Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

ATHENA

Eros got the upper hand on me… again. My body is making me weak, but I can’t refuse it, either. I need to just have sex and get it over with. Maybe then I’ll stop acting like some horny teenager who can’t think of anything but getting laid. I consider masturbating to help ease the edge, but instead I close my eyes to let sleep take over. Tomorrow, I regain myself… and my body.

A loud bang pulls me from my sleep, and I sit up in my bed thinking someone is breaking in when it happens again, followed by a high-pitched feminine moan.

I roll over with my pillow on my head trying to block them out, but it doesn’t work. Perseus is possibly trying to prove me wrong, so who knows how long this is going to last. I, of all people, know spite can be one hell of a motivator. And it sounds like I inspired this man to up his game by a few notches.

Unable to stay in my room and listen to the porn set next door, I grab my swimsuit and head down to the basement for a few laps in the hope that the other side of the house and a few floors will be enough to block out the moaning.

The water is cool and refreshing. As I glide through it, I lose myself in the laps, loving the burn in my arms and legs as I push myself harder. I’ve never been much of a swimmer—running being my exercise of choice—but there is something really soothing about it. Just me. Just my thoughts. I’ve never really given myself time to just… think. Ne ver in my life have I not been consumed with Medusa, my father, my brothers, and my dark life. My mother’s will is forcing me to take some time from all that. I’m not sure if it’s a gift or a curse. Because when this break is over… Medusa is still there. The question is going to be how messed up will it be when I return.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch movement in a dark shadow. My heart rate picks up, and I turn mid lap to swim to the other side of the pool. When I breach the water, the shape moves into the light, and I roll my eyes at myself.

It’s just Perseus.

“What’s wrong, princess? Did I scare you?” he asks with a sneer.

“Not scare so much as annoy. Why are you down here? Already done with the flavor of the night?” I try not to stare at his body. He is only wearing a pair of gray sweat pants that leave nothing to the imagination.

“Is that jealousy I hear?” He comes to the edge of the pool.

“Annoyance,” I correct. “And pity for the girl.”

“You and I need to have a little talk,” he says before stripping down naked and diving in to the pool. His body makes a graceful arc as he slices into the water then comes up only inches from me.

“Talk about what?”

“About how you ran your mouth earlier today.”

“Oh, that.” I pretend to think about it for a moment. “Nope, I am pretty solid on everything I said.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He moves closer to me. “See, I don’t think you believed a word you said.”

“No, I am pretty sure Heph is a great lay, Paris is a romantic and a giver, and I am pretty positive Eros is incredibly kinky.” My ass still stings from the spanking just to prove my point about Eros.

“About me.” His voice drops. “I think you want me. And the women I bring back here make you jealous, and you hate yourself for it.”

“I think you’re delusional.” My voice comes out shaky as I watch the drops of water from his hair drip onto his muscular shoulder, then run down his thick chest to his toned abs before disappearing in the pool.

“Am I?” He brings his hand out of the water to my shoulder. Perseus strokes his thumb across my clavicle, and I can’t help the way my heart starts to race as little bolts of energy sizzle across my skin and heat builds in my core. “I think you want me to prove how wrong you are.”

His gaze burns into me as he leans in closer. My mind is telling me to push him away, but my body betrays me as it responds to his touch. I feel myself getting wet with anticipation as he slides his hand down my arm and takes my hand.

He pulls me close to him, so I can feel his hardness against my thigh. And just like that, I’m lost in him. His lips crash onto mine, and his tongue sweeps into my mouth. I moan as he moves his lips down my neck, and I can feel him marking me as his.

Suddenly, I don’t care about anything else. All I want is him. I know it’s wrong, but the feeling of his strong arms around me and his lips on my skin make it seem so right.

But this is Perseus. My enemy.

I try to step back, but he moves closer. He snakes his other hand around my waist, holding me in place. My breaths come in short gasps as he leans in, his lips hovering just above mine.

“Don’t deny it,” he whispers, and I can feel his hot breath on my skin. “I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I’m not looking.”

I shake my head, trying to dispel the lustful thoughts running through my mind. I shouldn’t be feeling this way about him.

I try to push away from him again, but he tightens his grip.

“Go back to your flavor of the night,” I say, hoping I sound more authoritative than I feel.

“I sent her away. I think I’d much rather taste you,” he says.

I want to come back with something. Some sort of snappy retort. But nothing comes.

“Tell me you don’t want this,” he demands, his lips grazing my skin.

I swallow hard, my mind foggy with desire. “I can’t.” My voice is barely above a whisper.

I manage to put my back to him in the hope that not looking into his seductive eyes will help.

This is Eros’s fault. He got my body so turned on, and without quenching my desires, I’m left defenseless to Perseus’s attack.

He presses his body against mine, his chest firm against my back. He trails his hands down my arms, sending shivers through my body. I can feel his hard length pressing against me, and I can’t help the moan that escapes my lips.

“Good,” he growls, slipping his hands beneath my bikini top. He cups my breasts, teasing my already-hard nipples with his thumbs.

This is wrong, but I can’t seem to stop. His hands are everywhere, trailing down my back and cupping my ass as he grinds against me. I’m lost in the sensations, the feel of his hard body pressed against mine, the sound of our breathing and the water sloshing around us.

I feel his erection against my ass, and I push myself harder against him. His teeth find my earlobe, and he tugs on it gently. Tingles course through my body, and I buck my hips against him.

I moan as he moves his fingers down between my legs, and he pushes my bikini bottoms to the side so that his fingers slide along my slit.

He steps back, and I turn to face him once again, waiting for him to remove my suit. He doesn’t. He just looks at me, his lips parted and his breathing heavy. He reaches out to cup my breast as he leans in and takes my lips in a kiss that leaves me breathless. I moan into his mouth as I wrap my arms around his neck, clinging to him tightly as our tongues dance together.

He reaches down and picks me up. I tighten my arms around his neck as he carries me out of the pool and lays me on the floor’s heated tiles. He kneels before me and kisses his way down my neck to my breasts. His mouth finds my nipple, and he teases it with his tongue before taking it between his teeth and biting down. I gasp as my core clenches.

“I won’t stop until I’m inside you,” he whispers, pulling my bikini bottoms off my hips.

I don’t want him to stop. I want him to give me a night I won’t forget, a night I can’t remember without feeling weak in the knees.

He pulls my bikini top over my head and tosses it to the side.

Do I tell him? Do I confess a fact about me that I’ve never kept secret before? My virginity is a badge of honor. It’s never been my shame before, and yet there is a part of me that doesn’t want him to know. What if he stops like Eros did?

And is Perseus worthy of giving my virginity to?

“I’m a virgin,” I blurt out, tired of overthinking it.

He takes my lips in a deep, searing kiss. “I know.”

“Eros told you?”

“We tell each other everything, but we also dug into your past the minute you walked through the door.”

My eyes widen in surprise. I don’t know how to respond to that. I’m a little pissed, but I’m also flattered that these boys have done so much research on me, and I’m clearly a topic of their conversations.

Know thy opponent .

Impressive.

He pulls back, tracking my lips with his finger. “I’ve wanted to be your first since the first time I found out.” His eyes lock with mine. “I’ve been recently tested and haven’t had unprotected sex since. We all have.”

My inexperience is clear right now. I’d never think to stop and ask this question, and I should have.

“I’m on the pill,” I admit. I prefer regular periods and?—

“That’s what I like to hear,” he growls.

This is awkward. I try to turn away, but he grabs my chin and makes me look at him once again. His eyes are serious, and my stomach clenches.

He leans in to kiss me, and I relax, letting my arms loosen around him.

He pulls back and gives me that cheeky smile that I used to hate but suddenly find endearing. “Now, where were we?”

In an instant he’s inside me, and I feel a sharp pain that quickly fades as he stills, his eyes taking on a look of concern.

“Did I hurt you?”

I shake my head. “No.”

He pulls out, then slowly thrusts inside me again. The pain is still there, but as he thrusts deeper, it subsides. He continues to thrust in and out of me at a steady pace, and the pressure builds in my core.

“Then get ready. Because I plan to,” he warns.

I wrap my legs around him, pulling him closer to me. He growls as he thrusts harder and deeper, his eyes locking on mine as he drives into me.

His eyes never leave mine, and I can tell he’s watching me, waiting for me to tell him when to stop. It’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, and suddenly I want to see him lose control.

I lift my hips to meet his thrusts, urging him deeper. His lips curl up into a smile, and he picks up his pace, his thumb moving to my clit. I pant and moan, my nails digging into his back. The heat inside me intensifies, and I bite my lip, desperately trying to hold my orgasm.

I don’t want him to stop. I moan as he slams into me, his teeth nipping at my neck. It’s everything I ever imagined and more.

Perseus slows his pace but maintains a steady rhythm as he thrusts in and out of me. There’s stretching and even a little pain—but I like it. I like it a lot.

The orgasm is building in my core even more, and I moan as I try to stave off the pressure. I’ve always heard virgins can’t have orgasms, but I’ve been primed, and my body is ready. Overdue, in fact. My body disagrees with the rules of virginity.

“I’m close,” I manage to say.

His thumb picks up the pace, his thrusts becoming faster and more urgent. “Me, too,” he admits, his throaty voice rough with desire. His thumb strums my clit as he slams into me, his eyes holding mine.

“Oh, my God,” I moan as heat explodes inside me, and I grip his shoulders tightly.

His thrusts come faster and harder, his groans mixing with my moans. His orgasm hits him, and he pulls out of me, his eyes focused on mine as he comes over the tile. He groans and thrusts back into me three times before stilling.

His eyes are closed, and his head drops to my shoulder as he tries to catch his breath. He collapses next to me, pulling me into his arms. My muscles are weak, and I can’t help but curl into him as my body relaxes.

He kisses my forehead. “That was amazing.”

I tilt my head to look at him. “Good.”

He grins at me and kisses the tip of my nose.

I can already feel my body responding to him. The thought is slightly alarming.

“Are we still enemies?” he asks.

“Absolutely.”

“Good. Because I’m digging this enemies-to-lovers thing.”