The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Lila was suddenly exhausted.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

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The way Damon questioned her. The way he acted as if he still had a claim over her-it ignited something sharp in her chest.

Arguing with him was pointless.

She turned without another word and walked toward the door.

“Lila,” Damon called, but she didn’t stop.

She stepped outside into the cool night air, drawing in a steady breath, trying to calm the storm inside her.

Footsteps followed.

Of course they did.

Damon caught up to her easily, his stride longer, more certain. He didn’t argue this time. He simply reached for her wrist-not harshly-and guided her toward his car.

“I’ll take you home,” he said.

“I can go myself.”

“I know.”

But he still opened the passenger door.

Lila didn’t have the energy left to fight. She slid into the seat without another word.

The drive was silent.

Heavy.

Streetlights passed in slow intervals, casting fleeting shadows across Damon’s face. His jaw was tight, hands firm on the steering wheel.

Her phone beeped.

The small sound felt strangely loud inside the car.

Lila glanced down.

Ina: Don’t wreck my bed.

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Chapter 33

A small smile tugged at her lips despite everything.

Before she could reply, Damon’s hand reached across and took her phone from her.

She looked at him sharply.

He read the message.

His expression didn’t change much-but something flickered in his eyes. Not anger. Not quite.

Just a quiet, simmering reaction.

When he saw the sender’s name—Ina-he handed the phone back to her.

No comment.

No sarcasm.

Just silence.

Lila looked at him for a second, surprised he hadn’t reacted.

She typed a quick reply anyway.

Outside, the city continued moving.

Inside the car-

The tension remained.

To Lila’s surprise, the car didn’t turn toward the forest villa.

It drove through the tall iron gates of the Blackthorne estate.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Damon-”

But he had already parked.

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The front doors opened before they even stepped out. The butler stood waiting, posture impeccable.

“Good evening, Sir. Madam.”

Damon nodded politely, still holding Lila’s wrist-not painfully, but firmly enough to prevent escape.

Lila understood immediately.

He knew she wouldn’t cause a scene here.

Not in front of Margaret.

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Margaret had welcomed her warmly from the beginning. Accepted her without suspicion. Treated her with dignity. Lila would never disrespect that kindness.

They stepped inside.

“Are you hungry?” Damon asked quietly.

“No,” Lila replied.

He didn’t release her hand.

Instead, he led her upstairs, past the long corridor, straight into his bedroom.

The door closed behind them.

The silence shifted.

Private now.

“Go take a bath,” Damon said evenly.

Lila shot him a look.

“Can you not order me around?” she snapped.

His eyes darkened slightly, but he didn’t raise his voice.

“I’m not ordering,” he said. “You’ve been traveling. You’re tired.”

“I didn’t ask you to decide that.”

There it was again-that defiance.

Damon stepped closer, but this time slower.

“You disappear without telling me,” he said quietly. “You talk about divorce like it’s paperwork. You stay somewhere else. You come back and act like I’m a stranger.”

“I am not yours,” Lila fired back. “Not like that.”

The words hung between them.

Damon studied her face carefully.

“You think bringing you here is about control?” he asked.

“What else would it be?”

His jaw tightened-but something softer flickered beneath it.

“You said the villa isn’t your home,” he replied. “Fine. This is.”

Chapter 33

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Lila’s breath caught for half a second.

“This house,” he continued, voice low, “accepted you as my wife. My mother respects you. My name protects you.”

“And what about you?” she challenged.

Silence.

The air felt charged again-but not reckless. Not impulsive.

Heavy with things unsaid.

Damon finally let go of her wrist.

“Go take a bath,” he repeated-quieter this time.

Not a command.

Not quite a request either.

Just something in between.

After a long, steadying bath, Lila stepped out of the bathroom, steam trailing behind her.

On the bed lay a neatly folded set of sleepwear-soft silk, her size, her preference.

She paused.

How could I not love a guy who is so attentive? she thought as she slipped into the fabric.

Then she caught herself.

No. He’s a dog.

A small smirk curved on her lips at her own contradiction.

The bedroom door opened.

Damon walked in, a bathrobe hanging loosely around his shoulders, damp hair pushed back casually. The fabric barely concealed the defined lines of his chest, trailing down to the sharp V that disappeared beneath the robe’s tie.

Lila’s gaze betrayed her.

Slowly.

From his chest.

Down.

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Chapter 33

A sexy, filthy dog, she corrected internally.

:

“You like what you’re seeing?” Damon asked, voice smooth, catching her staring.

The words snapped her back to reality.

Her expression hardened instantly.

“Whatever,” she muttered, brushing past him with deliberate indifference.

But as she walked by, the faint scent of his cologne mixed with fresh soap lingered.

Damon watched her retreat toward the bed, eyes dark, amused.

“You’re a terrible liar,” he added quietly.

Lila stopped for half a second-but didn’t turn around.

“I don’t lie,” she replied coolly. “I just don’t care.”

Damon’s low chuckle followed her.

And somehow-

That made her heart beat faster than anything else.

Damon lay close to Lila, his arms wrapped around her, his warmth seeping into her skin.

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“Can you move away? It’s too hot to sleep this close,” Lila shot at him, her voice heavy with drowsy irritation.

With a quiet sigh, Damon reached toward the nightstand, fingers fumbling until they found the remote. He adjusted the air conditioner, lowering the temperature before setting it back down. The soft hum of cool air filled the room.

He lay back again, instinctively reaching for her. His large palm settled gently against the back of Lila’s head, fingers threading lightly through her hair.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then he felt it.

A faint shiver ran through her body.

Without a word, Damon pulled her closer, drawing her firmly into his arms. This time she didn’t protest. She melted against his chest, her breathing evening out as the cool air swirled around them.

His chin rested against the top of her head, his hold protective but gentle.

Too hot, she had said.

But somehow, in his arms, she always found her perfect temperature.

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Lila inhaled deeply, Damon’s scent wrapping around her just as securely as his arms. His warmth—steady, familiar-comforted her in a way the chilled air never could.

She tilted her head back and looked up at him.

Damon was already watching her.

There it was-that satisfied look. A quiet, smug curve at the corner of his lips, like he had known exactly how this would end.

Lila narrowed her eyes.

Slowly, she lifted herself from his chest and reached across the bed, searching for the remote control on the nightstand.

Before her fingers could close around it, Damon’s hand caught her wrist.

“Didn’t you say it was too hot?” Damon shot back, one brow arching.

“Yes, it’s too hot,” Lila replied, pulling slightly against his grip. “But adjusting it this cold is unreasonable. I could die frozen here.”

Damon’s lips twitched.

“Die?” he repeated, voice low with amusement. “A minute ago you were melting.”

“A minute ago you were overheating me,” she shot back.

He shifted closer instead of letting her go, his arm sliding around her waist again. With one swift movement, he tugged her back against him, trapping her between his body and the mattress.

“Then stay right here,” he murmured near her ear. “I’ll keep you warm.”

Lila gasped softly as his warmth enveloped her once more. The cold air brushed against her back, but Damon’s chest was solid and heated against her front.

“This isn’t fair,” she muttered.

“You started it.”

She tried to glare at him, but the effort weakened as his fingers traced slow, absent circles along her arm. The contrast between the cool room and his heated touch made her skin prickle.

“You’re impossible,” she whispered.

“And yet,” he replied, tightening his hold just slightly, “you’re still here.”

Lila huffed, but she didn’t try to move again.

Instead, she pressed her face against his chest, breathing him in once more as his steady heartbeat lulled her

into silence.

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Chapter 33

The remote lay forgotten on the nightstand.

And this time, neither of them reached for it.