Dangerous Illusion [18+]

14: De trop

Monday rolled over sooner than I expected. But that was because I had spent the entire Sunday getting nailed by Ares. Still, he had wanted me in the morning again and pleasured me in the shower with only his hands and mouth. That man was a beast and he loved fucking me.

I could be mad at him for a lot of things like sleeping around with different women post our break-up, hiding his family from me, not letting me on about the reason for leaving me and so on but I was tired of fighting with him. Besides I had my doubts that my overly generous lover was drowning in guilt and was using sex as a means to make up for it. He didn't say it, but I knew him well enough. His eyes that used to be lit with life and enthusiasm were always heavy with guilt and it broke me to see him so distressed.

I decided not to hold anything against him, but that didn't mean I was comfortable with his secrets. "From now on, Jason will be your driver," Ares said, kissing my hand during our drive from his penthouse to work. He had arranged for my usual clothes, toiletries, and makeup to be delivered to his penthouse. I didn't need to ask how he knew my shades and preferences; my boyfriend had a knack for details. But that wasn't the end of it.

Ares had also stalked me for years.

"Okay," I replied, knowing it would give him peace of mind. The loss of his grandparents had deeply affected him, and I didn't want to argue about his need to protect me. It pained me to think about how hard it must have been for Ares to lose the people who raised and loved him. I also wondered if this was the reason for his sudden departure from my life.

"We'll make up for the lunch I missed last Friday," he said, giving me a soft kiss on my lips as a goodbye. I got out at Velocity Tower and waved him goodbye, watching him enter the Redfire building across the street.

My first task of the day was to congratulate Mario on his new position as head chef. He was delighted, as I expected. I continued my work until a knock on the back-office door caught my attention.

Ares stood there in his signature suit, looking as handsome as he had that morning. We were wearing clothes that matched each other's eye color, a romantic gesture that made my giddy with excitement. While I envied anyone who got to see him in his office all day, I was please to know that he would be thinking of me as much as I thought of him.

"Ready for lunch?" he asked, holding the door open.

I joined him, and he kissed the top of my head. "I thought we were eating in your office," I remarked as Jason opened the car door for us.

"You'll see," he replied.

The restaurant Ares chose was upscale and busy. The manager greeted Ares by name, which puzzled me. We were seated in the VIP section with a view of the river. The restaurant specialized in Greek food, which made sense given Ares' Greek heritage.

"Why don't you ever talk about your family?" I asked after we placed our orders. He gave me a wry look.

"Do we have to do this now?" he asked, clearly irritated by my question. I didn't push him further, but I made him promise to tell me someday. He tensed, clearly uncomfortable with the discussion.

Our food arrived after a long silence. It was Moussaka and grilled meat. The food smelled heavenly, but the sudden distance between us soured my mood. We ate in silence, and I regretted being so pushy. Our relationship was rocky; we either fought or made love, with no in-between. That's not the kind of relationship I envisioned.

"My parents didn't want me," Ares said out of the blue, his face devoid of emotion. I stilled hearing the calm in his voice.

"Ares," I began, but he continued.