Page 37 of The Diávolos: Part One
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.
“I always come back to this one when I find myself losing hope. It was her favorite.”
The poem jolts my memories, and a dark, faceless stranger pops into my head. My stalker, the epitome of darkness, the reason for my ultimate demise. I haven’t heard from him in a little while, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s moved on.
I shake out those thoughts.Not the time.
“That’s beautiful, Evan.” I take a few steps closer to him. “I’m sure your mother and father are always looking down on you, protecting you.” He slightly flinches at the mention of his parents.
“Thank you,” he says. He looks at me for a moment, burning intensity in his eyes, but quickly turns his gaze to the two doors on the other side of the room. “Let’s continue the tour.”
He takes me to the first door and into a large bedroom with a king size bed, covered with light grey bedding, and a large mirror set in front of it. The walls and furniture are dark, the only light coming from the chandelier hanging above the bed. There are two other doors in the bedroom that Evan explains lead to a walk-in closet and bathroom.
I can’t help but think about the many girls he has probably brought up here. How easy it must be to convince a girl to go home with him when ‘home’ is right upstairs. I shake the bitterness away as I face Evan.
“Do you sleep here often?” I ask, trying to sound innocent.
“Not really. Only if I have business to tend to and it runs late. I prefer sleeping at my penthouse.”
Business. In a club filled with drunk women probably throwing themselves at him. I don’t realize I’m drowning in an unjustified fit of jealousy until I notice Evan smirking from the corner of my eye.
“I always sleep here alone, if that’s what you’re wondering,angeloúdi mou.” My little angel.
I tense up and immediately go on the defensive. “No. Why would I care about that? That’s your business,” I blurt out.
“Then why did it look like you saw red as soon as you walked into the room and found a bed?”
“I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.” I turn around and pretend to study a piece of art on the wall in an attempt to avoid Evan’s gaze.
He lets out an amused breath and I hear him pad toward me. Next thing I know, he is right behind me, a mere inch away from my back, completely dominating the space around my body. I hold my breath and don’t move as he lowers his head down to my ear.
“I think you might be jealous, Angelica,” he whispers slowly before tsk-tsking. “I think you’re wondering how many girls I bring up here from the club.”
I try to let out a breath so I can respond and deny what I know is the truth, but he leans in lower and brushes his lips against my ear. My entire body shudders and my nipples stiffen under my shirt. He runs his hands down my arms agonizingly slowly and continues to speak.
“You want to know how many women I’ve fucked here.” A statement rather than a question.
No point in denying my curiosity now. My breathing becomes uneven, and I swallow hard as he keeps running his hands up and down my skin. Goosebumps erupt all over my body. I want to press my back into him but resist the temptation. I close my eyes and tilt my head back onto his chest. I can hear his heartbeat quickening.
“How many?” I ask, softly.
He caresses my arms right down to my forearms and then grips my hips, bringing my body flush to his. “You’re the first woman I’ve ever brought in here. No one has touched this bed other than me.” His words are laced with heat.
He turns me around abruptly and the air gets stuck in my lungs as he backs me up against the wall and presses his body onto mine. I feel the hardness of his length nudging my lower abdomen. He lifts my head by my chin, and we lock eyes. My vision goes hazy as he leans closer, and it feels as if he has stolen my breath.
“Believe it or not, I don’t make a habit of fucking random women,” he says onto my lips. “And you are most definitelynotrandom. But I didn’t bring you here today to fuck you.”
His forwardness causes a throbbing ache between my legs. I’d like to think I wouldn’t let him touch me so easily while sober, but in my current state, I don’t know if I could stop him even if I wanted to.
He grazes my lips again and I part them, our breaths now intertwined. I expect him to kiss me, but he lingers at my mouth, panting heavily, and we don’t say another word. Evan seems to hesitate, as if struggling with our closeness. We’ve never come this close to kissing, and I want it more than ever. I let out a deep exhale right onto his mouth and he licks his lips. I want to lean in so badly, but I refrain, not wanting to worsen his uncertainty. If we kiss, it will take whatever is happening between us to another level I’m not sure either of us is prepared for.
Just when he seems to lean in even further, we hear a faint knock at the door, and it brings us back to reality. Maybe it’s for the best. I need to keep a good head on my shoulders, I should be vigilant. And with Evan affecting the chemicals in my brain, I can’t think straight.
“That must be Leon,” Evan says, backing away from me as he regains his composure. I stay glued to the wall, my face and neck flushed.
