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“Fine,” he relents, huffing out a breath of exasperation as I clasp his hand in mine and drag him over to the stairs.
He grumbles something unintelligible under his breath, but I let it go, my mind focused on getting him out of the crowded ballroom to have this out finally.
He stops dragging his feet as we reach the stairs, moving beside me as we climb them, all traces of rage gone as he holds my hand up, helping to support my weight.
“I can walk upstairs, you know?” I say tersely, my other hand holding my dress up, so it doesn’t get caught under my feet again. I give a sidelong look, noticing his lips tilting up slightly despite his lack of response.
He rushes up the last few steps, apparently satisfied with my ability to walk properly enough that he doesn’t need to chaperone me anymore. I give him an appreciative smile as he pulls the door open for me, but I don’t dare let go of his hand, convinced he’ll make his escape if I let go. I pull him after me, and he almost stumbles into the door as I use a bit more strength than I thought I had.
“Oops,” I whisper, heat creeping up my cheeks.
“Olivia, what’s going on?” he sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face, attempting to wipe away the look of amusement, but it doesn’t work.
“We need to talk about you and your suddenly shitty attitude.” My words are curt as I search around the open corridor, searching for a quiet place to talk that isn’t too far out of the way, because this girl needs to get back and party with her friends. My body is still wrapped in the warm haze of alcohol, yet I can feel it wearing off. I want to get back to that dance floor to continue what I started with Adrian and Kyros … or any of my mates for that matter—maybe even in the bedroom.
“I’ve always had a shitty attitude,” he mutters, almost too quietly for me to hear, shaking me from my internal thoughts.
“I know, but not towards me,” I counter gleefully, effectively silencing him.
“Fine, what—” His words cut off abruptly as I pull him along behind me, marching straight towards the administration offices. “Olivia, I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“It’s a great idea they’re all empty, plus the council members are in their room further down the hall surrounded by guardians.”
He grimaces at my words, sharply inhaling before his reply. “Don’t be a baby.” I cut him off, clamping my lips shut to stifle the laughter that attempts to burst forth. I dart my gaze over my shoulder, catching him sputtering, trying to form words but unable to.
I push open the door to the offices, marching until I find Helene’s, just to spite her. The alcohol flowing through my system urges me to take a risk I normally wouldn’t.
“Olivia,” Mateo whispers in warning.
“Shh,” I whisper back before pushing the door open and pulling him in. I use my powers to block us from sight and cover up our sounds, just as Adrian had that night in Santorini. “I have us covered.” I grin broadly, speaking at a normal volume now.
“Now on to the important items,” I hum, backing him up against the desk. His hands extend on either side of his legs, and he props himself on the edge. “What is going on with you?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” He glances off to the side, refusing to hold my gaze.
“You know exactly what I mean. Ever since that day when you walked in on me and Maximus kissing, you’ve been acting cold and distant. I see brief glimpses of the same Mateo, and then poof, he’s gone, replaced by his stoic counterpart.” I see the hint of amusement cross his face before he schools his mouth into a hard, unreadable line.
“Olivia,” he growls in warning. But I prowl closer, I will get the answers I want tonight.
I step between his spread legs, not missing the shudder and groan he tries but fails to suppress. He wants me, just as much as I want him. The only question is, why is he holding back?
“No, I can’t handle it anymore. Are you still upset about me leaving? Are you upset about having to share me with your brothers?” I lean closer into him, placing my hands on either side of him, caging him in against me. Our position puts him almost at eye level with my cleavage, a fact I know he doesn’t miss. His gaze dips to rove over the exposed skin before glancing up with a pained expression.
“I can’t—”
“You can, but you’re choosing not to. Where’s my stubborn god of war that barged into my history class, the one who said he went where I went?” I move closer, and his legs spread farther automatically, allowing me to press against him. My thighs brush up against his thick length, hardening beneath the thick material of his pants. I don’t miss the subtle roll of his hips, craving the friction just as much as I do.
Before I realize what he’s doing, he stands, arms wrapping under my ass to lift me up at the same time. He spins our positions, and I let out a small squeak, definitely grateful that I covered up our noises now, because it might have been a little louder than intended. Then, lowering me to sit on the desk, his massive body cages me in just as I had done to him. He pushes my dress up my thighs, and my hands rush to help him, hitching the fabric up around my hips.
He sucks in a sharp breath as he catches a glimpse of the red lace thong Madame Cora picked out for me yesterday, and I can’t help my devious grin. Note to self, always listen to Madame Cora. He doesn’t miss a beat, pressing against me, his hard cock rubbing against my core, the motion eliciting a moan from both of our throats.
He leans against me and places his forehead on my shoulder as he huffs out a breath of frustration. Despite this, his hips seem to roll against me on their own accord, startling a gasp from my lips. I hurriedly wrap my legs around his waist, keeping him pressed against me.
He curses under his breath, before he pulls his head back to meet my gaze.
“I know it’s been hard for you, with your father and I at each other’s throats, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to choose. I’m working on it, Liv, but it takes more than a few weeks to work through centuries of animosity. I didn’t want to be another distraction from the trials.”
My brows furrow at the pained look that crosses his features. The usually confident and proud major is opening up and showing his vulnerability for the first time. “But Mateo, you being distant has caused a distraction because I care about you,” I explain carefully, not wanting him to misinterpret my words. “Of course, I’m going to be worried about you.” I chew my lip nervously for a moment before continuing. “Sure, the situation with my father is difficult, but as long as you’re both willing to work on it, that’s all I can ask. I don’t want to jeopardize our relationship—”
