“Ares, please.”
“Please what?”
He has made me so naughty.
“Please, I want you inside me.”
I feel him grab me by my hair and a scream leaves my lips as he penetrates me all at once. It burns and hurts a little, but nothing like the first time. He doesn’t move, as if he’s waiting for me to get used to it.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
He begins to move slowly, and it still burns, but the friction begins to feel amazing.
A few minutes later, I no longer feel anything but pleasure. Ares lets go of my hair and grips my hips to thrust into me even deeper, faster. The sound of skin against skin echoes throughout the room, mixing with our moans. It isn’t long before we both collapse on the bed, side by side. Our quickened breathing makes our chests rise and fall rapidly. Ares reaches over to the nightstand and grabs the tequila bottle.
“Never have I ever made a girl come with oral sex.” And he takes a drink.
I can’t help but smile. “You are crazy, Ares Hidalgo.”
His eyes meet mine. “You’re driving me crazy, Witch.”
He wraps us in his sheets and caresses my cheek tenderly. Suddenly, sleepiness overwhelms me. I blink to try to stay awake, but I fall asleep, naked in the bed of the boy I stalked from the shadows until a few weeks ago.
Life really is unpredictable.
TWENTY-TWO
The Awakening
- ARES -
The first thing I feel when I wake up is something warm next to me. The touch of skin against my arm takes me by surprise, and then I turn and see her.
Her eyes are closed, her long eyelashes rest on her cheekbones, and she is breathing slowly through her nose. She looks so delicate and fragile. A lump forms in my throat, making it difficult for me to breathe. I jump up from the bed, moving away from her, almost hyperventilating.
I need to get out of here.
I need to get away from her.
What the hell was I thinking?
Grabbing my clothes from the floor, I quickly put on my boxers and shorts. I leave my room, careful not to wake her up. I don’t want to face her; I can’t face her expectations of me and break her heart again. I can’t make her cry and watch her walk away from me, not again.
Then get back in there.
The voice of my conscience reproaches me, but I can’t do that either. I’m not what she expects, or what she needs. I can’t play at having a relationship with someone when I don’t believe in that shit, because sooner or later I’ll end up hurting her and ruining a nice girl who doesn’t deserve it.
If I know I can’t give her what she wants, why do I keep luring her to me? Why can’t I let her go? Because I’m a selfish fucker, that’s why, because just imagining her with someone else makes my blood boil. I can’t be with her, but I won’t let her be with anyone else either.
I head down the stairs, running, and grab the keys to the car.
Run, like the selfish coward you are.
I’m about to grab the doorknob when I hear someone clearing their throat. I turn to see Artemis sitting on the couch wearing sports clothes. He must have just come in from his morning workout.
“Where are you going looking like that?”
And that’s when I realize that I’m only wearing shorts, and I don’t even have shoes on.
“Nowhere,” I say quickly.
“Running away?”
“No, I’m still just a little tired.”
Artemis gives me an incredulous look but says nothing. I grab my sneakers from the guest closet in the hallway and pull a sweatshirt on. Claudia appears to ask me what she should tell Raquel.
“Tell her I had to go out and I won’t be back until late,” I whisper to her, holding the keys in my hand. “Tell her to go home.”
I turn my back on them and leave the house. I get into the car, but I don’t turn it on. I just rest my forehead on the steering wheel. I don’t know how much time passes, but when I look up, I see her.
Raquel.
She’s walking out of the house. Her dress is wrinkled and still a little wet from the night before and her hair is in a messy bun. My heart drops to the floor. She shudders, wiping her tear-streaked cheeks. She’s crying.
Ah, God, what are you doing, Ares?
My eyes go down to her feet and I notice that she’s barefoot. She probably couldn’t find her sandals and didn’t want to stay to look for them. I can’t take my eyes off her as she slowly walks away from the house.
I almost go get her, but when my hand falls on the car door handle, I freeze. What am I going to say to her? How am I going to justify myself? I know that if I chase her, I will only hurt her more.