The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 428

Chapter 189: The Way I Need You-2

She swallowed, her gaze dropping to her hands as they fidgeted with the blanket in her lap. “What

if…”

The weight of the name-Volkov-reintroducing the danger they had briefly managed to forget.

Damien sat up slowly, the mattress dipping beneath him. He didn’t speak. Instead, he reached for her, sliding an arm around her shoulders and pulling her firmly against his side.

Maya didn’t resist. She let her head rest against his chest, listening to the steady, grounding rhythm of his heart.

The heat of his skin felt like a silent promise pull her under.

–

– a temporary fortress against the what-ifs trying to

“Volkov is a predator,” Damien said, his voice steady now, stripped of any trace of earlier playfulness. “And predators survive on predictability. He thinks he knows me.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then let his hand move in a slow, rhythmic caress along the curve of her shoulder, providing a silent comfort that spoke louder than any words.

“He’s looking for the man I was before, Maya. The man who calculated every move based on facts, logic, and cold assets.”

He paused, his gaze sharpening as he stared ahead, something colder settling into his expression. “He isn’t prepared for a man who has something to lose that isn’t a line on a balance sheet.”

“That makes you more vulnerable, Damien,” she countered, her voice tight with worry. She shifted closer, her grip firm around his waist as if she could anchor him against the coming storm. “Not stronger.”

“In his world, yes,” Damien conceded with a grim ghost of a smile. “But a man with everything to lose is the most dangerous person in the room. Because he’ll burn the whole room down just to keep one flame alive.”

Maya pulled back, sitting upright so she could look him directly in the eyes. The fear was still there – but now it was threaded with something desperate and fragile. Hope.

“I just want a simple life, Damien. A quiet one,” she whispered, her gaze searching his. “With Jaime. With you.”

He reached up and cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing slowly along her jaw. He didn’t look away. He anchored her with a stare that was as steady as it was fierce.

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Taufer 189 The Way I Need Your 2

“And I will do everything in my power to give you that life,” he said, his voice low, more oath than

reassurance. “Just trust me. Okay?”

Maya nodded, the tension in her shoulders finally beginning to ease.

Damien gave her a soft, rare smile the kind he reserved only for her. “And when this is over, I’m going to ask you to marry me.” He leaned in, his lips brushing hers. “And you are going to say yes.”

The certainty in his voice stole the air from her lungs. A small, breathless smile broke through her

lingering worry, her eyes shimmering.

“Yes,” she whispered, the word soft but sure. “I will.”

The word had barely left her lips before Damien claimed her mouth again.

This wasn’t the tender reassurance from moments ago. This was hunger. Possession. Reclaiming.

He moved with a sudden, fluid grace, shifting his weight until he was hovering over her, his body a

warm, heavy anchor. She sank back into the pillows as his hand traced a slow, familiar roam down

the silken curve of her side.

His kisses trailed a path of fire down the column of her neck, his breath hot against her skin.

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