Page 103 of Shameless Expectations

Finally, Monti pulled away. “Let’s go inside.”

“Come with me,” Athena begged. She hated and loved the whine in her tone at the same time. Because she was desperate. She didn’t want this little oasis they had created to disappear, not yet. She loved it too much. “Come to my room with me.”

Monti pulled back slightly, looking at her directly in the eye. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Athena brushed her wet fingers over Monti’s lips and repeated herself. “Yes.”

One of the few things she’d doubted this entire journey was Monti. She wanted Monti to be near her, whether it was in her bed or in her vicinity, she didn’t care. But she wanted the joy that Monti brought, the comfort, the safety that Monti created for her.

“I want you,” Athena responded.

“Then you have me.”

As sure as Monti sounded, there was an undercurrent of trepidation. Athena picked up on it instantly, but she didn’t know what to do with it. She didn’t know how to bring it up and hoped that it would resolve or that they could talk about it. Because in a few days, when they left, Athena knew that she was going to return home and Monti would leave for her next adventure. They were going to go their separate ways.

She just hoped the work they’d done together would last.

“Are you sure?” Athena asked, needing one last confirmation.

“Yes.” Monti kissed her again. “Come on.”

They trekked through the water until they reached the beach. Monti bent down and picked up her clothes while Athena pulled her wet ones away from her skin. It was so cold out here now that they were out of the water. Her nipples pebbled, goosebumps ran over her skin, and chills ran up and down her spine.

Monti led the way back inside, the same way they’d left. Was it really that simple too? The same way but in reverse? Athena had always been a joyful and happy person before everything had hit the fan. But that was who she wanted to be again. Someone who was free from the shackles she’d been put in.

Once the door was shut, Athena was on Monti. She pushed their bodies together, mouths melding. This was her time and her moment. First she had to get out of these damn wet clothes. Athena pulled at her shirt, but it stuck to her skin, clinging to her stomach and her breasts uncomfortably. It felt like a straitjacket, tightening against her until she couldn’t breathe.

“Slow down,” Monti mumbled as she stilled Athena’s hands. “It’s stuck.”

Athena glanced down at Monti’s hands, finding that the extra button on the inside of her blouse was caught on the loop of her slacks and every time she tugged it just made it worse. Monti’s nimble fingers worked it carefully and quickly until she had it loose.

“There.” Monti reached up and started on the buttons on Athena’s blouse, undoing them one at a time. “Is that better?”

“Yes.” Athena watched, entranced with the way Monti’s hands moved so confidently. She wished she had some of that confidence. When her blouse was undone, Monti pushed it off her shoulders and spun her around to drag it down her arms. The blouse dropped to the floor with a heavy plop.

Monti’s body was covered in goosebumps, her arms, her chest, her breasts. Athena delicately ran her fingers over the tops of Monti’s breasts, feeling the small bumps on her otherwise smooth skin. She left off by flicking Monti’s hard nipple.

“I never thought anyone would like looking at me,” Athena whispered. “I don’t even like looking at my own body.”

“Because of your scars?” Monti asked, reaching behind Athena’s back and flicking the clasp of her bra. “There we are. Have to get you out of your wet clothes before you catch a cold, you know.”

Athena’s lips curled upward into a sly smile. She loved that Monti was playing flirtatious when she didn’t have to, that she was taking the lead on the seduction even though Athena was the one who had started all of this. Athena stepped in closer, pressing their chests together and kissing Monti swiftly.

“You make me feel wanted,” Athena said, trailing her fingers up and down Monti’s back. Now that they were almost skin to skin, Athena felt like she was ready to go to new heights. She wanted that connection with Monti, what they’d shared the first time they were together, the passion when she couldn’t wait to keep touching her again.

“You are wanted,” Monti answered, kissing the side of Athena’s neck.

Athena shuddered. She swayed from side to side before moving in and kissing Monti’s cheek and closing her eyes. “So are you.”

She could feel the moment Monti shifted, when her tense shoulders relaxed. Monti let out a startling breath and buried her face in Athena’s neck, saying nothing. Athena wanted to keep whatever was happening between them going. She reached between them and palmed Monti’s breast, teasing her nipple again as she waited for Monti to answer her unasked question.

“Pants,” Monti choked out the word, dragging Athena’s pants over her hips. When had she managed to get the zipper and button undone? Athena pushed her pants the rest of the way down and stepped out of them.

Monti crashed their mouths together, but Athena didn’t want these first moments to be self-serving. She wanted to find that streak of confidence she knew she had somewhere, and she wanted to lose herself in figuring out Monti’s pleasure.

Lowering herself to her knees, Athena ran her fingers up and down Monti’s thighs. Their eyes locked together, and Monti raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes.” Athena hadn’t done this yet. In their one night together, she’d avoided it, scared that she wouldn’t know what she was doing, but it was now or never. Athena ran her fingers down to Monti’s knees and back up. “Are you?”

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