NINETY-NINE

The late-night silence was palpable, punctuated only by the soft hum of the elevator as it clibed floor after floor. As they got closer to the top floor, Yalda found she was completely out of breath. She tried to keep still, tried not to visibly tremble, tried not to wake up Loki. But Ioannis's arm was around her and he could feel the intense trembling of her body.

"Hey, breathe deeply," He said, his voice soothing. "You're safe."

Yalda's chest heaved as she struggled to inhale, her breaths shallow and rapid. She was even more anxious, even more unsettled. Her face was pale, and a faint sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead. He guided her closer so she was leaning against his side comfortingly.

"Try to relax," he coaxed. "We're almost there."

Indeed, they were almost there, and that made her even more anxious. What was she doing trusting a stranger?

However, elevator's ascent seemed interminable, the numbers ticking by with agonizing slowness. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she swayed slightly, due to how faint she felt. Ioannis tightened his hold, supporting her.

"Open your eyes, Yalda," he said softly. "Look at me."

Her lids fluttered open, and she forced herself to look up at him. He offered a gentle smile which was meant to be reassuring, his eyes locked on hers, and she stared into them, tried to see what lay behind them, tried to tell what he was thinking.

"We're here," he said, as the elevator doors slid open.

Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach; it seemed she had spaced out momentarily.

He guided her into his suite; a space that exuded a warm, inviting ambiance with a blend of modern sophistication and classic elegance. He lead her to the couch and she sank onto the plush cushions, her body trembling still. Ioannis settled beside her.

"Water?" he asked, and she shook her head weakly.

Water was the least of her concern right now. Saying nothing more, he picked up a throw pillow and set it beside the couch before gesturing for her to set Loki down.

"Thank you." She replied quietly.

She set Loki down and she almost shook her head at how oblivious he was. He wasn't even aware that she had carried him to an entirely different place, he wasn't aware that she was losing her mind.

"Is he comfortable?" He asked her.

She nodded.

"Yes, thank you." She replied.

A moment of silence stretched between them before he spoke again.

"Why did you call, Yalda?" He asked her.

Her gaze flickered to his briefly before lowering to her restless fingers. She felt so very faint now, too faint. Her breath faltered as his fingers slid underneath her chin to gently guide her head up to face him.

"Breathe." He tried to calm her. "Calm down."

But she began whimpering and sniffling quietly as her chest heaved heavily. She was beginning to have an emotional breakdown once more.

"Hey, calm down. Talk to me." He soothed calmly. "Breathe."

"I can't breathe." She cried quietly. Her chest felt so very heavy. "I can't breathe."

"What do you need?" He asked her. "Tell me and I'll make you feel better."

She blinked and a fresh stream of tears went streaking down her cheek.

"I...I..." She stuttered. She didn't know what to say, she was almost lost.

His finger slid into her hair and he cupped the back of her head to get her to look straight into his eyes.

"Tell me." He encouraged calmly.

She was crying even more now.

"I... I need you to fix me." She cried. She had finally managed to figure out what she needed, she had finally gotten herself to say it. "Please. Please fix me."

She didn't care how he would do it, she didn't care if he needed to rip her apart to make her feel better, all she knew was that she needed to be fixed.

"Fix me how ever you can, I don't care how." She cried breathlessly. "Please."

"Shh." He tried to get her to stop her to stop crying. "I'll fix you; you only need to trust me."

She let her head tiredly lean against his hand as she continued to cry quietly.

"Do you trust me, Yalda?" He asked her.

She wouldn't be here if she didn't trust him. Somehow, a part of her broken mind and heart had somehow grown to trust him too quickly, too much.

"Can I touch you?" He asked her. His gaze remained fixed on hers.

A shuddering breath left her and for some twisted reason, she felt the pit of her stomach heat up. She nodded once. He could touch her, he could do whatever he pleased with her; after all, she had just surrendered all she was to him.

Saying nothing more, he leaned in and claimed her lips in a slow, deep, and passionate kiss. His lips moved against hers slowly, calmly. Of course her first instinct was to back away because it had been so long since another man had kissed her or held her like this, but he held her arm softly but firmly enough to keep her in place as he continued to kiss her.

A moment passed and she began to relax, she began to feel everything, she began to feel him. A quiet moan left her as his tongue slid into her mouth to explore and seek out hers; he kissed her so very deeply till she was completely breathless. He broke the kiss before gently guiding her to sit astride his lap.

"What's on your mind?" He asked her when their gazes met.

She stared at him while breath heavily, while trying to understand what it was that she was feeling right now.

"Come on, talk to me." He said as he gently brushed her hair from her face. "Tell me what's on your mind."

Yet another shuddering breath left her as her body continued to tremble.

"Everything." She replied quietly. "Everything is on my mind."

She was thinking of everything at the same time and she was hurting herself even more.

"Stop thinking." He told her.

She shook her head.

"I can't help it." She told him.

"Do you want me to stop touching you?" He asked her.

Her lips parted as she tried to respond but failed in doing so. She didn't want him to stop, and her conscience judged her for letting him touch her like this. She had to remind herself that Alexander didn't want her anymore and an ache stabbed at her heart.

She shook her head.

Saying nothing more, he claimed her lips once more. Something about the way he kissed her had her melting against him; the dominance was perfectly mixed with gentleness and calmness. His hand carressed up and down her arm slowly before snaking around her waist to hold her. He kissed her lips down to her jaw and then her neck, and she moaned as he found her sensitive spot; he kissed and sucked on it till she was squirming against his lap.

He gripped her hip to keep her still as he shook his head.

"Don't do that." He warned mildly, his voice had deepened. "Not unless you want this to end differently."

She couldn't stop the moan that left her once more as a sensation rushed straight to her core.

"What's on your mind?" He asked once more, his eyes had darkened now.

What was on her mind? She repeated the question in her mind and she tried to make sense of it. All she could think about was how his lips felt against hers, how his hands felt on hers.

"I...I don't know." She replied quietly.

He guided her closer and he kissed her neck once more, he gently bit on her sensitive spot and she moaned loudly, almost yelped. She tried squirming but his hold on her hip remained firm. She held his strong arms for support as he sucked on the spot to compensate for the initial pain he had caused. And then he returned to her lips once more, he kissed her as though he wanted to drink in everything he could take from her.

He brought her closer to himself so her lush bosom was pressed against his hard chest as he continued to kiss her; his tongue entwined with hers dominantly, controllingly. He massaged her hip while his other hand rubbed her back soothingly.

"Tell me what's on your mind, Yalda." He said when their lips parted, his voice was even deeper now.

How could she? Her mind was blank.

"I can't." She replied breathlessly. "I can't...think"

"Good." He said. "Listen to me."

She hung onto every word he said as though her life depended on it.

"You need to think about yourself more; you need to prioritize yourself, your health." He said to her. "You need to breathe. Do you understand me?"

A shuddering breath left her but she forced herself to nod once.

"But right now, you need to get some sleep." He told her. He caressed her thighs down her legs and she bit her lips to subdue her moan. "I'm going to take you to bed, and you're going to sleep knowing you'll be just fine. Alright?"

She nodded, it was all she could do.

"Good."

He planted a kiss on her head gently.

"I'm going to lift you up now, is that alright?" He asked her.

Again, she nodded.

He squeezed her thighs reassuringly before effortlessly scooping her into his arms. She let her head lean against his shoulder tiredly, and her eyes flutterd close as he made his way to his bedroom. She only opened her eyes when she felt him gently lower her to the soft and welcoming bed.

She stared up at him sleepily as he looked over her.

"Goodnight Yalda." He said before planting a lingering kiss on her lips. "You're alright."

He pulled the covers over her exhausted body gently, soothingly.

"Don't leave." She said quietly, her voice barely a whisper. "Please."

He nodded once.

"Go to sleep, I'll be here when you wake up." He told her.

She let her eyes flutter close tiredly, and she wasn't sure if she stayed that way for a minute or more before she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.