Touch Me In The Morning Read online

  His birthday couldn’t pass fast enough for him. A nap would eat up some hours.

  He stepped into the kitchen from outdoors, and inhaled the scrumptious smell of beef and vegetables. Thank God for Heaven’s great cooking! After a long rest he’d have a delicious meal to look forward to, and the day would almost be gone. In slightly higher spirits, he crossed into the living room…

  And halted in shock.

  The word, “Surprise!” echoed through his head and he saw Heaven, Francesca, and Dave grinning at him. Father Michael looked reserved and Aiden and Kendra hid in a corner.

  “I told her not to do it, but she wouldn’t listen!” Kendra said before Aiden hushed her.

  Damon reeled. What the hell? The “Happy Birthday” signs, the streamers, the table laden with good china, crystal and brightly colored napkins, the silly birthday hats on everyone’s heads…

  His eyes searched Heaven’s and his blood pressure skyrocketed. “Who planned this?” As if he didn’t know!

  “Me.” Heaven lifted her chin. “It’s an important birthday for you, Damon.”

  Damon hoped his stare sliced through her. She wanted him to celebrate, did she? He felt a swelling of something beyond anger.

  “Damon, take it easy,” Father Michael warned.

  His muscles tensed as he nodded in response. Only Father Michael kept him from chastising her in front of everyone.

  “Chill out, Damon,” Dave said, shaking his head. “Why not enjoy yourself for a change? You’re always so serious.”

  He ground his teeth. Heaven didn’t have a clue about the hell his birthdays were, but he knew others had told her not to throw a party. She’d disregarded his wishes.

  “Damon, don’t be a jerk,” Francesca said, clicking her tongue.

  Those who defended Heaven only angered him further. With all his willpower, he sucked in a breath, then said, “Thank you all for thinking of me. And I’d like a moment outdoors to speak to Heaven.”

  “Oh, Damon, stop!” This time Aiden stuck up for her.

  He ignored his brother and fixed his eyes on Heaven.

  “Outdoors?” she asked, a frown flickering across her face.

  He nodded.

  “Damon,” Father Michael warned again.

  Damon watched her as she came towards him, defiantly.

  “We’re just going to talk, nothing else,” he said. He wouldn’t break her neck, even if he wanted to.

  “Can I have your presents, Damon?” Kendra asked, brightly.

  Heaven strolled up to meet him, arms crossed. When she halted before him, he turned and headed into the kitchen. He could hear her following him.

  “She’s gonna get it,” Kendra said.

  Damon smirked. Yes, she would definitely get an earful. While they walked through the kitchen he asked, without glancing at her, “Where did everyone park?”

  “On the other side of the house.”

  “I see.”

  He held the door open and she sauntered out before him, and then turned to face him as he slammed the door.

  Heaven wore her battle look.

  He tried to slow his racing heart. “Why?” he asked, every muscle in his body shaking with tension.

  “How many nice birthday parties have you had, Damon?”

  He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. “None and I like it that way. I hate holidays.”

  She crossed her arms to match his. “Christmas, too?”

  “Let’s stick to my birthday. How did you purchase the decorations?”

  “Francesca drove me. I have a present for you, too.” Her eyes challenged him and refused to waver.

  “I d-don’t want a present.”

  “Damon, accept my gift. It’s special, just for you.”

  He felt the anger flooding throughout him. “Who pays you?”

  Her mouth worked, but nothing came out.

  “Right. I do. So in a way, I bought my own present and paid for my own party that I don’t want.”

  She gaped at him. “I earn my money by working for you. Remember?”

  He gave her an icy grin. “You never let me forget. Every free moment, you seek out my wonderful company. Perhaps I should add to your duties.”

  “We may as well go back to the guests. It’s not nice to keep people waiting. Not that you care about what’s nice.” She turned to go, but he shot out a hand and pressed his palm against the door.

  “I want to get one thing straight.”

  She rolled her eyes skywards.

  “Don’t you ever force me into a situation like this again. Ever!”

  She heaved an exasperated breath. “Fine, I won’t do anything nice for you again.”

  “Good.” He balled his fists. “I like my birthdays to pass quickly and quietly.”

  “Can you at least try to have fun today?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

  He felt a rush of stubbornness as he stared at her. She wasn’t one iota sorry for what she’d done. “I won’t have fun t-today! I refuse!” He flung open the door and marched inside. He could feel her following him.

  “Baby,” she mumbled behind him.

  As he stepped back into the living room, everyone seemed hesitant. He had to pause to regain composure. Moments passed before he could talk.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, speaking slowly to avoid an embarrassing spate of stammering. “Thanks for c-coming.”

  “Is the party on?” Francesca asked.

  He glanced at a red-faced Heaven and nodded. “Yes.” He shrugged. “Of course.” He tried to look enthusiastic.

  “Heaven cooked dinner and baked a cake,” Father Michael said.

  Damon glanced at him, and saw the disapproval in his eyes.

  I didn’t ask her to, he thought. “Then it should be delicious.” He hoped his smile looked genuine.

  Silence permeated the room. Damon wanted to make everyone more comfortable, but couldn’t spit out any words. He cursed his affliction.

  “Anyone want to go downstairs?” Aiden finally rescued him.

  Mumbling agreement, the party moved to the room with a ping pong and pool table. Conversation started and the atmosphere lightened.

  Damon stood by the bar, wondering whether to pour a drink, until he saw Aiden and Dave start playing pool. He loved pool. Almost against his will, he picked up a cue, and joined in, not saying a word. After a few turns, he noticed Heaven, sitting on the sofa and watching him. He suddenly wanted to show off for her, and his pool cue turned magic. Nobody came close to beating him and he couldn’t hide his arrogance. Some of the anger subsided with his victory. As the game broke up, he caught Heaven’s eyes and flashed a self-satisfied smile. She didn’t return it. He could feel her gaze trailing him as he went behind the bar counter to pour himself a beer.

  Heaven rankled with irritation, her gaze following Damon. He’d just poured a mug of beer and leaned an elbow on the counter, still basking in his victory at pool. She wished, in the worst way, to bring him down a peg.

  “Damon, want to play ping pong?” she heard herself asking. She’d no idea why. She couldn’t possibly beat him and after the baseball incident, she worried about hurting him.

  Damon’s gaze drifted towards her and his mouth quirked up. “With you?”

  She hadn’t played ping pong in ten years. “Yes.”

  All eyes fell on them.

  “Remember the softball game,” Dave said with a grin, reading her mind.

  Damon crossed his arms, his eyes smoldering at her. “Do you plan to smash me in the eye with the ping pong ball?”

  “Afraid?” she asked. Hitting him in the head, instead of the eye, didn’t sound too bad right now.

  “Afraid of you?” He set his beer down. “Don’t be silly. Let’s play.”

  Heaven strode over to the table and picked up the paddle, not certain how to hold it. Aiden saved the day. Standing behind her, he positioned her hand. He showed her how to swat the ball. “This way,” he said. She tried it a few times and he nodde
d. “You’ll do fine.”

  Damon let his frustration be known by bouncing the ball up and down on the center of his paddle.

  “Ready?”

  “Sure. Go ahead.”

  Heaven met his eyes.

  His narrowed.

  She felt hers narrowing back.

  She saw a flash of him taking her to the back yard to scold her, and the hairs on her arms lifted, like those of an angry cat.

  Stubborn, impossible man! That smirk on his face needed wiping. He dropped the ball then slammed it over the net. She surprised herself by slamming it right back and hitting the edge of the table. The ball rolled to the floor. His eyes rounded as the audience chuckled and cheered.

  Damon retrieved the ball. “Lucky shot,” he mumbled and tossed it to her.

  The blood in her veins rushed and her muscles tensed. She dropped the ball to the table, then swatted it. He easily flipped it back. She hit it hard. The return was harder and she swung and missed. Damn! Well, she didn’t really have a chance to beat him, much as she’d love to. When she came up with the ball, Damon had no expression on his face. He twirled the paddle in his hand then rested his palms on the table. She tossed him the ball.

  With furious intensity, he slammed the ball just over the net, and her hand shot out automatically, hitting it in a volley. That surprised him and the game continued in a quieter fashion. Finally, the ball bounced up high to Heaven’s side, and with all her pent up anger she slammed it over the net and off the table again.

  Damon’s cheeks reddened as he retrieved the ball once more. “Lucky again,” he said.

  But Heaven kept getting lucky. She felt a rhythm and he, getting angrier each time she scored, was not up to par. When they reached the game point, his knuckles were white as he grasped the paddle and his eyes gleamed with fury and embarrassment.

  He dropped the white ball, slammed it at her and she hit it back at him. His eyes glowed with intensity. She stood back and let the ball hit her paddle and it fell just in front of the net on his side of the table. With a sense of desperation on his face, Damon reached out and smashed the ball on the table and it whistled right past her paddle. Damon had won. Barely.

  The others stood up and started laughing and joking. Damon looked as if he’d run a mile. His hair and forehead dripped with sweat. He turned away from her and shook his head. “Where the hell did you learn to play ping pong that way?” he asked, awe mixed with disbelief.

  “Aiden showed me just before we started.”

  Damon snorted and laughter filtered through the room.

  “At least I didn’t slam you in the eye,” she said.

  Damon threw his paddle on the table. He caught her eye and she said, “I let you win.”

  “You didn’t!” His gaze burned into her. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Did you?” Aiden asked.

  She threw her paddle on the table and flashed her sweetest grin. “What do you think?” she asked.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Damon watched Heaven, the stunned look on his face suddenly making her giggle.

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “What’s so funny?” He glared at her and her giggles turned to laughter.

  “You are,” she said.

  “The g-g-game – you almost b-beat me – I had to practically k-kill myself to w-win –” Damon suddenly broke into laughter. Not just normal laughter; gut wrenching hysterical laughter. He lowered his elbows to the table, ran his hands through the back of his hair, and laughed even harder. Once he started, he didn’t seem able to stop. Everyone looked at one another, then him as his laughter intensified.

  “Are you all right?” Heaven asked, starting to get scared.

  He lifted his head and wiped his eyes. “I almost lost a ping pong match t-to a woman who’s probably never played before. That’s funny.”

  Hope rose in her heart. “I played about ten years ago,” she said. “Once.”

  Damon laughed again. “Yes, you’re quite the pro. Care to b-beat me at pool?”

  The ice had been broken. He no longer seemed upset and she couldn’t stay angry with him either. With his spirits lifted, he exuded a magnetic charm.

  The small group spent another hour shooting pool and, although Heaven didn’t do all that well, she loved watching Damon enjoying himself. Amazingly, he seemed relaxed, like he did at softball games. Aiden pulled her aside and said, “Wow. I never thought I’d see the day.”

  Heaven felt warm all over because, deep in her soul, nothing pleased her more than Damon’s happiness.

  When they settled for dinner, she kept her eyes on Damon. From her seat between Aiden and Kendra, she smiled. He ate with gusto, talking to the others, including her. Eventually, the men broke into sports talk and their voices got louder as they argued and made bets. Heaven, seeing everyone had finished the food, stood up and started collecting plates. When Damon spotted her, he stopped in mid-sentence and rose. “I’ll help.”

  “No, not on your birthday,” she said.

  “But – “

  “No.”

  Francesca quickly rose, too. “Damon, I’ll help. She’s right. It’s your birthday.”

  Damon looked around, bewildered. “So what if it’s my birthday?”

  Heaven felt something tender grab at her heart. He didn’t understand the importance of birthdays.

  “Damon,” Father Michael said, placing a hand on his forearm, “it’s a special day for you.”

  His face relaxed a bit, but he mumbled, “It’s not a special day.”

  Heaven and Francesca cleared the table. Once in the kitchen, Francesca winked and said, “Damon needs this. He’s so used to taking care of everyone else. He can’t accept others doing for him.”

  Damon turned red when Heaven came out with a birthday cake alight with candles. “No, this is silly,” he said, looking at the others for help.

  “Stand up,” Heaven said.

  Damon seemed glued to his seat. Aiden moved behind him, and, to everyone’s glee, yanked him to his feet. Heaven thought she’d die laughing. The endearing, surprised, boyish look on his face was so precious and amusing.

  When they sang “Happy Birthday” Damon turned fuchsia. She’d not thought his tan could turn that color. When they urged him to announce his age, he said, with a good-natured bite, “T-too old for my years.” His gaze lowered to hers and she smiled.

  “Close your eyes and make a wish,” Heaven said, clapping.

  Regardless of the pained expression, he did as he was instructed. After he opened his eyes he said, “I wished that you’d leave me alone,” but no malice laced his words and both of them laughed, locking eyes, momentarily in their own world.

  He couldn’t blow out the candles right away. Heaven had purchased trick candles that didn’t go out. After his first try, and the derisive comments about how a baby could do better than him, he caught on and blew and blew until he finally extinguished them. Then he leaned his palms against the table and shook his head.

  “Dizzy, Damon?” Heaven asked, delighted.

  “No.” He lied, then flashed her a beautiful grin.

  She made him cut the first piece of cake and he rolled his eyes mumbling unintelligible words. She did hear him say “silly” several times.

  After they ate, Heaven dragged him to a sofa to open his presents. She hid hers behind her back, wanting him to save hers for last. He colored at each present and card, but acted humble and thanked the giver. “I n-never got presents before,” he said, at one point. “I wasn’t allowed as a child, and I never wanted them afterwards.” He held up the shirt he’d just received. “I d-don’t need presents.”

  He didn’t seem able to accept them well.

  Heaven watched him, her emotions riding high. The card from Aiden seemed to choke him up. The card from Dave and Francesca made him grin.

  Finally she strode up to him and handed him her flat package and the card taped to it. He hesitated before opening it. Heaven wanted a good look at his re
action so she sat close by at feet. First he opened the card. There was a simple “Happy 30th Birthday” on the cover. She hadn’t been able to get him the mushy sort of card she wished she could give.

  He opened the card and read her written words. “Dear Damon Thanks for your kindness and friendship. Love, Heaven.” He winced when he said “love” but recovered nicely and caught her eyes. Her lips turned up. He moved his gaze back to the package and peeled off the paper.

  She saw his throat constrict. He ran his finger over the gold frame as if it were precious and fragile. The room quieted. “This sketch – you did this?” He lifted his eyes to caress hers.

  She nodded.

  He lowered his gaze, clutched the frame, and held it up, admiring the picture. “I didn’t know you could draw this way. It looks just like the back yard and the vague figure of that man leaning against the tree trunk…?”

  “That’s you,” she said, her own throat tight. His reaction was more than she’d expected. “I have lots of sketches.” She paused. “Some are more obviously you, but I didn’t think you’d want to see them.”

  “Of me? Why?” His eyes rounded.

  She felt her face growing hot and actually had to move her gaze. “You’re a good subject to draw.”

  “She means you’re hot, Damon,” Aiden, leaning with crossed arms against the wall, grinned.

  Damon turned every shade of red and may have actually crossed into purple.

  “Do you want to see the others?” Heaven asked changing the subject. She felt certain that her skin showed the same shade as his.

  “May I?” He sounded eager.

  She perked up. “I’ll get my sketchbook.”

  Returning with her pad, he was still running his fingers along the frame. He didn’t look up, but she had eyes for nobody except him. How the others were taking this, she didn’t know or care. They did crowd around to see her work and she knelt beside him as they studied her portfolio.

  He shook his head at the first one, a sketch of his horses. “I’m awed by your talent. I c-can’t draw a straight line.”

  “Doesn’t make you a bad person.” She wanted to lighten the mood or she’d tear up. “We all have different talents. I’m not athletic.”