What a Goddess Wants

by Stephanie Julian

  Her heart pounded in a steadily increasing rhythm as her sex moistened and clenched. She swallowed and let her lips part to draw in much-needed air. His gaze dropped to her lips and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. There just wasn’t enough oxygen in the room.

  “Take your clothes off for me, Tessa. Start at the top and work your way down.”

  Her stomach clenched with desire at the heat in his voice. She had her hands on the first button of her sleeveless white cotton top before she realized she’d reached for it.

  No, she needed to slow down. They had hours before daybreak, when they would need to be back at Salvatorus’s house. And this time she was determined to make the man sweat.

  Without releasing his gaze, she slowly worked each button through its hole. They gave up without a fight, but she made sure the shirt didn’t gap open and reveal too much before she was ready.

  She wanted him to beg for her mercy.

  When her fingers reached the last button, Cal finally let his gaze slip south. She swore she felt his gaze like a physical caress against her skin, trailing heat wherever it touched.

  The shirt had only parted a few inches but she was naked beneath it, and she knew he could see the hint of curved flesh in that gap. Brushing her fingertips along her plump curves, she watched his eyes narrow and his cheeks flush to a ruddy hue.

  With deliberate motions, she allowed her fingers to slip beneath the shirt to find the pebbled tip of her breast. She sucked in a breath at the shiver of sensation that coursed through her at the touch, the tug that tightened and moistened her sex.

  Her eyelids fluttered, wanting to close as her fingertips rimmed her areola, sending shivers of electricity through her to her clit. Stroking down, she cupped the mounds and marveled at the softness of her skin on the underside of her breasts and at the way Cal watched her every move through slitted eyes.

  She swore she should be able to see steam rising between them. The air itself felt heavy and hot as she drew it into her lungs, having to work harder for each breath. With one final stroke to the underside of her breast, her fingers started down, brushing against the skin of her stomach, zings of electricity piercing straight to her clit.

  Her pussy heated and moistened, her sheath contracting, begging for him to fill it. She imagined the sense of fullness, the ecstasy of his possession, and her muscles clenched in anticipation.

  Her lips parted to draw in air and she watched him do the same.

  As her fingers reached the catch on her thin denim skirt, he blew out a hard breath, the harsh sound adding to her own arousal. Her abs tightened at the metallic hiss of her zipper releasing, and her breasts ached for his touch.

  She imagined Cal putting his lips around them and sucking them into his mouth, flicking at the pebbled tips with his tongue.

  The man had such a talented tongue. Just the thought of it made her weak with lust, made her lips part and—

  “Push it off, Tessa. Now.”

  She gasped as her eyes shot open to stare up into Cal’s, now directly above her. She hadn’t realized she’d closed them while she taunted him and herself. She’d gotten lost in sensation, lost in expectation.

  And Cal had taken the opportunity to round the altar. He stood right next to her, only inches separating them.

  She gazed at him through a haze of sexual hunger, noting how lust made the muscles in his jaw clench tight and throb beneath the skin. How his gray eyes grew stormy and dark.

  And how much rigid strength he held in his body. So much control. She wanted to break that control, wanted him to reach for her and tear the clothes off her body.

  Her muscles quivered with need, her stomach jumping with anticipation.

  Still, this was fun, too.

  With her thumbs hooked in the skirt’s waistband, she wiggled her hips from side to side to get the tight denim down her legs. Okay, maybe she didn’t need to do the little shimmy, but Cal certainly seemed to enjoy it, if the muscles jumping along his jaw were any indication.

  When her skirt fell to her ankles, it got caught on her wedge-heeled sandals so she kicked those off and stepped out of the skirt.

  Now he really did tower over her, and every feminine atom in her body lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

  “Take the top off now.”

  She cocked her head to the side as she reached for her shirt but stopped short of actually touching it. “I think it’s my turn to ask for something.”

  One side of his mouth curled up in the most mouthwatering way. “And what makes you think that?”

  “Well, I have taken off my skirt and shoes.”

  “Fine.” He reached for his belt, unbuckled it, and withdrew it from the loops of his pants with a slither. Folding it in half, he held it in his hands, giving it a slight snap that made her wonder what it would feel like tapping against her skin.

  “Shirt,” he said. “Now.”

  Ooh, the growl in his voice sent a blast of heat directly to her sex.

  Shrugging her shoulders, she let the shirt slide down her arms and puddle on the floor at her feet.

  Now his gaze dropped to her chest and she felt the weight of it like a physical caress against her skin. Her nipples tightened even more, if that was possible.

  “You have the most beautiful tits.”

  She couldn’t help herself. She had to laugh. “You’re such a charmer.”

  He shook his head, his gaze stuck on her breasts. “Never said I was tame, baby.”

  She gave another wiggle, making sure the mounds bounced just the tiniest bit. She didn’t wear a bra. Gravity didn’t mean much to a goddess. She was as she would always be. Exactly one hundred and fifteen pounds and five feet two inches, a perfect C-cup with absolutely no sag, and with a flat stomach and rounded hips.

  “Tame is for dogs and accountants.”

  “Gods damn, you really are fucking beautiful.”

  Pleasure suffused her from head to toe. She’d always known she pleased men with her looks, but never had that meant more than it did at this moment. With this man. Whose cock bulged and strained against his zipper in the most tempting of ways.

  Her mouth dried with wanting.

  She had to swallow before she could speak again. “I think I deserve a little more than your belt.”

  Lifting his gaze from her chest, he stared into her eyes for several seconds before setting the belt on the altar at his side, still within reach. Then he grabbed the hem of his shirt and whipped it over his head.

  And her mouth became as dry as the Sahara. Oh, Blessed Goddess, the man should have been a god himself.

  He had a truly magnificent chest, broad and hard and so well defined. Even though he couldn’t be in the sun, his skin held a slight tan that appeared even darker in the light of the oil lights. The muscles of his pecs bunched and shifted beneath that skin, though he wasn’t flexing or showing off. He merely had to move his arms, the biceps bulging with strength, to make his body respond in beautiful ways.

  Her lips longed to suck on those flat brown nipples, peaked and hard. She wanted to taste him, bite him, and when she’d done that, she’d move down to the ridges of his abs, so clearly defined.

  He had a faint sprinkling of dark hair over his chest that narrowed to a line that disappeared into the waistband of his black pants. She wanted to let her tongue follow that line as her fingers worked the button on those pants. She wanted to get her mouth on his cock again, to suck on him until he came in her mouth.

  “You keep looking at me like that and I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

  With an effort, she drew her gaze back up his body, though her smile was gone. “What about your pants?”

  “You do it. Just don’t touch my cock. You touch me and this may all be over.”

  “You have too much control for that, Cal.”

  “Not around you, apparently.” His voice hissed through clenched teeth as she carefully pushed the button on his pants through its hole. But she didn’t get to work on
the zipper because Cal swore under his breath and lifted her onto the altar.

  The smooth surface of the polished wood beneath her buttocks and thighs should have been cool to the touch, but she barely noticed it as Cal put his mouth over her lips and bullied his tongue past her teeth to curl around hers.

  With both hands on her face, he controlled her head, moving her into the perfect position to ravage her mouth.

  Her arms circled his broad shoulders before she splayed her hands flat against his back, feeling the play of muscle under his warm skin as his tongue teased and tempted.

  The heat of his body felt like a furnace blast against her skin, but she wanted him pressed against her. She urged him closer until her breasts were flattened against his chest.

  Then she felt him still.

  Lifting his mouth from hers, he let his lips brush against her cheek until he spoke directly into her ear. “Lie back and spread your legs. And don’t move.”

  She nearly whimpered but managed not to embarrass herself that badly. As her heart beat a mile a minute, she complied, though she took her time doing it.

  When she felt her back hit the surface, she crossed her arms behind her head and waited just a few seconds before she spread her legs. Cal’s gaze immediately dropped to her mound. Then he placed his hands on the inside of her thighs and spread her even wider.

  “I can smell your arousal, Tessa. Spicy and sweet. I’m gonna taste you in a few minutes, but first I’m gonna make you beg for it.”

  His hands began to knead her thighs, his thumbs brushing higher and higher until they just swept over the delicate spot where her lacy thong covered the lips of her sex.

  And because she couldn’t help but rise to his taunt, she said, “Goddesses don’t beg, Cimmerian.”

  His wicked smile made her breath catch in her throat. “You will. Keep your legs open, baby, and no touching.”

  Without further warning, he bent until his mouth hovered a hair’s breadth away from her pussy. The lace of her thong heated, becoming a torment on the slick and already swollen lips of her sex. Moisture, thick and fragrant, slipped from her body as his tongue swiped across the lace.

  He licked at her until the lace was soaked through and clung almost painfully to her sex. Her breath rasped in her chest and her hands reached back to hold on to the edge of the altar.

  The scent of sex perfumed the air around them until she thought she’d go mad with it.

  “Cal.”

  She felt him smile against her even as he flicked his tongue over her clit in fitful little glances. “Ready to beg?”

  Moaning, she shook her head and bit her bottom lip. She was not that easy.

  “Didn’t think so. I’m not ready to finish this yet anyway.”

  He pulled away, and this time a little moan did escape her. She barely managed not to reach for him, caught herself just in time. He was daring her to touch him, but he’d learn she had more will power than that.

  “Damn, you’re so fucking pretty here.”

  Her eyes closed at the reverence in his voice, a tone she’d not heard in centuries. And when he used one finger to rub against the swollen nub of her clit, she bit her lip to keep from crying out.

  “Hope you’re not attached to these, babe, ’cause they’re about to become scrap material.”

  His teeth scraped against her left hip for one brief second before he tugged on the tiny bow holding her thong together. The string unraveled, making her squirm against him as he moved to do the same to the other side.

  “Like opening a present,” he growled against her mound, his breath ruffling the curls there. “God, you’re soaking wet.”

  “You make me that way.”

  “You’re gonna feel like heaven when I sink my cock in you. Just not yet.”

  She hoped she didn’t melt into a puddle while she waited.

  With her eyes closed, her other senses intensified. Her pussy clenched and ached to be filled. Her skin craved his touch.

  With a moan, she arched her hips, seeking his fingers.

  He rewarded her with a slight, stinging slap on her mound.

  She sucked in a sharp breath. “Cal—”

  “Don’t move.” His voice had lowered to a growl. “And don’t worry. You’ll get what you need. But on my time.”

  She felt him move again, felt his breath brush higher on her stomach, near her navel. Then his tongue dipped into the little indentation. Shivers raced through her as he licked a path back to her mound and finally, finally, his tongue flicked against her naked clit.

  A sigh of relief played over her lips but only for a brief second as his hands slid under her ass and lifted her to his mouth. He used his teeth and tongue on her clit, working her with a single-minded purpose, dedicated only to bringing her pleasure.

  His fingers clutched her buttocks, separating the cheeks then squeezing them together, stretching the tender tissues there. A short, sharp orgasm claimed her when he pressed the flat of his tongue against her clit but it cut off when he withdrew.

  “Oh, not yet, baby.” His voice had deepened even further, down to a husky, sexy growl. “We’ve got a lot of energy to build up if we want to reach through the gates to Invol.”

  Groaning, Tessa shook her head. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about Invol. Just fuck me.”

  He laughed, but she heard the strain in his tone. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you about pushing me, babe.”

  His mouth descended once again, and he sucked on her lower lips with a passionate frenzy that made her twist and fight against his hold so she could wrap her legs around him and hold him there.

  But he proved too strong as his hands moved to her thighs again, holding her open as he ate at her.

  She felt her climax build in short, sharp bursts of pleasure that continued to build into a grinding ache.

  She didn’t know how long he held her at the edge, but when he finally pushed her over, she cried out as a fierce, hard clenching of her sex left her longing for more when he pulled away.

  The handsome angles of his face showed the sharp edges of lust. “Beg now, Tess. Come on, baby. You know you want to.”

  Reaching for his biceps, she pulled her head up just enough to look into his eyes. “Please, Cal. Fuck me now. I’m begging you. I need you.”

  With a growl that made her sex clench with painful intensity, he released her hips, ripped off his boots and pants, then caught her ankles and lifted them to rest against his left shoulder.

  “You’re gonna be so tight this way, Tessa. Christ, I can feel how hot you are. It’s burning me, baby.”

  His every word made her lust burn hotter. And when he used his free hand to grab his cock and rub the head in the moisture coating her sex, she thought she’d combust.

  “So fucking hot.” His voice tantalized, teased.

  “Stop torturing me, Cal. Please.”

  “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll make it better. I swear.”

  She found him to be a man of his word a second later as he began to work his cock into her tight sheath. Strong and thick, Cal’s cock stretched the delicate tissues of her pussy as he sank deep.

  Tessa fought to keep her eyes open, to watch his expression harden with fierce desire as he was overcome by passion. But her own pleasure sabotaged her. The joy she got from watching him take her, the pleasure of watching him succumb, saturated her senses.

  Her head fell back onto the altar and she let herself be transported by bliss. And as she did, as he slid inside her with ever-increasing motion, his thrusts becoming forceful and less measured, less controlled, she felt power rise up inside her.

  It was that maddeningly elusive, heartbreakingly familiar power she’d thought she’d lost. The power that had once been so intrinsic to her nature and had been so elusive in the past few centuries.

  Power this man awoke.

  She barely had time to collect her thoughts as Cal groaned and began to pound into her. Each stroke cranked her lust higher and wound her hotter until f
inally she felt the knot of tension in her lower body snap.

  She came again, and this time it was hotter, brighter, sharper. Her body bowed, her pussy taking him as deep as he could go while his cock jerked and pulsed, warmth spilling from him into her.

  And just as she started to come down, she remembered why exactly they were there.

  She began to murmur the ritual prayer to the Great Mother Goddess.

  Chapter 6

  His cock still twitching inside her, Cal opened his eyes in time to see Tessa gasp in pleasure and arch her back, forcing him even farther into her body.

  Gods damn, she was so fucking tight that he never wanted to leave her body. They could just stay here and fuck until they both succumbed to starvation.

  Everywhere their skin touched, he felt her heat. It acted like crack to an addict. He craved it, soaked it in, wanted more of it. And felt his will tremble before it.

  Which was one step further than he was willing to go on this journey.

  Thankfully, her eyes closed and her lips began to move. He realized she’d started to pray.

  He knew the ancient Etruscan language only because his mom spoke it and made sure he knew enough to understand it, if not speak it. With the aftereffects of that mind-altering orgasm still coursing through his body, he didn’t catch every word. Just enough that he recognized the gist of it.

  But he couldn’t mistake the power he felt emanating from her body like ripples on a pond. The fine hairs on his body rose. This was stronger than he’d noticed before when her eyes had literally glowed.

  As he watched, his lungs and heart rate finally starting to return to normal, her mouth curved in a smile so sinful that his cock thickened even though he’d come minutes earlier. And when her eyes opened, they were lit from within.

  Damn, that really should freak him the hell out.

  Instead, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of satisfaction that he had done this to her. He’d tapped into something inside her that unleashed that power.

  With more reluctance than was good for him, he slid free of her body and helped her to a seated position on the altar.

  Seeing her naked skin gleaming in the firelight, he had the almost overwhelming urge to reach for her again, to pull her body flush against his so he could soak in her fascinating warmth.