“N-no,” she stutters out. “I–I… Can’t.” Tears gather beneath her crystal blue eyes, which have lost their spark. Her gaze is unfocused, and I can practically see her thoughts swirling and spinning, elusive and yet somehow all-consuming.
I cut the phone call short and bolt toward Kienna, but she’s already turning, fleeing back toward the living room with the weight of the truth collapsing her world.
5
KIENNA
The air in the living room feels vacuum-sealed. My father, the man who preached integrity from podiums, who looked down on me for not being "refined" enough, for having curves that didn’t fit his perfect image… is a monster. He isn't just a corrupt politician, though that would be bad enough. He’s a man who has been living a double life in another state, funneling government money into shadow accounts while I was being starved on his orders to keep me "fit" for public appearances.
Every memory I have of my childhood, every "lesson" he and my mother taught me, feels like a weapon aimed at my chest. My thoughts are spiraling, moving so fast I can’t catch them. Everything was a lie. My entire identity, built on the foundation of their expectations, is crumbling.
"Kienna."
Atlas’s voice cuts through the static. His protective posture dissolves into something raw and strangely vulnerable as he joins me on the couch. He isn't looking at me like a charge or a liability anymore; he’s looking at me like I’m the only thing holding him together. Atlas reaches out slowly, his hand gentlybrushing my jawline before cupping my cheek and tilting my head up.
"Look at me," he commands softly.
I do, and I see the mask finally slipping. His eyes, usually guarded and detached, are burning with a possessive fire that makes my breath hitch. I stop fighting it. I stop fighting the magnetic pull that’s been tugging at me since the moment he hoisted me onto his bike. I lean into his hand, letting out a jagged, broken sob.
"He… he… it’s all a lie. He never loved me," I whisper, the words tasting like ash. "He used me as bait."
"I know," he says, his voice vibrating with a promise of retribution that makes me feel all kinds of things I’m not used to. He cups my face in both hands, his calloused palms shielding me from the shattered reality of my own life. "You are not your father. You are not the things they told you you were. When the world is falling apart and nothing else makes sense, you look atme. I will be here, Kienna. Always. I will be your anchor, the one person you can count on when the world is a chaotic storm all around you."
His eyes search mine, desperate and sincere as he wipes my tears away. I want to believe him. Atlas has taken care of me from the moment he stopped my would-be kidnappers, and he’s given me no reason to doubt him. Still, how can I trust anyone right now? My dad lived a whole second life with another family. Do those kids make him proud in a way I never did? Have they ever seen the darker, angrier side of him, or does he reserve only the funny, charming version of himself for his secret family?
“Come back to me,” Atlas whispers. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through. You don’t deserve any of this. I need you to breathe for me, okay?”
I suck in a short breath, feeling my heart in my throat before exhaling and taking another shallow breath. I can’t seem to get enough air, and my vision blurs at the edges.
“Stay in this moment, Kienna,” he soothes. My giant, muscular, intimidating bodyguard softens, wanting to be whatever I need right now. Despite the growing pit of betrayal and bitterness in my stomach, my heart warms with the idea of Atlas comforting me.
My breaths even out the longer I stare into his golden brown eyes. He’s silently willing me to follow the steady rhythm of his breathing until I can finally manage on my own.
"Good girl,” he praises. A spike of unexpected arousal shoots down my spine, landing between my thighs. I want to be his good girl. Oh, God, did I just discover my first kink? Lord knows, I have zero experience in that area. “I know my promises are just words right now. I want to back this up with action, if you’ll let me. I want to show you exactly what it means to be protected and cherished, if you’ll just give me the chance."
His thumb brushes over my lower lip, his gaze dropping for a fraction of a second, and the hunger I see there is reflected in my own pulse. The realization hits me with a force that leaves me reeling: I don't want to go back. If my old life means being away from the grounding reality of this man, I don’t want to go back.
I reach up, grabbing his wrists to pull him closer, my heart thundering against my ribs. "Show me," I breathe.
He doesn't need to be told twice. He surges forward, the shift from his stoic restraint to pure, unfiltered desire causing my skin to buzz with excitement for what’s to come.
Atlas’s lips meet mine, claiming me as his tongue dives into my mouth. He strokes the roof of my mouth, making me moan when the tingling sensation spreads throughout every inch of my body. My senses are flooded with everything that is Atlas,from his scent to his rough fingertips grazing so gently over the goosebumps on my arms.
My tongue tangles with his, the kiss growing even more desperate, more intense, more of everything I didn’t know I needed. Atlas breaks our kiss, only to nibble down my neck and press my body impossibly closer to his.
Before I know what’s happening, Atlas has me in his arms. He walks us the few steps to the kitchen counter, setting me down before stepping between my spread legs. My heart is pounding in my chest, the frantic beat mirrored in my clit. I squirm in his arms, feeling restless and achy.
Atlas chuckles darkly before placing open-mouthed kisses over my breasts, my collarbone, and up my neck. I moan into his mouth as he kisses me with fire and fury. His hands roam all over my body, eventually landing on my hips, where he begins tugging at my shirt.
“Lay back, beautiful,” he murmurs. “Let me taste what’s mine.” Atlas spreads one large hand over my stomach, urging me to lay down on the counter. I obey, lifting my hips so he can peel my leggings and panties down. “God... Kienna…”
My core clenches, knowing he’s staring right at me, at my most intimate, private place. Atlas looks more than hungry. He looks fucking feral.
He grabs my hips and jerks me so my ass is on the edge of the counter. I gasp as he digs his nose between my legs, parting my folds and inhaling deeply. My thighs shake as he slowly licks me from bottom to top, rolling his tongue against my clit and making me moan.
The next thing I know, Atlas slings my legs over his shoulders before shoving his face in my pussy.
“Oh! Atlas, God, I…”
