Chapter 33

Sean knew she was blushing and he didn t know what to do, he hadn t intentionally came to the room shirtless, he had just returned from his morning run and he took a shower but he didn t feel like putting on a shirt so he decided to just be shirtless, he sometimes stays at home shirtless, but it wasn t something he does often and also, he never expected her to gawk at him. Clearing his throat, he decided to speak up to clear the awkwardness, he could easily go to his room and get a shirt or singlet but for some reason, he didn t and he wanted to taunt her a little more, "don t just stand there, come closer."
Athena sucked in deep breath and went closer to him; she stopped a few paces and looked down at her feet. Sean chuckled softly and leaned down once more to change the music that was playing. Soon, Nina Simone s Feeling good, filled the room with its beautiful Jazz. He placed the other CDs on the shelf and turned to Athena, reaching his hand out to her, she looked up at him briefly before placing her hand in his.
Sean tightened his fingers on her hand and led her to the center of the room, before she knows it, he pulled her into his arms and she was forced to place her other hand on his chest, the contact burned her like fire and she removed her hand immediately. Gulping, she looked down from his face but her view became his chest and she had no other option but to close her eyes.
Sean placed her hand he was holding on his shoulder and placed both of his on her waist, she was putting on a half cut which means her tummy was exposed, touching her skin almost felt like touching a fire and at that moment, he was taken back to that night in his hotel suite, he had tried to not think of the night, especially after she said it was a mistake. He would be a liar if he say he didn t feel hurt when he heard her say that but just to get her to relax beside him, he had agreed to her request of never speaking about it but when he agreed to that, he also agreed to not think about it.
Unfortunately, he had been thinking so much about it of recent and last night when he kissed her, he had lied doing that as a show for Frank but deep in his heart, he knew he kissed her because he had wanted to do so for a long time but every time he was worried what her reaction would be. One thing was certain, he didn t want her to think he wants to take advantage of her and he would do anything to avoid her thinking that of him. But that doesn t mean he doesn t long to have her in his arms like that again, to kiss her, especially when she dress so beautifully that it was always hard for him to look away. Last night was one of such days and he wasn t able to control himself and just kissed her.
When she had asked why he kissed her, he wanted to tell her he kissed her because he couldn t stop himself but the way she had asked the question made him wary of his answer and all he could say was that he did it as a show for Frank. In all his life, he had never kissed a woman and lie about the reason but with Athena, he had found himself doing a lot of things he would never have thought of doing, all because he wants her happy always. On their way home last night, he had thought of Leo s words to him that night, could it really be the reason? Could it really be as he said? Just the thought that she wants to get back to Frank sounds annoying to him nowadays but he had made a promise and he has to fulfill it, also, he would never hold a woman against her will, he has never done that before, and he would never do it.
Ignoring his attraction to be close to her, he swirled her around the floor, she was getting better at moving her body and feet to the music and he knew that sooner than later, their dancing lessons would come to an end and to his surprise, he doesn t want that day to come. He watched her as they dance, her hands were on his shoulders but he could also feel how stiffened they were. He was having a hard time knowing the cause of it, is she like that because she was fighting her attraction to him or is she like that because she just couldn t wait for the dance to be over so that she would leave? He had noticed that she has been avoiding him of recent and he was having a hard time knowing why. Did he expose his inner desires and she wants to get away from him? It s remaining only a month and the three months he told her he would work on her would be over, could it be that she was avoiding him so that when the three months is up, she would pack her bags and leave?
The thought was giving him a bad taste in his heart and to distract himself from delving deeper, he said to her, "I saw the pictures you took at the studio," he felt her stiffened more, and added, "you didn t tell me you would be taking pictures."
"TB made me take them," she said, "I didn t plan to."
Sean nodded and he took off her hands on his shoulder and spun her around before placing it back on his shoulder, "there are awesome," she nodded stiffly, "you looked beautiful in them and some you looked…sexy," he whispered the word.
Athena licked her lips, his voice was low that if she wasn t that close to him, she wouldn t have heard him, hearing him mention that one word sent tingling sensation all over her body and she involuntarily shuddered, "they…they asked me to stay like that," she explained.
"I know," he replied, letting go of her waist to spin once and placing his hands back on her waist, "it was hard taking my eyes off them; you looked like one of the models."
"TB said the same," Athena replied quickly, she needs to keep talking to distract herself from thinking about how touching his chest and bare skin feels.
"Of course," he responded, his eyes not leaving her face, even though she had her eyes closed for some reason he had no idea of, "my company wants a Face, how do you feel becoming that?"
Athena opened her eyes immediately, she stared deep into his hazel ones, "what?"
"What do you think becoming Face of Brand?" He repeated, he stopped dancing, all his attention on her and her answer.
Athena couldn t believe her ears, "but…but I m not a model."
"It doesn t matter, you have the quality of a model and you can be one if you want."
Athena removed her hands from his shoulders and took a step back, "be a model? It s too much trouble."
"Then be Face of Brand, how about that? You will be paid for it, enough that you won t have to go back to your house; you will stay here, in the city, living your own life."
"But Sean, I don t…"
"I know," he grabbed her hand and pulled her close, "don t you want to stand on your own, not to depend on anyone to live a good life? Don t you want to live as comfortable as you want? You won t need me or Frank or anybody to give you a better life, you can do that, on your own. Come on, Athena, do you want to go back to the slum after living this past months in the city?" He caressed her cheek, making her look up at him but she closed her eyes, "you can do it, Athena, there is nothing hard there and you will have me and Tobias to guide you, you will be the best version of yourself. You will not only be unique and elegant, you would also be known and be able to leave as comfortable as you want. Don t you want that? You won t need any man, and no man would dare to call you a beggar again, no man would dare to look down at you, that s the woman I want you to be, Athena, the woman that can take care of herself, the woman that men would worship, men like Frank," and me, he wanted to add but didn t.
"Say yes, Athena, say you will be that woman," he traced her face with his fingertips, from her forehead, to her cheek and then her lips, he loved how they trembled and how they faced to him, almost as if begging him to kiss them, "come on, Athena, say yes," he whispered, slowly lowering his face to hers and claiming her lips. He expected her to push him away but she didn t, rather she opened to him. He dipped his tongue into her mouth and stroked her own tongue; soon, he was cupping her cheeks with both hands to deepen the kiss. At some point, he felt her arms round his neck but just when he thought she was enjoying the kiss as well, she backed away and before he could ask her what happened, she ran out of the room.