Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Ican’t believe this is happening. Ares’s eyes darken as his fingers lift my skirt until the fabric is bunched up around my hips. He takes hold of the sides of my panties and starts to slowly drag them lower, his eyes staying connected with mine until he reaches my ankles and looks down.
He sucks in a breath, and his teeth bite into his bottom lip.
His eyes are filled with a hunger I’ve never seen on anyone.
This look he’s giving me is igniting a fire that burns from the tips of my toes right up to my head.
It’s hot and really hard for me to not squirm with need.
I’m not some innocent virgin. I’ve done things.
I’ve had orgasms before, but Ares has barely even touched me and I’m ready to combust.
My chest is heaving as I struggle to keep my breathing even.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Ares, hurry up. You’re torturing me.” I moan when his hands squeeze the flesh of my inner thighs, pulling my legs open wider.
“You know, you’re really bossy,” he says.
“This was your idea, remember?” I tell him.
“I know. Best idea I’ve ever had too. Which is why I’m not rushing this. I want to savour the moment I finally get to taste you, P. I’ve fantasised about this for a really long time.”
“How long?” I ask, leaning up on my elbows to get a better look at his face.
“Too long.” His tongue darts out, licking his lips, and then he’s lowering his face to my centre.
I let my head fall back onto the bed. I can feel his breath on my most sensitive parts.
Ares inhales. Did he just smell me? Well, that’s embarrassing.
I don’t have any time to dwell on it, though, because his tongue swipes from the bottom to the top of my pussy.
“Oh, my…” I close my eyes and let the pleasure radiating through me take over my body and mind completely.
Ares repeats the process. Over and over.
Licking me slowly and then circling his tongue around my clit.
When he sucks on me, I lose it. My hips tilt upwards and my legs stiffen as the orgasm I’ve been holding off finally detonates.
My skin feels as if little firecrackers are lighting up across it.
I’ve never felt this good. Ever. This wasn’t just an orgasm.
It was as if I had an otherworldly experience.
My eyes slowly blink open when I feel Ares moving up my body. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I suddenly feel self-conscious.
Did I do anything stupid? Was I too loud? Did I taste bad to him? So many doubts cross my mind.
“Way better than I imagined,” Ares says.
“What?”
He smiles down at me. “I think I’m going to need to taste you daily from now on. Don’t make any plans to disappear on me, P.”
My heart skips a beat. He wants to do that again. He wants me to stay around. Or is he just telling me what he thinks I want to hear so I don’t break down into a sobbing mess again?
I can’t believe he found me crying earlier. I left the bedroom, but I didn’t have it in me to leave the apartment. I probably should have gone home and saved him from all of this.
“Stop.” Ares’s tone is harsh.
“What?”
“Stop doubting that I want you. I happen to think you’re pretty fucking perfect, Zara. And if you need me to tell you that a hundred times a day so you don’t forget, I will.”
“Okay,” I say because I don’t really know what else to tell him.
I can’t stop the inner thoughts of doubt.
They’re always there. If I knew how to turn them off, I would have by now.
I don’t want to be like this. I don’t want to always think the worst or always be sad.
I don’t want to be fighting the dark thoughts constantly, fighting to find something to hold on to keep me here.
Is it really fair to make Ares that thing, the one thing that keeps me rooted, helps me fight to stay?
Ares presses his lips to mine and then pulls away. “We should go,” he says. “Before my dad turns up to make sure you didn’t murder me in my sleep.”
I gasp. “Why would your dad think I’d do something like that?”
“Because your last name is McKinley. You guys are known for feeding pigs.” He smirks.
I smack at his chest. “That’s a rumour. I’ve never seen my dad feed anyone to those pigs.”
“Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t make it not true. I’ve never seen you walking down a church aisle in a white dress, coming towards me. Doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen.”
“Okay, Romeo, that’s insane. I’m not going to run off and get married the minute I turn eighteen like my sister did.”
“Who said anything about running off? Also, speaking of you turning eighteen, what are your plans for your birthday? It’s in a couple of weeks.”
“You remember when my birthday is?” I can’t help the huge smile that spreads across my face.
“I remember everything when it comes to you, P.”
As Ares pulls into the driveway of his house, he turns to me. “What are your plans this weekend?”
My plan was to hide out in my bedroom alone, like I always do. Disappear from the world and let myself just be me, sadness and all, and not have to keep up the mask. Of course I can’t tell him that’s what I do every weekend.
“Um, I have homework,” I answer instead.
“Really? For what class?” Ares raises a brow.
“A lot of them?” It comes out as a question.
“We have the same classes, P. Are you trying to find an excuse to not hang out with me?”
“No.” Yes, because I can’t tell him I want to be alone. That I need to be alone.
Without a word, Ares gets out of the car and walks around to my side. He’s there before I can reach for the handle. Holding the door open, he offers a hand. And without a thought, I place my palm over his.
“I can open a door,” I tell him.
“Yeah, but if my mum’s watching, she’d be heavily disappointed in me if I didn’t open your door. And I don’t like disappointing my mum.” He smiles.
“You’re such a mummy’s boy, aren’t you?” I laugh.
“Yes. Proudly. You’ve met my mum. She’s fucking awesome,” he says.
“She is,” I agree, because I do really like his mum.
Ares leans forward, pressing his lips to mine. It’s brief, but the tingles that one little touch sends through me are intense. “You know you could hang out with me all day.”
“You’d get sick of me by lunchtime.” I laugh.
“Doubtful.” With my hand clasped in his, Ares leads me up to the front door.
The moment we step through it, I pull my hand free, something Ares doesn’t like too much, judging by the frown on his face.
“Follow me.” Ares walks past me towards the stairs.
“I should go home,” I remind him.
“Follow me, P,” he repeats.
Why I’m listening to him when he’s clearly cranky, I have no idea, but I do follow him.
“Oh, morning.” Ares’s mum is on the landing as we reach the top.
“Morning.” Ares pulls her in for a hug and kisses her cheek.
“Good morning, Mrs De Bellis,” I say politely, feeling really self-conscious again. I’m in her house, with her son, very early in the morning.
“Zara, it’s nice to see you, sweetheart. I had an extra plate set for you. Breakfast should be ready in fifteen,” she says.
“Oh, you don’t have to. I mean, I’m just going to go home.”
“You need to eat. You’re staying,” Ares grunts.
Mrs De Bellis smiles at me and winks. “Ares, do not order her around. She can do whatever she wants,” she says before turning back to me. “Zara, we would love for you to stay.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as she walks away, Ares smirks. “Guess you’re staying for breakfast. Although I don’t think anything the chef cooks can beat what I’ve already eaten this morning.”
“What have you already eaten?” This comes from behind him, and my face burns with embarrassment.
“Cara, eavesdropping isn’t a safe habit in this family,” Ares tells his sister.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping. You’re standing in the walkway,” Cara fires back. “Zara, thank god you’re here. I need help.” She tugs at my arm, pulling me away.
“With what?” Ares calls after us as Cara drags me towards her room.
“Girl stuff. I need to ask her something about periods,” Cara deadpans.
“You can ask me,” Ares says confidently, and I do my best not to laugh.
“Yeah? You ever had to deal with cramps, Ares?” his sister counters before she slams the door in his face. “Now, tell me everything I’ve missed. How did this little development between you and my brother happen? Also, blink twice if you need to escape. I’ll get you out.”
I laugh. “I don’t know.”
“You look love sick,” she tells me. “But I always knew the two of you would end up together.”
“Oh, we’re not… I mean, I don’t think…” I know Ares insists that we are together. But are we really?
“Oh, you are.” Cara laughs. “And I’m glad. I did not want to deal with him bringing a girl I hated home. You, I already love.”
“Why did you leave school? Are you back for good?” I quickly change the subject to her.
“Ares didn’t tell you?”
I shake my head.
“I had an issue with a guy. I called Ares and he came and, well, he sorted the issue. But I couldn’t stay at school after that. I wanted to be home,” she says.
“What did Ares do to sort out the issue?”
“That’s a question you need to ask him,” Cara tells me.
It’s probably a question I don’t really want to know the answer to. I know what Ares’s family is. I get they’re tied up in the criminal underworld. I just didn’t think Ares was that involved. Maybe he’s more involved in that world than I thought…