It wasn’t the reaction I’d expected. I’d just told him I loved him, and now it felt like I’d dropped a grenade into the space between us.
“So, uh,” I started, the need to fill the silence clawing at me. “That was kind of a big thing to say, huh? Like, huge. Massive, even. I mean, I’m not expecting fireworks or anything, but you could at least blink to let me know I haven’t broken you or—”
“I don’t deserve that,” Atlas interrupted, his voice low, almost a whisper.
I blinked at him, confused. “Don’t deserve what?”
He looked almost fragile for a second, something I hadn’t seen before. His lips parted, but he didn’t say anything at first,like the words were stuck somewhere deep inside him. He exhaled slowly, as if bracing himself.
“I don’t… I don’t remember the last time someone said those words to me for real,” he muttered, voice rough, like admitting it made it real in some painful way. “And I’m really not a person that someone loves. I’m a killer. A… a… stalker. I’ve done bad things and I…” He trailed off.
I swallowed hard. The weight of that hit me in the chest. This man—strong, confident, always in control—hadn’t heard those words in who knows how long. His face softened, almost as if he were afraid to believe it. Afraid to let himself feel the truth of what I’d just said.
I didn’t give him a chance to sit in his self-deprecation. “You do, though,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm swirling inside. “You deserve love. You deserve everything you’ve been running from. Don’t ever doubt that. And I know who you are. You might have done things that are bad, but so has most of the world. I don’t care about any of it.”
His eyes flicked to mine, with a quiet intensity behind them. For a second, we just sat there, locked in this silent exchange. The world outside the truck seemed distant, like we were in a bubble, just the two of us. I could feel my heart beating louder than ever, pounding in my chest, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the words I’d said or the way he was looking at me now.
Without warning, he leaned forward, his lips meeting mine in a soft, lingering kiss as he pulled me onto his lap better. It wasn’t rushed, no urgency. Just a quiet, simple kiss that said everything we both needed to hear without another word.
“I love you too,” he whispered, his breath warm against my skin, as he pulled away just enough to look at me and so he could move his hands to the buttons on my dungarees.
A smile tugged at my lips, uncontrollable now. “About damn time,” I teased lightly, my voice a little breathless, and I couldn’thelp but laugh, the tension breaking in that perfect moment as he hurried to undo my clothes.
“Yeah,” he murmured with a small smirk. “I guess I’m a little slow when it comes to things like this.”
“I’ll forgive you.” I leaned in again, my lips brushing his as my hands moved to his jeans, trying to yank them down. “This time.”
He laughed softly, shaking his head, his hands coming up to cup my face as if I was something delicate—something precious he didn’t want to let go of. The warmth of his touch sent a calm through me, like everything was going to be okay.
And in that moment, it felt like it was. Despite everything we’d been through, despite the danger that always loomed just beyond our reach, it felt like we’d found something solid. Something that couldn’t be broken.
“I’m serious,” I added as he helped pull his jeans out of the way and shoved his hand between my thighs. “You’re more than enough. You’re everything.”
His expression softened, and there was a flicker of something deeper in his eyes. He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, his voice softer as he gently traced his fingers over my core.
“Thank you,” he breathed. “For giving me a chance to be someone worth loving.”
I smiled softly, resting my forehead against his as he quickly made me ready for something far more fun than his hand. “You’ve always been worth it.”
Neither of us felt the need to talk more. Not when there were more important things to be done. Like lifting my hips, moving his hand out of my way, and ever so slowly sinking down onto his cock until I was stretched wide and fully seated.
“You know what,” he whispered, “this is my first car sex. You stole my car sex cherry.”
My mouth gaped as he grabbed my hips, using his strength to move me up and down at the pace he wanted.
“Why haven’t we done this yet? We should have done this.” I panted, nails digging into his shoulder for balance. “Where else haven’t we fucked? We should make a list.”
Knowing him, his list would contain somewhere entirely insane. Like the bread aisle in the store.
Knowing me, I’d be so fucking down to desecrate some wholemeal. I knew I would. Those seeded loaves looked like they’d make a good cushion, too.
“I’ll think of a list.” He moved one hand and slid his phone out of his back pocket, pressing something I couldn’t see. “Can you make some pretty noises for me,malyshka?Let the world know just how much you love me.”
I did as he asked for a few minutes. Moaning, panting, and whispering curses. And with each second I came closer to the orgasm I chased, his smug grin grew wider, and I got louder.
Until I heard male cursing. Quiet. Muffled. Familiar.
“Is Gio on the phone?” I moaned, eyes squeezing shut as Atlas bucked his hips, meeting me thrust for thrust.
