Chapter 8: Just an Effect

*Olivia*

It was probably due to the amount of alcohol I had already consumed, but it took me a moment to realize who was walking toward me.

Daemon Knight.

My heart felt as if it had leaped into my throat when I got a good look at his face.

He looked absolutely livid.

“Daemon,” I said in surprise, trying to form the words to properly convey my shock at seeing him.

Before I could formulate the words, he was in front of us, grabbing one of the guys and pulling him away from me. I gasped as he threw his hand back and punched the guy right in the face. His friend immediately unhanded me, shoving me away and causing me to stumble forward into Daemon’s waiting arms.

I immediately started to struggle against him, but he held me tightly. He didn’t even seem to notice that I was trying to get away from him. He was too busy glaring after the men who were cowering in front of him.

“Touch her again, and I’ll have you praying for death,” he seethed darkly. Then he grabbed me by the upper arm and pulled me away from the scene.

My heart raced as I registered that Daemon’s skin was pressed against mine as he pulled me through the crowd. His skin was warm, and I felt a jolt of electricity shoot through me at his touch.

The club was extremely cramped, with people moving quickly after the commotion. Daemon kept a firm hold on me, but he kept me pressed against his side as if afraid I would wander off.

I felt a bit lightheaded from the alcohol, causing me to trust Daemon and not question where he was taking me. I never realized how tall he was before. He was towering over me as he held me close.

He pulled me off to the side, where we could talk privately. There were still people milling about, but we were behind a huge pillar, so no one could really hear us.

“Here, drink this,” he demanded, thrusting an unopened water bottle into my hands.

I did feel nauseous and hot, so I obeyed, taking a few sips, relishing in the cool liquid as it traveled down my throat.

The liquid helped clear some of the brain fog a bit, and I was able to focus fully on Daemon. I set the bottle on a nearby table and realized in astonishment that his eyes were raking up and down my body.

His eyes narrowed as something in his mind clicked. “I’m taking you home,” he said, already fishing in his jacket for his keys.

I put a hand up to stop him. “That won’t be necessary,” I said, swallowing thickly. “I am perfectly capable of calling a cab on my own.”

He didn’t answer, but his eyes continued to study me, shifting all over my body, taking in the tiny maroon dress I had picked out for the night. It was a swimsuit-style dress that left my midriff exposed. His gaze settled on my bare skin for a long moment before it traveled down to my legs.

I felt shyness bloom in my chest as his eyes rose so they could settle on my breasts, which were slightly visible since my top was extremely low-cut. I shifted nervously, causing my boobs to jiggle enticingly. When I was younger, I used to be very self-conscious of my large breasts but eventually became more confident with them.

After what felt like several minutes of him studying my body, he looked me in the eye and shook his head. “You are not going anywhere alone dressed like that,” he said firmly. “Your outfit is only going to bring danger to you in a setting like this.”

My jaw dropped. “What are you talking about?” I asked, feeling self-conscious as he criticized my outfit. “I wasn’t in any danger. I could have taken those guys.”

Daemon’s blue eyes darkened a shade, his raven hair falling into his eyes slightly as he glowered at me. “You were completely drunk and defenseless,” he informed me. “And your outfit just made you more vulnerable, that low top and short skirt are a magnet for criminals and lowlives.”

I was about to yell at him when he suddenly grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me up, draping me over his shoulder, leaving me staring at his thick shoulders and strong arms. I slapped his back, ordering him to put me down, but he completely ignored me as he stalked toward the club exit.

As he tightened his hold on me, his arm accidentally brushed against my chest, sending another shock through me, causing me to fall silent.

As he carried me out of the club and into the cold night, I thought about how different Byron and Daemon were. They were friends long ago but had almost completely opposite personalities. Both were serious, but Byron was much softer and gentler. Daemon was hard and unyielding. He also had a dangerous edge to him that got my heart racing wildly.

Daemon also had this uncanny ability to make me extremely nervous. I never got this way with Byron. I never lost all ability to speak coherently or felt the overwhelming urge to avert my gaze shyly.

Daemon finally set me down next to his sleek black car. As soon as my feet were on the concrete, I turned and started to walk back to the club.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Daemon demanded, wrapping his large arm around my bicep and pulling me back to him.

“Back to the club,” I said flatly, trying to ignore the way the warmth of his skin mingled with mine.

“I don’t think so,” he said, leading me back to the passenger side and opening the door for me. He narrowed his eyes down at me. “Are you that hung up over your brother that you’ve resorted to this sorry state?”

I wasn’t at all offended by his words. I knew that was just his venomous nature—it wasn't a reflection on me at all. I shivered as his warm breath blew over my face and neck.

I pressed my back against the car, feeling trapped but not feeling the urge to run. I met his icy stare and felt my heart start to hammer against my ribcage.

“It’s not my brother,” I said through my teeth. “My father’s company is in trouble, which means my entire family could be in trouble. I have a stake in all of this as well. My family has tactfully sold a few shares, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t struggling.”

Daemon just stared at me, not letting any of his emotions show.

I continued when it was clear he wasn’t going to respond. “I was adopted, but they never counted me out of the shares, even after I moved far away,” I said, getting choked up at the thought. “They’ve been good to me in so many other ways, encouraging me when I had a goal and comforting me when I felt discouraged. They treated me like a true daughter.”

Daemon just raised an eyebrow, and I felt shame color my cheeks. I was a fool to think that he would understand the pain I went through, knowing that my true birth parents abandoned me before they even knew me.

Daemon smirked and chuckled. “They have no idea that they adopted such an emotional little girl.”

I felt myself smirking too. How could an aristocrat like him with such an illustrious background possibly understand anything about abandonment? “I hope you’re done taunting me,” I muttered. “To me, what my family gave me emotionally is far more important and valuable than money ever could be. So, could you please just let me leave?”

Daemon’s smirk fell away for a second, and before I could even begin to analyze why, he reached into the front seat of his car and pulled out a thick stack of papers. “This is an agreement stating that I will be working with your father’s company. I’ll give you the full rundown of what that all consists of tomorrow.”

I felt my eyes threatening to bulge out of my head as I took the documents and scanned through them, my eyes falling on Daemon’s neat signature at the bottom.

My voice shook slightly as I looked up at his intense dark eyes and a slight smirk. He was so close that I could feel the heat radiating off of him. I resisted another shiver. “Why are you agreeing to do this?” I asked.

He leaned toward me so we were eye to eye, our noses nearly touching. “I look forward to impressing you, princess,” he said, his breath blowing in my face, causing me to swallow thickly.

I was stuttering when I finally found my voice. “Impress me?” I demanded in a tiny voice. I cursed my hammering heart and the fact that I was starting to sweat a little. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? What does that have to do with anything?”

He bent his head even closer to mine, causing me to take in his intoxicating scent. There was just a touch of some kind of woodsy cologne, but beneath that was a scent that could only belong to someone as dark and dangerous as Daemon Knight.

He stared deep into my eyes, and I stared back, unable to look away from him, as if he had a vicelike grip on my mind. “Let’s try to get along as we work together,” he murmured in a low voice before pulling away from me.

My mind whirled as I tried to put together Daemon’s words with his strange actions. On the one hand, it would only make sense that he was willing to work with my father’s company. Before the incident, we were very successful and had an excellent reputation.

Not only that but given the small size of this particular project, it was a no-brainer for Daemon’s company to agree to it. It wouldn’t cost him anything and would only bring him profits. As a skilled businessman, he wouldn’t have to compromise his financial interests for personal feelings.

I clutched the documents in my hands, holding them close to my chest, before looking up at Daemon again. “Thank you,” I murmured, forcing myself to hold eye contact with him.

My heart stuttered as Daemon’s eyes darkened, and a swirl of emotion went through me. My skin began to burn as he looked deeply into my eyes, his look penetrating.

I swallowed hard and was finally able to avert my eyes, convincing myself that the heat of my skin was just an effect of the alcohol.