Lace & Leather [a Damian Priest story]

2 Not like it was before

Katja POV

Damian pulled away from me and then looked at me with his deep, dark eyes. His breathing, just like mine, was faster. My head was spinning with what had just happened here. Before I had time to think about everything, Damian began to talk.

"Do you think you can handle working with me?" he asked softly, his voice deeper than I had expected at that moment.

Damian looked deep into my eyes as if trying to draw the answer directly from my thoughts. I swallowed against the unfamiliar feeling, but it was useless. My thoughts were spinning as I tried to quickly figure out if I could.

"I... I think I can," I whispered after clearing my throat.

It was hard for me to find any words at all at this moment, because I was much too busy processing what had just happened here. And why it had happened. Was he serious about what he said to me? Or did he just say it because Mr. McMahon made him say it? I had a feeling he meant it, but I was too inexperienced to be sure. He could lie to me and I probably wouldn't even know it.

"It's going to be great. I can feel it, Kat. You don't have to worry about anything. Just promise to talk to me about anything you're worried about." he replied.

"I'll try. I can't promise you it will work. It's hard. Maybe I'm not made for this." I said as I looked away from him and finally pressed the button to make the elevator go on.

"I'm going to help you. You'll do a fantastic job." replied Damian as he turned me back to him.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I'm not worth it. I told you that I'm weird. I'm probably not even strong enough for this business. I'm just realizing that," I muttered as I stared at my shoes so I wouldn't have to look at him.

"Listen. I know you're a great girl and I, believe it or not, like you. You're more than you give yourself credit for, Bluebell." he said as he lifted my chin with his fingertips making me look at him.

"Bluebell?" I asked as the blush rose to my face again. Or rather, it increased, because I was sure it hadn't faded yet.

"Yes...you are cute, yet dangerous.  Just like bluebells." replied Damian as he played with a blue dyed strand at the end of my blonde hair. He slowly twirled it around his finger with a small smile on his lips.

"Dangerous? I'm not dangerous. I don't know what you mean by that." I spoke almost a little offended because I didn't know what he was getting at.

"Oh believe me, Katja.... You are more dangerous than you think.... Just not in the way you expect." he explained to me just as the elevator finally dinged and the doors opened.

Again my thoughts turned to what he had said and the many possible things they could mean. Together we left the elevator, but I had the feeling that from now on nothing would be the same as it was 10 minutes ago.