ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE SINGLE DAD (Gabrielle and Damon) novel Chapter 114

CHAPTER 114

GABRIELLE’S POV

We had to fly back home immediately after we got the news, putting a pause on our visit to Damon’s home.

Regardless of how things were between us, I genuinely wanted Lila to be safe, so I flew back with Damon, even though he had suggested I stay behind.

Before we even arrived in town, Damon had Lila moved to his villa. He didn’t like the idea of her being in a hospital with other patients for some reason.

When we finally got home, we met Anya and a sleeping Lila, an IV drip hanging beside the bed connected to her little hand.

Damon rushed to Lila’s side, raising his hand to check her temperature. “What happened to her?”

I lingered by the door, suddenly unsure of my place.

The tears on Anya’s face had dried up against her skin. “I… I don’t know. She passed out at school. The doctor thinks it’s acute stress.”

Damon’s jaw tightened, but his hand stayed gentle against Lila’s forehead. “Acute stress from what?”

Anya’s gaze flicked briefly toward me before returning to him. “Should we be discussing our daughter’s health with a stranger in the room?”

My throat tightened, the discomfort of being called a stranger in my husband’s home almost suffocating me.

Damon patted Lila’s hair gently, his eyes not leaving her for a second. “Gabrielle is my wife, not a stranger. She should be aware of Lila’s condition.”

Anya hesitated for a second before pressing a hand to her chest.

“The doctor didn’t say yet, but she’s been anxious lately. She’s been asking questions and mostly missing you.” She glanced at me again before returning to him. “She’s a sensitive child, Damon.”

Damon exhaled slowly, his thumb brushing once over Lila’s temple before he pulled his hand back. “Missing me isn’t a diagnosis.”

Anya’s lips pressed together. “You’ve been gone for some days and you know she was talking about wanting to see you. Children notice these things.”

“So do doctors,” he replied calmly. “And they usually explain what acute stress actually means.”

I stayed by the door, my fingers laced together, feeling like I was standing on the edge of something sharp.

“If you’d like to talk to the doctor yourself then go ahead,” Anya returned, her voice rising. “I’m just as affected as you are by this. If you spent enough time with your daughter she wouldn’t be overthinking.”

Damon’s eyes raised to her. “She’s with me four days a week and I make sure we spend hours together alone everyday. It has been that way for years. Why is she suddenly getting stressed?”

Anya’s lip parted but she didn’t respond immediately. She glanced at me again as if I were trying to push myself into a space! didn’t belong in.

My discomfort grew with each second I stood there so I took some steps back until I was at a safe distance before half running to

my room.

I didn’t want to get drawn into their issues or agitate Anya even further.

I shut the door behind me and absentmindedly reached for the bottle of champagne on the table. I poured myself a glass, but

CHAPTER 114

dropped it aside without drinking.

How could I drink champagne when Lila still hadn’t fully recovered?

It seemed insensitive so I ignored it and walked to the balcony door, staring at nothing in particular.

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It had been two hours and Damon was still in the room with Anya.

I put on a movie, had Susan bring up some popcorn and a drink, and dimmed the room light slightly before leaning back in my bed, welcoming the distraction on the screen.

Lila could be fine for all I know and Anya could be doing this to interrupt our trip as she didn’t want me to go with Damon in the first place.

But I didn’t have proof.

And I didn’t completely believe that either.

Anya was manipulative but I doubted she would purposefully make her daughter sick just for attention.

By the time the movie was almost over, it got to a scene that emotionally wrecked me. My favourite character was dying in her lover’s arms.

I didn’t even realize when it moved me to tears.

“Are you crying, Gabrielle?”

I jerked in shock, the popcorn spilling all over the bed.

I turned around to see Damon standing by the door, his hand leaning on the door frame, and the top buttons of his shirt undone.

I swallowed at the sight. “I’m not crying. Something got into my eyes.”

How long has he been standing there?

He didn’t respond, just stood there staring at me with an unreadable expression.

“I’m sorry I left,” I said, sitting up and leaning my back against the bed frame. “I didn’t want to make Anya feel uncomfortable.”

He pulled away from the door, shut it and closed the distance between us. I stared up at him, confused by his silence.

Slowly, he lay beside me and placed his head on my lap.

I froze, then forced myself to relax when he didn’t move away. “Are you okay? Is Lila’s condition bad?”

He shook his head, his arms moving to wrap around my waist. “She should be fine in a few days. I can’t leave until then though.”

My hands moved to play with his hair before I could stop myself. “I don’t mind,” I murmured. “You can show me your old home

another time.”

He shifted lower, his face hovering dangerously close to where I was already aching.

My breath hitched.

I could feel my body reacting instantly and traitorously.

I tried to push the sensation down but when he exhaled, the warmth of his breath ghosted over my core, making my toes curled despite the fabric of my dress between us.

He inhaled slowly. “I just need you right now.”

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It was a very wrong time to be horny.

Damon needed comfort and here I was wishing he’d just spread my legs apart and eat me out the way he always did.

Heat crept to my face. “I’m always here for you, Damon.”

And your tongue.

He lifted his head slightly, studying me. “You’re sweating. What’s wrong?”

I couldn’t tell if he was teasing me or if he was genuinely oblivious to what he was doing to me.

I shook my head quickly. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

Damon moved upward and for a split second I thought he was going to kiss me—but instead, he pressed his face into the curve of my neck.

My body tensed up.

His breath was warm against my skin as he spoke. “You smell so good. Like vanilla and something that makes me lose my grip on reason,” he said softly.

My chest rose sharply. “Damon-“

The rest of the words died in my throat when I felt his tongue pass my skin. He licked on the spot behind my ear and bit it gently, nibbling on it like a soft kiss.

My eyes fluttered shut, a soft sound escaping my throat as I tilted my head to the side to give him unrestricted access.

He hummed, the vibrations sending blood rushing to my taut nipples. “Can I taste you, Gabrielle?”

I wanted to respond but my body wasn’t cooperating. My body and mind were consumed by him–by his breath and his mouth behind my ear.

Fuck.

He could taste me as much as he liked.

His phone rang and we both froze, the sharp sound pulling us back to reality.

This was the second time we were being interrupted by that pesky phone of his. In that moment, I wanted to throw it out the

window.

Damon pulled away to pick it up. His walls slide back into place and the softness drained from his eyes, his jaw tightening as he glanced at the screen.

He exhaled once before answering. “Yes?”

I turned my eyes back to the screen, though the movie had long since stopped making sense.

My skin still felt too warm where he’d kissed me, my body lagging behind and unwilling to accept how quickly he’d pulled away.

After a moment, he spoke again, quieter this time. “I almost forgot. Send the invites out as soon as possible,” he said, then his eyes met mine. “My wife and I will host.”

A few seconds later, he ended the call and stood up, shrugging off his jacket as he walked into the closet, leaving me unsatisfied once again.

God, I had never wanted him as much as I did in that moment, and I was sick of the interruptions.

But when I opened my mouth to express myself all that came was, “What’s happening?”

CHAPTER RA

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He walked out of the closet with a clothes box. “Some close families we’ve been in business with for generations come together once every five years,” he said. “Attendance isn’t optional.”

I blinked, not expecting that response. “So it’s a party–and it’s your turn to host.”

“Yes,” he replied flatly.

“What kind of party?”

He opened the box and pulled out a silver mask. “A masquerade.”