My Jealous Alpha Stepbrother
: DAMIEN BONUS STORY 4

Melissa

I can hardly believe it. Damien is with me—the handsome man I’ve been chatting with for over a week. This is so unreal. My heart is racing, and I’m struggling to keep my composure as he leads me down the street with his hand on the small of my back. I’m so freaking nervous.

My eyes travel up to Damien’s chiseled face. Wow. The man looks like a wet dream come true. Someone whose face could be in one of the magazines I leaf through on a daily basis. Jesus. What is a guy like him doing here with a girl like me? He is out of my league!

I continue staring up at him, noticing how his eye seems to be twitching and…is it faintly glowing?

I wet my lips. “What is wrong with your eye?”

“New contacts…” he grimaces without angling his head to look down at me. His attention remains on the street and the people we are passing. Whenever someone of the opposite gender glances down at me, he pushes me to his side. He is protective—I like that.

We continue walking, but as we walk, I can’t help but feel like he is hiding something. His grip on my back is firm, almost possessive. It’s thrilling and scary at the same time. I like Damien, and I’m attracted to him, but when we pass a building with glass doors, I notice that Damien lacks a reflection.

What the heck?

I stop and stare, and Damien, who notices where I’m looking, clears his throat to mouth something inaudible. My skin prickles, and I blink, and suddenly, Damien has a normal reflection in the glass doors.

My eyes widen. I’m beyond confused. I had some drinks tonight, but I’m definitely not drunk. And if I didn’t know better, I would claim Damien just used magic to make himself have a normal reflection.

But that’s crazy, right?

Magic doesn’t exist. Monsters don’t exist, and yet I’ve seen Damien’s eyes glow red on more than one occasion. Just what is going on?

“Damien?” I ask in a low voice. “Is everything okay?”

Damien looks down at me, his expression is unreadable. He pulls me closer to him, and I can feel the heat emanating from his body. “Everything is fine,” he murmurs, his eyes flickering over my face. “Just a trick of the light. Don’t worry about it.”

I frown, not entirely convinced. There’s something strange about Damien, something that I can’t quite put my finger on. But before I can press the issue, we are walking again.

It doesn’t take long to reach my apartment, and I’m moved when Damien doesn’t just leave me. I tap in my code when the door unlocks, he holds it open for me.

I look up at him. “Thank you for tonight. You saved me on the dancefloor from that drunk guy.”

His lips twitch into a smile. “Anything for the pretty lady.”

A laugh escapes me. “Charmer.”

He just smiles, and I realize I should probably invite him inside. It’s late, and sure, this is the first time we are hanging out, but I don’t want him to go. And I have a feeling he feels the same way, at least if I’m to judge by how softly he is looking down at me. He reminds me of a big puppy.

“Err…” I nervously shuffle my feet. “Do you…want to come inside? We could watch a movie, and there is pizza in the fridge. Wanna share?”

“I would love to,” he doesn’t make a move to walk inside the door, and I raise an eyebrow.

“You can come inside.” Why is he just standing there as if he is waiting for something to happen?

I roam my eyes over his face, and his eyes seem to glow faintly in the dark. Amusement spreads over his face as we continue to stare at one another, and his voice comes out husky and low. “Are you inviting me inside?”

I nod, my breathing hitching. Suddenly, I feel like I’m in too deep with this man. He’s handsome, charming, and has an air of mystery around him that’s both thrilling and scary at the same time. But I can’t bring myself to stop now. I want to know more about him.

“Yes, I’m inviting you inside. Come on in,” I say, stepping to the side to let him in. Damien enters the apartment corridor, and I lead him up the stairs to my door, opening it. Damien gives me a curious look, and I sigh. “I don’t know why I need to spell it out for you, but yes, you are invited inside this room too. You may pass.”

He seems to stifle a laugh. “Thank you.”

I close the door behind us, my heart pounding in my chest. Damien notices that I’m taking off my shoes and does the same. I’m grateful for that.

It’s the little things, you know?

“Thank you for taking off your shoes.”

“No problem,” Damien is surveying my living room with a glance, taking in the comfortable couch and the TV. “This is a nice place you have here.”

“Thanks,” I say, feeling a bit self-conscious. “I just moved in a couple of weeks ago.” After breaking up with Marcus and leaving his abusive a*s.

“I can tell,” he says. “The place doesn’t look lived in yet.”

I nod, feeling strangely comforted by his observation. “Yeah, I haven’t had much time to decorate yet.”

Damien looks at me. “We could go to IKEA together if you want. I’m…” his dimples show in a hesitant smile. I get the feeling he isn’t shy but is holding himself back from saying too much. “I’m…well off and could buy something for you. And I can carry everything up the stairs without a problem. Leave it to me, you don’t have to hire anyone.”

I blink at his offer, feeling a bit overwhelmed. “Really? You don’t have to do that.”

He shakes his head, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “I want to. Plus, it will give us a chance to spend more time together.”

I can feel my cheeks heating up at his words. “Okay, sure. That sounds great.”

“Good,” he says, his eyes gleaming in the dim light. “Now, about that pizza. I’m starving.”

I laugh, feeling more relaxed now. We settle down on the couch with the pizza and a romantic movie, but as the movie plays in the background, I can’t help the nagging feeling at the back of my mind. There’s still something about Damien that’s not quite right.

My eyes travel to his, and he smiles. “Like what you see? Is that why you keep looking at me all the time?”

“Oh… I’m sorry for staring.”

“Don’t be,” he breathes a laugh. “I quite like the attention.”

“You do?” I’m surprised. People looking like Damien probably have girls flirting with them all the time. What makes me so special? Either he isn’t aware of his good looks, or there is something he isn’t telling me.

“Hm, let’s see…” Damien playfully taps his fingers against his thighs, making a bit of a show. “An attractive woman with an equally attractive mind is paying me attention. What is there not to like?”

I squirm in my seat, fidgeting like a lovestruck teenager. I’m not used to being flirted with. “You’re a smooth-talker, alright.” He must have practiced on so many girls.

Damien laughs. “I’ve had years to practice. I’ve dated and seen plenty of women.”

And there is the confirmation: Damien is a player who isn’t interested in me. I’m probably just another name to add to his list of girls he has dated. Another conquest.

I focus on the movie again, beyond disappointed that I actually believed someone like me was on Damien’s love radar. “I see…”

“Huh?” Damien shifts in his seat. “Did I say something wrong? Your mood changed.”

How the heck did he pick up on that? Either way, I sink further into my seat. “Nothing is wrong.“

“Lies, tell me what it is.“

“I told you. Nothing is wrong.” Just that you’ve dated countless women. That wasn’t the smoothest thing ever…but f**k. At least he was honest. Why am I getting annoyed? f**k, he isn’t my boyfriend, and I’m already acting like a jealous cunt. I have to fix this. “Sorry,” I say. “I’m just new to dating. Wait. This is a date, right?”

I shyly glance up at him and witness his lips form the most darkly amused smile I’ve ever seen. “Yes, Melissa. This is definitely a date, and I’m enjoying every minute.”

I blush, suddenly aware of how close we are sitting to each other. Our legs are almost touching, and it’s been ages since I shared such proximity with a man that wasn’t Marcus. Gosh, am I being awkward? Probably.

We continue watching the movie, talking and laughing through the plot. The movie ends quickly, and I pick another. We are having fun, but it becomes painfully obvious that something is up with Damien when I realize he hasn’t touched the pizza I gave him. He hasn’t even smelled it and pushes the plate closer to my side on the console table.

“I’m not hungry,” he says in that charming way of his, but this time, I’m not falling for his beautiful eyes. Something is definitely going on.

My thoughts run wild with different scenarios of what could be happening. Maybe he is a vampire who doesn’t eat human food. Or perhaps he is on some kind of special diet, like a supernatural being with specific dietary needs.

“Are you okay?” I ask, trying to sound casual while my heart races in my chest.

Damien turns to me, his eyes searching mine. “Yes, I’m fine,” he says, but his voice is strained. “I just have some…preferences when it comes to food.”

I stare at him, not sure if I believe him. Something in the way he worded it didn’t sound right, but before I can press the issue, he stands up, towering over me.

“It’s getting late,” he says, his eyes gleaming. “I should probably head out.”

I nod, feeling disappointed. I wanted to spend more time with him, to figure out what was going on inside his head. But I can’t force him to stay.

I follow him to the hallway and lean against the wall as he puts on his shoes. “Is everything okay?” I ask, finally breaking the silence. “Did I do something wrong?”

Damien doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he slips into his shoes and stares down at the ground. “You haven’t done anything wrong, but…you smell really good,” he whispers, his voice low and husky. When he looks up at me, there is a sad smile on his face. “I can barely resist you.”

My heart skips a beat at his words, and I can feel my cheeks flushing with heat. “What…what do you mean?”

Damien takes a step closer to me, his eyes never leaving mine. “I mean, there’s something about you that’s…irresistible. I’m trying my best to control myself, but it’s getting harder and harder every time I’m around you.”

My mind is racing with possibilities, but one thought sticks out among the rest. “You’re not human, are you?”

His lips curve into a small smile. “No.”

“W-what are you?”

“Someone who can compel you to forget if you don’t like the answer.”

I swallow thickly. “A vampire.”

“Yes…” Damien takes a step closer, and I can feel the heat of his body once again. He is so close that I’m boxed against the wall, unable to escape. “And I…” his eyes are boring into mine. “Want you. But it’s not safe for you.”

I can’t help myself from shaking when he reaches out and cups my face in his hands. “Don’t be afraid,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “I would never hurt you, never you. You’re special to me.”

“Special?” I ask.

He brushes a thumb over my l*p. “I can safely tell you that no woman I’ve ever dated has given me butterflies. And that has never bothered me, Melissa. I thought love wasn’t for me and that a man of my caliber couldn’t get nervous, but I was wrong because you give me butterflies.”