At night after school
The house was quiet, too quiet. Athena dragged herself around with nothing to do, the boredom wrapping around her like a blanket she couldn't shake off. She had changed into her nightwear hours ago, a pink silk nightgown, the straps tiny and fragile-looking, slipping slightly on her shoulders. The gown stopped mid-thigh, smooth against her skin, showing off more legs than she liked to admit. She had thrown on a thin jacket to cover her arms, but it did nothing to hide the curves pressing against the silk.
She kept replaying the events of school in her head. Her first day, and she had already stirred up enough chaos to last a lifetime. Adrianna's voice, the way the cafeteria froze, the way she lost herself unleashing that bold, reckless side that she had always hidden. Her lips twisted in frustration as she muttered under her breath. If Oliver finds out… God, he'd be so disappointed. The thought alone made her chest tighten.
Her throat felt dry, so she padded into the kitchen barefoot, the tiles cold under her feet. She reached for a glass and filled it with water, holding it up to her lips. The cool liquid slid down, soothing but not enough to ease the storm in her head. She was still drinking when she heard the door opening.
She froze mid-sip.
Oliver stepped inside, the sharp click of the door shutting behind him echoing through the quiet house. He was still in the same suit from earlier, though the perfection was gone. His tie was loose, his shirt slightly unbuttoned, and his hair was tousled, messy like he had run his hands through it a thousand times. His shoulders carried the weight of a long day, but the moment his eyes landed on her, something shifted.
His gaze hardened.
Athena's lips parted slightly against the rim of the glass, but she couldn't move. He was looking at her no, staring. At the nightgown. At the way the pink silk clung to her body, the way the thin fabric didn't as much do justice to her hard nipple that was pressing visibly against it.
Heat rushed to her cheeks. She felt exposed, caught, and yet she couldn't pull her jacket tighter. She just stood there, small under the heavy weight of his stare, her heart beating too fast.
Oliver's jaw clenched as he moved. He looked more like predator with his powerful strides as he stormed into the kitchen. The sound of his shoes against the floor echoed, and with each step, her pulse hammered louder in her ears. Athena barely had time to put the glass down on the counter.
Then he was there.
His hand reached out, fingers curling under her jaw, forcing her chin up. The sudden contact made her breath hitch, the warmth of his touch sending sparks down her spine.
"Athena," he muttered, her name coming out rough, almost like a growl.
Before she could reply before she could even breathe, his lips crashed onto hers.
The kiss wasn't soft. It wasn't tender. It was wild.
Hot.
Possessive.
Like he had been holding it back all day and now couldn't stand it any longer. His lips pressed hard against hers, demanding, devouring, and she gasped, her body stiffening for a second before melting under him.
Her hands gripped his shirt, fingers clutching the fabric as his mouth moved against hers with a hunger that stole her breath. His other hand slid to the small of her back, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them, until the silk of her gown rubbed against the roughness of his suit.
She could taste him. The faint bitterness of coffee.
Her knees felt weak, and she had to clutch the counter with one hand just to steady herself, her head spinning from how fast he had taken over her senses. Every press of his lips, every brush of his tongue, burned.
He kissed her like she was his oxygen.
And Athena? She let him.
Because right then, with her chest rising and falling against him, with her body trembling from the intensity, she wasn't thinking about school, or Adrianna, or her reckless stunts.
She was only thinking about Oliver.
And how wild, how hot, how dangerously addictive his kiss was.
He tilted his head, deepening the kiss, his tongue brushing against hers in a way that made her toes curl.
Her heart thundered. She tried to keep up with the pace of his lips, but he was everywhere, dominating, stealing the rhythm of her breath.
Her gasp slipped out when he suddenly bent, his strong arm scooping under her thighs. With one swift move, he lifted her off the ground.
"Ah Oliver!" she gasped, her arms flying around his shoulders.
He didn't answer. He carried her with ease, as he broke the kiss, until the cold edge of the counter touched her thighs. He set her down on it, her legs dangling over the edge, short enough that she had to cling tighter to him.
The height put her right against him. His body pressed between her knees, his chest hard and broad, caging her in.
Athena's jacket slipped off her shoulders, falling uselessly to the floor.
Oliver's mouth crushed hers again, hotter, rougher. His hand slid up her thigh, over the thin silk, stopping at her hip. His other hand tangled into her hair, tugging her head back just enough to give him more access.
When his palm slid upward and cupped her breast through the silk, she let out a sharp, muffled moan straight into his mouth. The sound was desperate, helpless, betraying how badly her body was reacting.
That single sound broke him.
He groaned against her lips, a deep, guttural sound that sent shivers down her spine. His grip on her breast tightened, his thumb brushing over her hardened nipple through the fabric, making her arch into his touch.
Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer, locking him in place. The counter dug into her thighs, but she didn't care. Not when his hand was moving, squeezing, pressing, making her body light up in places she didn't know could ache like this.
Her moans grew louder, tumbling into his mouth as he devoured her lips, tasting every sound, swallowing every breath.
Oliver broke the kiss for only a second, his lips brushing against the corner of her mouth, down to her jaw, hot and rough against her skin.
His lips trailed to her neck, biting, sucking just enough to make her gasp and grip his shoulders harder. Athena's head fell back, her lips parted, another moan slipping out before she could stop it.
"Oliver…" she whispered, her voice trembling, not from fear but from the overwhelming heat building between them.
He groaned low in his throat, his lips dangerously close to her neck. He wanted nothing more than to bury his face there, to taste her skin, to lose himself in her entirely. But then, her small hands pressed against his chest, holding him back slightly.
Her eyes, wide and searching, locked onto his.
"What… what are we?" she asked breathlessly.
He froze, his jaw tightening. For a moment, the room felt too quiet except for the sound of their ragged breathing echoing in the kitchen.
He closed his eyes briefly, running a frustrated hand through his messy hair before looking back at her. His gaze was raw, unguarded, like a door opening to everything he had hidden for years.
"Isn't it obvious?" he muttered, voice rough, leaning forward as if ready to kiss her again.
But Athena tilted her head back just in time, her lips barely out of his reach. "No," she whispered, firmer this time. "Tell me. What are we?"
Oliver's Adam's apple moved. He dragged in a breath, his chest heaving, then finally spoke, his words low and thick.
"I've… always liked you, Athena. For years. But I couldn't bring myself to tell you." His fingers flexed against the counter as if holding himself back. "You're so much younger than me. Then years, damn it. I told myself it would ruin everything between us if I gave in to this… foolish desire."
Her breath hitched, her eyes never leaving his.
"I've always wanted to make you mine," he admitted, his voice breaking at the edges. "My girlfriend. My everything. But I didn't want to lose what we already have."
For a heartbeat, Athena sat frozen, her lips parted in shock. Then something fierce lit in her eyes.
"Good," she whispered, before she slammed her lips onto his, cutting off whatever else he might have said.