Book 1 - The Suppressed Queen

Chapter 61 - The Room Between Them

Athena didn't go to her room that night.

She stood in the corridor for a long moment after leaving Silas, the words he had said still settling deep in her chest.

You are worth guarding.

No one had ever said something like that to her before.

Not as protection.

Not as care.

Not without expecting something in return.

She turned before she could think herself out of it and walked down the hall toward his room.

Her hand hovered at the door for only a second before she knocked.

The door opened almost immediately.

Silas looked at her like he had known she would be there.

He stepped aside without speaking.

She walked in.

The room was dim, lit only by the fire near the far wall. Larger than hers. Quieter. The air felt warm and steady, like him.

Athena turned to face him.

"I didn't want to be alone tonight," she said softly.

Silas nodded once. "You don't have to be."

She stepped closer.

Slow.

Intentional.

Her hands came to rest on his chest like they belonged there. She could feel his steady breathing beneath her palms.

Silas's hands slid to her waist, warm and firm, pulling her slightly closer.

Their foreheads touched first.

Then their lips.

The kiss started slow.

Gentle.

But it deepened quickly, the tension between them finally allowed to unfold without interruption.

Athena's fingers slid into his hair as his hands traced the curve of her back, holding her against him like he had been waiting to do it for days.

She felt the heat in his touch.

The restraint.

The way he moved like he was trying not to overwhelm her even as everything in him wanted to.

She stepped closer, pressing herself against him, and the soft sound he made against her mouth sent a shiver down her spine.

His hands slid from her waist to her hips, pulling her flush against him.

The kiss slowed.

Deepened.

Became heavier.

More consuming.

Her breath turned uneven as his lips moved from her mouth to her jaw, then down the curve of her neck.

Athena's head tilted back instinctively.

Her fingers tightened in his shirt.

She felt every place he touched like her skin had been waiting for it.

Silas lifted her gently, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her the short distance to the bed.

He laid her down carefully, hovering over her like he was still fighting himself.

Athena reached up and pulled him back down to her, kissing him again.

Slower now.

Hotter.

Her hands moved over his shoulders, his back, learning him through touch.

Silas's mouth traced along her collarbone, his hands gripping the sheets beside her as if holding himself back took effort.

Their bodies moved closer without thinking.

Heat building.

Breathing heavy.

But when his hand slid under the edge of her shirt and her back arched into him, Athena stilled.

Silas felt it immediately and lifted his head.

Their eyes met.

She was flushed. Breathless.

But clear.

"We can't," she whispered.

Silas nodded once, immediately.

"I know."

He rolled onto his side beside her instead of away, pulling her into his chest.

Athena curled into him without hesitation, her head resting just beneath his chin.

His arm wrapped around her securely.

They stayed like that in the quiet.

Her fingers tracing lazy patterns against his shirt.

His hand resting warm against her back.

No distance.

No tension.

Just closeness.

For the first time since arriving here...

Athena fell asleep in his arms.