I’d like to leave her with someone I trust, but I don’t think this is the place. I lean in and whisper one word to her.
“Sunrise.”
She nods and pulls away. Cronus is pacing and quietly talking to Atlas.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask her, not caring if Cronus hears me.
“I’ve known Brock for several years. He’d never intentionally hurt me.” Her voice is firm, but I catch on to what she’s really saying.
Chapter Nine
Stormy
“Come on, Stormy.” Atlas holds out his hand to me.
For a moment, I stand there, contemplating what could happen if I go with him. What my body wants versus what my heart and mind are telling me to do. Finally, I take his hand, and he leads me and Gurgi out of the room. We move through the common area and down a hall parallel to the one we just came from.
At the end, he places a hand on a scanner, and I hear the locks disengage. Atlas directs me inside. The room is a large living space dominated by a wall of monitors and computers, with a sofa and a single bookcase. On the screens, images of me scroll in a slideshow. One monitor shows his brother and River holding a baby.
I can’t stop my feet from moving toward it. The baby is a perfect mix of both parents. Cute and chubby. River looks so happy holding the baby and standing in Reaper’s arms.
“I knew she would survive. That he would come and get her. I’m so glad she didn’t have to go through what I did.” The words are soft, and my chest aches with the knowledge that she was saved while I wasn’t.
Atlas wraps his arms around me and pulls me back into his body.
“I went there that day for you too. I wanted to be with that cute little purple-haired girl. But by the time we got there, you’d already been taken away. I was able to track you to the airport.” He pauses and takes a deep breath. “I regret not getting to you sooner, baby. I’m sorry.”
I turn in his embrace and look up at him. His large hand comes to my cheek, and he gently caresses it.
“It wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have done a lot of things that day. But they did it all. It’s on them. It’s not on you or me,” I tell him the truth I’ve finally learned and accepted.
“I want you to know I’ll be with you through the whole road of recovery.” His kind send butterflies erupting through my belly.
I smile softly, my lips barely tipping up. “I’m learning to heal. I speak with a counselor every week. I survived the explosion and its aftereffects. Now I just need to keep from being found again.”
“I’ll keep you safe.” He’s so sure of that.
I lean into his hand and slowly close my eyes. I know what I want, and I won’t have another chance. I rise up on my toes as I pull his head down to mine.
When our lips touch, it’s fire. I pull away and gasp before leaning up again. He pulls me up to devour me. Our lips and tongues move against each other in a soft, sensuous language as old as time. His tongue is firm and demanding, and I open for him.
I moan at the first contact, and he tugs at my waist, pulling me closer. My leg wraps around his, pulling him in tight. He groans then lifts me up with one hand. I’m in his arms, my legs wrapped around his hips, our lips moving over each other.
As he moves, I feel his erection at my core, and I rip my mouth away from his. A moan, long and loud, escapes my lips. His hand grips my hair, tugging my head back, and his warm lips land on my neck. He slides his tongue down the column.
“Yes, Atlas.” I start to move my hips against his, and his step falters slightly.
“Baby, I want deep inside you. I’ve dreamed of it for so long now, but we can’t.”
I pull away and look down at him as he holds me and moves to the top of my breasts.
“Why the fuck not? Are you with another woman? Do you have an old lady?” I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before. Did my need to finally have human sexual contact cloud my judgement.
He chuckles deep, and I feel it against my nipples and clit. My body erupts in gooseflesh.
“No, baby. There is only you. Only ever will be you. But I don’t want to rush you. You’ve been through so much.”
I grip his cheeks and tilt his head up to look at me. “You’re right. I have been through a lot, but I know my body. It’s been more than nine months since I escaped and a year and a half since I last had control over my desires. Since I’ve been able to say who, where, and what I want.” I lean forward and kiss his soft lips. “I want you, Atlas.” I kiss him again a bit longer. “I want you to be my first since then. I’m not whole yet. I’ll never be over what happened to me, but I want this.”