Filed to story: Maya Thompson and Damien Blackwood Book PDF Free
Something he didn’t need.
He needed to shut this down. Re-establish distance.
But Jamie spoke again, unknowingly anchoring him there. “Do you work every Saturday, Mr. Blackwood?”
“No,” Damien answered, voice clipped but amused. “Just when the PR team drags me into a photo op with a shovel.”
Jamie grinned. “Like this morning?”
A small, rare smile ghosted across Damien’s lips. “Exactly.”
Maya peeked at him, eyes wide and soft, a silent question hanging between them.
Their eyes met for the briefest second.
The car rolled forward, the city blurring past. The silence that followed wasn’t awkward.
It was… charged.
And Damien knew, deep in his gut, he was already in trouble.
He needed control.
He needed distance.
But all he could smell was lavender and trouble.
Big fucking trouble.
The car hummed quietly as Damien’s thoughts spiraled.
He watched Maya steal glances at Jamie, her expression softening whenever the boy spoke or smiled. There was tenderness there – fierce, protective, and unmistakably real.
His chest ached with something he hadn’t felt in years. Something dangerous.
He reminded himself: she was off limits. An intern. A complication.
But how could he resist? How could he ignore the way she smelled-lavender, vanilla, something clean and pure?
The scent clung to him, weaving through his senses like a potent drug.
He cleared his throat, trying to regain composure. “You mentioned needing to get better before going back to school,” Damien said, trying to sound casual. “Is it something serious?”
Jamie blinked, surprised by the question. “Oh… yeah. I guess.”
Damien caught the subtle shift in Maya’s posture – the way her shoulders tightened, her gaze dropped to her lap, and her lips pressed into a thin, unyielding line.
Jamie, unaware of the storm brewing beside him, continued, “I’ve been in and out of the hospital for a while. My immune system’s kind of messed up, and my heart’s not that great either. I get sick a lot.”
He said it plainly. No self-pity. No drama. Just facts.
Damien felt that familiar tightening in his chest again – only this time, it wasn’t about Maya. It was the boy. His composure. His courage. His honesty. It wasn’t the way kids his age usually talked.
“And you’re heading to the hospital now? For a checkup?” Damien asked, keeping his voice even.
Jamie nodded. “Yeah. Just a routine one. Nothing major… I think. At least, I hope not.”
There was a beat of silence.
“I’m sure you’ll be alright,” Damien said, quieter now.
Jamie smiled faintly. “Thanks.”
Beside him, Maya still hadn’t said a word.
Damien risked a glance.
She looked… wrecked. Not in a fragile way-but in the way someone looks when they’ve been carrying too much, for too long, and can’t afford to let anything drop.
And suddenly, Damien understood. Why she looked tired all the time. Why she seemed so desperate to stay invisible.
Her entire world sat beside her-small, pale, and far too brave.
“You like school?” Damien asked, shifting gears for both their sakes.
Jamie perked up again. “Yeah! I mean, I miss it. I like learning. Especially math. And science. And I’ve been teaching myself coding while I’m stuck at home.”
Damien let out a low breath. “You ever thought about applying for early mentorship programs?”
Maya turned her head, startled. Her eyes met his for a fleeting second – too brief to hold, but long enough to leave a mark. There was gratitude there. And something else. Something quiet and unreadable, like even she didn’t have a name for it yet.
Jamie’s eyes widened. “They have those?”
“They do,” Damien said. “Some through Blackwood. Internships for high school students – if your health permits.”
From the corner of his eye, Damien saw Maya fully lift her head now, surprise softening into something warm.
Jamie was already nodding, excitement flickering to life. “That would be awesome.”
Damien turned toward him. “When you’re ready, have Maya contact my office. We’ll see what we can do.”
The car fell silent again – but it wasn’t heavy. It was thoughtful. Shifted.
Jamie looked like he’d just been handed a map to another future.
And Maya?
She was staring straight ahead, stunned. Hands clenched tightly in her lap, eyes glistening – caught between gratitude and disbelief.
Damien didn’t speak. He didn’t trust himself to.
Because the weight in his chest had only grown heavier.
Not long after, the car pulled up to the hospital entrance.
The moment it stopped, Jamie was the first to speak. “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Blackwood.
And you too, Mr. Horton.” He leaned forward and gently tapped the driver’s shoulder. “And you, sir. Thank you again for the ride! Take care!”
Damien gave a small nod. James smiled and offered a polite, “You’re welcome.”
The door opened, and Jamie climbed out first.
Maya turned to Damien, her expression reserved but sincere. She offered a subtle bow of her head. “Thank you, Mr. Blackwood. Please take care.”
Then she glanced at James. “Sir.” A soft, silent thank-you in that single word.
But just as she shifted forward to exit, Jamie’s voice cut in.
“May! Wait- not yet!”
He suddenly ducked back into the car, surprising everyone inside. In one swift move, he shut the door again-and since Maya was seated in the middle, she was caught completely off guard.
Her body jerked with the motion and, before she could stop it, she was pushed right up against Damien-thigh to thigh, shoulder grazing his chest.
The contact was brief, accidental.
But it was enough to light a fuse.
Maya’s face turned the shade of a tomato as her shoulder brushed against Damien’s chest, and their knees pressed too closely together. But she quickly pulled herself together, straightened her posture, and scooted back to create space-flustered, but composed.
She shot her brother a look. “What’s wrong with you, Jamie?”
