Powerful (The Driven World) - Kathleen Kelly Page 0,58
he tilts his head and stares past me. Twisting my head, my gaze lands on Athena, who’s smiling.
“I’m the most important person in the world to you?”
“W-What?” I splutter.
“You said, I’m the most important person in the world to you?” Athena takes a step toward me.
Nodding, I continue to stare at her. She’s wearing jeans, a black blouse, and a pair of Chucks. If you didn’t know better, you’d think we dressed the same on purpose.
“Am I?”
“Depends. Are you ever going to answer your fucking phone?”
Athena launches herself at me, and I catch her. She wraps her legs around my waist, and my hands go to her ass, holding her up.
“Am I?”
“You fucking know you are.”
With her eyes open, Athena kisses me, sucking on my bottom lip. “You mad?”
“What’s your room number?”
“Nuh-huh. I want to go shopping and explore New York.”
“Later. What’s your room number?” I repeat.
“Kris, come on. I’m here all week.”
A camera flash goes off, and we both turn and look at the man who yells, “Thanks, Kris!” as he snaps more pictures before running from the building.
“Fuck.”
“Was that bad?”
I kiss her nose and shake my head. “They’re going to expose you to the world.”
“They’re going to expose Athena Goddess to the world. Athena Boswell is a nobody. Athena Goddess has a following, and they’re going to exploit that.”
And she’s right. My small-town girlfriend is nothing compared to a USA Today bestselling author.
“Hmm, I think we should celebrate. Room number?”
Slapping me on the shoulder, Athena tries to get me to put her down.
“Put me down.”
“Room number?”
Athena throws her hands in the air. “Kris!”
“Excuse me, Mr. Livingston, Ms. Goddess, but I believe the view from Ms. Goddess’ room on floor twenty, room fifteen is spectacular.”
Grinning, I nod and begin walking.
“That’s not fair!”
“I don’t know. You get me.”
With a cocky smile, I continue to the elevators.
***
“We need to talk.”
Four words a guy never wants to hear. Lowering Athena to the bed, I kiss her lightly on the lips and then sit beside her.
Her head is down, and her hair is hiding her face from me. “I lost my temper over Sophia.”
Reaching up, I tuck some of her hair behind her ear and shake my head. “No, you lost your temper with me, and that’s okay.”
With tears in her eyes, she looks at me. “I made such a scene. I stormed out. She just made me so mad.”
“Sophia has a special way about her.” I make a clicking sound with my teeth. “And to be fair to you, I did leave once before, no explanation, no nothing.”
“You’re not supposed to be defending me, I’m trying to apologize.”
I shrug. “You don’t need to apologize.”
“You followed me.”
“Where you go, I go. It’s the way it has to be.”
Athena smiles and wipes her face. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Bad memories?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Not really. To begin with, yes, but I met a reader as I got off the plane, and she didn’t give me a chance to be alone or afraid.”
“A reader?”
“Someone who reads my books, a fan. She told me I was her favorite author. And she arranged a dinner with some other readers for Thursday night. You could come?”
“Where you go, I go,” I repeat with a smile.
Athena threads her fingers with mine. “What do you want to do today?”
“Stay here and make love, but I have a feeling you want to explore.” Athena nods once. “Well, let’s go explore.”
“We could go tomorrow?”
Giving her a sideways glance, I stand. “There is something we need to talk about.”
Athena straightens up and slowly rises. “What’s that?”
“The press will find out who you are. They always do. Are you going to be prepared for the questions about your rape?”
Athena’s knees give out, and she flops back down on the bed. Her face has gone white, and I feel like a bastard for even using that word in front of her. Kneeling, I take her hands in mine.
“I-I don’t know.”
I kiss her fingers. “It’s something we need to go through so we both say the same things.” I look up at her. “So you are covered.”
Athena nods. “Do you want to know?”
No.
No, I never want to know.
I don’t want to have those images floating around in my head.
But I love her, and if I genuinely do, then I need to face her nightmares with her.
“Only if you want to tell me.”
Athena stands and pulls me up. “This isn’t a conversation I want to have in the bedroom.”
We sit on the sofa, me with my