Chapter 154: Chapter 156: Afternoon Recovery
ARIA’S POV - Early Evening
Aria woke slowly, her body protesting every small movement as awareness returned. The room was bathed in the golden light of late afternoon....she must have slept for hours after Damien had brought her breakfast and insisted she rest.
She reached out instinctively, seeking his warmth, but found only cool sheets beside her.
He wasn’t in bed. Wasn’t in the bedroom at all from what she could see.
Probably in his study, she thought. He’d cancelled all his meetings to take care of her this morning, which meant he likely had a mountain of work to catch up on. Running a billion-dollar empire didn’t stop just because he’d spent the morning fucking his girlfriend into oblivion.
Aria sat up carefully, testing her body’s limits. The soreness was still there.....a deep ache between her thighs, tender spots on her hips and thighs where his fingers had gripped, a pleasant exhaustion in muscles she’d used extensively this morning.
But it was manageable now. The hot bath and hours of sleep had helped considerably.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood.
And immediately regretted it.
"Oh god," she breathed, one hand gripping the bedpost for support as the full impact of this morning’s activities made itself known. Every step sent a reminder straight between her legs....the pleasant soreness from earlier now a sharp reminder of exactly how thoroughly Damien had claimed her.
She could barely walk. Could feel him with every movement, exactly as he’d promised she would.
Bastard, she thought fondly. He’d known. Had known exactly what he was doing when he’d folded her in half and pounded into her for those final punishing minutes. Had known she’d spend the rest of the day feeling the aftermath of his possession.
Moving carefully, like an old woman rather than a twenty-four-year-old, Aria made her way to the bathroom. She needed to clean up, get dressed, rejoin the land of the living instead of hiding in bed all day.
The bathroom mirror told its own story. Her hair was a disaster....tangled and wild despite Damien washing it earlier. Her lips were swollen from his kisses. And there, on her neck, was a mark she definitely hadn’t noticed before. A hickey. Damien Blackwood had given her a visible hickey like they were teenagers.
She touched it gently, felt heat flood her face and spread down her chest. Everyone would see it. Everyone would know exactly what they’d been doing.
And the possessive bastard had probably done it deliberately.
Aria showered quickly, the hot water soothing her aching muscles. She dressed in comfortable clothes....leggings and an oversized sweater that hid most of the marks but did nothing for the hickey. She tried to cover it with makeup but gave up after a few attempts. It was too dark, too obvious.
She made her way downstairs, moving carefully, one hand on the bannister for support. Her thighs protested with each step, and she had to pause halfway down to catch her breath.
This was ridiculous. She was in excellent physical shape....had run marathons, could do an hour of high-intensity interval training without breaking a sweat. But apparently, nothing had prepared her body for a morning of Damien Blackwood’s brand of exercise.
The kitchen was warm and inviting, filled with the smell of something delicious baking. Lucy was there, along with two other staff members, chatting over cups of tea.
Lucy looked up as Aria entered, and her expression immediately transformed into a knowing smile.
"Don’t," Aria said, pointing at her friend. "Don’t even start, Lucy."
"I wasn’t going to say anything!" Lucy protested, though her grin suggested otherwise.
"Your face is saying plenty."
"Okay, fine. I won’t laugh. But I can clearly see that you can barely walk, Aria." Lucy did laugh then, a bright, delighted sound. "What did he do to you?"
Aria felt her face flame as she carefully lowered herself into a chair at the kitchen table. "We had a... vigorous morning."
"The entire house heard your ’vigorous morning.’ Mrs. Chen had to turn up the radio in the laundry room because you were so loud."
"Oh my god." Aria buried her face in her hands. "I’m never leaving this kitchen. I’m going to live here now out of sheer embarrassment."
"Don’t be embarrassed," Maria, one of the older housekeepers, said with a warm smile. "It’s good to hear this house full of life again. Mr. Blackwood has been alone too long. It’s nice to know he’s happy."
"Even if his happiness involves making me unable to walk?" Aria muttered.
"Especially then," Lucy said, sitting down across from her. "Means he’s very, very happy."
The other women laughed, and Aria found herself relaxing despite her embarrassment. This felt familiar....sitting in the kitchen with the staff, chatting and laughing. It reminded her of when she’d been Sarah Martinez, the new maid, trying to navigate this world while hiding her true purpose.
How different everything was now. Then, she’d been an infiltrator, a liar, someone with an agenda. Now she was just... Aria. Living here. Loved here. Part of this household in a way she’d never imagined possible.
"Can I ask you something?" Lucy said, her expression turning more serious. "Are you happy? Really happy? Being back with Mr. Blackwood after everything that happened?"
Aria considered the question carefully. After the lies, the betrayal, the separation, the complicated reconciliation. After the intensity and the possessiveness and the sometimes overwhelming nature of being loved by Damien Blackwood.
"Yes," she said simply. "I’m happy. He chose to forgive me despite everything I did. Despite the lies, despite stealing from him, despite betraying his trust in the worst possible way. He could have destroyed me. Could have had me arrested, could have ruined my life. Instead, he chose to love me anyway."
"That’s beautiful," Maria said softly.
"It is," Aria agreed. "Though I’ll admit, there are days when his love feels a bit... overwhelming. Like this morning, for instance."
"But you love him too," Lucy said. Not a question.
"I love him too. Completely. Even when he’s being absolutely brutal. Even when he makes me pay for tempting him." Aria shifted in her chair, wincing. "Especially then, actually."
The kitchen door opened, and two more staff members entered....Maria and Jennifer, both maids Aria had worked alongside when she’d been undercover.
"Aria!" Maria’s face lit up. "We heard you officially moved in! This is so exciting!"
"It is," Aria agreed, feeling warmth spread through her chest. "Though I have to admit, it feels strange sometimes. Being here as Mr. Blackwood’s girlfriend instead of as staff."
"But in a good way, right?" Jennifer asked, pulling up a chair.
"In a very good way."
They fell into easy conversation, the kind that Aria had missed during the month she and Damien had been separated. Talk of the estate, of small dramas among the staff, of plans for the upcoming holidays. It felt normal. Grounding. A reminder that despite the intensity of her relationship with Damien, despite the wealth and the power and the sometimes overwhelming nature of his world, she could still have this. Simple friendships. Easy laughter. Moments that had nothing to do with billion-dollar business deals or society expectations.
"How’s your mother doing?" Maria asked. "I heard she made a full recovery."
"She’s doing wonderfully," Aria said, smiling. "Completely healthy. It’s like a miracle, honestly. The doctors still can’t explain it."
But Aria could. The Vitalis Radix from Damien’s greenhouse.....the plant she’d risked everything to steal....had saved her mother’s life. Had cured a disease that should have killed her within months.
And in the process, had brought Aria and Damien together in the most complicated, intense, beautiful way possible.
"That’s wonderful," Lucy said. "Will she be moving to the estate too? I heard Mr. Blackwood offered the guest house."
"He did, but she refused. She wants to stay in her own apartment, keep her independence. Though she’s demanding Damien come to Sunday dinner so she can properly interrogate him."
The women laughed at that, and they continued chatting for another twenty minutes before Aria finally stood....carefully....and bid them farewell.
"I should probably go find Damien. Make sure he hasn’t worked himself to death trying to catch up on everything he missed this morning."
"Good luck walking all the way to his study," Lucy teased.
"I hate you," Aria said without heat.
"No, you don’t. You love me. Now go. And Aria? I’m really happy for you. You deserve this happiness after everything you’ve been through."
Aria hugged her friend tightly. "Thank you. For everything. For being there when I was Sarah. For supporting me even when everything fell apart."
Lucy hugged her back "That’s what friends do."
