Chapter 26 ATHENA
ATHENA
The ride back was swallowed in silence. Not the kind that begs to be broken, but a comfortable one. Dominic didn’t say a word, and neither did I.
Outside, the night had fully fallen, cloaking the world in pitch-black shadows. The road ahead was swallowed in endless dark, lit only by the cold sweep of headlights. And yet, inside the car, it was warm. Not from the heat, but from the memory of what we’d just done.
Somewhere along the way, my lines blurred. My sense of right and wrong twisted until it looked like him. When had I let my guard down long enough for this to happen?
I tilted my head slightly to the side, just enough to study him.
Dominic was relaxed, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting casually on his thigh.
The soft light from the dashboard painted his face in faint hues of red and gold, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw, the cruel beauty of his cheekbones.
Even at ease, his features were carved with a kind of restrained danger, like a predator just waiting for an excuse to bare his teeth.
My stomach twisted. Not with fear, but with something far worse. Longing.
God help me—I couldn’t stop staring. Couldn’t stop the ache that bloomed inside me at just the sight of him. Dominic Stone was the last man on this earth I should feel safe with. My mind knew that, shouted it, but my body had already betrayed me.
I gave him everything. The most sacred thing I owned. I gave him myself.
And now, as I sat there—still sore, flushed, marked by him—memories rushed in like heat through my veins. The way his hands moved over me. The way his lips explored every inch of me. The way he looked into my eyes when he was inside me.
I shifted slightly in the seat, a blush creeping across my cheeks. I could still feel him. Still feel the echo of his mouth, his hands, the way he murmured my name and worst of all—I didn’t feel regret. No, what I felt was hunger.
I’d heard the whispers. Every woman in that mansion knew the rumors. Dominic Stone didn’t kiss or touch. Didn’t look at the women he fucked. He took them from behind. Quick and detached. No emotion or softness.
But with me? He kissed me, touched me like he was sculpting a masterpiece.
And still, after everything, he kissed every inch of me like he was trying to erase the pain.
He worshiped me with his mouth until my body trembled again.
Until I forgot where I ended and he began.
He didn’t take anything in return. Just gave—and gave—and gave.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was never supposed to feel this way.
His voice sliced through my thoughts.
“What are you thinking about?”
I startled slightly, dragged out of my thoughts. His eyes were already on me, sharp and unreadable in the dim light, assessing every twitch of my expression. He was so… raw like this. Beautiful in a way that didn’t make sense.
“You really want to know?”
He didn’t smile. Not really. Just arched a brow and looked back at the road.
“I asked, didn’t I?”
I hesitated. My lips parted, but the words caught in my throat. What was I supposed to say? That I was reliving every second of him inside me? That I couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt like more than sex? But my mouth moved before I could stop it.
“This,” I murmured, gesturing between us. “Whatever this is.”
I didn’t dare say us, because that didn’t exist. That word had no place in this car, in this world, with a man like Dominic Stone. His expression didn’t shift, but his grip on the wheel tightened.
“Is that your way of telling me you regret what happened?”
I turned toward the window, heat flooding my cheeks.
“I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you if I did.”
A low sound escaped him—a chuckle. But there was no humor in it.
“So you’ll let me fuck your needy little pussy,” he rasped, “but you can’t talk about it?”
Heat flared in my chest. Humiliation and arousal, tangled in one.
“No comment,” I whispered back.
He didn’t laugh again. The tension shifted, and the air crackled around us like a storm on the verge of breaking. The car sped up slightly. His next words were sharper.
“Tell me, dollface, did I ruin your plans?”
My heart skipped.
“I assume you had it all figured out. That boy, what was his name…”
His voice dripped disdain. Ice beneath the flame.
“Mason” I cut him off before he could even finish.
Mentioning his name or thinking about him didn’t bring the bitter feeling inside like it used to, but I’m not the person I was before Dominic.
Before he ripped me away from my life and held me captive in more ways than I can even express.
Mason seems like a distant memory, fading more and more every day, while someone more dark and evil takes his place.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dominic tightening his grip on the wheel as if he couldn’t bear to hear Mason’s name. Probably not, but my delusional ass wants to believe that he at least cares a little after taking my virginity. After a few moments of silence, he spoke briefly
‘‘Is that what you wanted?’’
“Does it matter what I wanted before?”
Before I knew, he pulled the car over, stopping abruptly on the side, turning fully to me. It was dark outside, so the only thing I could see was him on this almost abandoned side road.
‘‘I’m going to ask you one last time, and I suggest you be fucking honest with me, yes?’’ His voice was low, deadly. “Do you regret it was me? That the first man inside your sweet pussy was me?”
I shook my head. The ugly truth was—I didn’t. Not even a little. His hand found my thigh, giving it a light squeeze as he spoke
“I want you to use words, dollface. Be a big girl and convince me with your fucking words that you’re telling the truth’’
“I don’t regret it,” I whispered, my voice breaking but steady. “I should. I know, I should. But I don’t.”
The next thing I know after my confession is Dominic pulling me by the back of my neck, locking his lips with mine, kissing me as if he not only wanted but needed this kiss. I was stunned for a moment, but my lips began to move against his on their own.
“Fuck,” he breathed against my lips. “You have no idea how badly I needed to hear that.”
I pulled him for a kiss, my hands found their way to his chest, squeezing the material of his shirt in my fist. The kiss became more tense, the air in the small space was hot and warm, the windows were fogging up, hiding us from the world, giving us additional darkness and intimacy on this abandoned road. It was just me and him.
“You have to stop now, Athena,” he said, almost desperately, but continued to kiss me “You have to stop, put your sweet ass on the seat and end this before you end up in the back seat of my car with your legs spread, screaming my name, and this time I can’t guarantee I’ll be a gentleman.’’
My cheeks burned, my body tingled so hard to the point that the spot between my legs pulsated with the need for Dominic to fulfill his words. Suddenly, the soreness I felt from earlier disappeared, and in its place settled the desire to have him again.
“What if I want that?” My hand slid down, reaching the bulge in his pants, squeezing. A soft hiss left his lips, “If you want me, take me.”
My face is burning. I can’t believe these words left my mouth. I’m usually not vocal when I want something, but with Dominic, it’s happening on its own. I want him, I want him even more now that I’ve already had him. The air in the car was cut off as I waited for his answer.
It was as if something flashed in his gaze, then they went dark as if he lost the battle with himself. He seems lost in his thoughts, as if dancing on the fine line between what is right and what is wrong. But right now I couldn’t care less about what is right or wrong.
I only see, feel, and breathe Dominic.
“Move to the back seat, Athena.”
I obeyed instantly, climbing over, heart pounding. The door slammed, and then he was there, filling the space beside me, massive body dwarfing the car.
“Damn it, Athena,” he cursed, shaking his head like his brain was a mess inside. Mine is the same; I lost a long time ago. He did too, because he was here with me in the back seat when he could have just driven off and atop this. He didn’t.
I decided to be brave and ask for what I wanted. I put a hand on his chest. I love how his body reacts to my touch as if it burns for me the same way mine burns for him. It’s a lie I like to tell myself.
“Do you want me, Dominic?” I fluttered my lashes, my hand trailing down and down until I reached the bulge in his pants. “Or do you want me to stop?”
“Fuck” he cursed, grabbing my hand and pressing it harder against his cock. He let out a low grunt.“Does that feel like I want you to stop, dollface?”
The space in the back seat was enough for me because I am small, but looking at Dominic it was ridiculous how massive he was compared to the space we had, as if he was struggling.
With trembling fingers, I unbuckled his belt, maintaining eye contact.
His face didn’t flinch, as if he was curious to see what I would do.
‘‘Can I touch you?” I whispered, barely more than a breath. A low, sarcastic laugh rumbled from Dominic as he leaned his head back, Adam’s apple bobbing.
“You can do whatever you want with me, Athena. You don’t need to ask.”