Loving Damien

One

Mom had been about to introduce me to the Calvetti family considering I had yet to meet them all except Damien, when the man himself interrupted us and asked for a dance. Mom was only so happy to oblige.

So here we were, on the dancefloor, swaying in uncomfortable silence to the live band. I tried not to, but my gaze swung to Damien's features every few seconds. How could it not? He was devastatingly handsome and not even my feelings about our situation could deter that fact. I remember how stunned I had been the first time we'd met. Our parents had decided we needed to meet to at least know each other so as to really pull off the whole loving couple façade before the wedding guests. Damien had arrived at our house where Mom had spent the last four hours getting me ready to meet my fiancé and I had to say he had taken my breath away.

Looking very much like he had on that night, Damien was dashingly handsome in a sharp black tux that matched his midnight dark hair but greatly contrasted his icy blue eyes. He was six feet three inches of pure muscle and had the most chiseled face that it almost hurt to look upon his otherworldly beauty.

But in the tense two hours of our first meeting, I had realized many things about Damien. He was not a talker and definitely not a people person. He was commanding and every word was an order. He was controlling and dominating and power danced about him and gave him a mysterious aura that left you wondering whether to drift closer or to run away.

But one thing has been most clear. He was not pleased with our marriage.

It wasn't in his words, so much as it was in his actions. But then again, Damien hadn't even spoken to me through the ceremony and after, but it surprised me how much his silence affected me.

But once again, it wasn't like I had much to say to him either.

Damien was an excellent dancer and gave no indication that he was uncomfortable but only I knew the truth from the tension in his shoulder where my hand was. Damien twirled and dipped me expertly as the song came to an end and applause sounded all around the hall at the couple's first dance. I would have moved away from Damien but his arm around my waist didn't falter and I was shocked when his voice vibrated through his chest and into me as he spoke.

"I need to introduce you to my family."

I didn't speak, just kept my gaze ahead and nodded. We stepped off the dance floor and moved through the crowd with no one coming up to us which was surprising. It was either they weren't interested in starting conversation or most everyone here knew to stay a safe distance from Damien. I would bet on the latter.

My chest thudded heavily as we approached the wide table that seated the Calvetti family. I hadn't met any of them before but I figured it wouldn't be pleasant if they were all like Damien who seemed to have animosity rolling off him in waves.

Still, I forced a perfect smile as we stopped at their table and ten pairs of eyes landed directly on me.

"Famiglia, vi presento Andrea," Damien introduced me in smooth Italian. It was his mother tongue after all and I noticed the thick accent beneath his words. Family, meet Andrea.

They all seemed to blink at me in unison and at first no one spoke, before they all started speaking together.

"Non sembra una Calvetti." She doesn't look like a Calvetti.

"Almeno non è brutta." At least she's not ugly.

"Vero. Ma non siamo conosciuti solo per il nostro aspetto." True. But we are not known only for looks.

"Chissà quanto durerà?" I wonder how long she'll last?

I struggled to keep a smile on my face at their words when Damien broke them up.