𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 | +𝟏𝟖

𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐕

—

The warm water eased my muscles and fatigued my thoughts as I dipped lower until the waterline reached my chin, keeping my eyes closed in relaxation.

My ass was quite sore, though the rest of my body felt good. I couldn't fondle over the image of him fucking me in the mirror and how erotic it was. His hands on my body, my breasts bouncing, and his hips hitting mine whilst his words only intensified the desire.

And the way that he was in the bathroom with me right now gave me a sense of inner warmth as well.

"I have lotion for you when you get out, alright?" He slid the bathroom drawer shut and turned to me, "To help with the pain."

I nodded and took a breath through my nose. I noticed him sit next to the bathtub as I stared at the wall in thought, his words from earlier coming back to me. "You said you bought the dresses," I said. His eyes lifted to mine. "Did you?"

He merely nodded a response and looked elsewhere, scratching the back of his neck for a moment before he pushed himself up to stand and cleared his throat.

"What for?" I asked.

He told me he'd bought them to fuck me in it. And as much as I'd love that, I hoped he would tell me it was for a different reason now.

"I, uh..." he trailed off, going back to the drawers as I skeptically watched. He placed the lotion down onto the marble counter, obviously avoiding the question. "Are you in pain anywhere else?" He finally turned his head back to mine.

I rolled my eyes before shaking my head. He crossed his arms with a huff through his nose and a cocked eyebrow. I didn't even need to hear what his next words were to know what they are. "Watch it, Valentina." Walking over, he sat back down onto the carpet-like bathroom mat.

"What did you buy the dresses for?" I repeated.

He looked over to me to see my expression with a sigh. He averted his gaze, "I thought you'd look beautiful in them." He paused, giving my face enough time to relax and release the confusion written on my expression. "I just saw them and pictured you in them so I said 'fuck it'. I didn't know if you'd like them or not, so I just kept them in my room—" he babbled.

I leaned over and kissed his cheek, cutting him off.

I thought back to the last time someone had done such a thing for me. Such a nice thing. It was always rare that I would find someone so handsome, kind, and thoughtful. So, I stuck with the route of bad one-night stands and stripper clubs.

Clay has been the first person to do something for me in a long time.

I relaxed back into the water, "Thank you." I didn't want to let the kiss be my only way of stating my gratitude, as it was for more than just the dresses. He's given me a lot, and I just haven't realized it until now. His eyes went slightly wide when his gaze drifted to mine. "For everything, that is. Not just the dresses."

A small grin played on his lips as he nodded, staring at me with such a strong emotion, yet I was unable to falter it. The realization finally hit me, and I noticed he hadn't looked at my body once. He kept his eyes on mine.

"Can I ask you why you're after him?" Clay asked. He had a knowing look in his eye, yet he looked curious at the same time. I averted my gaze to the water and thought back to the moments where I'd resented my father.

He let me sit in silence for a few minutes before I finally looked up, only to see him still curiously glancing me. I've been here long enough to know he has the same plan I do, so I inhaled a breath before speaking, "He killed my mother," his expression didn't falter, except for the small bit of softening in his eyes. I opened my mouth to elaborate, though it quickly shut on its own.

"Did you know him?" He asked. Whether he was speaking personally or briefly, I let out a small chuckle, definitely knew him.

"I did know him," I said. I tried not to let my thoughts get lost into the back of my mind and pull out images of the memory. My eyes squinted in thought, a flicker in my mind getting switched as I remembered the amount of time he had alone with Micheal. "But did you already know that?" I turned my head to the man sat next to me.

And once again, his expression didn't change.

"No," he stated. "But Michael said a few things that didn't make sense. He said you were supposed to be with your father," I inhaled a breath, holding it in my lungs for a second before releasing it. "Who's your father?"

His tone was still the same since the moment he asked me why I was after Ares, which comforted me in a way. Usually, if my father asked me a question, he'd want to know everything. If he didn't get enough of what he asked for, his tone would raise and he'd have to repeat his question.

Then he'd hit me.

And I'd have to explain everything in tears.

"Ares."

I kept my head facing the water, my torso now sat up enough to have the brim of it reach my breasts. He was silent for a few moments before he stood.

"Wait," my voice came out smaller than I intended, though with the fear of him walking out, I didn't care. "I'm not on his side, I promise," he turned back around to face me, his eyebrows pushed together. "He killed the woman who loved me the most. I want him dead. I'm not with him."

His eyes softened and he walked back to me, crouching down to have his eyes level with him. "No, Valentina, I believe you. I wasn't going to walk out," he reassured. I felt relief wash over me, and the way his hand lifted to my cheek and his thumb caressed the skin, let me know he noticed. "We're going to kill him. I promise."

I nodded against his hand before I felt his lips press against my forehead, taking me by surprise.

Before I could ask why he was after Ares, too, he spoke. "Let's get you into bed, alright?" He held his hands out, helping me safely climb out of the bathtub and wrapped into a soft towel.