Elani
I held my throbbing head in my hands, trying to remember how much I drank to make my hangover this bad. I risked opening my eyes, and when I did, I immediately shut them again. The sun was shining so damn bright in my room that I refused to open them up again, until someone’s muffled voice became clearer. The sound was booming, and I wondered if Stacey brought someone back here. I opened my eyes and blinked once then twice. I looked around my surrounding as I slowly sat up.
Where the hell am I?
I looked around the open concept room. Before I could explore it, I heard him. His face came into view, and I was about to open my mouth to speak but I froze. Ales walked in from what I assumed was the bathroom with only a towel in his hand, drying his wet hair. My eyes bulged wide as I took in his body. I studied every curve of muscle from his shoulders, his pecs and his abs. Those curves were covered in art, magnificent ink that served as a masterpiece.
I bit my bottom lip as I continued my journey going down to his member.
Blessed sweet Jesus!
I gasped loudly causing him to look up at me. His ink was no longer the masterpiece; his member was. It was so beautiful to look at. I couldn’t stop staring at it. The longer I looked at it, the more effect my eyes had on it. It grew hard, enlarging in front of my eyes. The veins throbbed, and it was longer and thicker than it was a moment ago.
Before I could catch myself, I was crawling over to it on the bed. I was almost off the bed and two or three steps closer to it when Ales cleared his throat. I finally looked up at his face and he looked pained. He quickly recovered and smirked. He reached down and grabbed it, giving it a quick squeeze.
“Baby, as much as I’d want you all over it, you need to concentrate,” he said.
“Hmm?” I replied as I tilted my head a bit.
“Give me a minute,” he responded, walking back to the bathroom.
As soon as Ales walked away, I scrambled to get to my feet. I didn’t need to see if I had my clothes on. He hadn’t remove anything I wore, which was a relief. I looked around for my purse or even my cell phone. I didn’t see either of them, so I settled for my shoes. They weren’t there either. As I was about to leave, I heard a chiming sound. I looked back at the nightstand. I quickly padded toward it and picked up the cell phone. I cocked an eyebrow. The phone chimed again, and this time I saw the message.
Now that you’ve apprehended your asset, eliminate!
It was from an unknown number. Before my brain could process anything else, I dropped the phone and took to running down the stairs.
Ales exited the bathroom.
“What are you doing?” I heard him yell after me, but I didn’t stop.
I reached the bottom stair and ran for the door. I tried to unlock the door, and pull it open, but it wouldn’t budge. I turned and saw him at the top of the stairs staring down at me with a stern look. I panicked, running in the opposite direction from the door. I was glad for the open concept loft, even more ecstatic the other door was near.
I need to get out of here! I don’t want to die!
As I got closer to the back door, I stopped in my tracks. Ales had jumped over the railing on the top floor and landed right in front of me. If I wasn’t so scared for my life, I would have been in awe; especially the way he looked like a warrior landing on one knee and the other on the ball of his foot. When he looked up at me with visible anger, something happened to me. The fear was palpable, but my stance changed from being in a frozen state to a fighting stance. I moved one leg back a bit while getting my fists up for a fight. My brain was panicking, yet my body seemed to know what to do. Ales cocked his head to the side and smirked as he stood up to his full length.
“You’re going to battle me, baby?” he teased.
I didn’t like it. I charged at him, but he moved out of the way. I quickly recovered and turned to face him, again, with a thought in my head.
Never give them your back, love.
I instinctively reached down my right thigh but for what? I had no idea.
“You’re looking for your knife,” he said.
I didn’t reply. All I could think about was the message on that phone. I didn’t want to die. I charged at him, and he met me blow for blow. I didn’t land not one single hit, and I was getting tired of trying to attack someone who seemed impossible to reach.
“I don’t want to die!” I screamed out, and he stopped fighting me, causing me to land a punch to his face.
His face barely moved to the side as I busted his lip. I covered my mouth in a gasp. I didn’t expect to hit him and now I was regretting it. Instead of getting mad, he reached for my now throbbing hand and took it in his as he examined it.
“Why do you think you’re going to die?” he asked as he looked at my hand.
My hand shook as he ran a thumb over my knuckles.
“I saw it. I saw the message, just get it over with. Kill me now because, clearly, I can’t outrun you.”
At this, he ceased all motion. Then, like a crazed man, he laughed so hard and loud. I watched him for a moment as he laughed. He looked beautiful without a dangerous look displayed on his face. After he settled down, he looked down at me with such adornment I had to look away.
“You’re not the target that needs eliminated, baby.”
“You’re lying.”
He chuckled at this. “You’re still the same as ever.” He shook his head. “I would never lay a hand on you. Ever!”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Yes, you do,” he said.
I blinked and looked away, wanting to pull my hand out of his. He didn’t let it go.
“You called me Achilles last night before you fainted. Do you remember?” he asked.
Then, it clicked! I looked at my surroundings. I knew I wasn’t in my apartment from the moment I opened my eyes, but now I was remembering. I had called him Achilles at the bar last night; then, my world went black and he brought me back to his place. I was probably the dumbest girl in history. There I was in a stranger’s house, letting him massage my knuckles with his thumb while asking me if I called him Achilles.
The only Achilles I knew of was from Homer’s the Iliad. I don’t know why I even called out that name. All I remembered was Ales choking Jace, and he said words to me that my mind held unto.
I looked up at Ales again as he observed me through those beautiful, green eyes. I knew those eyes. I’d seen them before, but where? Yes, I was seeing them in my dreams, but it didn’t make sense. The way he looked at me made words pop up in my head.
You’ll be the death of me, love.
“Why would I be the death of him?” I asked myself out loud.
His eyes grew wider, and he sharply inhaled.
“What did you just say?” he asked with caution.
“I just keep hearing someone’s voice in my head saying I’ll be the death of him, but how?”
Ales blinked and dropped my hand. He ran his fingers through his hair and stopped midway. I knew it was his tell for when he was frustrated. He looked up at the ceiling as if he were trying to play whatever scenario out in his head. He did it all the time.
Wait? What? How did I know he did it all the time?
“Do we?” I cleared my throat before speaking again. “Do we know each other from somewhere?” I asked him. Something didn’t make sense to me. I needed to know why I felt like I knew everything about this man.