Her brow creased. "Cancer?"
Damon nodded.
"You had lung cancer?" Disbelief was etched in her expression as she looked up at him. "But you're only twenty-nine. And you don't smoke. How..."
Damon shrugged. "I've been asking myself that very question. But they did the surgery-"
"And you're cured." she finished for him, the hope creeping into her blue eyes.
"What did I tell you about finishing my sentences Miss Alexander?" he chastised.
She grinned sheepishly and shrugged.
"I'm not cured."
Her grin faded and the tears began to well back up in her eyes. "I... But you're going to be okay, right? I mean... You'll be fine." A single tear slipped down her cheek. He brushed it away with his thumb.
"I don't know. I start chemo next week. Then radiation. I like to think that it's going to turn out okay."
She opened her mouth to speak and then snapped it shut. Instead, she lowered her face to his shoulder and tightened her grip on his waist. While her sobs were silent, he could feel the tears dripping onto his shoulder. Damn, he wished he hadn't put this on her, but she needed to know. He knew it would have been impossible to keep it from her the entire week.
****
Of all the things he could have told her, the last thing Katrina would have expected to hear was that Damon had cancer and could be dying. The last thing. It seemed so surreal. One minute they were having a great day and the next she was feeling more helpless then ever in her lifetime.
"Is that why you came to find me?"
Damon nodded. "Yes. I needed to see you."
Katrina touched the side of his face, feeling the light stubble beginning to form. "I'm glad you did." She forced herself to smile, but it was hard when all she wanted to do was bury her face against his neck and sob. But she couldn't. She couldn't imagine what he was going through; the last thing she wanted was to make him feel worse.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking."
"And..." Where's this going? She shifted on him, crossing her arms over his chest and resting her chin on her arms, eyeing him intently.
"Everything I worked for-" He waved at their surroundings with surprising detachment. "-It gave me a rush to obtain it all. And I thought I was happy, but when I found out the cancer wasn't gone I did some serious thinking. I've realized that I've never been happy, not since the day I left to go to California."
Katrina didn't know what to say, so she remained silent allowing him too finish speaking what was on his mind.
"I hoped and prayed you'd be single when I went to that reunion." He gave her a soft smile. "I never stopped loving you Kat. I know it's only been a day, but time may not be on my side so I want to make the most of it... Just in case."
She felt the tears threatening to escape once more, as she was reminded of the direness of the situation.
"Please don't honey. It's going to be okay." He took her hands and laced his fingers into hers. "I feel it. I really do." An unsure expression touched his features sparking her curiosity. There was more he wasn't saying. She could actually see him mulling something over in his head and she needed to know what it was.
"Damon. Please. Whatever is on your mind, tell me. Don't close up now."
Chapter 10
Damon commenced raking his fingers through her hair. She closed her eyes and savoured the feel. How many times, when they were young, had they spread one of those old, itchy, green army blankets out on the grass and laid side by side, looking up at the stars as he stroked and played with her hair? Countless. Something about the intimate act soothed her. Always had.
A cool breeze past over them and she shivered involuntarily. Damon paused, frowning. "Shit, I'm sorry Kat. It's getting cold and we're-" He looked down at them naked and embracing. "-pretty exposed."
"I'm okay." She wanted to hear the rest of what he had to say, she feared that moving would keep him from completely opening up to her. Despite her words, goosebumps were beginning to form on her arms and legs and she shivered a second time.
Cocking a brow up at her, Damon shot a look at her that said he didn't think so. Sliding out from under her, he stood and extended his hand to her. "Come on. We'll have some champagne by the fireplace in the den.
"Should you be drinking?" she asked, accepting his hand and getting to her feet. Damon snorted and rolled his eyes at her, but that was her only response to that question.
Not bothering to pick up their clothing, Damon took her into the part of his house which led to the den through the French double doors. Closing the door securely behind them, Damon flicked a couple switches and the fireplace lit up and the lights dimmed to a soft, yellow glow.
Grabbing a soft white blanket from over the back of an antique rocker by the French doors, he draped it over her shoulders and then made his way over to the large, mahogany antiqued bar. Perching herself on the arm of one of the leather sofas, Katrina watched his beautiful body as he walked away.
The familiar stirring between her legs flared up and a shiver of anticipation rushed down her spine. She couldn't keep her eyes off of him; his body was a masterpiece of lean muscle and definition, even with the angry scar on his right side. He popped the cork of a bottle of champagne that began to spill over onto the bar in front of him and lightly sprayed his bare chest.
"Ahh shit," he grumbled, grabbing a rag and wiping up his mess. Her giggling got his attention and he looked up, met her gaze and gave her a lopsided smile. "I should know by now that's going to happen."
Katrina's smile widened. "Live and learn baby."
His smile widened as he poured them both a glass of champagne and then made his way over to her. "Come on," he nodded towards a large cream coloured shag rug in front of the fireplace. "Grab a couple of pillows and let's relax. Then we can talk."
She let out a loud sigh of relief. He was going to tell her whatever else he had on his mind. This was good, very good. Grabbing a couple of silk throw pillows from the sofa she'd been perched upon she walked over to the rug that he was already stretched out on and sat down. She couldn't help but let her eyes wander down the length of his body to his groin. His cock was at half-mast as it wasn't sure if action was going to take place or not, but wanted to be prepared - just in case.
"My eyes are up here missy."
Katrina groaned, rolling her eyes at him. "Just returning the favour, for all that ogling you were doing earlier."
"I don't ogle," he defended.