Breaking The Barriers

Damian had never been a man who lingered in uncertainty. In business, he made decisions with ruthless precision, never second-guessing himself. But here, with Lena in his arms, he found himself hesitating not out of doubt, but because for the first time, he wanted to be careful. He wanted to get this right.

Lena's fingers traced absent patterns over the fabric of his shirt, her touch light, unhurried. She had always been patient with him, allowing him to unravel at his own pace, but now he could sense the quiet invitation in her gaze.

"I don't want to be another weight you carry," she said softly, tilting her head up to meet his eyes.

His grip on her tightened instinctively. "You're not," he assured her. "If anything, you make everything else feel lighter."

A soft smile touched her lips, but her expression remained serious. "Then why do I feel like you're still holding back?"

Damian exhaled slowly, his free hand rubbing along the tense line of his jaw. "Because I don't know how to do this."

Lena blinked, searching his face. "Do what?"

His throat worked as he swallowed. "Be with someone like this. Without conditions. Without control." He shook his head, his jaw tightening. "Every connection I've ever had came with an expectation something to give, something to take. But you… you're different. And I don't know what to do with that."

Lena's heart clenched at the quiet vulnerability in his voice. She had always known Damian was a man who built walls—walls designed to keep the world at bay. But now, here he was, standing at the edge of them, uncertain whether to step beyond them or retreat.

"You don't have to know how," she said gently, her fingers sliding up to cup his cheek. "You just have to be willing."

His dark eyes flickered with something unreadable, something raw. "And if I fail?"

"You won't," she promised. "Because I'm not asking you to be perfect, Damian. I'm just asking you to let me in."

For a moment, he was silent, his fingers tightening around hers as if grounding himself. Then, with an almost imperceptible nod, he exhaled. "I'll try."

Lena smiled, brushing her thumb along his cheek. "That's all I need."

Damian let out a quiet chuckle, the sound slightly rough, as if he wasn't used to it. "You make it sound easy."

She leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Love isn't easy. But it doesn't have to be impossible either."

His breath hitched at her words, and something in his expression softened. Slowly, he lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss against her knuckles. It wasn't a declaration, not yet but it was a beginning.

And for Damian Blackwood, a man who had spent his life running from anything that resembled intimacy, that was more than enough.