Madison groaned lightly as she slowly awakened to the light humming of an air conditioner.
Her eyes fluttered open and she frowned, looking around the room and the strange bed she was in, which was definitely wasn't hers.
Her mind reeled in shock as she stared blearily around, assimilating her surroundings and quickly she jumped up in fright, sitting upright on the bed. She shut her blinking eyes at the same time, a pain going to her forehead as she felt a sharp sting shooting through her skull.
Her head pounded heavily and unable to bear the pain, Madison let out a whimper first then a scream. Her eyes still shut, she blinked back pained tears as she continue to rub her hand on her forehead.
She had never felt this much pain before and it almost felt like her head would explode soon, with her skull hammering this way.
Trying to be more careful about how she moved around, she took a few moments to calm herself, still caressing her forehead as she tried her possible best to recover and regain herself.
"I think you might need this." A very familiar masculine voice suddenly sounded through the room, making her turn left and right wanting to see who it was.
Swiveling through she turned around coming face to face with none other than Damien. His hands were outstretched toward her and in them were a glass of water and two tablets if she could see clearly, and Madison could already presume that the drugs were some painkillers or aspirin.
"Here, take it. It will help with the headache." He said again, but Madison had already stopped paying attention to him or what he said.
Instead she began by yelling and ignoring his question offhandedly, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Her eyes was already widening in shock as she tried to scramble out of the bed, her heart pounding at the same time, while she wondered why they were in the same room. He was sitting opposite the bed too, and from what she could see it looked like they had slept together and...
'No, no, no!' She muttered internally, her mind racing but just before she had the chance to get up, Damien beat her to it.
He quickly got up from the bed, raising his hand to calm her down, his facial expression still passive and calm too.
"Now... there's no need for you to get up okay. Just stay put. And trust me, you wouldn't even want to get up right now. Seeing as you're half naked and..." He said it in a way that made Madison blush furiously, and without wasting any time she looked down at herself.
Letting out a loud yelp, she dragged the duvet higher up to her neck and looked back up to glare at him, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment and her eyelashes fluttering crazily.
"W-what the hell?" She stammered, "What... w-what did you do to me? Answer me right now. Why am I hear? What is happening?" She blurted out in a rush, already caught between shock, embarrassment and so much anger flowing through her veins at the same time.
Madison tried to recall exactly what had happened yesterday, and muttering some incorrigible words to herself, she shook her head as bits and pieces of her memories came back.
Once she was sure that she had regained some, her face shot back to him.
"Why did you do that yesterday? At the club. Why did you beat up those men like that?" She asked, staring up at him for an explanation.
For a brief second, she saw a glimpse of emotion flash through Damien's face, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came.
He shrugged, "Well, I don't think I ought to tell you this but it's my club. I can do whatever I wish to."
Madison cocked an eyebrow in surprise, staring at him as if to ascertain if he was being serious, but his face betrayed no emotion.
His expression was one of indifference as he shrugged once more, and even though she knew he did own the club just like the bouncers had told her yesterday, still Madison had a feeling that he was not saying everything he intended to say.
She hissed softly, already giving it up and not bothering to ask him about that anymore.
She was reminded of how exposed she felt once again, and quickly raising the duvet even higher, she turned back to him, her eyes narrowed, "So you expect me to believe the run in at the club was a coincidence? Are you stalking me?" She asked, her voice going higher as she reasoned that as a possibility.
Damien scoffed, shaking his head in amusement, "Believe me, I have much better things to do than stalk you." He said, a somewhat playful tone to his voice but his statement had Madison clenching her fists underneath the duvet, anger suddenly flooding her.
"Really?" She spat, her voice raised, "Better things to do, is that so? Okay then explain to me why you suddenly appeared in London. Out of the blue, just like that, what does it mean? Or is this a coincidence too?"
As she spoke, Damien shook his head, walking over to the bedside table and placing the glass of water and drugs carefully. When he was done, he faced Madison, his hands placed behind his back as he studied her amusedly, and suddenly the atmosphere between them grew tense.
For no particular reason, Madison's gaze fell to his chest, and that's when she noticed that he was shirtless, and his abs were bared too her now that his hands which had been holding the glass of water were out of the way. She hadn't taken in his appearance since, because she had been too busy arguing with him, and she was even distracted that time. But now... for a second, she forgot what she had been saying as her eyes raked over his muscular form, taking in the details of his sculpted chest.
From his muscular arms, and down to the v-line of his waist, he was literally stunning and handsome just like he'd always been. His pants hung loosely around his hips, and as she continued to stare at him, he said nothing, his gaze also intently watching her.
"I..." Madison started stumbling over her words, and cursing herself internally, she swallowed with difficulty, tearing her eyes away from his body.
She continued to glare at him, "So tell me then... If you're not stalking me then what exactly are you here for? And don't try to cover it up as a business trip because I spoke with Alvarez already, and it would surprise you to note that I know more than I need to." She spat and as she spoke, her eyes continued to go back to his chest, as she was unable to stop herself from staring at that divinely muscular sight.
She felt chills rise to the back of her neck every second, and she kept on forcing her eyes away trying to keep them on his stoic face but it was just hard to do. She had a glaring look on her face, as if daring him to try and deny what she'd just said.
Now more than ever, Madison was grateful to have received information from Alvarez even before his arrival, and it angered her that he might claim he was here on business when she knew very well that it wasn't.
She would watch intently and gauge his reaction, and also try her possible best to keep her eyes away from his chest.
She hated the fact that she couldn't help or stop herself from staring, but the sore reminder that there were more important things to take care of at the moment, had her straightening more often.
But why couldn't she stop staring at his chest for one damn second! She groaned mentally, praying that he hadn't noticed her staring over there.
Instead of answering her questions though, after a long while of brewing silence, Damien only let out a sign, and walking over to the bedside table he picked up the glass of water and the pills and then handed them over to her again.
"Just take these for now. You shouldn't be talking at all. You still need to rest first, and I'm sure that headache is just as bad as I suspected it would be because I can see the expression on your face. Here..." He stretched his hand forward, but Madison folded hers, still adamant and intent on refusing his help or the drugs.
"Keep it!" She spat, "I don't want your bloody drugs."
The thought of taking those bitter pills had her grimacing, and worse still they were being handed by him. Everything going on in her life already tasted and looked bad enough.
She had been trying over the past few days to just go to work, forget about the stalking and the threat letters and just focus on getting her life back on track but still she couldn't avoid getting involved in one thing or the other no matter how hard she tried.
Here she was now, in a strange bed with a nasty headache and an half baked blurry memory of the previous night. The fact that she was half naked didn't even help at all and...
Her thoughts suddenly trailed off and her eyes widened as a thought crossed her mind, and sharply with eyes like a hawk Madison looked down at herself and then back up at Damien.
"I'm half naked, and you know that. I mean how do you know? W-who undressed me? Some random hotel staff... or... or... you?" She stammered, the last words spilling out of her mouth.
She was blushing with profound embarrassment, and holding up the duvet even tighter to her chest now, she shot him a piercing look waiting for his reply.
Damien rolled his eyes, his lips stretching into a knowing smirk as he said just what she'd been dreading to hear, "You think I would allow some random person take of your clothes, when I'm present?" He questioned, his gaze hearing as he finished, "I undressed you? You don't have to bother too much about that."
The way he said the words so stiffly and without any remorse or anything, had Madison's cheeks reddening further and she began to imagine what must have happened last night, and just what he must have seen.
She became tongue tied all of a sudden, that for a moment she just couldn't seem to string any word together.
He seemed to notice her reaction because he suddenly put on a smug look, and still smirking he said sending her a wink at the same time, "Come on... Don't tell me you're shy huh? Basically you've nothing to hide, because it's not like I haven't seen all that before."
The back of her neck beginning to prickle, as she became flustered, something warm filled her chest and just like a wave of dejavù, she was reminded of their back and forth conversation in the past.
It was so evident that this was how they'd argue back then, with him hovering over her every time and as she recalled it all a small smile tugged on her lips, but she refused to let it show.
Suddenly remembering everything that was going on and realizing that this didn't matter, nor did it make any sense, Madison cleared her throat, and began to face him fully.
Her hand still clutching the duvet to her chest, she cleared her throat, and muttered softly, "If you'll excuse me... I have to get dressed now. I have to get out of here please."
She was already wrapping the large duvet around herself and trying to get up. Also she could see his gaze softening, but she didn't understand why and she didn't bother to ask. It was none of her business.
He stretched out his hand once again, "Madison, don't make this hard for the both of us. You still need to rest. Bolting right now, won't solve anything. Just relax and have the aspirin. You can leave when you feel better, alright. I'll do my best to stay out of your way and I won't disturb y..."
"I don't remember asking for your opinion on anything I plan to do." She snapped, cutting him off before he could even finish, "Keep your bloody medicine and just get out or give me some space, so I can get dressed!"
Damien stared at her in surprise, an eyebrow cocked.
For a second it seemed like he was about to argue, because he folded his arms and took a stiff stand but then after some time, while she still glared furiously at him, he pressed his lips shut, letting out a sigh and dropped his hands to the side.
Moving over to the small table in the room, he dropped the glass of water and the pills, and then without so much as a word, he shuffled out of the suite but not before giving her one last concerned look and a nod.
.......
KATHERINE
The sound of the phone ringing startled Katherine, bringing her out of the deep sleep she was in, but she wasn't really bothered about being woken up.
Truth be told, she was more half-awake than asleep and yawning a little, she swiped her phone to pick up the call, sitting upright on the bed when she saw it was one of her men calling.
"Yes?" She said, a tone of urgency laced in her tone.
She was even more interested to hear what he had for her because this particular man was the one she had assigned to stalk Damien, and report his moves back to her.
With what happened last night, she needed to be updated on every single thing he did, and now more than ever she was curious to know what he'd done after the stupid fight at the bar.
Thinking about it alone pissed her off, but she tried to push it out of her mind and instead focus on the news her man had for her.
"I drove to the hotel he is lodging at, and I have been there since morning just like you ordered. It would please me to tell you that I have some news you would want to hear." The man announced.
"Yes, go on. I don't have all day. Start talking." She snapped, clearly irritated by the time he seemed to be taking. Whatever it was better be important, or else she would have him dealt with for wasting her time, and she knew just how to deal with him.
"I saw her again, this morning."
"Wait what?"
"Yes, I saw the lady, Madison Connor, leaving his hotel early this morning. I cross-checked the photos of her just to make sure I was right, and it's her. She was still in the same clothes she wore last night too."
Katherine jerked violently from her bed in shock, her hand which gripped the cell phone shook at the same time.
For a full minute she was in total confusion, and as the weight of his words and the reality of the situation dawned on her, she felt rage bubble up in her chest.
Damien had fought because of that fucking whore, but it still wasn't enough for her, and now she had been in his hotel too? What the heck?
Her nose flared as she began to take heavy breaths. Now she was beginning to see that she'd been right all along, and that the bitch was taking advantage of her and Damien's breakup now.
The bitch was using this chance to dig her claws and stake her claim on Damien... Wow, just wow.
It would be over her dead body, before she did that though. Katherine swore within herself, gritting her teeth in anger. She'd had enough!
This was the height of it and she would be damned if she let that bitch try one more thing anymore. She had truly seen this coming, and the fact that she'd been relenting on going head on and tackling that bitch, made her furious all the more.
She'd known it would come to this, still she had not done enough to stop it.
She was ridiculously angry, and now she just had to take matters into her own hands. There was no way she would let this shit continue.
"Ma'am it seems like Mr Daniels brought her..." The man continued talking, and that's what Katherine realized that he was still on the phone.
Hissing, she hung up on him without another word and tossing her phone on the bed, she began to think about everything.
Her head was pounding heavily, but still she couldn't take away the image of that bitch in Damien's bed, try as she may. Yelling, she began to slap her hand against her head in an effort to stop the thoughts, but the images wouldn't just stop flooding in her mind.
She was beginning to run crazy. Yes, she was already running mad!
Rushing to the table beside her bed, and stretching out her arm to grab a bottle of pills she'd gotten sometime ago, she quickly opened it and placed a few tablets into her mouth.
Not minding the bitter taste, she chewed until it dissolved but still the voices in her head would not stop.
Frustrated, she let out a piercing scream, springing up from the bed and walking into the bathroom, hoping a shower would help.
She locked the door behind her, turned on the shower and let the cold water soak through her.
Making no no move to take her clothes off, Katherine stood in the bathroom, her head bowed and her mind wandering aimlessly.
.......
Thanks for reading. 💕