I sit on the sofa and she settles besides me.

“I’m sorry, Damien,” she breathes out. “I don’t know what came over me. I woke up dreaming David was back.”

She peers into the fire with a forlorn expression. I squeeze her arm and turn her to face me. “You can talk to me, you know,” I tell her gently.

She shakes her head wildly. “I can’t. It was awful. He was a monster. He was Satan in a suit.”

Tears pool in her eyes and she puts her hands on her face and starts weeping, the sound of her broken sobs echoing around us. My fists clench so hard that my knuckles turn white. If David were alive, I’d probably kill him myself for putting a woman through such pain. I uncurl my fists and put an arm around her shoulder. She snuggles closer to me and weeps against my chest.

“Hey, hey! It’s okay Celia. He’s gone. He won’t ever hurt you again,” I tell her, patting her back. She burrows into me further and I sigh as I hold her.

A few minutes later, her tears subside and she looks up at me. “Thank you, Damien. You’ve always been kind. That has never changed.”

“Promise me, you’ll never think suicidal thoughts again. You’ve so much to live for now. Don’t let the past dictate your future.”

She kisses my cheek. “I promise.”

We stare at each other and then she pulls me forward and kisses my mouth. Before I can react, she straddles my lap and pushes her body into mine.

I move my face away from her, but her lips follow mine. “Celia, no!”

“Please, Damien, I need you. I need you tonight. Make me forget. Please help me forget.”

She unties her robe and she’s completely nude under it. She shrugs it off her and looks at me, her eyes sparkling in the light. She swallows, drawing my attention to the slender column of her neck. The firelight dances across her skin, highlighting the dips and curves of her body. Celia throws her head back and her high, firm breasts jut out. Her nipples peak, begging me to give them attention. She takes my hands and guides them down her chest onto her breasts. I squeeze her breasts and she moans. No matter that my heart is screaming a loud NO, my vulnerable body reacts to hers. Celia immediately rubs her core against my hardening body.