Faking it with Damian Black by Louise Jane

Chapter 1

-Millic-

‘Baby, are you coming home?

I fought a grin, reading Hunter’s message.

‘Sorry, I can’t make it. Still swamped with work. Phone clutched in my right

hand. I looked outside the window as I toyed with my engagement ring.

Hunter and I had been engaged for six months. We dated for two years before

he proposed toat the sbar where we met in Boston three Christmas

back. He savedfrom a drunken college jo ck who wouldn’t take no for an

answer. It becan inside joke between us that he paid that college guy so he

could cto my rescue and sweepoff my feet.

“Ipensive face emojil I miss you so much. It’s been three weeks since I last saw

you,’ Hunter replied.

I can’t help but giggle. The cab driver’s curious eyes locked with mine in the

rearview mirror.

“I promise to make it up to you [pleading face emoji), I replied as the cab exited

the highway and entered the familiar route of Roslin City.

Excitement made my insides giddy, anticipating how Hunter would react once

he sawon his doorstep. He hates surprises. but I bet he’d like this one.

After finishing college, I took permanent residence in New York, only coming

hfor holidays. But when I got engaged, I decided it was tto go back

hand start building a future with the love of my life.

The cab pulled to a complete stop at Hunter’s apartment building. After paying

the driver. I fiung my messenger bag over my shoulder and dragged my luggage

through the lobby. As the lift door closed, it felt like my heart would burst each

fioor we ascended. My steps were extra springy as I bound towards Hunter’s

unit, toying with the keys in my hand.

Pushing the door open, I meant to sing out Hunter’s name. I know he was home

since it was Saturday, and it was his day off from the department. But no words

cout of my mouth when I heard a woman’s voice. Frowning, I shut my

mouth and listened closely, looking left to right in the hallway.

My frown deepened. The sound of a woman’s moan becmore distinct, and

it wasn’t coming from his neighbor’s unit but from inside my fiance’s place.

Dread annihilated all excitement in my system. As my heart drummed in my

ears, beads of sweat formed on my spine. With my lower l*p trapped between

my teeth, I entered the apartment, my stilettos jabbing the fioor. My steps

weren’t silent by any means. They were just so caught up in f ucking one

another, lost in the thunder of their moans and groans.

Crossing the entry towards the living room, the fervent sound of lovemaking-

no, scratch that, f ucking, to be precise – intensified.

“Ah! F uckharder, Officer!” The woman’s zealous scream was accompanied by

fiesh slapping against fiesh. Then a loud smack echoed, followed by a man’s

chuckle. “Ah!”

“You like being punished like a d*rty little sl ut?” Hearing Hunter’s voice was the

final nail in the coffin.

Part ofhoped that Hunter’s friend might have stayed in his place and

brought a woman with him. But Hunter was a clean freak. He was unlikely to

allow a friend to use his bed.

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“Y-yes, Officer!” the woman whimpered, squealing as a series of smacks echoed

from the room.

ways.

They were even role-playing? Hunter was dominant in bed. I knew this all too

well because he introducedto all sorts of role-playing inside the bedroom. I

was hesitant at first, but because I wanted to please him, I agreed to try his

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one he liked to play with.

I pinched my eyes shut. Warm liquid rolled down my cheeks.

O

Chapter 1

I didn’t even realize I was crying. An iron hand suddenly materialized around my

n*eck, clutching my throat so tight I couldn’t breathe. I lift my trembling left

hand on my l*ps, suppressing my so bs. The ground I’m standing on turned into

marshmallows. I st aggered on my skyscraper shoes, feeling lightheaded.

Instinctively, I reached out for something to keepupright. The back of my

knees bumped on the coffee table. I lost my balance and fell on my a ss. Cups,

plates, and utensils above the table crashed on the fioor, then complete silence

engulfed Hunter’s apartment.

Measly seconds later, the bedroom door swung open, and a half-n*ked Hunter,

pointing his gun around the apartment, stepped out. His gaze dropped to the

fioor, widening like saucers.

“Millie?” he blurted out. Then, a woman wrapped in the cerulean sheets I gifted

Hunter stepped out behind him.

1 specifically ordered that color since it was the color of his eyes.

“Wha.. what are you doing here?” Hunter stuttered, taking in my current state.

He dragged an inked hand over his messy hair, wild and confused blue eyes

locking with mine. As though he finally gathered himself together, he kneeled

beforeand offered to helpstand.

I slapped his hand and used the couch as leverage, standing on my wobbly legs.

I wiped my tears to take in the woman he was f ucking seconds ago. Realization

hitlike a freight train.

“Natalie”

“Millie… Natalie whispered, wild eyes meeting my wounded ones.

Eyes bouncing back and forth between my fiance and my friend, a hairline c ack

materialized in my heart. It spread so fast, with one poke, it would break into a

million pieces.

Natalie was a friend from high school. She reached out toabout the same

tHunter and I got engaged. She was in tears and pretty shaken, toldshe

had made a few poor deals as a social media infiuencer. It was so bad that she

faced plagiarism charges and lawsuits and lost her apartment in the process. I

let her stay in my apartment here in Roslin City until she could get back on her

feet and even offered a partnership on sof my contracts. She was supposed

to be in California, making a vlog for the newly opened resto bar we recently

signed a contract with

The tangy taste of betrayal madescowl.

“I… I can’t f ucking believe this.” I clenched my trembling fist, molten anger

coursed through my b*dy. “How long have you two been f ucking behind my

back?!”

Natalie lowered her head. Her soft, chestnut curls stuck out in every direction,

mascara circled her brown eyes like a raccoon. “We didn’t mean to-.”

“You didn’t mean to?!” I cut off whatever lies she was about to spew. “What?” I

huffed. “You didn’t mean to spread your legs. and my fiance just happened to be

ready to shove his dic k in your vagina?”

Offended, Natalie narrowed her eyes, biting her lower l*p. She was never one to

keep quiet in a confrontation, but she was wise not to argue with me. I’m not in

the mood to patronize her shi tty explanation for backstabbingand stealing

my

Looking at Hunter, he opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a

word, my hand landed on his cheek, the cra ck rang through the apartment.

“How could you?!” my voice rose an octave.

Cheeks red with my palm print, he stared atwith a storm raging in his eyes.

Those seyes that madefeel like the queen of his world every twe

made love, those seyes that looked into my soul each the said he

lovedfor the past two and a half, those seyes that are gazing atnow

with uncertainty, pain, and anguish.

“I can’t believe you’d do this to me,” I said, took off my engagement ring and

tossed it on his face. The diamond caught the morning light as it bounced on his

cheek, falling somewhere on our feet. “We’re over..” I sobbed. “I guess that’s

pretty f u cking obvious since you two were already f ucking, anyway.” I glared at

Natalie. “I want you out of my apartment, ungrateful b itch.”

Chapter 1

I hastily picked up my carry-on bag and ran out of the apartment. Vision blurred

with tears, I tripped over my forgotten luggage on the doorstep and fell on my

knees. Cursing inwardly, I wiped my tears harshly as Hunter offered a hand to

help

ΠΕ

How many times did this scenamake my heart swell with love? He’d always

been there to save me. And now he’s the one who shatteredinto a million

unrepairable pieces.

“I don’t need your help!” I stood, grabbed my bag and luggage, and proceeded

to the elevator.

“Millie, don’t leave like this.” Hunter kept murmuring, followingthrough the

hallway.

“Leavealone, Hunter,” I frantically jabbed my forefinger on the elevator

button. Hunter reached me, wrapping an inked hand around my biceps.

He spun,around, eyes soft and filled with remorse. Seeing him this close,

hair disheveled from his obviously busy night with my friend, reeking of another

woman’s perfon his b*dy, threatened to break my hold on my emotions. I

refused to break down in front of him, yet the pounding pain in my ch*st rapidly

grew.

“Would you f ucking listen tofor a second?” I’d never heard him so unhinged

before.

I wiped the tears my s tupid tear ducts kept spewing.

“What is there to talk about?” I said, fingers frantically punching the ground

fioor button.

Why is this elevator so slow? We are only on the fifth freaking fioor!

You don’t understand-”

Facing him. I pushed the sfinger jabbing the elevator button in his chest.

“You know better than to start with that line. Detective Lean. You deal with liars

and criminals for a living.

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His thin l*ps pursed on a hard line, eyes narrowed to slits. “This isn’t all on me.

Millicent.”

I gaped at him. Is he actually pointing a finger atright now?

“You were never around. His remorseful tone took a complete turn. He made it

sound as if I was an accomplice to his crimes. “When was the last tyou

spent an entire weekend with me? Since we got engaged, I’ve only seen you four

times) I got f ucking lonely!”

“Seriously, Hunter? You’re pinning this on me? If you weren’t happy with our

relationship, you should’ve ended it, not f uck my friend!” my ch*st was rising

and falling fast, my voice echoing through the hallway

The fa rthest door on the fioor creaked open. I usually avoid confrontations, but

I cannot let this one slide.

Silence befell us. Our ch*st heaving in unison. The annoying elevator finally

arrived. I stepped inside the lift. Hunter was hot on my heels, nose fiaring, and

his gaze could melt steel. “If you would just listen. I know I f ucked up, and I’m

sorry”

“Good.” I matched his burning gaze with a razor-sharp one. Would you like a

medal for admitting that?”

Now, I was just being difficult, impatiently tapping my shoes on the fioor as the

lift descended. Why was this elevator so f ucking slow? I need to get out of here.

Why was the air suddenly so thin, and why were the walls closing on me?

F uck. It felt like I was drowning. I closed my eyes and breathed through my

nose, counting from one to ten.

“Millie.” Hunter released an exasperated breath, the lift reaching the ground

fioor. Hunter blocked my exit and pressed the emergency button. “Just f u cking

listen, Millicent! I can’t lose you I love you.”

Hearing those words from his l*ps used to swoon me, and made my heart beat

so fast. My f ucking st upid heart that’s on the brink of exploding.

Did he even mean all those I love yous he toldbefore? Did he tell Natalie he

loved her, too? All I could see when I looked at him was his betrayal and this

pain in my chest.

III

Chapter 1

“Get out of my way,” I said through gritted teeth.

He reached for my face, clutching my chin. I slapped his hand away, glaring at

him. He dropped his hand to the side. His smile was solemn. “Let’s just go back

to my place and talk. We can figure this out together.”

“Figure out what, exactly?” my voice was broken, and my eyes began to sting.

“Figure out how you can’t keep your di ck in your pants? Or how you can’t keep

being faithful despite proposing to me?”

My tears streamed. I lifted my hand to my chest, f isting my blouse as I stared at

Hunter straight in the eyes.

“I told you to take care of my heart, Hunter. You promise not to break it. You f

ucking promised!” I wiped my tears. “But you. didn’t just break my heart. You

tore it out of my ch*st and stomped on it with your st upid, stinky feet! So no…

no matter what you say, no matter what f ucked up explanation you have for f

ucking Natalie, I won’t get back with you! Even if you grovel before me.”