Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Liam
By the time I walk back into my bedroom, Athena is fully dressed.
I expected as much. As soon as she came, she rolled off of me, curled into a ball on her side, and worked to catch her breath.
I cradled her from behind with my bare chest pressed against her back.
I wanted to slide those boy shorts down and fuck her, but she was spent.
When she asked me to get her a glass of water, I took off for the kitchen without question.
I knew that the odds were high that she’d be aching to leave when I got back.
“Thank you,” she says when I hand her the water.
She drinks two sips before shoving it back in my hand. “I think I should go.”
I’ve never dealt with this before. The moments after sex for me usually involve my head between my partner’s legs until she comes again.
Athena isn’t looking for more, and even though my dick has settled to the point that it’s only semi-hard, I’m aching to touch her again.
“I’m sorry,” she mutters under her breath. “I’m sorry, Liam.”
I set the glass of water on the bedside table. “Hey, no. Don’t say that.”
Her eyes dart over my face in a panic. “It was a lot for me. That was the best…I’ve never done that before with a man.”
I don’t want to be insensitive, but I need to ask. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t come with men,” she admits with her gaze on the floor. “Only by myself.”
What the ever-loving fuck?
Is she serious?
Who the hell has she been sleeping with?
I don’t press because that pink hue on her cheeks tells me that it wasn’t an easy confession for her to make.
“I can take you home,” I offer as I round the bed looking for my jeans.
“No.” Her head shakes. “I can get there on my own.”
She needs space. I’ll give it to her. I’d be an asshole not to.
I slide my jeans up before I turn back to face her.
Christ. I don’t want this to be awkward. I want this to be our beginning. I don’t give a shit that I didn’t get a release out of this. I got something better. I watched her splinter. I saw the way her lips parted. I felt her come on me.
That’s better than any fuck I’ve ever had.
I have no idea where her mind is, so I ask a question I need an answer to. “I’ll see you again, right?”
If she says no, I’ll drop to my knees and beg. I’ll crawl after her if I have to.
“Yes,” she answers with a subtle dip of her chin. “Maybe this week?”
“Tomorrow,” I spit out before I consider what I’ve got going on.
“I can’t.” She shrugs. “I have an appointment with Audrey tomorrow night to go over the order for her wedding flowers.”
I should tag along on that, but I don’t need Audrey to know that Athena and I are seeing each other. She’s a friend of Wren’s. I don’t want the complication.
I have appointments that run late on Thursday, so I opt for the first available day. “Friday?”
“I can do Friday,” she affirms with a smile.
“I’ll cook something,” I say without thinking.
I doubt she’s going to be impressed with scrambled eggs and bacon or a toasted bagel.
Adjusting the waist of her dress, she glances at me. “I’d like that, Liam. Should I bring anything?”
“Just you,” I answer quickly. “I’ll see you on Friday at seven, Athena.”
A faint smile crosses her lips as she heads out of my bedroom.
I glance back at the bed. Tonight I only got a taste. On Friday, I hope I get more.
Four appointments filled my afternoon, but I’m only rounding the homestretch. The finish line is still hours away.
My Wednesday has been spent counseling folks who found their way to me after they lost someone that mattered to them.
I’ve never known two people who journey through grief the same way. Some can’t put one foot in front of the other, while others plaster on a brave face and barrel through their lives, ignoring the pain that is strapped to their backs.
I do what I can for every single person who sits across from me.
When I started this job I was confident that I could make a difference in the world. My impact may not be as far-reaching as I thought it would be, but I’m doing what I can to guide people toward a future where the pain finds a place it can settle without overwhelming everything else.
I approach my office door when I hear Audrey calling my name.
When I round the corner into the corridor, she’s on the approach with her hands waving in the air.
“Tell me that you’re free on the last Saturday of next month.”
“You tell me if I am.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Winola gives you the schedule to send out.”
We’re only open two Saturdays a month, and I usually land one half-day shift. Winola likes to work weekends since some of her high profile clients slip in to see her.
She’s owned this office for close to thirty years.
When she offered me the chance to work alongside her to get my bearings after I graduated from college, I jumped on the opportunity.
I moved into an empty office when one of the other counselors relocated to Boston.
I’ve been here ever since.
“You’re free.” Audrey swings her arms at her sides. “Everyone is free. We’re closed that day in honor of my wedding.”
Fuck. I know what’s sitting on the tip of her tongue.
“You’ll come if I invite you, won’t you?” Her eyelashes flutter. “I want the whole gang there.”
The people who work at Dehaven Center have never been a gang.
Seeing Wren is not at the top of my list of things to do, and I know she’ll be there. I’m not one for coming up with excuses on the fly, so I buy myself some time. “I’m going to run to get a coffee before my next appointment. Do you want one?”
“Two sugars and a splash of cream.” She sets off toward her desk. “Oh, and before I forget, I’m leaving a few minutes early today. I have an appointment with a florist for the wedding. Wild Lilly is the name the shop.”
“Lilac,” I correct as I breeze past her desk on my way to the elevator. “It’s Wild Lilac, Audrey.”
Pushing open the double glass doors, I stroll through before I jab a finger into the elevator call button.
“My lilac,” I let the words slip off my tongue in a whispered tone. “She’s my wild lilac.”