Femme Fatale: The King's Deadly Temptress

Chapter 594: Some Things We Couldn't Take Back

Sunday January 20

Blessed.

That's how Katherine felt at seven in the morning as she watched Damien come out from the bathroom fully naked in his majestic form. The muscles in his abdomen flexed when he bent down to pick up his boxer briefs on the floor and tossed it into the hamper. He crossed the distance from the bathroom to the bed in confidence, a smirk forming on his lips when he noticed her ogling at him.

He was still semi-hard from their early morning 'big meeting', but he sauntered towards the bed back to her like he was hungry for another round. She bit her bottom lip, betting she could make him hard in no time. Her thoughts were filled with nothing but Damien.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked as he crawled and slid under the covers next to her.

"Like what?" Katherine smiled, trying to act nonchalant, but she couldn't help herself, a blush creeping up her cheek.

He leaned to kiss the corner of her lips. "Like you want to devour me. You're blushing."

"Always. I'll always want to." She chuckled against his lips, hooking her arms around his neck as she pulled him down to her. He laid his head on her bare chest, and she caressed his tousled hair. It grew longer again. He needed a haircut, but she liked his hair longer like this. Maybe just a trim on the side would do. She decided to ask Amelia to teach her how to cut hairthough she thought about him having his mother cut his hair like before would be better for the two of them.

He shifted his weight so he wouldn't crush her, pulling her impossibly closer and burying his nose on her skin. Katherine liked it when he nuzzles on her. It felt so intimate, and she surely loved that he couldn't get enough smelling her scent, too, just like she loved his.

Her thought brought her back from their conversation last night with William. And she recalled something. "Damien"

"Hm?" His eyes were closed as his head remained pressed on her chest.

"How's the investigation about your dad's accident going?"

Damien's eyes fluttered open. The brushing of his eyelashes against her skin tickled. He looked up at her and leaned on his elbow. "It's still ongoing. Why are you asking?"

She shrugged. "I thought about it all of a sudden. You haven't told me if there were any updates. I was just curious."

He seemed to ponder for a moment as if he's trying to remember something. "It's been seventeen years. It won't be easy. It's understandable that the investigation takes several weeks...maybe even months."

There was sadness in his eyes. It was always there whenever they talked about his fatherthough it wasn't often. She understood it very well because she also felt the same whenever she thought about her parents. However, there was something else in his expression that she couldn't quite grasp. Regret? Guilt?

Bringing her hand to his face, Katherine stroked his cheek. This beautiful man Even though he grew up without his parents, he was very loving and caring. She felt a prick in her heart upon seeing the longing in his eyes. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad."

Damien curled his mouth into a smile, turning his head to her hand and kissing her palm. "I'm okay. It's just It's been a long time. And I thought it would get easier. Turns out I was wrong."

"I understand that very well." She nodded.

"Come here." He opened his arms, and she melted in his embrace. She scooted closer until their legs intertwined, and she was resting on his chest. His arm was around her while she had hers across his abdomen. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes.

They were quiet for a whilejust holding each other and letting their thoughts wander. A few moments later, Damien began to share.

"I blamed myself for his death." His low and deflated tone made her look up. He was now staring at nothing in particular as if he was recalling an event that happened in the past. Then he continued, "Even though I knew that he died of the car crash He wouldn't have left if it wasn't because of me. I gave him a hard time that night."

"What do you mean?"

Damien's gaze shifted to his left ankle. There was a scar that was less than three inches long on the back of his feet. It was from a surgery that he went through when he was fourteen years old. He tore his Achilles tendon while playing soccer in freshman year.

She followed the direction of his stare, and she wondered, "Does that have anything to do with your injury?"

"Sort of." He sighed. His other handthe one that wasn't holding herwent under his head. He was silent for a minute before he began to explain, "It was the week after my surgery, and we just came home from a therapy session. We fought I said some...mean things that I couldn't take back. I don't even remember why I was so mad at him that time. I was fourteen, you know? I got injured and was told it was possible that I couldn't play anymore. It was devastating. I hadn't even played soccer for a long time, but it was one of the things I enjoyed doing that didn't involve being in the family business."

Katherine could sense the remorse in his tone. His family had a lot of expectations from him, but he didn't want to be part of it. And when he found something he wanted to do, it was taken away from him. However, she felt even sadder that he blames himself for what happened to his father.

He continued, "Anyway He left that evening after I ignored him when he visited me in my room. He probably thought I hated him. Then...the accident happened."

"Damien" she finally spoke. "You couldn't have known. It's why it's called an accident. It's not your fault." She swallowed. There were so many things she wanted to say to make him feel better, but no matter what she'd say, it wouldn't bring his father back. Tightening her embrace around him, she thought that it was the only thing she could do for him at the moment. Just be there when he's feeling down.

"It doesn't take away the fact that I still think I pushed him away...and it led there." 

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Sorry. I spoiled the mood. Do you want to eat? I'll go take a quick shower, and we'll go downstairs."

"Okay"

When he left for the bathroom, Katherine sat up and gathered the blanket to cover her breasts as she leaned against the headboard. She looked at the doorway of the bathroom. Damien was already in the shower. The shower door was closed, but the bathroom door was still open so she could see his silhouette and hear the water running from where she was. She wished that whatever the truth was about his father's death, she hoped it would bring closure.

Her stare shifted to the buzzing of her phone on the nightstand. She reached for it and checked the message. 

[ I've got an assignment for you. Last location spotted is just outside of Harbor City going to Mayne. Do you want it? Let me know in an hour so I can delay posting it on the board. ]

Contemplating, Katherine's thumb hovered on the reply button. She glanced at the bathroom and then at her phone before tapping away.

[ Katherine: I'll take it. ]