16: Losing Battle

ATTICUS

I marched to my room. As soon as I pushed open the door to my room, I was met with the sharp sting of a slap across my face.

For a brief second, I froze, more out of shock than anything else. My jaw clenched, and I slowly turned my head back to face her.

Hera stood there, her eyes blazing with fury, her chest rising and falling in anger.

“This will be the last time,” she hissed, her voice laced with venom, “the last time you embarrass me like that in front of those animals.”

The sting of her slap faded, but the effect it had on me didn’t. If anything, the rush of heat it caused coursed through me, lighting up something primal inside.

She had fire, no doubt about it, and damn it, her defiance did things to me I hated admitting.

I wiped the corner of my mouth with my thumb, smirking as I stepped closer, closing the space between us.

"You will regret doing that, Hera," I said, my voice low and dark.

Before she could react, I turned her and roughly pushed her towards the wall, my hand wrapping around her neck from the back. She gasped sharply and tried to turn around but my hand held her neck in place.

“I’ve taken the heads of men who wouldn’t dare raise a hand to me,” I continued, moving closer so my mouth could brush against her ear. "Men who had more power than you could ever dream of. And yet here you are, slapping me as if there won’t be consequences.”

Her lips parted, but no words came out. I could feel the tension radiating from her, the heat between us electric.

Despite myself, despite everything that should be happening in this moment, which included making her suffer, instead I felt a wave of desire surge through me. I hated that she could make me feel this way.

I hated that a simple slap had turned me on so much.

“I know just how to punish you for that.”

I grabbed the collar of her dress and, without warning, tore it off. The sound of fabric ripping filled the room as the soft material fell away from her skin, revealing her bare body beneath.

My lips parted involuntarily.

Hera’s attempts to free herself increased but her strength was feeble compared to mine, compared to the primitive need to claim her.

“Stop!” she spat, fighting harder.

And gods, the more she fought, the more it ignited something raw and primal in me.

Her resistance was turning me on in ways that I have never felt. I grabbed her by her waist, eased her into a bending position and without another word, I thrusted into her, hard and fast.

I groaned at the sensation of filling her up. She let out a strangled moan, her head falling and her bravado falling as I drove into her again and again, each movement rougher, hungrier than the last.

“Is this what you wanted?” I growled into her ear, my voice thick with lust. “You wanted to challenge me, didn’t you? Thought you could win?” My hips slammed against her ass with each word, punctuating my anger, my desire.

Hera bit her lip, but another loud moan escaped her, then another, and another till she was a moaning mess.

“You wanted me to take you like this, hmm? To fuck the almighty Hera like a dirty little slut.”

“Shut up,” she whispered, but her voice wavered, her confidence slipping as I took her deeper, harder.

“Don’t pretend you’re not loving this,” I hissed, then reached over to pinch her clit. A full body shudder took over her as she whimpered in both pain and pleasure.

Her resistance had all but disappeared, her body surrendering to the brutal rhythm, her gasps and moans filling the room.

“Atticus…” she whispered, her voice breaking, barely a word.

I didn’t stop, didn’t ease up. I thrust into her harder, faster, feeling the heat build between us, the tension coiling tighter and tighter until she cried out, her body trembling against mine. She held onto the wall like it was her only lifeline, the fight completely drained from her as I pushed her over the edge. I could tell that she was close when her moans increased, when her body couldn’t stay still.

“Cum for me!” I commanded her and she screamed, tethering over the edge.

I continued thrusting into her, dragging out her pleasure while I emptied myself into her with a groan.

When it was over, we both stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, our bodies slick with sweat and heat.

But the moment the haze of lust cleared, my anger came rushing back.

I stepped back, pulling out of her, my chest heaving with fury as I glared at her.

“Get out!” I snarled, my voice sharp and cold.

With shaky legs, she pulled herself together, picking up what was left of her torn clothes. I didn’t bother watching her as she stumbled toward the door. The anger still coursed in my veins, but it was laced with something else now.

The door slammed shut and I ran a hand through my hair, trying to ignore the lingering scent of her skin.

Damn her.

Damn her for making me want her this way.

Damn her for making me want to pull her back and take her in other ways.