A Cut so Deep - Dani Rene Page 0,64
had a camera to capture his expression. Steel eyes shimmer with amusement.
“What?”
“Damien’s probably never going to allow you out of the house looking like that,” he tells me earnestly, and I don’t doubt him. The possessive nature of the eldest Thorne is no secret. And if Cassian says it, I know I have a fight on my hands.
“I know. But he’ll see things my way, I have my arguments ready,” I tell him, spinning around, so he can look at the whole outfit. “
“Jesus,” Cassian murmurs. “If you weren’t into D, I’d have to give you my best lines to get you in my bed.”
I stop twirling, staring at Cassian in shock.
“What?” Cass shrugs guiltily. “A man can only take so much. You look gorgeous,” he tells me.
“Thank you.” I look at my reflection, once more, before I change back into my jeans and tee. Once I find the right shoes, we pay, and we’re back in the car. I’m not one of those girls who takes hours to find the right outfit, but this had to have been the quickest shopping trip I’ve ever had. The moment I walked into the boutique, my eye caught the blue, and I knew I had to have it.
In the car, Cassian’s silent for a short while before he says, “My brother is falling for you.”
I snap my gaze at him in shock. “What?”
“I’ve seen him over the years, watched him with girls. The longest he’s ever spent with someone was Gen. The redhead. But you’re different.”
I turn toward him as my curiosity is piqued by what he’s just said. “How so?”
“I don’t know. I can’t explain it, but you challenge him, which no other girl has ever had the balls to do. You question him, you make him think and, more importantly, you make him feel.”
“I don’t know if feelings are a good thing. When our folks get back, it’s going to be hell if they know what we’ve been doing.”
“But does it feel wrong?” He emphasizes the word feel. It’s something I’ve been pondering since the first time Damien’s lips touched mine. And honestly, I have to say no.
“Not in the slightest. It feels right, it feels perfect when I’m with him. I’m only used to what my mother is like.”
Cassian chuckles. “If you think your mother is bad, she has nothing on my dad. He’s ruled this house with an iron first for years. When my mother walked out, she took his heart along with her, and we were left with the cold, aloof Bradford Thorne.”
Sadness laces his words, and for a moment, I’m upset that they had to go through that. But, then again, they’ve grown into men who are strong and resilient. They don’t need anyone to look after them. I see it as a good thing.
“My mother offered to allow me to go to Oxford next year. When the school year starts, I could be in England.”
“You’ll be near Damien,” Cassian offers, with a sly grin. “I think you should go. My brother may not admit to a lot, but I can see how much he cares for you. I’m not sure he’ll ever be able to love, though.”
“What happened to him?” I’ve been curious to know about his past, and Cassian seems happy to give me some insight into Damien. “He’s never spoken about anything other than The Black Knights. I don’t know if he was ever with someone who, perhaps, broke his heart.”
“It was my mother.” Cassian’s words sink into my chest, slicing right through my heart. “When he was fourteen, he witnessed my mother and father fighting. I was locked up in my room, so was Finn. Damien had sat on the top of the stairs, listening to them bicker, which turned into a full-blown argument.”
“And now he believes love doesn’t last?” I stare at Cass who glances my way as we pull up to the house. While the wrought-iron gates swing open, he nods. “I guess it makes sense.”
“He believes that love is a lie. He always has. But what he doesn’t realize is that it’s an emotion that can’t be stopped or thwarted by walls you put up. But Damien is convinced it’s only a word people utter to get what they want.”
“And if I said it to him, then he would think I’m being dishonest.”
Cassian nods once more. “Not because he thinks you’re only here for status or money, or anything like that. It’s just how his mind portrayed love as