Chapter 334 This Damn Tenderness
Ashley had never seen him smile like that before.
All the usual hostility was gone, replaced by a gentle, almost fragile look, like a dandelion caught in a breeze. It was the kind of smile that made her want to hold onto it forever.
Ashley was momentarily stunned, her voice softening, "If you can't get up, just stay down."
The couch in the private room was big enough; he could crash there for the night without any issues.
Damian weakly waved his arm, his watch sliding down and getting stuck on his forearm. It caught the fading light, reflecting a brilliant afterglow. "Help me," he said.
That sweet tone again, those gentle eyes.
Ashley glanced at the suite door, trying to distract herself, forcing herself to stay calm. She knew that by tomorrow, when he sobered up, he'd brush it all off with a simple "I drank too much!"
"Get up yourself," Ashley said.
Damian tried to lift himself off the couch but failed, falling back and saying innocently, "I have no strength in my hand."
Ashley saw the hand he was using and was shocked, "Put your hand down!!"
Even drunk, he didn't forget his injured hand! Was he trying to ruin it completely?
Damian obediently put his hand down, a thin smile on his lips, his eyes bright, "Then you help me."
This was killing her!
Who would've thought a drunk Damian would be like an unreasonable child?
Ashley gritted her teeth and grabbed his wrist to pull him up.
But Damian was sprawled on the couch, not looking fat but all muscle, his real weight a mystery. She used all her strength but couldn't pull him up, "You need to put in some effort, too!"
She was annoyed.
"Okay." Damian agreed, trying to help.
Ashley fell directly onto him, her chin hitting his firm chest, the pain making her face go numb.
She wanted him to use his strength, not pull her down!
Ashley angrily wanted to slap him, but when she looked up, her eyes met his.
Damian tilted his head, peering down at her. His alcohol-filled eyes, brimming with charm, swayed as he did so. The corners of his thin, moist lips lifted in a leisurely smirk.
As if he just recognized who it was.
And a sober Ashley was completely frozen.
She stared into those deadly eyes, like someone standing by a lake enjoying the view and accidentally falling into the endless water. Those enticing green waves were not deadly but made her feel light and floating, addicted.
Quickly pushing away the distance between them, Ashley felt her throat was dry and uneasy, "Just lie down!"
She tried to rise, but a strong hand pressed down on her back, pinning her in place. He drew her closer, his firm chest pressing against hers. Their heartbeats resonated deeply, the rhythm syncing in a growing crescendo.
When he was drunk, his speech was a bit slurred, but it didn't affect the charm of his voice, "Why are you here? Hmm?"
Ashley gritted her teeth, "You called me to come! Think about it."
Could she splash a bucket of water to wake him up?
Damian seemed to enjoy holding her like this, his fingers spreading out across her back like a net. "I asked you to come, and you actually came?"
Ashley felt a wave of helplessness wash over her. "You... then I'll leave."
But she couldn't leave; his hand wouldn't let her.
The warm, rich scent of alcohol from Damian's breath filled the space between them, mingling with her own breath.
At such a close distance, the moisture at the corner of his mouth was almost touching her lips, yet he wasn't satisfied. He tilted his head closer, their noses brushing together like he was teasing a cat. "Are you worried about me?"
"No!" Ashley said.
"Do you care about me?" Damian asked.
"No!" Ashley repeated.
"Do you feel sorry for me?" Damian continued.
"No!" Ashley insisted.
Every time she denied it, he smiled, making her heart race. She even started to doubt her own answers.
Damian's nose rubbed against hers. "I'm drunk."
"I know! But don't think you can take advantage of being drunk; it won't work," Ashley said.
"I'm not taking advantage of being drunk." He became serious again, his eyes exceptionally clear and bright.
Ashley didn't dare to look closely. "Let go!"
"No..." His warm lips slowly sought hers, barely touching, a faint friction. "If I let go, you'll... you'll run away."
Ashley was completely numb.
An electric current surged from the soles of her feet, up her spine, and through her entire body.
She felt like she was being taken apart and reassembled, still her, yet not her.
Damian ignored her dazed eyes, continuing, "You won't leave, will you?"
Ashley couldn't speak; her tongue seemed no longer hers, uncontrollable.
Damian's hand moved through her long hair, reaching the top of her head. He paused for a moment, then gently rubbed it. "Don't leave, stay."
Ashley thought, 'Is he really drunk out of his mind, or is he using the alcohol to say all these strange things?'
Ashley's mind was in a fog; she couldn't figure it out. "Of course, I have to leave; I need to go home and sleep!"
Damian suddenly hugged her neck, pressing her head into his. "I won't let you go; we'll sleep together."
Ashley took a breath, her lungs filled with the fresh scent of Tahiti, invading her respiratory system and heart.
She was crazy, she must be, letting a drunk Damian talk nonsense.
"Damian, let go; if you don't, I'll hit you!" Ashley said.
Damian hummed, his arm holding her tighter, stubbornly. "You hit, I still... won't let go."
Ashley was furious but couldn't express it; in a fit of anger, she bit his neck.
He remained unmoved, seemingly not feeling the pain of his skin being bitten.
Her teeth were embedded in his firm muscles; after exerting force, she let go, leaving deep teeth marks on his clean skin.
Ashley pressed her lips together. "What's wrong with you? Are you crazy?"
Damian ignored her, lost in his world, talking to himself. "Ashley..."
Ashley didn't respond.
He called again, persistently. "Ashley?"
She must be crazy to waste time with him here. "What!"
"Take me back," Damian said.
"Back where?" Ashley asked.
Damian's slurred voice, mixed with drunken breath, "Back... to your heart."
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