Arising Desire

Athena's pov

"Hey..." I managed to speak faintly as I settled into the seat next to him. His weary blue eyes met mine, revealing the fatigue engraved on his face. Yet, stubborn determination radiated from him. We shared a moment of silent connection, just locking eyes.

He was one of the loveliest humans I had seen; I bet God was proud when he made him. He was an artist, blessing a human with features that could make anybody feel relaxed just by looking at them.

Out of the blue, though, he broke the silence.

"How is your ankle now?" he inquired, his gaze lowering as he leaned in closer to examine the area, gently circling it for a moment before withdrawing his hand and turning to face me, tilting his head, waiting for a response.

His presence flushed my face every time, and my heart threatened to burst with its rapid beats. Shifting back slowly, I met his gaze. Confusion lingered in his eyes, but he remained silent, releasing a breathy sigh.

"It's g-good," I stammered, attempting to form coherent words. He continued to study me, his black shirt slightly unbuttoned, paired with black pants, and his ruffled hair only adding to his allure.

"It's good?" he repeated, and I nodded enthusiastically, attempting to shake off the earlier daydream about him. A broad smile lit up his face, causing my heart to flutter even more.

"What are you pondering so deeply about, darling?" he asked a trace of laughter in his voice. His deep, mesmerizing tone sent shivers down my spine. How could someone have such striking looks and an incredibly attractive voice? It seemed like God indeed had favorites.

Unaware, I found myself pouting, and he teased, "Alright, I'll assume you're thinking about me then." I mumbled, looking down, "That's the least I will do."

"Good to know," he replied contently. Glancing up, I found his gaze already on me. At a loss for words, I suddenly realized, "How are you feeling? You took off abruptly during dinner."

He calmly explained, "I needed time to cool off. I have been stressing a lot lately. That's it." I nodded slowly, my gaze unintentionally drifting downward. I wanted to ask him what was bothering him, but I knew he wouldn't tell me.

Lost in thought, I felt his hand gently rest on mine, fingers intertwining. Despite his intimidating presence, he engaged in such gentle gestures. Who thought a frightening giant would be this charming?

"It's getting late. Let's go inside," he suggested, and I nodded in agreement. Our hands were still intertwined as we entered the room. He had to release my hand momentarily to close the balcony. Standing with one hand over my elbow, I waited for him.

-

Once he finished closing the balcony, he glanced at me and playfully nudged my shoulder as he walked past, settling on the bed. I turned around, arms folded, and frowned at him.

"You act worse than my kids. What kind of mood swings is this?" I mumbled in a low voice, and he just grinned, shrugging. Intent on heading towards the bedroom door, I found myself walking in front of him, only to be softly pulled by my waist onto his lap.

I could feel my cheeks burning, and I attempted to cover myself, but his smile hindered that effort. Trying to get up from his lap, I found myself enveloped in his arms.

"Don't act like you don't like it, Benett," he whispered against my ear, his kiss lingering on my ear, kindling heat within me. I never felt this nervous around a guy, but with him, practically, I choked on words. If he wanted to be a tease, I could be one too. Abandoning my attempts to escape, I turned around, sitting on his lap, facing him, which turned him on.

In a silent exchange, he positioned his hands behind him, and mine found a resting place on his chest. I ran my thumb over his lips this time. Our breathing getting louder. His eyes locked onto mine before sliding his hand into my hair and pushing me ahead, making our lips touch.

"Don't fuck around with me; I'll make you beg for it," he threatened in a hoarse tone.

A soft chuckle escaped me just as our mouths melded together. His hands found their way around my neck, trailing down to my waist, going down on my hips as he gripped me firmly. With a gentle push, I steered him onto the bed.

The kiss was a blend of desperation and aggression, a refreshing roughness. His hands traced the curve of my thigh, the intensity of our connection gradually easing.

He withdrew, scanning my face, and in a husky tone, he asked, "Do you want me to stop, my cherry?" I met his gaze, baffled. "Cherry?" I asked, and he nodded. "You don't like it?" A breathy laugh escaped me, "Will think about it," before our lips reunited again.

His kisses sank to my neck as moans escaped my lips in response to the marvelous sensation.

"Yes- good girl. Keep making that noise while I strip you, my angel. You must be so wet for me, huh?" he said as he lifted my skirt slightly and circled my clit. My panting began to grow as he kept circling more and more, making me wetter.

-

Suddenly, a knock came through the room, an aggressive, urgent rapping on the door that interrupted the intimate moment.

"Mum! We aren't able to sleep. Can you please come make us sleep? We are scared," Adelis said, breaking the spell. Dante and I exchanged glances, and he visibly cursed under his breath before responding, "Mum is coming."

"Yes, sir!" Aster and Adelis chimed in together, scurrying off to their room. I looked at Dante with wide eyes. "It's not my fault your kids are scared of me to even call me by my name," he retorted dryly. I managed to retort back, "You barely smile while talking to others," he just rolled his eyes at me. Reluctantly, He got off as I gently pulled my skirt down.

His eyes felt like they were staring into my soul. I would love to burn myself alive. It made me feel overwhelmed that I couldn't even look into his eyes at the moment. I bit my lips, crossed my legs, and glared at him, wanting to know why he was looking at me like that.

He walked towards me, so close that I could almost hear his hot breath against my skin all over again. He pulled my legs apart, positioning his knee in the center, making me gasp. He grabbed me by the neck and then slowly held my chin as his lips touched mine. "Don't play with yourself right now. Hurry up, change your undergarments, or...I don't mind taking care of your sweet little desperate cunt this instant."

He then took a step back, allowing me to get up. I went to my suitcase to take a pair of undergarments to change, and without looking behind, I went into the restroom to change. I don't know what was more embarrassing. I slammed my hand on my forehead.

Swiftly then without thinking much, I adorned another set of undergarments and emerged from the room. Expecting him to have left, I found him patiently lingering, engrossed in his phone.

Taking the opportunity, I tiptoed to scare him, a blend of haste and caution in my steps. However, fortune did not favor my creative behavior. His gaze suddenly shifted from the screen to me, his raised eyebrow betraying his awareness. In response, I diverted my eyes, pretending that I was just normally walking.

He kept his phone away crossing his arm, turning towards me with a smile playing on his lips. "You can never sneak past me. You will tempt me to pull you onto my lap again" he quipped, rising from his seat. My cheeks flushed visibly as I stammered, "S-sure. I'll go now though," meeting his gaze. His sky-blue eyes, reminiscent of a serene ocean, had a magnetic effect on me, stirring emotions that only deepened my affection for him.

Without uttering a word, he took my hand unexpectedly, drawing me a step closer and planting a quick kiss on my lips.

Stunned, I responded with a smile, my heart racing again. Can it stop? I feel ashamed of my own heart now. "I seriously have to go now, Dante," I managed to speak, to which he nodded solemnly, accompanying me to the door and closing it behind us.

"I'll come to drop you till there," he declared in a measured tone, and I reciprocated with a smile. Dante was undeniably one of a kind. As we moved down the hallway towards my children's room, located at the far end, his presence, his oceanic gaze, and the unexpected kiss lingered in my mind.

Gently, I eased the door open to catch a glimpse of my children engaged in a lively conversation. Their happiness was evident, but as they noticed Dante standing behind me, a shift in atmosphere arose.

Adelis appeared anxious, and Aster, after giving him a stern glance before, flashed a shy smile at Dante, gesturing him to come inside. I nodded, prompting him to step into the room, Adelis eyeing him warily.

I sat beside Adelis to gain a better view, and Dante stood by Aster's side. A tap on his hand from Aster nudged him to sit as well, and, obliging without hesitation, he became the subject of her charming questioning. "How are you so pretty?" she asked, while Adelis couldn't resist a snicker, interjecting, "It's handsome for boys."

Aster, unimpressed, pointed out, "You have a cavity on your teeth," to Adelis, who embarrassedly hugged me to cover his face. I gently caressed his head as he looked at me, asking, "Do I have a cavity?"

Unable to stop myself from laughing at their banter, I reassured Adelis with a smile, "She is just playing around, sweetie."

Adelis redirected his glare towards Aster, who responded with a pout and folded arms, unbothered.

"Gone on you," Dante remarked, and I rolled my eyes at the accuracy. My children seemed to have inherited my quirks, that's for sure.

Aster, taking the opportunity, commented, "You are one of the nicest guys my mother has hung out with. You should stay with her; she is fun, and I'll have someone to come to attend my tea party."

Dante, maintaining eye contact with me, responded, "You don't have to worry about that, little one; your mom isn't going to hang out with any more guys." He then added, "And I would love to come to your tea party, but I'm more of a coffee guy," causing Aster's smile to turn into a frown.

"I'll give you coffee; you are just like my mom. I tell her coffee isn't good, but she doesn't want to listen to her eight-year-old," she responded with a scoff.

Dante's eyes visibly softened as he said, "I don't like coffee anymore then. I would love to have your tea, and we won't give your mommy any coffee from now on too, alright?" he said to her playfully, and she smiled as she got ahead to hug him.

He was startled for a moment, again turning towards me for my approval, and I smiled at him as he held her in his arms. I felt ecstatic that she loved him. He then gently placed her in bed and took the blanket over her.

"It's time for both of you to sleep now," he said again in his usual stern tone but low in volume, and they both nodded as I caressed their foreheads for a while, trying to help them fall asleep by staying beside them. Dante didn't leave my side as he waited, and Aster wasn't letting go of his hand either, so he had no option but to wait.

After a few minutes, they had finally fallen asleep. I slowly got up and saw Dante looking at them both softly. It was truly a sight to behold. I went to his side and slightly tapped on his shoulder, making him look towards me.

He carefully took a pillow, putting Aster's hands on the pillow from his hand lightly as he got up. He has grown on Aster, as she didn't even want to let his hand go. That was something adorable.

"Shall we go?" I whispered, and he nodded. We left the room without making a noise; meanwhile, Dante's bedroom awaited us, and he paused near the entrance.

"Come in with me," he suggested, and I looked at him, confusion all over my face.

He chuckled reassuringly, "I promise we won't do anything tonight. I'll make it special next time. We need to wake up at four tomorrow, which is in two hours. We have a flight to America again." With that, he took me by the arm and guided me inside, where he helped me settle into bed.

Surprisingly, I didn't protest because I loved it when he didn't stop smiling. Seeing him smile was like getting owned by his presence, with everything around getting blurred, and he is the only person you see.

Moving to the other side of the bed, he joined me, delicately tugging me closer by the waist. Our bodies were once again close; I welcomed the warmth joyfully. A quick kiss on my forehead accompanied his tender words, "Goodnight. Sleep well. If you are not able to sleep, wake me up, alright, my cherry?"

I smiled, nodding in acknowledgment. "Got it. And goodnight; you too, sleep well," I responded, my eyes already feeling heavy with exhaustion.

As I lay there, his hands on my waist provided a comforting feeling within me, and I could sense the delicate rhythm of his breathing. It was the comfort I needed, and soon, the exhaustion overwhelmed me. My eyes grew blurry, and in the gentle embrace of his arms, I drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep.