Chapter 13 #3
“One sec.” I hold my finger up and disappear into my bedroom and reach for a pair of grey sweats.
Tossing them in her direction, she catches them and looks down to them then back to me.
“Wear them, you can be more comfortable and sit how you want.” I lift the lid of the trays.
“Instead of trying to hide behind that little skirt.” I feel the flames lick the skin of my cheeks.
She stands, walking towards me and smiles. “Thank you.”
“Bathroom is in my bedroom.” I cough, and once she has passed me, I let my eyes settle on those fucking legs, dreaming of trailing my tongue up the insides of her thighs.
Stop it. Fake.
Placing the two plates on the large coffee table, I drag it closer to the sofa.
Filling her glass once more, I place the sides and desserts down where I can.
She catches me off guard as she walks towards me and kill me now.
How can she look hotter in a plain tight, white tee and oversized sweats?
A slither of tanned skin teases me as her tee is slightly cropped, and the waistband of the sweats is rolled over three times.
“Hope you’re hungry.” I can just about manage to squeeze my voice out, my dick stirring in my cargos. That’s new.
“Starved.” She flicks her eyes up and down my body and I feel flushed.
I turn away from her, needing to sort myself out. The fuck. She sits down, legs crossed beneath her.
“May I?” I ask, and she looks at me as if I have asked her something really fucked up.
“It’s your couch.” She shuffles over slightly.
“Actually, it’s the Langham’s.”
She rolls her eyes and slaps the top of my arm as I laugh.
We eat, we talk and honestly, I think this has been one of the best nights I have had in such a long time. The hours slip past, and before we know it, it’s past midnight. She yawns, and I sigh.
“Suppose I better go to bed. Big day tomorrow,” I mutter and she sits upright, scooping her stuff up.
“Of course. God, I am so sorry.” She shakes her head, checking she has everything.
“Athena,” I rasp, grabbing the back of her elbow as she tries to bolt away. She looks at where my fingers are curled, then let’s those stunning amber eyes settle on mine. “No need to be sorry, I kept you as much as you kept me,” I remind her.
“But I should have let you get to sleep because you’re going to be driving…” She pauses, and I watch as she furrows her brows as if thinking “Fifty-eight laps at like…”
My lips twitch and I fight my smile.
“Two hundred miles an hour.”
“True,” I raise a brow, and I lose the battle not to smile.
She sticks out her bottom lip and gives me those puppy dog eyes.
“I’m joking, it’s fine.”
“Are you sure?” She slowly turns to face me, and I find myself tracing the faint freckles that are scattered across her nose and cheeks.
“Yes,” I breathe, my fingers still curled around her arm. Slowly releasing, I trail them down and lock them around her wrists. “Promise,” I whisper.
“Okay,” she says, her voice barely audible.
“Let me walk you to your room.”
Her pupils dilate and she tells me no. “It’s fine, I’m three floors down.” She tries to fight me on it but there is no chance she is going to win.
“It’s not fine, and when did I say it was up for discussion?”
She slams her mouth shut.
“Good girl,” my voice rumbles as I step up behind her, ushering her out the door and into the quiet hallway.
She’s cute when she sulks. Little scowls keep coming my way, and her lips pout as we walk towards the lift.
“What do you think is going to happen to me?” She spins as she pushes the button and we wait.
“You can never be too safe.”
She rolls her eyes. Stepping into the lift, she presses her floor and I smirk. The doors begin to close but just before they do, a foot sneaks in and a girl around my age, maybe younger, joins us, eyes wide and full of sparkles.
“Oh my God.”
Athena stares at me.
“How have I just walked into the same lift as Royce Lexington?” Her voice gets louder as each word is spoken.
“You were on my floor,” I say with humour but a hint of sarcasm.
“But this late before race day?” Her eyes slice to Athena. “Oh.” She smiles. “I see.” She turns her body.
Athena’s eyes widen and her jaw is lax as her mouth drops open.
I slap my hand across my mouth and try to stifle my laugh.
Athena clears her throat and the girl looks over her shoulder at her.
I take this as my opportunity to move closer to Athena, curling my hand around her waist and dragging her towards me.
“I didn’t mean anything bad, by the way.
” She nods, eyes bouncing between the both of us.
“It’s just...” She pauses and now turns herself towards the both of us.
“You wanted to focus on your career, yeah?” Her hand is on her hip as she pops it out.
“But it seems you’ve forgotten about that and now staying up far too late—it’s not a good look, Royce. ”
I choke on my breath as I try and conceal my laugh and Athena’s face is gold.
“Actually,” Athena begins.
I lean in, my lips to the shell of her ear. “Don’t bite, it’s not worth it.”
Athena stiffens and turns her face away.
“Just saying, you need to focus, Royce. We’re all rooting for you.” She smiles at me and I roll my lips.
“Me and my friends, Lexy’s Grid Girls,” she answers without being prompted.
“Oh.” My brows raise as the doors ping on Athena’s floor.
Athena grabs my hand and leads me out. Our friend pops her head out the lift doors.
“Why are you down here if you’ve just come from your room?”
Athena turns around, brows knitted. “Because I am going to fuck his brains out. We wanted privacy, but it seems we’re going to have to move rooms.”
Our new friend’s cheeks turn beetroot red before she slowly backs into the lift.
One. I don’t think I have ever heard her swear.
Two. She fucking bit.