Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
ARES
My muscles ache from fighting the mixed martial artist from Las Vegas. I put up a fight because I’m not a fucking pussy. But he knocked the wind out of me the second I lowered my guard.
When I glanced over and saw Alexander Drakos pointing at his watch, I knew my time was almost up. I had been winning until that point.
But I had to lose.
There was never another option. Not if I wanted to hang on to my fight club. So I let the asshole get a clean shot. It had to look natural. The last thing I saw before my head hit the floor was Alexander’s smug face.
Fuck him.
It’s my first career loss, and I want to curl up and die. The hits to my face and body are nothing compared to my wounded ego. I may never fully recover from that loss.
After a hot bath, I get into bed naked and turn off the light. It’s well past three o’clock, the room darkened by blackout curtains. I close my eyes and lay back on a stack of pillows.
My head is fucking pounding from the hit I took to my temple. The Vicodin still hasn’t kicked in, and even the fat blunt I smoked in the bathtub didn’t help.
I need a different release.
I fist my cock and give it a few strokes as my bedroom door opens. Snapping my head toward the door, I hear footsteps on the hardwood and catch a whiff of Ophelia’s sweet perfume as she enters the room, closing the door behind her.
I don’t speak or move.
Still gripping my dick, I wait for Ophelia to do whatever she came in here to do. This girl is so unpredictable. I expect her to go through my stuff and see if I’m hiding something. She’s always accusing me of having bad intentions. But she surprises me by getting onto the bed.
“Ares?”
Ophelia’s hand brushes over the mattress and misses me by a few inches. She sighs. The bed dips, and before she can get away, I hook my arm around her middle and pull her on top of me. I hold back a curse as I hit my bruised ribs, ready to scream. It hurts so fucking bad.
Clutching her hips, I readjust myself so my hard cock is between her thighs. “Looking for me, Little Dragon?”
She gasps, but it sounds more like a moan.
“Well?” I run my hand up her stomach, feeling her delicious curves. “What can I help you with?”
Ophelia swats my hand away as if I’m diseased, which isn’t helping my ego. “Here’s the deal, Ares.” She straddles me with her thick thighs, pressing her hand to my chest. “No sex. But I need a release after the night I’ve had.”
“You want to come. So do I.” I thrust my hips. “Feel that, baby? You make my dick harder than steel.”
I attempt to explore her body again, but she smacks my hand away when I reach her stomach. “Please don’t touch me there.”
I’m so fucking confused. “Why not?”
She pauses momentarily and then says, “Because I don’t like being touched in certain places.”
“Where can I put my hands?”
I wanted her from the moment we met. So I’ll follow her rules if it leads to me getting a happy ending.
She clutches my wrist and uses my fingers to peel back her panties. “You can touch me here.” My sexy girl moans when I drag my finger up her wet slit. Then she grabs my other hand, shoves down her tank top, and covers her tit. “And here.”
I roll my thumb over her nipple. “Where else?”
“That’s it.”
I move my hand to her cheek. “How about here?”
“Yeah, okay,” she whispers.
I slid my thumb across her lips. “And here?”
“Yes.”
I sit up so I can get closer to her lips. “Can I kiss you?” I can’t see her face in the dark, but her hair whacks me when she shakes her head. “Why so many rules, Little Dragon?”
“Because I don’t want you to hurt me.”
I sink back to the mattress, deflated by her response. “I won’t.”
Why does everyone think the worst of me? They look at my ink and think I’m a thug. Combine that with my reputation on the streets, and I’m lucky if I can get anyone to take me seriously.
If not for Apollo, with his pretty-boy exterior and fancy Yale degree, I never would have gotten a lease on my building. Akropolis wouldn’t even exist without his intervention.
“I can’t risk it, Ares.” Her words sound pained, like it’s killing her to say them. “You live in the room next to mine. We’re going to be family. What we’re doing is wrong. I shouldn’t even be in here.”
“Says who?” I trail my hand up the right side of her body and pinch her nipple. “I’m not related to you.”
Her fingers skim over the hard planes of my abdomen, and when she hits a tender spot, I hiss. “Did I hurt you? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, babe,” I grunt when she accidentally hits the same spot again. “Just peachy.”
She slides off me, but her face is dangerously close to mine. I want to kiss her. But she has so many damn rules.
“What happened to you? Are you hurt?”
“Turn on the light, and I’ll show you.”
“But,” she says with a hint of hesitation. “I’m only wearing a bra and panties.”
“So? I don’t see the problem. If you can’t tell, I’m naked.” I roll onto my side to face her. “I’m not shy. Turn on the light.”
“I like us better in the dark. This is the only time I feel comfortable letting you touch me.”
What the fuck?
I know I’m a dick, but I’m not that much of an asshole.
She likes us better in the dark?
Her words sting.
“I don’t understand, babe.” I cup her cheek, stroking her jaw with my thumb. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours? You’re acting a little crazy. Normally, I love your brand of crazy because it suits mine. But something is up with you.”
“I don’t want you to see me naked,” she admits as a shudder rips through her.
I recall what Apollo said about her feeling self-conscious about her weight. He would know what to say. So would Atlas, but in his own way. He’d probably draw his thoughts on paper for her. My brothers are better at understanding people than me.
“We can keep the lights out,” I tell her, and she releases a relieved breath. “But can I touch you?”
“Ares,” she whines. “I like what we have. This feels safe for right now.”
“Please.”
I’m not above begging.
After having the shittiest night of my life, I want to feel her skin against mine. I was so down on myself before she got into bed with me. She’s warm and soft, and she smells like a dessert.
“You can guide my hands,” I say when she doesn't answer.
She shifts beside me. “Okay.”
I slip my fingers between hers. “Lead the way, Little Dragon.”