ALEX

"No!"

Athena twists and turns.

I''m fucking tired, but I had work to do.

Being on Rayen''s camping trip meant days off the grid, no meetings, no calls and no fires to put out, which only meant more load piling up the second I stepped back into the office.

I have no regrets though. I''d do this anyday. Hell, I''d even stay a year if Athena asked me to.

I had asked Ryan to make sure the room we got was spacious enough to fit a working table. Most of our hotels don''t have them because the whole point is for our clients to rx. That way, they get to notice every service we offer.

They spend more money that way.

Simple business Mathematics.

I sat on the desk with myptop open, a dozen unread emails staring at me, and yet, my brain refused to cooperate.

Every time I tried to concentrate, images of her kept bleeding through.

Beautiful long ck hair.

Thick thighs and curves to end any man.

Cute kissable lips that drive me fucking insane.

Sometimes, I don''t me Noah and Zayan. Athena is a type of woman who can bring anyone to their knees without even trying.

Not that I approve my cousin hitting on my woman. I''m highly possessive and that isn''t going to stop now. If anything, it has increased ten fold.

I thought I wasn''t a jealous man, but fuck! Have I been proven wrong. Everytime she told me to get the hell out while sheughed with another man, I felt like I was taking myst breath.

It''s a shock I''m still alive.

I refused the room service to touch the roses. She wanted them clean, I was

going to do it. But I didn''t throw them away, I had ced them in a huge basket so she can look at them.

Tomorrow morning when they wither, I''ll rece them. I''ll do this everyday for the rest of our lives.

In future, I might not bring 5,674 roses all at once, but I''ll make sure she has a flower waiting for her when she wakes up.

After we took a shower and ate, she finally stopped fighting me and agreed to the situation.

She said She''d let me stay only if I promised to stay far away from her.

I couldn''t even if I tried so I said no.

But between us, I would''ve slept on nails if it meant being near her.

Myptop lights up, showing me another email. I''m about to open it when another movement catches the side of my eye,

She is....

Twisting again.

Her brows furrow, her mouth tightens. She kicks the sheets off and then curls into herself like she''s trying to hide from something I can''t see.

I know a nightmare when I see one.

"Shit!"

I shut theptop without a second thought and move to the edge of the bed.

Quiet and careful.

Something in me clenches when I see the tears slipping from the corners of her closed eyes.

"Athena," I whisper. "Wake up, baby."

She flinches at my voice, her breathing out in sharp bursts now. Her hands fist the nket like she''s trying to hold herself together.

Fuck this.fnc07f ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? Find_Novel(./fnc07f

I sit beside her, gently cing her on my thighs as I wait for her to wake up.

I can''t shake her from it because I''m afraid, what if I make it worse?

Shit! I needed to seen first thing in the morning.

She gasps like she''s drowning then bolts upright and then freezes when she sees

me.

I don''t move.

Her eyes are wild. Her chest rising and falling in fast, uneven waves.

And for a second, I wonder if she''s going to push me away again. Tell me to get

out.

Tell me she hates me.

But she doesn''t.

She just whispers, "I crushed my car..... it was so cold."

I shake my head slowly, brushing a strand of hair off her face.

"You''re not there anymore," I say softly. "You''re okay, you''re here. With me."

Her lip quivers, and I hate that I can''t pull the fear from her head and crush it with my bare hands.

"It was so dark," she whispers, almost like she''s ashamed. "I

couldn''t breathe. I thought.. "Hol

voice crack "I thought I was going

to die.

s

I reach for her hand without thinking andce our fingers together.

"I''m sorry babe. Fuck I don''t know what to do to make you feel better." I admit

defeat, "Tell me what I can do."

Silence falls between us again.

But she doesn''t let go of my hand.

We sit like that for a long minute. The glow from the bedsidemp casting gold

shadows on her skin. Her heartbeat thumping against mine.

She finally pulls away, and looks at me,

"I''m sorry." She whispers making my brows furrow in a deep frown.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." I grab her hand and kiss the inside of her palm.

She shakes her head, "It wasn''t a

dream. It was a memory. Why didn''t you tell me you were the one who

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saved me even called you ayan Sheughs, "You must have been so angry."

s

Her words hit me like a fucking bullet.

She knows.

I stare at her for a long moment, my chest tightening and my throat burning like I

swallowed fire.

"I wasn''t

Vardy," I say, leaning

Con ele

forward to kiss her forehead. "I was jealous that fucker got so lucky. But that''s about, baby," belongs to swhovels

Her brows pinch together.

"He''s my boyfriend and he''s a nice guy. Also, stop kissing me and calling me

baby!" She tries to move but I hold her in ce.

She''s getting distracted.

Good.

Anything to keep her from relieving that nightmare is wee to me.

"Your boyfriend, huh? Does he make you feel like I do?" I draw a line on her corbone, slowly.

She stiffens, but doesn''t move my hand. Her breath hitches, just slightly enough for me to know she felt that.

"Athena..." I whisper, my voice dropping, smoky and low. "Tell me he makes your heart race like this."