Chapter Nine #2
‘I never told any of them I was a virgin. I just told them to keep their hands to themselves and strung them along and then dumped them when they got fed up waiting for me to say yes. I went everywhere with two humungous bodyguards so they weren’t going to argue with me and they weren’t going to tell anyone either.
Who wants to admit that party girl Athena didn’t put out for you? Their egos would have been destroyed.’
‘You’ve been playing with fire.’
‘I know.’ Her voice caught. ‘Friday night made me realise what a dangerous game it’s been. I had a few lucky escapes over the years where my bodyguards had to step in.’
‘Your bodyguards slept in your room?’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘You’ve taken men on family cruises before.’
‘Yes, but I always insisted they sleep in the adjoining cabin and then locked it so they couldn’t come in. You’re the first man I’ve ever shared a bed with.’ She swallowed. ‘You’re the first person I’ve trusted since your mother left my life.’
It was the starkness in her tone that pierced Draco, more so than her words. ‘I’m not a saint, Athena. Never think that. I like sex as much as the next man. When I was a teenager, my sole purpose in life was to have as much sex as I could.’
‘And did you?’
‘Not as much as I would have liked, but that changed when I started earning money and making a name for myself.’
‘Power and money is an aphrodisiac,’ she stated. ‘Women flock to you.’
‘Yes. I would love to tell you I’ve never taken advantage of it, but believe me when I tell you I’m not a saint and I’ve never pretended to be. But I don’t cheat and I don’t lie, and I never make promises I’m not going to keep.’ He sighed. ‘This thing between us…’
‘It can’t go anywhere. I know.’ Her voice was sad.
‘I don’t want to hurt you.’
‘Which is why it’s got to be you.’
‘Athena…’
She drew back to cup his cheeks and gaze into his eyes.
‘I know it can’t go anywhere. I know I’m all wrong for you even without my reputation.
But I also know you’re the best man I’ve ever met and that for the first time in my life…
’ She smiled and pressed a kiss to his mouth.
‘When you kiss me, I feel it all the way to my toes. Just being here with you like this…’ She kissed him again.
‘It makes my veins fizz. You make my veins fizz. All these feelings… I want to explore them, but only with you because it can only be you. I know you’ll take care of me.
You can’t hurt me more than I’ve already been hurt or more than I’ve been hurting myself.
I don’t want to hurt any more, Draco. I want to feel. I want to feel you. Just you.’
A pulse was throbbing in Draco’s head. An hour ago, he’d have taken what Athena was offering without a second thought but her virginity put a whole different complexion on things.
In truth, he was still reeling from the shock of it, and now there was a weight of responsibility sitting on his chest that if he went along with this and didn’t get it right, he could hurt her, in more ways than one.
She was putting her trust in him but she had no idea what she was asking of him.
Did she not understand how damned sexy she was?
She felt his kisses to her toes? Her kisses connected directly to his loins.
It was all well and good talking in hypotheticals but right now they had their clothes on.
Finding the restraint needed to make love to her without hurting her…
He didn’t know if he possessed it.
He would have to find it because he couldn’t walk away. Not now.
Drawing in a long breath, he combed his fingers through her hair. Eyes red and puffy from crying and exhaustion, she’d never looked more vulnerable or adorable.
He kissed the tip of her nose. ‘Let me draw you a bath. You’ll feel better for it.’
She smiled that soft smile he knew was only for him.
The bath in the pretty guest bathroom was a deep oval cocoon that looked out over the vast grounds. Athena, her hair piled on top of her head to keep it dry, lay back in its steamy warmth, closed her eyes and expelled the longest breath of her life.
There was a strange lightness in her heart. There had been something cathartic in bawling her eyes out the way she’d done with Draco, and now it felt as if she’d exorcised something demonic that had always lived inside her.
Maybe the people who said it was bad to bottle up your emotions were onto something.
She yawned widely. The heat of the bath was soaking through to her bones while the long, long day was now accelerating to catch up with her.
She’d had no more than two hours’ sleep in thirty hours and suddenly it felt like the easiest thing in the world would be to let the heaviness pressing on her brain win and take her off into slumber. And probable drowning.
Yawning again, she forced herself upright and gave her face and body a cursory clean before forcing her legs upright and climbing out of the bath. After wrapping herself in a lovely warm, large fluffy towel, she used the last of her energy to brush her teeth.
The room was empty. Draco had gone off to shower in his own room. After only the slightest of hesitations, she dropped the towel on the floor and climbed into the bed naked to wait for him.
Draco knew the moment he stepped back into the room that Athena had fallen asleep. Curled on her side, she’d burrowed into the thick duvet, only the top of her face and hair visible.
He padded silently to the other side of the bed, removed his robe, slid beneath the duvet and turned out the light.
His heart so full he could feel it in his throat, he lay unmoving for a full three minutes before moving closer to draw her into his arms.
It was only when she curled into him with a deep sigh that he realised she was naked.
Pressing his mouth into her hair, he drew a ragged breath and closed his eyes.