The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

10 vouchers

Lila woke with a splitting headache and the relentless ringing of her phone drilling into her skull.

She groaned, reaching blindly across the nightstand until her fingers brushed against the vibrating device.

The caller ID flashed on the screen:

Dog Damon.

She had saved his name that way in a moment of irritation weeks ago-and never changed it.

Before she could decide whether to answer, the ringing stopped.

“Peace, finally,” she muttered, dropping her arm back onto the bed.

A second later, the phone buzzed again.

A message.

Where the hell are you?

She stared at it for a moment, eyes still heavy with sleep and annoyance.

Then she typed back:

In the third layer of hell.

She tossed the phone onto the bed without waiting for a reply and dragged herself to the bathroom. A quick shower helped clear her head, though the dull ache remained behind her temples.

When she stepped out, Mark was already up, reviewing something on his laptop.

“I’m heading back to Bellair,” she told him, tying her hair into a sleek low bun. “Send me the revised projections tonight.”

Mark frowned. “That fast?”

“Yes. I need to handle something.”

He didn’t ask further. He knew that tone.

By late afternoon, Lila landed at Bellair International Airport.

The moment she exited the terminal, she froze.

A sleek black luxury car was parked directly at the VIP pickup lane.

Waiting.

86

Chapter 44

10 vouchers

Two men in dark suits stepped forward the moment they saw her. One reached for her luggage without a word, the other moved ahead to clear a path through the crowd.

Whispers followed immediately.

“Who is she?”

“Is that someone important?”

“Is that…?”

Lila lowered her head instinctively, trying to shield her face from curious stares and raised phones.

This level of attention was unnecessary. Excessive.

Deliberate.

The rear car door opened.

And inside-

Damon.

He was seated in the back, posture relaxed, hands resting calmly on his lap. His expression was unreadable. Cold. Controlled.

Waiting.

Lila slid into the seat opposite him. The door shut with a heavy click, sealing them inside the insulated silence of the vehicle.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The car began to move.

Damon’s eyes finally lifted to meet hers.

“You have five seconds,” he said evenly, his voice calm but dangerous, “to explain why my wife disappeared without informing me.”

Lila met his gaze without flinching.

“And you,” she replied coolly, “have five seconds to explain why you think you own my whereabouts.”

The tension inside the car thickened.

Bellair’s skyline stretched ahead of them.

And whatever fragile peace had existed before-

Was officially gone.

12:00 Mon, May 4

Chapter 44

The tension inside the car was suffocating.

86

10 vouchers

For a brief second, Lila considered holding her ground-matching Damon’s cold authority with her own defiance.

But strategy always came before pride.

Damn… I should’ve worn that mini skirt, she thought bitterly. Armor came in many forms-and today, she had chosen the wrong one.

She shifted closer to him.

Closer.

Close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his body despite the icy silence.

She swallowed, forcing down the irritation, the disgust, the stubborn pride that threatened to surface. She needed control. She needed leverage.

And most of all-

She needed an exit.

And for that, she needed Maddy to move first.

Slowly, deliberately, Lila leaned into him. Her chest brushed against his arm as if by accident.

“Dear…” she began softly, her tone shifting into something silkier.

Her hand slid upward, resting against the firm plane of his chest, fingers pressing lightly against the solid muscle beneath his shirt.

“Am I not allowed to visit my younger brother in South City?”

Her touch was slow. Intentional. Seductive.

Damn. Still filthy sturdy dog, she thought, feeling the strength beneath her palm.

Her eyes lifted to meet his directly-steady, unblinking.

Damon did not move away.

But his jaw tightened.

“You disappeared,” he said quietly. “No notice. No message. No explanation.”

His hand came up suddenly-gripping her wrist. Not painfully. But firmly enough to stop her wandering fingers.

“You think this is a game?” he asked, voice dropping lower.

12:00 Mon, May 4

Chapter 44

:

Lila tilted her head slightly, lips curving into a faint smile. “Isn’t it?”

For a heartbeat, the air between them burned.

Damon’s gaze darkened, sliding from her eyes to her lips.

“You’re playing a dangerous one,” he murmured.

She leaned even closer, close enough that her breath brushed his jaw.

“Then stop me.”

They drove straight to Blackthorne Industries.

86

10 vouchers

Damon stepped out first and walked ahead without explanation. Once inside his private office, he gestured briefly.

“Stay here.”

Then he turned and headed directly toward the boardroom.

The door closed behind him.

Lila stood still for a moment before moving toward the control panel. She pressed the switch, and the clear glass walls shifted into dark tint, sealing the office in privacy.

Her head was still pounding. The exhaustion from travel and tension settled heavily into her bones.

A soft knock followed. One of the secretaries entered with a tray.

“Mr. Blackthorne asked me to bring this to you, ma’am.”

Food. Water. Medicine.

Lila paused, surprised, then nodded. “Thank you.”

After eating, the warmth in her stomach eased some of the ache. She lay down on the leather sofa, intending to close her eyes for only a minute.

Sleep took her completely.

When she woke, the city beyond the glass was dark. The office lights were dim.

Damon was inside.

Jacket removed. Sleeves rolled up. Tie loosened.

Watching her.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Lila shot, sitting up abruptly.

12:00 Mon, May 4

Chapter 44

:

“You looked so tired,” Damon replied quietly, walking toward her.

His gaze was intense-searching, unreadable.

He sat beside her and, without asking, pulled her into his arms.

The movement was firm but gentle. Familiar.

“Damon-”

His fingers tilted her chin upward.

Then he leaned in.

His lips brushed hers softly at first. Teasing. Testing.

Heat surged through Lila instantly.

86

10 vouchers

For a brief, dangerous second, she stopped thinking. The headache. The games. The strategies. The pride.

All of it faded.

She leaned into him.

Gave up the last thread of logic holding her back.

And just as the kiss deepened-

Damon stopped.

He pulled away slowly, his thumb brushing once against her lower lip before he stood.

“Let’s head home,” he said calmly.

Lila stared at him, breath uneven.

Did he just… control himself?

Her mind struggled to catch up with her body.

Damon turned back slightly, eyes glinting with amusement.

“What?” he asked lightly. “You want to do it here?”

He tilted his head, a teasing smile forming.

“Sweetie,” he added smoothly, “you have a weird kink.”

Lila shot to her feet immediately, face burning red.

“That’s not what I meant!”

12:00 Mon, May 4

Chapter 44

Damon’s low chuckle echoed softly in the dim office.

For the first time, he looked entirely in control.

And Lila hated how much she had almost lost hers.

12:00 Mon, May 4