Page 34 of Damon

I felt her staring after me in shock. I wasn’t sure why she was still so surprised by me. Pulling off my clothing as I went, I randomly dropped items in the hallway and the entry to the bedroom. Stripping down until I only wore my boxers.

Athena appeared in the doorway. She nervously twisted a lock of long brown hair around a finger. “Are you sure this is a good idea? It just seems like… I don’t know, I mean, maybe it’s not… fuck I have no idea what I’m trying to say. You’re making me nervous.”

“I noticed. What’s the big deal? We’ve committed crimes together. I’ve been buried balls deep inside you. Why can’t we share a bed?” Pulling back the covers, I slid underneath, getting comfortable.

Her cheeks reddened. I loved seeing her unable to form a sentence. Athena stood awkwardly in the doorway for a minute before nodding. Mentally preparing herself to share a bed with me. I had to laugh at how ridiculous she was being.

Instead of getting into bed, she gathered some clothes from the closet. “I’m going to wash up and change. I won’t be long. Feel free to fall asleep without me. And don’t do anything nasty in my bed.”

“Well damn,” I called after her as she left the room. “I was about to jerk off into your pillow. Now you’ve ruined it.”

“Not funny, asshole,” she called back before closing the bathroom door.

I settled back against one of the pillows, propping my head up as I chuckled to myself. The smile that stretched across my face took me by surprise. When was the last time I felt this way? Light and easy-going. Cracking stupid jokes. I honestly couldn’t remember.

Athena took her sweet time in the bathroom, most likely hoping I would be asleep by the time she returned. No such luck. She entered the bedroom wearing a pair of PJ shorts and a loose fitting tank top, her hair tied into a braid.

“You’re still awake,” she observed, getting into bed beside me. “You stay on your side, and I’ll stay on mine.”

“That’s cute. Now who’s funny?” I caught her around the waist, dragging her against me as she let out a little shriek and flailed. “Jesus, Athena, relax a little. I’m not going to bite. Not yet. I just want to feel you.”

“Is that why your hard on is pressed against my ass?” she countered with some sass. “Because you only want to cuddle?”

Pressing my face to the back of her neck, I breathed in her clean, delicious scent. “Come on now, I’m not an animal.”

Just for the fun of it, I pushed my cock tighter against her ass. She swore at me a few times before relaxing into my embrace. Athena didn’t want to admit it but she enjoyed being with me. She had a dark streak of her own.

We both knew that if she really wanted to get rid of me she could have gone to Rebel and the other Kings. She also could have turned me into the police. She had done neither of those things. Now she was settled against me, her body next to mine. Eventually, she would have to stop denying how much she wanted this.

Once Athena turned off the bedside light and relaxed, I quickly fell asleep. I told myself it had nothing to do with her. It had been an incredibly long night, and I was fucking tired. The warm firm body against me, the clean scent of her hair next to me on the pillow, none of that had anything to do with how well I slept that night.

Maybe I had some denial of my own. I couldn’t remember the last time I slept next to a woman. Usually I got what I needed and went on my way. This felt good. Really fucking good.

Several hours later I woke up when Athena tried to sneak out of the bed. I held her in place, biting down softly on the back of her neck. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I have to pee. Is that okay with you?” She made a halfhearted attempt at elbowing me in the ribs.

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea. You go first. Then me. Then we’ll grab a shower together before we make breakfast.” Letting her go, I rolled onto my back, folding my hands under my head. The morning sun snuck through the cracks in the blinds. I wasn’t sure what time it was nor did I care.

“A shower?” Athena repeated. “Together?”

“Yeah, why not? It’ll be fun.” I wiggled my brows at her, chuckling when she shot me a dirty look.

“Fun for you maybe,” she muttered, moving to the closet for some fresh clothing.

Regardless of her tone, there was no real protest. Ten minutes later, after she insisted I wrap my bandaged arm in plastic, we were stepping into the shower together. I could tell that she felt strange about having me in her space so intimately. I kept expecting to feel strange about it too, although I never did.

Something about being around Athena helped relax this part of me that had been wound tight. Her sassy comments and little glares entertained me. I liked that she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. To challenge me. I didn’t come across a lot of women like her.

“I get first dibs on the water. No funny business.” She shook a finger at me before turning on the water, adjusting it to her preferred temperature.

As soon as she stepped under the hot spray, I shoved in beside her. There was room for two. With a scowl, she placed a hand on my chest, pushing me back toward the tiled wall.

“Wait your turn.” Keeping a watchful eye on me, she carefully shampooed her hair.

“Don’t you think it’s time to quit with this little act you’ve been putting on? I know you want me. I know you enjoy my company. You don’t have to work so hard to make me think you don’t.” I reached out a hand to catch some soapy lather as it slid down her chest to her stomach.

Athena jerked, startled by my touch. “Just because you forced your way into my bed after dragging me along on one of your criminal excursions doesn’t mean I enjoy your company. Your ego is delusional and ridiculous.”