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“Unless?” he whispered.
“Future decides you are not worthy of the choice.”
“Fine.” He grabbed the hand on his chest and yanked my body flush to his. “I’ve decided I’m healed. That’s my choice. If I was so broken, how could I look at you and want you as much as I do?”
His lips collided with mine. He hurried his hands into my hair, and I moaned. Melting below the desire pulsing from him. It took everything in my power to push him away. To see within his heart that he didn’t mean a single word he said.
“I saw the way you looked at her last night. You’re trying to bury that pain. I think that’s what you keep doing, what you’ve done for all these years. It won’t change the mark, Atlas. It only proves the point.”
“The attraction between us is real. You and I both know that,” he said, inching forward.
I tried to think outside of myself, but I could not. That pulse was so strong, I nearly swayed as he grabbed me again, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear, his finger brushing my jaw.
His voice turned husky. “Let me show you that I am not broken.” He smoothed a thumb over my bottom lip, licking his own. “Let me show you that I am free of my past.”
My ears rang with the ache of passion, my body surging to life with every touch. His massive hands roamed my body as he asked, in so few words, for permission to show me how perfect and whole he was.
“This is a bad idea.”
“I don’t care,” he said, resting his forehead on mine. “I’m full of those.”
“Atlas…”
“Do not say my name like that and expect me to be decent, Frostbite. Maybe I have a lesson to teach you as well.”
The promise of pleasure in those icy features was all I could think about as I reached for him. Perhaps this was why I was broken, too. I knew the feelings of the man and didn’t seem to care that he’d just been emotionally destroyed. This wasn’t about me. Not in this moment, and probably not the next. But selfishly, I needed him to touch me. To satisfy that pulse, that draw that did not falter. If only to walk away at the end of this with no regrets.
He bit my lip, a roguish smile burying everything else, his perfect facade. Something in that prick of pain mixed with the way his hands tugged at the knot tied at my waist, his knuckles brushing my stomach, lit me on fire. But also riddled me with guilt. Could I do this? Become the bandage to his misery?
Determination crossed his face as his eyebrows knit together, and he took a step forward. Goddess, it was hard to say no to this man. Especially as he backed me against the wall, caging me between his arms.
Staring down at me, his chest heaved, a question within his gaze. He would let this be my choice, even though it was his personal balm. It wasn’t about the woman, only the release. The reminder that there was still pleasure in small moments. But I’d never be her. And I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror if I let him continue to bury his feelings.
I shook my head, ducking under his arms to step away.
“I will call them,” I whispered, watching his muscled back as he pressed his forehead to the wall, catching his breath and nodding.
We both knew it would have been a mistake.
Seconds passed. He collected himself, and maybe I did the same, preparing my heart for whatever might happen. He turned to face me, leaning back against the wall before looking up at the water stains on the ceiling.
“Before you call them, what’s the worst that can happen?”
“Future is the final decision maker. If you say something wrong and she decides we cannot save you, she will use the power of the goddess to damn you on the spot. Your friends will leave you. You’ll never be able to grow close to someone again.”
“There’s not enough power in this world to take my friends from me. I do not fear her.”
I stepped forward, resting my palm on his chest again, feeling the racing heart below. “It doesn’t matter if you fear her or not.”
“Then call them,” he said, lowering his chin as a shadow crossed his features.
I stepped back, facing away so he could not see the worry and sadness. With a power that burned as much as when the goddess touched my face, I called upon her magical Spirits.
“They don’t always answer right away. You might as well get comfortable.”
His eyes roved over me once before gripping the handle of the door. “I’ll go find some breakfast. And unless you want to kill me slowly, Frostbite, get dressed.”
“Any other day, and I might have enjoyed that,” I teased, the sadness of the decisions made this morning still hanging in the air.
