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A muscle ticks in his jaw, sharp and shadowed with stubble. “What you did was idiotic and immature and very well could have gotten you killed.”
My voice trembles as I snap, “Fuck you.” If this asshole thinks I’m going to stand here and let him blamemefor the shit that’s gone down, there’s no way in hell that’s happening.
His lips curl into a scowl. “Glad to see you haven’t lost your fire.”
“Get out.”
“No, I don’t think I will,” he says in an annoyingly calm voice.
I let my hands fall to my side. “Fine. Stay as long as you’d like,I’llgo.” I move to shove past him, but he catches my wrist and pulls me toward him. When I stumble, falling forward into his chest, he takes that opportunity to back me up against the wall. He drops my wrist, caging me in between his arms and pressing his hands flat against the wall on either side of me. His expression is dark, vicious. I’m prepared for him to rip me apart, quite honestly, and my heart is hammering against my ribcage waiting for the storm to come.
“You,” he starts in a low, deep voice, leaning down so his lips are at my ear, “have no idea what I would have done if something had happened to you.”
The air is stolen from my lungs in a swiftwhoosh, and I suck in a breath, my heart in my throat. “Atlas,” I say in warning, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip. The emotional rollercoaster that is this exchange isn’t one I’d like to continue riding.
“I want to lock you up and never let you leave this house.” He leans back to look into my eyes. “And I could.”
I shake my head. “If this is your way of apologizing for keeping me in the dark, which pretty much led to me being kidnapped and used as a human juice box by not one but two psychotic vampires, you’re doing a shit job.”
“I’m not apologizing,” he says flatly.
My jaw clenches at his tone. “Then whatareyou doing?”
Atlas cocks his head to the side, watching me. “Whatever I want.”
I slam my palms against his chest, trying to push him away, but he doesn’t budge. Not a fucking inch. “Get away from me.”
“Want to try that again with a more convincing tone?” he taunts.
Instead of fighting him, I lean back against the wall, exhaling harshly. “Not really. Want to stop being an asshole?”
He leans in for a moment. “Not really.”
I roll my eyes, wishing I could make him feel as out of control as I do. “I thought of you,” I blurt, “while I was there. About how angry I was for everything you kept from me, but… also how much I wanted you there.”
His eyes dance across my face. “Oh?”
I swallow hard, forcing myself to look at him head-on as I say, “When I was in the shower, fucking myself to feel something,anythingthat could help me escape my reality, I closed my eyes…” My voice trails off as I close my eyes now, then continue, “and when I pushed my fingers inside, I pictured it was you there, thrusting into me while you held me against the wall.”
Atlas growls deep in his throat. “What are you doing?”
My eyes fly open, and I arch a brow at him. “Whatever I want,” I say, adopting his words.
“Hmm.” He drops one hand off the wall, wrapping it around my hip. “And what is it you want, Calla?”
Leaning into his touch instead of trying to push him away, I lick my lips. “What I want?” I echo. “How about the truth? Kade said—”
“I don’t care what he said,” he cuts me off.
I scowl. “Of course not, because you—”
Atlas seals his lips over mine before I can finish my sentence. For a second, I’m lost in the taste of his lips, the way they move against mine, firm yet unhurried.
I shove him back, and my palm cracks against his cheek.
He blinks at me, surprise filling his eyes as he lifts his fingers to his cheek, which is tinged pink where I slapped him.
My heart is pounding in my chest as we stare at each other in silence. And then I’m reaching for him, grabbing the front of his shirt in my fist and tugging him back to me. I lean up on my tiptoes and smash my lips against his, putting everything into the kiss. Every bit of anger and hurt at him for all of the secrets and lies, the fear I felt when Dante ambushed me on the street outside Brighton’s apartment and being kept by Selene, and lastly, the bitter relief I feel being back here.
