Page 73 of Enchant Me

“I know, Alaine.”

He saw the tears streak his friend’s face. “Jeremiah Stark was a bad man. I don’t regret killing him, but I’m sorry if what I did hurt you, Damien. If it put your son at risk. That was never my intent. I used to be so damn jealous of the way you two were together. The way she looked at you.”

He closed his eyes and drew in a breath. “I didn’t understand until you released those photos why you were so protective of her. And now—knowing how your father added to her pain—how he was able to keep getting away with it and away with it—well, I had to do it. And, yes, I’ll turn myself in.”

Damien had to force himself to stay calm and strong. To not sag with relief. “Thank you for telling me. You’re a stronger man than I am, Alaine,” he said, meaning every word. Because God knew Damien had wanted to rid the world of that man so many times. And yet it was Alaine who’d done it. Who’d avenged Sofia.

“Thank you,” Damien said softly. “And don’t worry about your defense. I’ll handle the costs. We’ll get you the best counsel. With the extenuating circumstances, you may not even have to serve time.”

“I wouldn’t have said anything if it weren’t for Ash being on the line,” Alaine admitted.

“I know,” Damien told him. “And the truth is, if Ash weren’t on the line, even if I had solid evidence that you killed Jeremiah, I would have kept it to myself. But he was there, and he is their prime suspect. And you’ve done right by Sofia’s boy by turning yourself in.”

“And yours,” Alaine said, and Damien nodded.

“Yes,” he said. “Thank you for exonerating my son.”

“Are you envious?” Nikki asked him later that night. It was just the two of them on the third floor, curled up on the couch in the living area. “That Alaine killed him, I mean. I know you don’t mourn the man.”

“Envious? No. I hated the man, but he was my father. There were times I wanted to kill him, that’s for sure. But actually doing it would have opened old wounds. So Alaine did me a favor.”

“As far as I’m concerned, it was a favor to the world.”

“Agreed,” Damien said. “And believe it or not, this isn’t what I want to talk about the first time I’ve been alone with my wife all day.”

“Oh, really? What do you want to talk about?”

“Surprisingly, I don’t want to talk at all.”

“Sounds good to —”

But he didn’t let her finish the sentence, cutting off her words with a kiss, then tumbling her back onto the sofa. Her hands closed on his head, pulling him closer, and in that moment, the only thing he wanted to think about was getting her out of those damn jeans so he could feel her beneath him.

He pushed up, then reached for the hem of her T-shirt, only to be stopped by a very loud ahem.

He turned as Nikki scrambled to sit up, only to find Ash looking sheepish at the top of the stairs.

He cleared his throat again, then muttered, “Sorry. I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Lara warned you,” Nikki said, and the awkwardness vanished.

“She did,” Ash said. “She’s going to be a handful.”

“Don’t we know it?” She glanced between the two of them. “Should I leave you guys alone?”

Ash shook his head. “No, please. It’s a—well, it’s a family thing.”

Nikki nodded, then twined her fingers with Damien’s.

“What’s up?” he asked, those words—a family thing—settling happily inside him.

“It’s about my system. About the meeting we had in your office. You probably remember it. The one where I was an ass?”

“I have a vague recollection.”

“Well, now that you’re not the devil incarnate, I feel like I should take you up on your offer. Buy me out or partner or some sort of relationship where the Stone and Stark companies share R and D.”

“You already know I wouldn’t be opposed to that. Are you saying you want to move forward?”