and asked her, “So, do you know everything about Damien?”
“Um, yeah. I’m pretty sure I do.”
“Do you? Because my brother plays this cynical tough guy act to protect himself. “
Lucilla continued, “He’s had a lot of heartbreak. He won’t tell us, but this one woman he claimed was only a ‘colleague’ on the force messed him up pretty badly. The minute she ‘left’ work and was gone from his life or whatever, he became bitter and depressed. We couldn’t even say Alana’s name without him getting the biggest frown on his face and looking like a kicked puppy. There was Kai Parks; she had led him on for months. Now she is getting married. Dames has never really found his ‘Perfect Match.’ He’s become such a pessimist about relationships.
Jessica opened her mouth slightly to form the words. “I…I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, well, that’s Dames. He hides everything because he doesn’t want to burden people.” She sighed and swirled her cider in her cup. “I just want to ensure he’s not dealing with another heartbreak.”
“No, I would never do that to your brother Lucilla.”
She gave Jessica a skeptical stare. “Yeah? Then can you actually see a future with my brother? He doesn’t need a fling; he needs a woman who will love him as much as he loves her. Long term.”
Jessica sighed and sat her cider down to turn to Lucilla on the bench. “Listen, Lucilla. I get it. I have two brothers of my own and my own issues with the women they’ve dated. I don’t know where this is going with Damien and me, but we’re just testing the waters now. But I can tell you I have no intentions of hurting him.”
“Then what do you love about him?”
“What?”
She sat back to stare at Jessica and replied, “I want some proof. Do you really give a shit about him, or are you just stringing him along?”
Jessica groaned internally and thought, ‘God, I’m getting grilled by a teenage.’
Jessica cleared her throat and muttered, “Well, he’s… He’s actually the most annoying jerk but in an endearing way. He’s competitive, and we clash, but we also get along just as much…Um, He’s family oriented; I can tell that already … He’s kind and passionate…Responsible… He’s protective and puts others before himself… He’d be a great Dad if he wanted that.” The more she spoke, the more her voice trailed off as her mind wandered.
Lucilla had a smile slowly stretched across her face as she said, “...I believe you.” She patted Jessica’s knee, “And I think he’s in love with you too. It’s why I grilled you so much just now, just to be sure he’s not going to get burned.”
“Uh...You think so?” Jessica cautiously asked, taken aback and blinking at Lucilla.
Lucilla exclaimed, “Of course! Have you seen the way he looks at you? Every time we looked at you two, you were both laughing at something, and he had this dumb, goofy smile every time he looked at you. Trust me; a sister knows when her brother’s in love…Right?” Lucilla nudged her a bit.
Jessica felt a strange mix of emotions she couldn’t quite place as she slowly nodded. She cleared her throat and changed the subject, “So if the interrogation is over, I think we should get these donuts for everyone before we eat them all.”
“Or we could tell them they ran out and talk some more….”
“I think the cinnamon sugar dust is a dead giveaway,” Jessica muttered as she wiped some dust off Damien’s Mets Jersey. “Besides, I told you everything so far. You want my social security number, too, in case?” Jessica chuckled.
Lucilla laughed and said, “Fine. Besides, I think that Damien’s like a prized possession you’re wearing. He’d instantly know you got something on it, and then the secret donuts would be a giveaway, and I know Isabela she’ll complain till we go back and get her some, and then Dames would cry all day that his prized shirt is ruined or some shit like that. “Lucilla gave an eye roll. “I mean, you’re a Mets fan too, obviously.”
Jessica had to hide the grimace as she forced it out. “Uh yeah. I totally love that team…Just love them.” She lied as Lucilla got up with the bag of donuts, and they walked back.
Lucilla smiled at her and said, “Well, he must love you to let you wear his prized Jersey.”
‘More like he thought it would be hilarious.’ Jessica thought.
Lucilla continued, “I like you so far.”
Jessica raised a brow, “Well, I like you too. So did I pass the test?”
Lucilla laughed, “Yeah, I think Dames finally got someone.” She gave Jessica a smile, and Jessica gave a smile back.
‘You made it. You’ve been questioned; you did the cute couple thing like holding hands; you picked the stupid pumpkin together and lied through your teeth that you liked that shitty team…After this, you can just stop and go back to the arrangement you both have. No feelings, no romance, no future together. ‘Jessica reasoned with herself as she walked behind Lucilla.
They made it back to everyone as Lucilla handed out donuts and cider. Damien came up to Jessica with a donut in hand, and she couldn’t help noticing how he looked at her, whether it was just realizing it or paranoia from Lucilla.
He asked, “So, did you get to state your case to the judge, or were you thrown the book?”
“I got my ass handed to me by a teenager.”
“Good. But hold that thought because the jury is still deciding the verdict.” He mumbled as both their gazes landed on Lucilla, whispering something to her sister Hope as they both not so subtly glanced at Jessica.
Jessica softly groaned. “Fucken great.”
“No, I actually think they like you. I mean, they haven’t said one insult to you all day. For my sisters, that’s saying something.”
Jessica gave a slight smirk as Damien bit into a donut and had sugar on the side of his mouth. Jessica pointed. “You have some on your cheek.”
Damien raised his brows and swiped his hand over but missed it twice. She finally sighed and said, “Oh jeezus, here. “As she wiped his cheek with her thumb.
Even after she got it, her touch unintentionally lingered. Both of them stared at each other as Jessica pulled away, and Carina said, “No, no! Hold that pose!”
Jessica froze as she saw Carina trying to take a picture. Damien quickly wrapped his arm around the small of her back as Jessica smiled while turning towards Damien.
Carina scoffed, “Come on, be more romantic than that!”
Jessica glanced at Damien before leaning up and hissing in his ear, “You owe me. Big.”
Damien cringed and said, “I know, fuck, I know.” Before he leaned down to hold Jessica close and plant a kiss on her cheek while Jessica gave a big smile for the camera. Years earlier, gaining experience from posing for royal media paid off as she effortlessly made it look natural.
“Perfect! God, you’re so photogenic, Jessica. Where did you learn to pose like you’re on a red carpet?”
Damien released her as Jessica shrugged, “Just practice, I guess.”
Jessica started walking with everyone who all talked amongst each other, including her in the conversation here and there, before a body of water caught her eye. Some benches and a stone Koi pond were among the red and orange trees.
She felt her heart tightening at the sight of the koi fish swimming around and a couple with their little boy watching the fish.
Damien noticed first as he asked, “Hey, Preciosa?”
She walked towards the pond away from the group as Damien looked concerned and asked again, “Jessica?”
“I’ll just be a moment.” Jessica softly gave as she watched the koi fish.
Damien stopped to watch her from afar as his sisters walked over to the koi pond. The only one behind was Damien’s Mom, who stood beside him watching the beautiful Koi pond, and Jessica.
Damien watched Jessica as she looked curiously at the Koi pond. He was falling for her hard, and there was just a softness about her when she fed the fish. His sisters were quite taken with her, with remarks here and there to Damien throughout the day about how she seemed to fit into their idea of who Damien should be with.
“Ángel, I want to talk to you about this girl.”
“Si Mamá dime (Yes, mom, talk to me).” Damien scrunched up his nose and listened to his Mother.
“I’m not a fool; this girl isn’t your girlfriend.”
Damien blinked at that as he looked down at his Mother and asked, “How do you know?”
“You look at her like you want her to be yours.”
“That obvious?” Damien gave a sigh.
“Si Hijo. What makes her special to you?”
“Mamá, when I’m with her, the nightmares go away. She makes me smile and laugh, and I can tell her anything, and she won’t judge me. I’m falling in love with her. I don’t know when it happened, but it’s happening.”
Damien looked over at Jessica, laughing with Lucilla about something as Lucilla pointed at the water. “I want more with her; I’m just afraid to ask.”
“I like her. I like her for you a lot. She is hilarious, and you can tell she is very bright. Hope likes her a lot too, and she is hard to win over.”
“Wow, Hope doesn’t like anyone.” Damien chuckled.
“This girl, is she a family girl?”
“Yea, she has two brothers she is very close to. They are cops; one is Captain, the other a Lieutenant. I actually know the older brother.”
“What about her parents?”
“They passed away. Her father was a detective, and her Mother was a Social Worker.
“I see she knows what it’s like for you and your work.”
“She is a cop too. Don’t worry; she is nothing like Alana.”
“Oh, that I can tell. Alana cared about herself. If she were like Alana, she wouldn’t be here.”
“Mamá, what do I do?”
“Sometimes you have to be willing to lose.”
Damien gazed at Jessica as she turned to give him a soft smile from the koi pond. His Mother’s words rang out in his head as they both stared at one another. Jessica’s smile slowly faded as she stared back, some unspoken conversation going on as they both struggled with what they wanted and what they allowed past the walls they built up.
Damien calmly walked over to her as she returned to looking at the koi fish with his sisters. Damien looked down at the fish as he stood beside her.
“They’re pretty, aren’t they?” Jessica finally said as Damien hummed in agreement.
They watched a bit longer before Jessica released a long sigh. Thinking to herself about her unspoken past. Of the child she lost, they nicknamed Koi, of the life she could have had with Liam.
Jessica frowned slightly as she thought, ‘Look at you, Jessica. You have a great guy standing next to you with a family that already accepts you. You have the opportunity for something here that you didn’t have in Cordonia if you just let it go and move on.’
Jessica sucked in a breath with a tight-lipped smile and thought, ‘I already said my goodbyes to Liam but not to you, Koi. I’ll never stop loving you or who you could have been, but I think I need to start learning to try and find some happiness in all of this.’ She almost felt tears in her eyes, but she closed them and held onto the sad smile on her face before walking away from the pond.
Damien watched her intently, a frown in place as he studied her. He followed her as his sisters and Mother started walking, pumpkins in hand, to pay and call it a day.
“...are you alright?” Damien asked.
Jessica nodded and replied, “Yeah, I think so.”
She and Damien hung back as he spoke in low tones, “Thanks again for this.”
“No, it was…It was fun. I actually enjoyed today with your family.”
Damien released a hearty chuckle, “Oh, don’t deny it. You secretly love my team.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I did…But you owe me for wearing a stupid Mets Jersey in public, and now Carina has it on camera.”
“Is that why your team ate shit last night?”
Damien lowered his head to whisper as he slung an arm around her as they walked, “Remember what else happened last night?”
Jessica smirked, “Remind me again later…You do owe, after all…SIR”
“All night if you need.” He promised as they walked side by side, Jessica leaning into him for the first time openly in public as Damien smiled to himself and held her close.
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