Page 83 of The Villain

Another pound. Another heavy breath. All stepping stones through the flurry of facts. Once more, I saw so much in the darkness. So much pain. So much loyalty. So much tenderness. And it broke my heart.

“All I want is to protect you,” he rasped.

“From you?”

“From everything. Including me,” he rasped. “You deserve better—you deserve everything, Athena.”

“Then stay and treat me like I deserve, or walk away and don’t look back like the first man who kissed me on this counter.” I didn’t know where the strength of my charge had come from—where any of it had come from—but I couldn’t take it back. The gauntlet was on the ground in front of it, everything I had—everything I wanted—spilling from its rim.

Dare’s inhale was as sharp as a knife. His hand tightened its hold, pinning me in front of his hot stare as though he believed some part of me could see him right now.

“He wasn’t a man,” he growled low, the edge of murder in his voice. “He was a boy. A stupid fucking boy.”

His lips were right in front of mine. I could feel them even though I couldn’t see them. We traded breaths, like what was left in our lungs was the only oxygen left on the planet.

“And what about you?” I gave him one more of my breaths, hoping he’d let me breathe him in one more time. “Are you the man who stays?”

He stilled, his breath clutched tight like stolen treasure in his chest. And then he exhaled softly and warned, “No, I’m the villain who can’t leave.”

Chapter Sixteen

Dare

Avillain acted without restraint. A villain took what didn’t belong to him. A villain pretended he was better than he was.

A villain committed a sin and told himself it was for salvation.And in kissing her again, that was what I’d done.

But God help me, she was my undoing.

“You’re so good…too good,” I growled and kissed her harder.My angel.

Her mouth was heaven under mine. Soft and warm and welcoming. But also bold. She met my tongue stroke for stroke, both demanding to be conquered and then letting it happen—a voracious victim to my claim.

Fire bled into my veins as I pulled her closer, her curves fitting me in a way that was the same and different as those decades ago—when I’d first kissed her here.

Those memories should’ve been a warning. A piercing siren. A bright flare.Retreat.

But I couldn’t anymore. I couldn’t run from life—from living.From loving.Not anymore.

Groaning, I wrapped my arms around her, my hands finding purchase under her ass as I lifted her off the counter and carried her to the bedroom.

There, I sat on the edge of the bed, positioning her on my lap.

How many times had I imagined having sex with her? When I was a teen, it had been the running soundtrack in my mind every time we were alone, but I always held back. I guess I’d always had this kind of restraint warring inside me—or maybe I’d always known that Athena deserved more than I could give her.

But this was nothing like I’d imagined. Fantasy had given my younger self a level of patience that my older self didn’t possess.

I didn’t take my time undressing her. I pulled off her shirt and bra in seconds, not caring what ripped or tore in the process.

I didn’t slowly explore the perfect shape of her body with plenty of time for her to stop or protest. Instead, I sank my teeth into her neck and filled my hands with her breasts, weighing and shaping their soft fullness. And the way she responded was far from a protest.

Athena bowed into my hands, murmuring, pleading for more.

“Fuck, you’re perfect,” I rasped, bringing my mouth down her chest until I reached her nipple, drawing the soft peak between my lips.

Her gasp was like music to my ears as she clutched me tight, but the way she tasted was pure heaven.

I was gentle—as gentle as I could be. Until I wasn’t.Until I closed my teeth on her nipple, and Athena jerked against me, her core bumping my throbbing cock.

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