Personally made the gif and I love how this one turned out. ^^ I have a couple others and I'll probably use them in the future.

It's literally 3:10 am at the time I'm writing this. Middle of the night and my eyes are drowsy af, so I suspect they'll be errors even though I went over quite a few times. Point out my errors.

I also wanted to thank you guys for giving this book more than 100k reads. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ It means so much to me and I can never thank you guys enough. I love you all so much and enjoy the chapter. It's a bit long. More than 6500 words... yup. Ehm 😂 ENJOY!

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(Eros' POV)

          Depressed. Stupid. Sad. I feel like a fucking idiot right now for feeling all those emotions as I pack my belongings and throw them in my suitcase. Although I'm literally moving two floors down to the apartment next to Jackson's, it seems as though I'm moving to another country. Soppy over a girl. Pathetic, I know. But I can't help it.

I'll miss seeing her every morning. When she walks out of her room with no makeup on her face. Big, enchanting hazel eyes with a hint of green and those big lips that I absolutely love. Her flushed cheeks and the redness over her chest after a heavy workout. The water that drips down her wet strands after a shower. The messy bun she wears around the penthouse along with the glasses that make her look like the sexiest nerd in the world. Fuck! Just thinking about her makes me hard as a rock.

Even though I know I'll be seeing her at work, it won't be the same. Not that I mind the office attire with tight dresses that hug each one her curves so beautifully, accentuating her assets that I'm pretty sure she's proud of. I mean any girl would kill to have her body, her powerful aura, confidence, beauty, status. Fuck, I bet even men are envious of her powerful stature, her name that is literally worth billions.

Everything about that woman is sexy. From her silky, long hair to the dimples that dig into her smooth cheeks. Her curvaceous hips to her long beautiful legs. Seeing her first thing in the morning brightens my day and moving away from her is sinking my heart, leaving a foul taste in my mouth. Motherfucker... Is this love? Nah. Nobody falls in love in a month, right? And I've never been in love, so I'm probably just mistaking this extreme attraction for it. Ugh! I slam the suitcase shut and trudge to the home theater.

          Ms. Estle has been in her study ever since we got home after she dropped the moving out bomb on me. I didn't bother her. I felt down and I still do, so Xbox is my escape. Shit! I have to pack this up too, but it'll be done after some COD. Rome and I set it up a week ago and playing on this big ass screen is definitely fun compared to a small TV screen back home in Staten Island.

I engross myself in the game for a couple rounds before I hear the door creak open. Pausing the game, I look back and watch Ms. Estle stride down the few steps in the same breathtaking tight red dress she has been wearing all day. A bottle of champagne is in her hand and two flute glasses in the other one with a smile dancing on her face.

"Damn," I laugh. "You're really happy that I'm leaving."

"Maybe," she shrugs leisurely. "We're celebrating. I've ended your contract a bit early and I've also transferred a hundred thousand dollars to your account as promised."

"Oh." I didn't know what to say. Money is what I wanted from this contract and now I have it, but why do I feel like shit? "Thanks, I guess."

"Now, I'm hiring you as my secretary with no contract like all the other employees until I fire you of course," she smiles, placing the bottle on the table beside the queen sized bed thrusted into the floor at the front of the large screen for comfortable experience. "Where's your smile, Mr. Azallion?"

          I crisscross my legs and turn my body toward her. "I don't want to move out."

          "Every child has to leave their mother's house," she pats my cheek as if I'm a kid.

          I laugh and shake my head at her. "I'm serious."

          She rolls her eyes, taking a seat next to me. "You're literally moving two floors down, and I'm not even asking for rent, so cheer up."

          "I know." I pause for a second and gaze at every little movement she makes from tucking a few strands behind her ear to unconsciously biting her lip that I've noticed is a habit of hers. "It's just that," I sigh and continue, "I don't want to leave you."

          She looks at me for a good minute in absolute silence. A mute sense of understanding passes through us, so quiet that it's almost a beautiful bliss, yet somehow feels like a deadly one. I don't know if she realizes the smile forming on her lips, but it's surely tugging on my heartstrings. The slow formation of her dimples, the lightness and warmth in her eyes that I never really see is brightening up the whole dimly lit room. The softness of her strong features is a rare sight too, and I swear to God, I don't want this moment to fade away, but I guess she has different plans.

          She breaks the eye contact by looking away and clearing her throat. "You're getting attached, Mr. Azallion. Trust me, you don't want to." She begins pouring the champagne into the two flutes and hands me one before clinking our glasses. "To moving out."

          "To moving out." I cheer solemnly and drink the sparkling liquid in one go.

          She chugs hers down too and turns to the large screen. "What are you playing?"

          "Call Of Duty," I inform and decide to tease her. "A girl like you probably hasn't even heard of Xbox, let alone Call Of Duty."

          A bark of laughter blows past her lips as she stares at me. "Pass me the other controller."

          "Do you even know how to use it?" I laugh and pick the other controller up. "Be careful. Don't hurt yourself."

          She snatches it from me, narrowing her pretty eyes. "You're asking for war, Mr. Azallion. Be careful what you wish for."

          "Are you challenging me to a game?" I fake a gasp with a hand on my chest. "Get ready to lose."

          "Hah!" She forces a mocking laugh out and makes herself comfortable against the cushions of the bed. "Pick your favorite map and come at me."

          The grin on my face just broadens at her feisty spirit. She's a classy, posh CEO trained in martial arts who can take down multiple men and can pull out a bullet from someone's body on the spot. Also, the biggest bitch who doesn't bow before anyone or sugarcoat things. She's in the mafia for fuck's sake and now she's ready to go head to head with me in a game of Call Of Duty. Fuck! Can she get anymore perfect?

          "No usage of grenades, and every round that I win, I get to slap you," she straightens the rules and rolls her shoulders back.

          "Fine, and every round that I win, I get to kiss you," I smile and watch a smirk engulf her mouth. "Now's the time for you to back out."

          "How about you ready yourself to get slapped, buddy?" She pours herself more champagne and chugs it down before grabbing her controller.

          I laugh at her overconfidence and crack my knuckles. "Keep a tissue close because I'm going to smudge that perfect red lipstick of yours."

          Setting it to two players, we pick our weapons and spawn into the Nuketown map. I run around and head in her direction with my AK-47 and I'm pretty sure she picked the same gun. On her side of the screen, I see that she's getting closer to my location, so I sprint around the corner to fire, but she quick scopes my ass and gets a kill on me.

          "What the fuck?" I gape at the screen and then at her. "You just had a fucking AR."

"Switched to SR," she winks. "Sniping is my thing, you see, and this WA2000 is a good sniper, not the best, but it works."

"Bruh. This is just..." A hard slap to my face abruptly stops my sentence.

          "You were saying?" She flashes a vindictive smile. "Haven't you ever been taught not to judge a book by its cover?" Her brows arch before she sighs in a mocking manner. "Well, I can't blame you. What were you going to learn from your good-for-nothing mother anyways, other than drugs of course?"

          "Wow!" I stare at her wide-eyed and shake my head. "Bitchiness at its finest."

          "Always," she winks and softly rubs the cheek she assaulted before planting a slow kiss that instantly drives the tinge of pain away. "Better?"

          I grin and face the screen. "Not until I win."

          We dive back into the game, and this time I'm definitely not going to hold back. I don't bother to look at her side of the screen. Focusing on my own surroundings is how I'm going to win, so I climb the stairs of the house I spawned beside. Crouching sneakily by a window, I scope the area with a sniper, but she seems to be camping in one place.

"Why aren't you moving?" I ask, glancing at her.

"I can ask you the same," she counters with a smile. "I can sit here all day. If you want your kiss, come and get it."

Groaning, I leave my position and sprint across the little road in her direction when an unseen grenade blows me up into a million pieces. "What the actual fuck?" I yell and gawk at her. "You said no grenades."

"All is fair in love and war, sweetheart," she smirks and slaps me on the same cheek. "I'm enjoying this thoroughly."

My eyes glare at her as I rub my cheek to subside the itchy pain. "I can't play with a cheater like you."

"Just give up, Mr. Azallion," she laughs before drinking more champagne.

"Hell no," I scoff. "I need my win and I'm not walking out of here with a handprint on my cheek."

"No one is going to see your red cheek. The maids have left and Mandy has taken a month off today. Rome is in his new apartment with the dog, so it's just the two of us."

          "Actually, Rome is on a date with Cornelia right now," I roll my eyes in annoyance.

          That motherfucker thinks it's funny to take my ex-girlfriend out after how it all ended. Besides, I thought they couldn't stand each other, but apparently, I was wrong. They've been hooking up after Cornelia and I got done. Rome says that it's just casual, meaningless sex. Friends with benefits kind of situation. The two of them being together bothers me slightly, but not much at all. I want Cornelia to have a good guy, a man better than me, but Rome is immature as fuck and has never kept a girl around. If she just wants casual, then it's her choice. I definitely don't see her settling for Rome though. Sex, sure. Boyfriend and all, probably not.

          "How interesting!" Ms. Estle chirps up with a massive grin on her face. "Jumping from one brother to another. Maybe Rome can give her something you couldn't."

          "After the way I hurt her, I hope so, but they're just hooking up."

          "You said they're on a date. My guess is that they're getting to know each other outside the constraints of a bedroom, so it doesn't just seem like hooking up," she shrugs, taking a quick sip of her drink. "Although, I don't like that rich brat who calls her father when she can't handle something, I can certainly applaud her for moving on so quickly despite loving you. She realized that a man who couldn't be truthful to her, didn't deserve her tears or her precious time."

          "I never treated her badly, or any woman for that matter, but I do regret not telling her about escorting," I sigh in defeat, swallowing the disgusting lump in my throat. "What I did is unforgivable. I get it and I kind of hate myself for it, but I've learned from it. I guess we weren't meant to be. I was stupid and a complete idiot to not appreciate her, but I'm glad she didn't sulk around because of me."

          "Only if women could be a little more like her and not cry over a man who did them wrong, I believe this world could be a bit better. I dislike foolish women who run back to the same man despite the torture they endure in the relationship. They make themselves prone to getting hurt and display a massive target on their backs for their unfaithful or abusive significant other to exploit," she voices her opinion, her tone composed yet full of venom. "Some of them might say that it's because they love them, but according to me, it's fear. Fear of change, fear of what the other person might do, fear of what people might say, fear of what will happen after they end the relationship. They're basically in denial and subconsciously decide to ignore the toxicity of their relationship that everyone can clearly see. It's better to let go than to stay with a person that gives you nothing but pain. That's just my take on this."

"Do you preach regularly?" I laugh. "Because I have a bunch of girls who need to hear this."

"I'll gladly knock some sense into them, but my hands are itching to slap you some more, so let's just continue the game," she chuckles and puts the champagne bottle to her mouth, not bothering to use the flute anymore. We resume our game and squirm around the map like little ants. I decide to hide behind a bus and wait for her to come closer. "Hide all you want, you're still going to die," she rasps out with a certain smugness to her tone while all I can do is laugh. If she can play dirty, then I sure as hell can.

Taking advantage of her attention to the screen, I snatch the controller out of her grasp and hide it behind me. Almost immediately, I run out and kill her character with ease.

          "What in the bloody hell?" Ms. Estle stares at me in exasperation.

          "I won," I grin from ear to ear. "Where's my prize?"

          "You don't get it," she scolds, crossing her arms below her ample breasts. "That was a cowardly move."

"All is fair in love and war, sweetheart," I wink smugly. "You said it yourself."

          A smile threatens to break through her angry facade, but she suppresses it. With a roll of her eyes, she sighs and gives in. "Fine. Kiss me."

          I smile and raise my hands. "Can I touch you?"

"You have touched me numerous times without my permission. I think I trust you enough to let you do it again," she glances up and then away at the screen. "We don't have all day, Mr. Azallion. Go on now."

Reaching forward, I put my hands around her waist and receive a quizzical look in return, but she doesn't complain. Slowly, I pull her onto my lap and lay her legs to the side. Our eyes lock in place as I brush my hand up her thigh and rest it on the small of her back. My other hand feathers over her soft cheek, lining her jaw as I whisper, "You're exquisite."

          "Tell me something I don't know." Her shoulders lift a bit smugly as I chuckle.

          "Shh." I place a finger against her red painted lips and stop the chattering on her end. "Let me do the talking." Her arms wrap around my neck as I pull her closer. The intoxicating scent she exudes wafts up my nose with ease, lighting up all my sleeping senses. It is irresistibly sweet with a hint of flowers and peaches, yet maintaining the factor of mystery within. I moan softly and smile to myself at the pleasure she grants me with her mere presence. "Peaches."

She hums quietly in response to my nickname for her with a little smile of her own which I absolutely love. Drowning into her hazel marbles, I notice every little detail I possibly can from the light protruding from the screen. Rusty brown color circles her black pupils, spreading out like fire and diving into the green shade effortlessly. Her long lashes flutter slowly being erect from their stems and her brows stay put in a comfortable, delighted form.

          "Your eyes," I start, unable to stop my admiration for her. "They've seen things that many haven't and still carry a lot of pain in them." She frowns ever so slightly at my words as I continue. "They've shed countless tears that I know you try to hold back, but they still slip down once in a while." The softness of her features sharpens a bit at the truth I flash before her eyes. Her jaw clenches as she looks away to perhaps calm the anger I provoked unintentionally. Laying a finger on her jaw, I turn her head and force her narrowed eyes to mine. "Despite the pain you've suffered, I know it has made you into the strong woman you are today. And fuck," I chuckle as the softness encompasses her features once again. "I fucking admire you. You make me weak in my fucking knees and no woman has ever done that."

          She laughs, the sound so soothing to my ears. "I've made many men weak in the knees before. You're no exception."

"God damn," I laugh, shaking my head at her. "Do you ever get off your high horse?"

          "Never," she declares proudly.

          We smile, basking in the warmth radiating off of one another silently before I remove my hands from her waist and cup her face, my thumbs swiping back and forth over the apples of her cheek. Reaching up, I place a soft kiss on each one of her lids and pull back a little to capture her surprised reaction. Immediately, I turn her on my lap, allowing her to face the screen before handing her back the controller that I hid behind me.

          "That's it?" Ms. Estle asks incredulously.

"Yeah, why?" I laugh.

"I thought you were going to kiss me on my lips," she huffs and tilts her head up to look back at me.

"Peaches," I tap her nose with a smile, "I'm going to work my way up to your lips."

          Surprise flashes on her face again as an amused smirk dances on her luscious lips. Sitting up, she grabs my legs and straighten them before placing herself between my tattooed limbs. She nuzzles her back against my chest and lays comfortably, facing the screen with the controller in her hands.

"Well, let's finish the game," she commands and moves her character to run around on the screen while I grab my controller and situate my hands over her lap considering that's the only way I can play now with her glued to me, not that I mind this position one bit. Actually, I love it.

Running around in the game, I sneak up behind her and get a headshot with my knife easily. Too easily, actually. "You're just giving me the wins now?"

          "Maybe," she chuckles, her back slightly rumbling against my chest before she gazes back and up at me. "Take all the wins and kiss me."

          I laugh at her eagerness, but I do as she says while her hands discard our controllers to the floor. Excitement and unbelievable warmth ripples within me at her invitation before I slide her beautiful, long hair to one side. Pressing my lips against her neck, I kiss her slowly, enjoying every moment before turning her head a bit to face me.

"Your cheeks," I begin the praise, "are round, soft, and very kissable." With that, I place a kiss on both sides, letting it linger for a moment longer. "Your head that is always held high is incredible and fascinating." She giggles as I kiss the top of her head. "Your nose is cute and can definitely sniff bullshit out."

Pinching her nose between my fingers, I laugh before she swats my hand away. "Idiot!"

I kiss the tip of it and finally move down to her lips. "And finally your beautiful big lips that I absolute can't get enough of." I softly run the pad of my thumb over her lower lip and lightly tug it down. "Your smart mouth is sexy. The way you talk with class is hot. And the fact that you don't swear is just," I groan in pleasure, unable to finish my sentence as I brush our lips together.

          "So what?" Her fingertips brush over my lips slowly. "You want me to say 'fuck'?"

          My breath hitches slightly as the profanity leaves her mouth in a low seductive manner, forcing my dick to strain against my briefs. "Fuck," I let out a low growl and gawk at her voluptuous lips that I'm yearning to taste, but I hold back. "I like every time you say Mister Azallion because it makes me hard. Like really fucking hard that I just want to grab you and pin you to the wall and kiss the shit out of you."

Her eyes widen a bit before relaxing slowly. Her sharp fingernail outlines my jaw as she rubs her soft cheek against my prickly one. "What makes you think I won't pin you down first?" She bites my earlobe softly and whispers again, "Eros."

"Holy fuck," I choke up a little and gawk at her. My name escaping her mouth rockets my lust for this seductive woman beyond unimaginable heights. All I want to do now is hear her moan my name as I give her the best night of her life. I know it'll be different because she isn't my client and I'm not obligated to pleasure her, but I desperately want to. She doesn't seem to let men dominate her, and I've never let women get on top of me, so it'll be interesting to see how the night goes if it ever comes. Taking into consideration my feelings for her, our night would be certainly special. Shit! I have feelings for her...

          I breathe heavily only a mere centimeter away from meeting her lips in a desperate embrace. Instead of giving into the beautiful, irresistible temptation, I kiss the corner of her mouth and back away. Her confused eyes never leave mine as I lay her off my lap.

"I'm going to move my shit down to the apartment," I say, kissing her cheek. "We'll have dinner when I come back up and then you can take your medicine and I'll leave. I don't want your so called brother to kill me yet."

          I start scooting off the bed when she grabs my wrist and jerks me back. "Where do you think you're going?" Her brow cocks up in question as she inches closer to me, climbing back on my lap and straddling me. "Fulfill Your promise."

          Grinning, I let my hands travel down to her curvaceous bottom that I lightly squeeze, rocking her against my hard-on. "Which one?"

          "The one to smudge my lipstick," she smirks.

          My insides burn with intense lust and desire immediately, but I decide to tease her a little more by dragging my thumb across her lips and smudging the red shade around her mouth.

          "Are you serious?" She hisses in irritation as I shrug to her question.

          She grabs my jaw and slams her lips onto mine with force, and I don't hold back either. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I crush her against my body whilst slipping my tongue into her mouth as she does the same. Like everything, our tongues battle for dominance too which is hilarious yet sexy as fuck. Her exploring hands slither down my chest and reach the bottom of my black t-shirt, pulling it off swiftly. Her heated gaze lands on my tattoos as it slowly crawls up to my lips again. I take her bottom lip into my mouth and bite down before reaching for her jaw and then her neck, sucking hard and leaving a trail of hickies along the way.

          "Eros," she moans, making me harder than I've ever been. Her fingers tangle in my hair, tugging on the strands as I suck on the warm flesh in the nook of her neck. She moans softly as I bite a little, forcing her nails to dig into my back. Pulling back breathlessly, I gaze into her eyes that are drowsy with insatiable lust. I silently ask for permission to unzip her dress, my hand playing with the zipper on the back of her dress. She hesitates as... insecurity flashes before her eyes? I don't understand the reason for it. This woman has nothing to be insecure about with the strong, independent woman she is. But maybe that feeling has something to do with an event that happened in the past, however she doesn't need to feel that way with me because in my eyes, she's incredible.

Kissing her lips tenderly, I ask, "Are you okay? We can stop if you want to." She gulps as I lay my hand on her chest and feel her heart beating rapidly. She's scared, anxious even when she doesn't need to be. I can take care of her and my heart wants her to know that. "Athena, look at me." I gather her attention with my calm voice and a soothing hand running up and down her back. "You have nothing to be scared of. I promised to never hurt you, remember?"

Letting out a shaky breath, she rests her forehead on my shoulder and hugs me tightly as if holding on for dear life itself. "Take it off," she whispers and doesn't move. After a couple seconds of silence, I peck her cheek with her still clinging onto me before I slowly pull her zipper down, due to which she tightens her hold on me.

The more the zipper goes down, I see the stretch of the scar that I saw a glimpse of when I stormed into her walk-in closet weeks ago. It's longer than I remember even though I see it from this awkward position. All I can think about is who could've done this to her; hurt her in such manner. Other small scars pepper the surface of her skin. They're a bit faded to a very light brown and almost seem like severe beating with a whip or belt that made her bleed to leave such scars. After pulling the zip all the way down to the small of her back, I lay a single fingertip on her bare skin, causing her to flinch at the sudden touch before she hugs me tighter. I reciprocate the embrace by running my warm hands over her bra and down her back in feather-like strokes.

She pulls away slowly and stares into her lap timidly. This woman that I'm seeing right now is the Athena Estle I've never met before. Right now, she's the most vulnerable I've ever seen. Even when she assaulted me during one of her nightmares, she was always ferocious, never weak or scared to make a move, but at this very moment, I'm seeing a whole new girl. A girl that has been hiding behind a strong, concrete wall is finally making an appearance due to our physical and emotional intimacy.

"Look at me," I demand and she complies with a hint of reluctance. Kissing the tip of her nose, I move down to her lips and place a long smooch. "Homegirl, you're fucking sexy. Do you hear me? I want to kiss you more than ever now."

She scrunches her nose and chuckles, slapping my naked chest. I laugh and kiss her before looking attentively into her eyes, upholding her gaze as my fingers push the dress off her shoulders without peeking at the naked skin laying underneath the fabric. She nods and allows me to look when the dress falls around her hips joined to the legs that are wrapped around my torso. My eyes rake over more little scars spread across her skin, urging my frenzy fingers to touch them. I understand why she was scared now. But this just goes on to prove that she's a strong woman despite the hardships she has faced. Her body trembles slightly under my gaze, so I kiss her lips softly and stroke the sides of her waist in a loving, reassuring manner.

A certain, distinguished scar captures my attention that is engraved on her skin under the right cup of her red, lacy bra. It looks like a letter, maybe an 'E' or 'F'. My guess is that it's a F because I remember her telling Leo and Mike about the man who tormented her in her sleep the other night. Fabian is his name if I remember correctly, and if my memory is good enough, I can also recall the moment she pinned me down during her nightmare hysteria, saying that 'I was supposed to be her dad'. So, connecting it all together, Fabian is her dad and his first name initial is knifed into her skin. Shit! What the fuck did he do to her?

"Kiss me," she orders and I don't withhold her demand. Slamming my lips against hers, I try to quench my thirst for her that I know is insatiable. I know I can never get enough of her, and I certainly don't want to because that'd mean an end. And I definitely don't want this to end. I don't want us to end, not when we are barely getting started and stepping into something new that I have a feeling is the start of an incredible journey.

          Placing a hand on my chest, she lays me flat on my back and straddles me, with my hands on her hips. I remember the last time we did this, I was tied up and blindfolded. This time, I'm wide awake with the privilege to touch her and I love the sight of the woman above me, running her warm hands all over my torso, even my pierced nipples. Leaning down, she kisses me slow and pulls back with a victorious smile embellishing her face.

          "Thank you," she whispers and dives down for my neck, sucking and nibbling on the flesh. I don't know what she just thanked me for, but I don't have time to think about it as I can barely focus with the teasing of her naughty mouth.

          Laying my hand on her waist, I switch us around swiftly and reverse our positions with me being on top now and her at the bottom. I take the hem of her dress in my grasp and shimmy it down her long, smooth legs, leaving her only in matching red bra and panties covering her privates and putting her sexy body on display that any man can drool over.

          She punctures her long nails into the cushions of the bed to her sides before I kiss my way up her thigh, stomach, the valley between her voluptuous breasts that I can't wait to rip the bra off of, and finally reaching her lips. Her eyes are scrunched shut painfully, a discomforting expression on her face. She whimpers softly, stirring my concern to a distressed height.

          "Hey," I frown and stroke her cheek with the back of my hand, worry lacing my voice.

          Her eyes fly open to disclose the distraught redness encompassing her hazel orbs. The sudden change of emotions from glee just a minute ago to this anger worried me beyond belief. "Get off me," she orders whilst nudging me off her. Sitting up, she scoots away to the edge of the other side of the bed, away from me. She fists her dress and pulls it to her chest whilst picking up her heels. "I can't do this," her voice shakes, too brittle, almost on the verge of completely breaking. "I thought I could, but I can't."

          "Peaches," I lay a comforting hand on her shoulder.

          She hastily brushes my hold off as if I am a filthy, contagious disease. "Don't touch me." Standing up, she walks up the few steps and out of the door of the home theater.

          I jump off the bed and follow her out the door, jogging to catch up to her. "Are you okay?"

          "Just pack your stuff and leave right now. I want to be alone," she answers without sparing me a glance and pacing out the hall and into the one that locates her room.

          "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

          Stopping in her tracks, she turns around and glares at me. "I said, leave!" She clutches the dress tighter to her chest to hide her half naked body. "Don't make me say it again, Mr. Azallion. Just leave. Please!" The desperation and pain in her eyes indicate me to back off and I do.

          "Okay," I raise my hands in surrender. "But not until you take your medicine."

          "You don't have to worry," she huffs. "I'll take it. You can leave now."

          "I don't believe you." I step closer and lay out my hand. "Promise me that you'll take it."

          "I will." She slaps my hand away and turns around, pacing to her room, almost running.

"What the fuck happened?" I wonder out loud to myself. Everything was going perfectly, but then all of a sudden she slid back into her shell. I don't why, but I do know she was having hard time escalating our intimacy to a much higher level.

I go back into my room and lay on my bed replaying the event over and over in my head. What happened? What did I do wrong? Did I offend her in any way? Fuck!

***

I barely slept last night after what happened. My eyes hurt. Fuck, my whole body does. I'm still in her penthouse. I was too tired and worried to leave last night, so I stayed. Pretty sure she's going to whoop my ass because of it, but I need to know what the hell happened. I need to make sure she's okay.

Showering quickly, I throw on some clothes and pack the remainder of my stuff into my suitcases and carry bags, including the Xbox. I roll my luggage out the hall to the foyer where I see Ms. Estle talking on the phone, yelling at the person on the other end.

          She turns around and looks at me with a cocked brow. A white, loose sweater wraps around her body with black skinny jeans hugging her long legs. Hanging up her call, she stares at me in exasperation. "What the hell are you still doing here?"

          "I was tired and worried, so I didn't go," I shrug.

          "Leave right now. Quickly," she orders in a hurry, trying to get rid of me.

          "Why are you rushing?" My brows rise in curiosity. "We don't leave for Italy till two and it's just twelve right now."

          "I need you out of here before she gets here." She taps her foot in annoyance, waiting for me to leave.

          "Who are you talking about?"

          "My..." She stops her talking when the elevator doors ding open to reveal Jack behind a girl who's staring at her feet.

          My mouth falls open when the girl looks up to reveal her face. I shake my head to see if I'm hallucinating, but apparently I'm not as she enters the penthouse and looks at the chandelier above the round table sitting in the middle of the circular sector. "Classy and elegant," she remarks before looking at Ms. Estle. "Hey."

Jack rolls in a couple suitcases behind the girl who I know. "Thank you, Jackson," Ms. Estle nods to the man. "You can leave now, and please take Mr. Azallion with you."

Ms. Estle draws the attention to me, including the girl's whose eyes widen slightly as her brow and mouth quirk up in amusement. "I thought you said you couldn't find Enrique, but you've apparently been hiding him at your place. You sneaky you, Athena." Her voice sounds so much like Ms. Estle's that it's absolutely ridiculous, and the resemblance is even more astonishing.

"Ena?" I query.

"In the flesh," she smiles, sauntering toward me as Ms. Estle looks at us in puzzlement. "Wow!" She feels up my arm and snickers. "You've gained more muscle in the last what, three to four years?"

It's like the cat caught my tongue as I look between Ena and Ms. Estle. What the actual fuck? I thought Ms. Estle was Ena, but I've been proved wrong.

"Almost four years since I last saw you," I clear my throat and shake my head.

          "No shit, Sherlock!" She laughs. I don't remember her being that open and forward. In fact, she was always shy and nervous around me. What the fuck is going on? Maybe it's the lack of sleep playing games with me, but this sure as hell is trippy.

          She smiles and grabs my face, planting a kiss on my lips and taking me by surprise. I'm frozen to kiss her back, not that I want to anyways in front of the girl I want and have intense feelings for. Pulling away, she grins from ear to ear. "I've always wanted to do that."

          "What in the bloody hell are you doing?" Ms. Estle chides Ena, gaining her attention.

          "Just kissing Enrique," she winks at her and turns back to me. "I think I should officially introduce myself. I'm Adena... Estle?" She glances at Ms. Estle and then back at me. "You can call me Addy though. I'm Athena's little sister." A smile similar to Ms. Estle's spreads across her face. "What's yours?"

(Taylor Hill as Addy/Adena Estle. Raise your hand if you think they actually look alike? 🙌)

          Sister? Ms. Estle never talked about her, but I can't deny what I'm seeing. You can spot a couple differences, but damn, they look so much alike.

          "Eros Azallion," I formally introduce myself.

          Four years ago, we gave each other fake names. It was her idea and we never got around to giving our real names, so she was always Ena for me and I was Enrique for her.

          "Eros, like the Greek God of love?" She smirks, swaying from side to side. "Me likey. What are you doing here anyways?"

          "I'm your sister's secretary." I look at Ms. Estle and Jack who still seem to be confused beyond belief.

          "Is that so?" She glances back at her older sister and grins vindictively, rubbing her palms together. "I'm glad I'm back. This is going to be so fun."

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Long chapter, but I wanted to get it all in here and compensate for the wait. Yay or nay?

I know you guys are frustrated that they haven't had sex yet, but I can't do meaningless sex. I like to built up romances and get the characters to the point where they can connect on all levels and I believe Atheros (Athena and Eros ship name) aren't there yet. Bare with me. Patience will be rewarded.

So, kudos to those who called Addy being Ena.

Why do you guys think Athena got scared and ran from Eros when they were getting way too close?

What do you guys think Addy has in mind?

Much love ❤️
~Reet