CHAPTER 3

Athena's POV

We're in the water it's cold. He has his arms wrapped around me though, I feel so safe with him.

He is touching me. I want his fingers everywhere. The space between my legs throbs, I want him touching me there.

"Touch me," I begged him.

My fantasy was interrupted by the buzz of my alarm on my bedside table.

Another dream about my mystery guy, apparently I have those all the time now. It's been 5 years, why can't I forget about him, I need to forget about him.

Having an erotic dream about a mystery guy from 5 years ago was about the stupidest, most embarrassing, and confusing thing that had ever happened to me. But the impression of the dream, the heat and darkness and clutch-and-slide, lingered in the corner of my mind. It was the first time I'd ever been sexually attracted to a man I didn't know. How was that possible? But here I was, lusting after a stranger.

I get up grudgingly to get ready for work.

"So, what are your plans for this weekend?" Jess my friend asks. We're sitting in coffee shop few blocks away from my dad's office. Well technically my office too now that I'm officially working with him, learning the ropes like my dad says so I can take over someday.

"I don't know really, probably stay in and oversleep." I say with a happy grin.

"What? No!" Jess exclaims. "What about Nick? Thought you two should be hot and heavy by now." Jess adds fishing for an update.

"We went out for lunch on Monday, I mean it was nice and everything." I say.

"But???" Jess asks sensing there's more.

"But most especially I missed our friendships, glad to get that back but romantically there wasn't much spark." I explain and she rolls her eyes dramatically.

"Who cares about a spark Tee, you're 23 years old. You should be enjoying your life and having meaningless sex." Jess says.

She call me Tee, it's like a childhood nickname.

"I mean I don't know, I do like Nick. We're also kind of good friends so I kind of don't want to complicate things." I say. Also, our relationship has to be a secret, my dad wouldn't approve.

"Do you think Nick is hot?" She asks ignoring everything I just said.

"Jess we both know he's gorgeous." I say.

"Then the other things don't matter, just have fun and probably some amazing sex with him." Jess says and I grin, I mean she's right. There's no reason I shouldn't be having amazing sex, plus Nick is absolutely gorgeous.

"Text him now." Jess adds.

"Okay." I say then pull up my phone and text him. So what are we doing tomorrow night? I type then show it to Jess before pressing send and she jumps excitedly making everyone turn to look at us.

"Let's get out of here." I say dragging her out with me. "Shoot! I have to join my dad on a meeting with Switzerland, in 20 minutes. I better go before I give him another reason to be more disappointed in me." I add checking the time.

"Okay, I'll see you later. Go be a super star at Castell conglomerate corporation." Jess says air kissing my cheeks before grabbing a taxi and heading back home to do more social media influencer stuff.

I manage to be on time for the meeting with my father and the Switzerland branch, with my newly personal assistance appointed by my father on my heels each step of the way. I have a theory, that she's here to spy on me for him.

The meeting goes well, mostly corporate tidings and plans for next. I do have a degree on Economics, and a MSc in international economics so I'm not totally clueless on the company.

Plus like my dad says it is my legacy since I'm inheriting it and taking over. Like my dad like he took it over from his father and his father took it over from his father before him. The Castellanos have been the sole owners of the Castell Conglomerate dynasty for generations, mostly all male heirs taken over but I’m my father’s only heir and honestly, he’s a feminist so he doesn’t care.

I love my father but I don't particularly have a great relationship with him, so I try to be difficult and sometimes I pretend I don't care about the company, but I do.

After the meeting my father asks me to walk with him back to his office.

"So how are you liking the company, heard your meeting with media went well, great initiative with the whole approach." My dad says with a smile looking proud.

Immediately I got back joining the company I got a huge new title Executive director Development and operations, a huge title with weight on it and of course various qualified candidates have been gunning for it who all think I got the title because its my family's company. Which they are not wrong about, but I also happen to be qualified for the job, I was brought up on the premise of taking over the Castell dynasty and have the education and training for it. So I do feel the hostility from the top management but there's nothing they can do, its my company after all.

"I'm really proud of you Athena." he adds.

"Thanks." I say a smiling back before he ruins my mood almost immediately.

"I mean I always knew you're smart, you just don't apply yourself but you joining me back here is a good thing." He says and I'm ready to leave because I know the next thing is to start with my character assassination, like he always does. Like he can't just praise me for anything, he always has to add something bad about me.

"Uhnm yeah dad, I'm going to go." I start to say but he stops me.

"Your mother wanted to know if you can join her for lunch tomorrow?" He asks.

"Why? And why can't she just ask me herself?" I say with a frown.

"I don't know maybe you should answer her calls, so I don't have to be her messenger." My dad says almost frustrated.

"What? She only called me once, and I was going to call her back after work." I say frustratedly.

"You know what, just tell her I'm busy tomorrow." I say kissing my dad on the cheeks before turning away to leave.

"Athena, please call your mother." He says as I leave. My relationship with my mother is something else, thinking about it hurts so I just avoid and avoid.

I walk back to my office getting back to work trying to focus on something other than my overbearing parents.

My phone buzzes and I check to see it's Nick. He replied to my earlier message. He sent:

Taking you out on a date. I smile reading his message and I'm already planning outfits in my head and I don't even know where we're going.