Heart of the Serpent: Hades' Carnival, Book 5

by N. J. Walters

  But she deserved better than him.

  Yet for some unknown reason, she wanted him. Her words reached deep within him, filling him with hope. He trampled the sensation, not quite believing in it even after everything that had happened.

  “Did you mean what you said?” she asked him.

  “When?” It was hard to concentrate with her sitting alongside him. The sweet scent of her soap and the natural muskiness of her skin combined to create the most delightful perfume known to mankind. He felt the press of her arm and leg against him and his cock responded eagerly. Every cell in his body hummed with recognition and his serpent was beside itself, demanding Mordecai claim her.

  “When you said you loved me?”

  There it was. The stark truth thrown down between them. He could lie. He should lie. He looked into her pale blue eyes and knew he could not. She trusted him. And, as he’d learned, trust was the most precious of commodities. Once lost, it was never truly regained.

  “Yes.”

  She caught her breath and then she smiled. By the Lady, she was the most breathtaking creature on the planet when she smiled. Her entire face lit up as if by some inner light. Her pale hair formed a halo around it.

  “I love you too. I meant that.”

  “I know you did.” He cupped her fragile jaw in his big, powerful hand. She didn’t flinch from him. Instead, she leaned into his touch. Such trust almost broke his heart. If he still had one. And he must, because it ached so much. “I’m not good for you, Jessica.” There, he’d said it. “You deserve better.”

  She covered his hand with hers. “You’re a very good man. Better than you believe. And I deserve to get what I want. And I want you.”

  He wanted to believe her so badly. “You don’t know the darkness that resides inside me.”

  She shook her head. “No, Mordecai. It’s you who doesn’t know yourself. We drove the shadows from Hell out of you when we fought Hades. Look inside and see that I’m telling the truth.”

  He curled his fingers around her and brought her hand to his lips, laying a tender kiss on each knuckle. “I don’t need to look. I know it is gone. But there is a natural darkness inside me. One the others don’t have.”

  “Are you so sure of that?”

  Her simple question caught him off-guard.

  “There is dark and light within all of us. There must always be balance. And darkness is not always a bad thing.” She placed her free hand on his chest and caressed him through his shirt. “Take now, for instance. The night is hiding us from view of the neighbors. We could do whatever we wanted and they wouldn’t see us.”

  Her philosophy of life, her belief in him was staggering. “Do you truly believe I am worthy of you? You trust I will not hurt or betray you?”

  “Oh, Mordecai.” She slipped from the bench and knelt before him, her hands on his thighs. “You are more worthy than anyone I’ve ever met. You’ve been tested far more than anyone has a right to be and you emerged victorious.” She pulled the straps of her dress down, exposing her firm, round breasts. “And I know you’ll never hurt me. I know for a fact you’d give your life for me. And you said you loved me. What more can a girl ask for?”

  Mordecai’s head was spinning. So many beliefs he’d held about himself lay shattered around him. And all because of the woman kneeling before him. He plucked her off the ground and into his arms. “You are too good for me. But I’m keeping you,” he pledged. “It’s too late to back out now.”

  He needed her more than he needed air to breathe. Her delighted laughter pushed away the remaining shadows until there was only the two of them surrounded by love. He buried his face in the curve of her neck. “Goddess, I love you.”

  Her hands threaded through his hair. “I love you too. Now. Always.” It was a vow and it sealed both their fates.

  He became very aware of the press of her breasts against him. He pulled back and yanked off his shirt, needing to feel her skin to skin. “You’re sure you’re feeling better?”

  She clasped his head in her hands so he was looking straight at her. “I’m sitting half-naked in your lap. Are you really asking me that?”

  He chuckled. It sounded rusty, but it was a slight laugh. Jessica smiled at him as she ran her hands over his biceps and shoulders and down to his pecs. “You’re really wearing too much clothing.”

  He stood and placed her on her feet in front of him. “We can’t have that,” he told her. He shoved her dress down her hips, and it fluttered to the ground around her feet. “You are exquisite.”

  “And you’re still wearing too much clothing,” she teased. She reached for the opening of his pants, but he was too impatient. He yanked them open and shoved them down his legs and off. Naked, he stood before her.

  “Mmm. Now this is what I’ve been dreaming of for the past few hours.” She reached out and cupped his sac, lightly massaging his balls. Every muscle in his body tensed, but he didn’t move. He wanted more of her touch.

  She released him and slid her hand up his shaft from the root to the bulbous tip. His cock jerked toward her and liquid seeped from the slit. She rubbed her thumb over the top, spreading the moisture. “So hard. So strong. I love how you feel inside me.”

  He growled and reached for her, but she took a step back. “Not yet. This time I get to touch you.”

  “You are touching me,” he pointed out. His hunger for her was almost out of control.

  “Sit.” She gave him a little push and he reluctantly sat back on the bench. When she knelt back in front of him, he thought his cock might explode.

  His breathing was labored and he curled his fingers around the edge of the stone bench to keep from grabbing her. He needed to be inside her, to have her pussy squeezing him tight.

  But Jessica had other ideas. She lowered her head and blew on the slick head of his cock. His balls pulled up tight. “Jessica,” he growled in warning.

  “I just want to play for a while.” How could a woman who looked like an angel be so sexy. Like a nymph, she sat at his feet, her bare skin pearly white in the moonlight. Her rosy-pink lips got closer to his cock and he gritted his teeth.

  Then she took him to Heaven. She licked the head of his shaft, swirling her tongue around and around, teasing the slit at the tip. He groaned when she opened her mouth and finally took him inside. Wet heat closed around his cock. She teased up and down the hard length with her tongue.

  He gripped the stone bench tighter and swore when two pieces broke off. He held up his hands, each holding a piece of stone. He could see the laughter in her eyes and suddenly he was laughing too. He tossed the stone pieces behind him and heard them thunk on the ground when they landed.

  Then she took him deeper and sucked. Laughter fled and he threaded his fingers through her hair, holding her closer. She gave a little hum of pleasure. He could smell her arousal and knew she was getting turned on by touching him.

  But he didn’t want to come this way. Not this time. He needed to be joined to her once again, to feel a part of her.

  He eased her head back and she released his dick with a wet pop. She stared quizzically.

  “I need to be inside you.” Even as he spoke, he was lifting her. He sat back on the bench and positioned her so she was kneeling over him, her thighs on either side of him. “Take me, Jessica.”

  She gripped his cock in her small, capable hands and shimmied closer until the head of his shaft was pressed against her opening. Their eyes met and she smiled as she pushed downward. Her pussy swallowed his cock, undulating around it as he went deeper and deeper. This was where he wanted to be. This was home.

  With his hands on her hips, he guided her all the way down until he was fully inside her. He liked having her this way. It allowed him to easily cup her breasts. Her nipples were taut red berries waiting to be tasted.

  Mordecai took one nipple into his mouth and suckle
d. Jessica rocked against him and that slight movement sent him over the edge.

  Jessica had won. Happiness filled her to overflowing. Sexual need thrummed through her. It was all too much. They would have problems in the future. Of that she was sure. But what couple didn’t have them? And unlike most couples, they had eternity to figure things out.

  Touching Mordecai, tasting him, bringing him pleasure had sent her temperature spiking. Her pussy was swollen and damp and she easily took him when he seated her on his lap.

  He made a deep sound of pleasure as he sucked one of her nipples. The intense sexual pull shot down to her core. His cock pulsed within her. He was big and thick and stretched her pussy. The sensation was delicious. It also wasn’t enough. She had to move.

  She rocked her hips and he groaned. She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out. More. She needed more. She rose up slightly and then lowered herself.

  Mordecai pulled away and threw back his head, exposing the long, thick column of his neck. He was panting hard, but so was she. “Now,” she implored him. “Hard.”

  He moved so quickly, the world was a blur. One second they were seated, the next she was flat on the bench with him over her. He hooked her legs over his thighs, cupped her ass in his big hands and began to thrust.

  Jessica gripped the edges of the bench, needing something to hold on to. His thrusts were so hard and deep she would have slid off the bench if he hadn’t held her so tightly. Each time he retreated she wanted him back. And each time he filled her was even better than the last.

  His dark hair hung around his shoulders, his lips were parted and his nostrils flared. He looked as dark and dangerous as he was. And he was all hers.

  With a growl, he fell on top of her. He gripped her shoulders and fucked her faster, short, hard thrusts that made her gasp. She was so hot. Her body on the edge of ecstasy.

  He shoved one hand under her, angling her pelvis so her clit rubbed against him with each thrust. Her nipples grazed his chest.

  Lost in the sensual pleasure of his touch, she came. He took her mouth, capturing her cry as her orgasm washed over her. He stiffened above her. His cock jerked inside her as he found release. The warm rush of his pleasure made her pussy spasm again.

  Her heart pounded in her chest and she sucked in the warm night air, tasting their passion and the perfume from the surrounding flowers. Mordecai slumped over her and she wrapped her arms around him, savoring the quiet moment between them.

  Eventually, the sounds of the night came back into focus. A bird flitted in the trees. A car drove down the street. A dog barked a few doors down.

  Mordecai raised his head and lifted his body from hers. She didn’t have enough energy to move and lay sprawled on the bench. He chuckled and lifted her into his arms. She lolled against him and rested her head on his shoulder.

  “I owe you a new bench.” His dry comment made her laugh. Sure enough, two large chunks were missing from the stone bench where he’d ripped them off.

  “I don’t know about that. I kind of like the way it looks.”

  He kissed her and she tasted his love, his commitment.

  She patted his chest. “Everything will be okay. You’ll see.”

  “I believe you.” She could see the truth in his eyes and it warmed her heart.

  “I’m taking you inside to bed before the neighbors discover us.” He started walking to the back door, not bothering with their clothes. She closed her eyes, trying not to notice they were both stark naked as he walked past the solar lights and onto the porch. “Although it might be too late for that.”

  “What? Who saw us?”

  He opened the door and carried her up the stairs to her apartment. “I doubt they watched, but Arand and Sabrina probably heard us. Preternatural hearing and open windows,” he reminded her.

  She should be appalled. Really she should. Instead, all she could do was giggle. She was still laughing when Mordecai unceremoniously dumped her on the bed.

  “You think that’s funny, do you?” he asked.

  She nodded and then pulled her pillow over her face to smother her uncontrollable laughter. She just felt so good. So right. Her nightmare was finally over and their future was bright.

  He pulled the pillow off her face and tossed it aside. “You can’t hide from me. I’ll always find you.”

  She linked her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. “I like that.”

  “I think you’ll like this even more.” Fully erect once again, he slid inside her. She gasped as he filled her. That gasp turned to a moan when he kissed her. He began to thrust and he was right. She really enjoyed what they did next.

  Epilogue

  Jessica shivered and pulled her coat closer around her. She’d thought Mordecai was crazy when he’d handed her a parka and a pair of snow boots to put on. After all, it was summer in Louisiana. “Where are we?” There was snow and mountains as far as the eye could see. It was breathtakingly beautiful and extremely cold.

  Mordecai had used his powers to transport them here in a blink of an eye. One minute she’d been standing in the middle of her living room, the next she was on a snowy ledge way up high on a mountain. The only sound was the relentless howl of the wind.

  “Nepal.”

  She blinked. “You’re serious.”

  He grinned and it made him look younger, more carefree than he normally did. He pointed off in the distance. “Katmandu is that way.”

  She was really having a hard time wrapping her head around this one, even after everything she’d seen and been through. “Are we on Mount Everest?”

  He nodded. “Although it wasn’t called that when I first came here. It had no name back then.” He placed his hand against the snow-covered rock. “All I knew is that it called to me.”

  This was a special place for Mordecai. The way he spoke about it with such reverence in his voice gave her heart a hitch. He was sharing this special place with her. She slipped her mitten-covered hand into his bare one. He didn’t seem to feel the cold like she did. He was wearing leather pants and boots and a long-sleeved waffle-weave shirt. She was still figuring out what she could and couldn’t do now that she was immortal. Controlling her body temperature wasn’t one of her new talents, at least not yet.

  The wind whipped around them and blew snow into her eyes. She gave a startled shriek as the cold pelted her face and turned her head away from the bitter bite.

  “Let’s get you inside.”

  “Inside?” She scrubbed the snow off her cheeks. “The mountain?”

  He guided her down a narrow pathway and stopped in front of a wall of white.

  “Um, I hate to tell you this, but there’s no doorway there.”

  Mordecai threw back his head and laughed. “I don’t need a doorway.” He waved his hand over the snow and it instantly disappeared, exposing a rock-hewn corridor. “Come.”

  She followed, trusting him implicitly. The cold died away and she was able to remove her mittens and stuff them in her pockets. She lowered the hood of the parka and stamped her feet to remove the snow that clung to her boots.

  As they walked along the corridor, torches sprang to life at regular intervals, lighting their way. It was amazing, like something out of a fantasy book. It was so quiet here. Peaceful.

  “The serpent is a part of me,” he began.

  “I know.” She caught his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “I’m rather fond of all of the parts of you.”

  He kept his gaze forward and followed the path when it veered off to the right. “I am the basis for the legend of dragons.”

  “Get out.” She stopped, forcing him to halt or drag her behind him.

  He shrugged. “People thousands of years ago had never seen the likes of me before.”

  “I got news for you, my love. People today have never seen the likes of you either,” she tease
d.

  One corner of his mouth turned up. “You may be right.” He continued down the path and she followed once again.

  “I needed a place to be by myself. To think. The others loved the camaraderie of the group, but I needed space.”

  “I can understand that.” She thought about it. “I enjoy my friends, but I need solitary time as well.” She paused. “You don’t need to show me this if you don’t want to,” she added gently. “It’s okay if you want to have a special place that’s yours alone.” She understood and respected that.

  He shook his head as another torch sprang to life. So much power and he wielded it without thought or effort. She might be immortal and share his life force, but she had nowhere near the power or skills Mordecai had.

  “I want you to see.” He took a step away from her. “Watch and follow.”

  She wasn’t sure what to expect until his body started to change. His clothing vanished and the air around him shimmered. His head elongated and grew, flattening on the top. His arms and legs grew, his body morphing until there was no sign of a human male. In his place was a huge dragon-like creature. Her serpent.

  He turned and slithered down the path. She had to hurry to keep up with him. He turned left and ducked through a giant archway. She stilled as torches sprang to life, illuminating the cavernous room.

  The entire space glittered and sparkled. She blinked, practically blinded by the rare gemstones that were piled and scattered on every available surface. “Wow. This is incredible.” Mordecai had stopped in the center of the room, surrounded by his treasure. She understood her dragon well. In human form, he’d started a company—Dragon’s Holdings—building massive wealth for himself and the other warriors. Oil, minerals, technologies, he had his fingers in a lot of pies. He not only needed the challenge, it was in his very nature to acquire.

  The light reflected off him when he moved and Jessica caught her breath. She walked forward, hand out in front of her. “You look different than you did before.” She touched the hard scales on his side. Where they’d been a muddy green and brown before, now they sparkled like emeralds and bronze.