60

She closed  her eyes and tried to ignore the intruding thoughts that kept taking her back to James. But then her mind got filled with Damon and what had happened today and that fucked up her sleep even more. She had just started drifting off, when she felt the bed dip beside her and Damon settling in under the covers. The light switch was turned off, the room got engulfed in complete darkness. A few minutes passed in silence, then as Kara just relaxed, she felt a hand sliding in her waist and Damon pulling her closer to his body. He adjusted her head over his arm, while his other arm kept her fragile frame stuck to his warm body.
His face was nestled in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent deeply. Kara could feel his deep breaths tickling her skin, but she hesitated from pushing him away. He was going to be her husband in a few days after all. She had to start getting used to this.
"Is your head hurting?" he asked softly.
Kara touched the bandage on her head instinctively, "Not really." she murmured, "it was just a small wound. After it was patched up, I did not feel a thing."
Damon hummed in content. His hand then slowly slipped under the bathrobe she wore, caressing her stomach with gentle, constant strokes. Kara sucked in a sharp breath, but kept mum. She was not ready to have sex with him yet, but she still tried to remain calm. She did not want to hurt his feelings.
But then as his fingers started tracing the line of her panty, she turned sideways, facing the other side of the room.
Damon's arm followed the shift, wrapping around her waist, "What is wrong?" she heard him say softly which kissing her nape.
"I... can..." in all honesty, all she wanted to do was to tell him to stop touching her because it made her uncomfortable, but she had to swallow those words and say something that did not disturb their relation, "Can you wait until after the wedding?" she whispered, "I am not ready yet."
Damon's hand had stilled in its place. After hearing her words he fell silent for a few seconds before pulling Kara's back close to his chest. His hand that was on her waist moved up to her head to pat a couple times as he murmured lovingly, "It is alright. I can wait, princess."
****
"Kara?" a hand caressed the top of her head in gentle strokes, "Kara? Wake up."
Damon's voice disturbed her sleep. With still half asleep gaze she looked up to find Damon staring down at her. 
"We have to get back home. Mom called, she has the wedding dress maker invited at home so she needs you to get back."
Kara confusingly looked at the time on the side table table watch, and noticed it was already ten am, not the six am that she was expecting because it certainly felt like that.
"Okay." 
By the time they came back home, it was noon and everyone just had the lunch. When Damon and Kara walked in, Neil was staring at the TV screen in the hall. They both also curiously approached it and surprisingly found themselves being featured with big headlines being spoken by the reporter,
"A hot night spring hotel room seems to have brought the romance season for our new trending couple in town already! We are bringing the latest scoop with Kara Marvel, and Damon Sullivan's romantic getaway to Emitway Hotel in the middle of the city. The couple seemed to have enjoyed their-"
Neils eyes cut to Kara and Damon while the reporter on the TV kept exagerating about their last night's stay at the hotel. Kara's nightmare had come true in the end. She had already suspected this was going to happen.
"You both know that reporters are sniffing around our house like dogs since the day of your engagement." Neil muttered in distaste, "you both should have been careful. How bad is this situation making you both look? Staying alone at a hotel before the wedding is done? You could not wait until a week later? I had not expected this from both of you."
"Dad, it is not like that." Damon shook his head, "really. Are you going to believe in these news channels now?"
"It is showing what I am seeing, is not it?" Neil glared at Damon. When it came to protecting the family's reputation, Neil as the head of the family was very concerned. Especially since Kara was also his responsibility and he could not take anyone throwing mud on his precious soon to be daughter in law.
Damon sighed aloud and pushed his hand in his hair with tiredly, "Kara?" he turned his head, "go to the lunch table. Have something. I am coming."
Kara nodded her head, but the worry in her eyes did not fade away thinking Neil was going to scold Damon. Once she was out of sight, Damon explained the situation to Neil and informed him about Kara getting into an accident.
On the other hand, James stood in his empty house staring at the same TV screen. His blood boiled with each word that came out of the reporter's mouth. Then as his patience ran out, he grabbed the nearest vase, and threw it across the room, smashing the TV screen and the vase both while the broken peices of the objects flew up and fell on the ground. The black glass on the ground reflecting James' furious eyes that had already made up his mind- if Kara was not accepting him willingly, he was now going to make some other arrangements.