Being In Love (Siri's Saga Book 5)

by Cindee Bartholomew

  His eyes crinkle so I bat mine at him. He grins and runs his fingers down my temple. "All I can think of is how stunning you look standing here in the candlelight. You are breathtaking."

  "I’ll accept stunning, but you are breathtaking." I poke him in his chest and he shakes his head, smirking at my joke.

  "What am I going to do with you?" He takes my face in his hands and kisses my forehead.

  "Keep me, of course." I twinkle up at him.

  "You are def a keeper." His eyes soften and he starts his speech. His hands flow over my fur and down to hold mine. "When I look in your eyes, I see.... so much potential. Your Star is bright and your future is limitless. Our lives are already very different and very complicated, but after tomorrow night our lives will never be this simple again. Events will be set in motion that will change everything, but I hope changes nothing." He brings my hands to his lips and kisses one then the other. "Just know this. I will command the mountains of the Earth to move for you and I will demand that they obey." He opens my hand and kisses my branded spot. Sweet sensations shoot through me as he lays his face on it.

  I melt with his sweet words. I stroke his cheek with my thumb as I finish his sentence. "Because you are My Golden God."

  His eyes smile and crinkle, then he leans down to kiss my lips. As he opens his mouth, my breathing stops completely. He hovers before our lips touch. I feel his breath searching for mine when he says. "Because you are My Miss Wright." Then his lips seal themselves on mine and my eyes close, shutting out the world. There is only us. I wait, but his tongue stays still then he releases me, only to whisper again in my mouth. "Until my last breath, I am yours."

  "Ditto." I breathe back into his.

  He chuckles and he slips his hands back into my coat, pulling my body against him, then he kisses my forehead. "That is very concise communication. I like it." He grins down on my face.

  "Yep." I twinkle up at him as I pop the 'p'. He laughs as his hands slide down to cup my ass. "Straight line like you like it." I tease him.

  "I like your curves too." He buries his nose in my neck and inhales deeply, then he pulls back to lay nibbles along my jugular.

  "Your speech was very romantic, Aurei. Are we finished out here?"

  His lips work their magic, while his hands play against my skin as they travel from my ass, up my waist to squeeze my breasts, then slide under my necklace, where they squeeze and choke me.

  "Not yet."

  Chapter Sixteen

  He rocks back before he leans forward and I see his eyes in the dim light. They hold that thunderous intensity again. Then as he applies his loving pressure, he speaks to me while kissing mine closed. "Close your eyes, Wild Thang."

  I feel him leave me and I peek through my closed eyelids. Through the slivers, I focus on where he is going. There is a bench just inside the light. I lean around him to look at it and catch a glimpse of reflective candlelight shining from something sitting on the seat. My heart and breath collide in my chest as I freeze.

  Sweet Zeus! Father of the Gods! Is that what I think it is?

  I take a sharp intake of breath. My jaw drops and my hands come up to cover my lips. As he reaches down, I realize what he intends to show me and I can’t keep my excitement contained. "Holy Heaven!"

  He stops, then he slowly turns around to look at me.

  Busted, but totally not caring, I start walking towards him. "Is that what I think it is?"

  He chuckles. "What do you think it is?"

  "It is! Put that Son of a Bitch on, Maximus Aurelius Moore!"

  He laughs now and picks a piece up. "I should have said. 'Stay.'" He looks at me, holds his hand out and says it. "Stay."

  I obey, but watch spellbound as he puts it around his waist, then I hear the clink of the metal and the thud of leather as he reaches between his legs and carefully straps it on. He glances up at me and grins, then he reaches for the next piece. When he lifts it, I see a thick red cloth unfolding and admire the way he rolls it around his shoulders. The fabric floats in the air, then drapes him like a king’s robe. When he buckles the chest piece without looking at it, I know he has done that a thousand times. Finally he reaches down one last time and takes the piece that caught my eye. He spins slowly around to face me as he slides it over his head. He stands tall and proud, while I stare in awe at his transformation. His perfect posture poses a perfect picture!

  "Holy! Mother! Hera!" I almost faint from the flood of raw desire. Unbelievable!

  As he approaches, I’m hypnotized by his gait and the swing of the blades on his belt as they sway back and forth. The sound of the metal clinking is haunting in the quiet night. The flickering lights from the candles illuminate the bronze and gold. My eyes devour him, fully appreciating this Roman Solider. The golden blades on his chest lay still, guarding his breast. But it’s the helmet that reigns supreme. The only thing missing is a pair of leather boots.

  When my eyes reach his face, his lips spread slowly behind the protective shield and the corners of his mouth disappear as he smiles. His gorgeous gaze looks lighter, more yellow than green, against the shadow cast in the sunken holes of his helmet. The red plumb stands erect. Tall and proud.

  He looks huge!

  The aura that emits from him is powerful and possessive. I can feel his demanding and commanding nature and know now from where it flows. This man is the Bastard Son of Thor, God of Thunder.

  Wow! The Bastard Son of Thor is much more than a simple nickname, handle or title. It is who he is to his core. It’s in his DNA! I am completely ... blown ... away!

  I’ve worn costumes my whole dancing career, and I’ve assumed the identities of a lot of people, but I’ve never owned any one of them as completely as he does this one. This is more than a costume. If I had never met him before tonight, I would know exactly who he is. I feel the stirring in my heart that only happens once or twice in a lifetime and I realize I will never find anyone as perfect as this man!

  He looks at me with that piercing stare and my knees get weak. When he smiles, the white of his teeth shine and the golden tone of his skin matches the golden tone of the face guard. His hands go to the sides of his helmet and he hooks his thumbs then lifts it off. His halo of blonde hair shines in the moonlight and its gold specks reflect the candlelight.

  "Oh My Golden God!" I whisper. "So this is the Bastard Son of Thor? Phenomenal!"

  "I guess that means you dig him." He chuckles as he grins at me.

  "Hell yeah! I totally dig him!" I grin back. "He is fly!"

  He takes my hand and cinches our fingers, then leads me back to the table. "I’m glad."

  "My Gawd! I’m totally Fan-Girling over you right now!" I giggle, making him laugh. "How long have you owned this? This?" I search for the proper word. Costume doesn’t sound appropriate.

  "This armor? Since the beginning."

  "Keep talking while I check it out. I want the full explanation of the Bastard’s origins!" I walk around him, eyeing him and examining the finer details of the leather straps and how it all fits together. "How did you get it? The name?"

  "Augustus tagged me one day after a particularly grueling but good training session and it stuck."

  "I noticed tiny scars along your skin today." I trace my finger along one. "I thought it looked like a knife edge made it."

  "It did."

  "Who gave them to you? Antonio?"

  "No, Augustus. He wanted me to know the damage a real weapon would do."

  "Do the men fight with real knife blades?" The vision of Quintus’ badass and Aurei’s warrior circling each other in a battle makes the blood drain from my face and I frown up at him.

  "No. We use unsharpened replicas." Relief floods my body. He hands me the helmet so I can examine it while he opens the Champagne. I run my hand over the smoothness.

  "Do you have a shield too?"

  "Yes."

  "That’s cool." I set the helmet on the table. "You look so hot. I almost fainted." I smirk up at him and I se
e a single eyebrow flick.

  You rascal! You know you just rocked my world!

  The cork shoots high into the sky then the liquid foams, spilling out of the top of the bottle. We laugh and he quickly fills our glasses, then hands one to me. He raises his in the air and indicates the direction the cork disappeared.

  "Shooting for the stars with you, Siri Wright."

  "Bang, Baby, Bang!" I giggle. We clink our glasses and drink. "Umm! It is as good as it is expensive. Delicious!"

  "Like you." He winks that killer wink, then he proposes another toast. "Here’s to taking you to Heaven."

  "Here. Here. No. Wait. There. There." I clink his glass, then toast the house.

  We laugh again, then stand in silence, sipping and devouring each other with our eyes. I can’t get over how amazing he looks. I thought the pilot was hot. The Cowboy blew me away. The Billionaire was delicious. But this.... Unbelievable.

  I finish and hand my glass to him. He finishes his, then turns to pour us both another. My eyes feast on him. He hands the filled flute back, then lifts it to his lips. The Champagne is already starting to affect me.

  "You look Hot as Hades!" I lick my lips. "Your armor fits you like a glove."

  "It’s custom made."

  "I can only imagine the tailor’s delight when you walked in to be measured for it."

  He smirks and his eyebrows lift again.

  "You did her, didn’t you?" I smirk back now. "Don’t answer that! Need to know! And that’s def not something I need to know."

  He looks at me with amused but thunderous eyes over the edge of his glass. "For the record, I didn’t do the tailor."

  "Ha! Then it was either a man or an old woman." I nod knowingly at him. His sideways grins shows up. "Yeah. That would have to be the case."

  The hint of a dark promise plays in his eyes. "All you need to know is that the Bastard belongs to you now and his intentions are heavenly tonight."

  My diva-ness drenches itself. I look away, struggling to keep it together. Needing to stay busy, I reach up and unclip my hair. I shake it out then fluff it with my fingers. He steps up close and his rippling abs flash me. I lick my lips, then take a sip of the gold bubbly, trying to control my desire and failing miserably.

  "Siri, look at me." His voice is husky and deep. The sound of my name when he calls me to him fills me with undeniable passion and I close my eyes instead, biting my lip. "Do you want me right now?"

  "Yes, I want you to take me to heaven right now."

  He chuckles and the sound is sexy and low. He is standing right beside me. He leans down and mouths my ear. "Do you want me like a whore needs a man?"

  The truth of what he asks hits me. "I do." I answer truthfully.

  "Are you a whore, Siri?"

  "I have it bad for you, Baby! Bad!" I look into his eyes now.

  "Answer the question." Sincerity stares at me.

  "Truthfully, I am in my heart. We both know it. Hell, who are we kidding? Everyone knows it."

  He smiles then clinks our glasses. "Here’s to being courageous enough to speak the truth. Bottoms up, Baby." He tips his glass up and drains it, and I do the same. He takes my empty flute and sets them both down on the table. When he looks back into my eyes, his look is hungry and raw. He opens my fur and cups my breast with his cold hand. He puts his mouth on my ear and hums. Every part of me tingles. He plays with my taut nipple, rolling it around with his thumb as his breath blows soft in my ear. My breath becomes shallow and my hands reach for him. He pushes the fur off my shoulders and down my arms, binding them, forcing me to arch my back and push my breasts to his waiting mouth. He kisses one then the other. My head falls back and I moan, loud and long. He pulls my coat back up and hides my body from his view. His sexy grin spreads across his face, then he takes a step back and reaches for the Champagne bottle. "Now that’s the way a whore should moan for her man."

  I stare at him with eyes full of lust and I feel like a wanton. "That’s just mean, Mr. Moore." I whisper.

  "Is it?" He chuckles as he raises his eyebrows.

  "Yes. Making me feel it, want it, confess it, own it, then leave it exposed and vulnerable. That’s just mean."

  He smiles as he fills our glasses, then he hands one back to me. "It’s not meanness. It’s honesty and it’s refreshing, don’t you think?" I give him a 'go to hell' look and he laughs, then salutes me. "Here’s to honesty." He puts the champagne to his lips and drinks.

  I shake my head and lick my lips, annoyed and a little confused. "Here’s to keeping it real. Thanks." I roll my eyes.

  He smiles down at me, then grabs my hair and pulls me roughly to him. My first reflex is to snatch away and fight, but I know better. His use of power isn’t about hurting me, it’s about dominating me. My eyes spit fire, but I allow my body to fall on him. His voice is husky when he says, "I realize what you said is true. It doesn’t really matter what we know to be the truth, people will continue to judge you based on what you do for a living. Until that changes, their perception won’t."

  "Yeee'p'." I sass him.

  "And you do what you do, because you are a whore at heart."

  "Yeee'p'."

  "Then there is only one distinction that needs to be made."

  "Yeah. What is that?"

  "There’s a big difference between being A whore and being MY whore. The first person who needs to learn the difference is you." His fingers close around my throat and he pulls my face up to his. My eyes find his and my wildness flashes him. "Tonight, you’re the Bastard Son of Thor’s whore. I’m taking what I want, when I want, how I want."

  He releases me and I stagger back a step. He raises his glass and salutes us. "Bottoms up, Wild Thang. We’ve got a long night ahead." His expression as he looks at me over the rim of his glass before he drains it says, I’m the most beautiful girl in the world, and I am about to forget my own name.

  I stand there staring at him trying to decide if I’m pissed or not, but either way, my whorish body is hot and needy for him. He knows I won’t resist him and I know I don’t want to. I toss the gold bubbly back, defiant and proud, but submissive.

  He hands me both his glass and the bottle of Champagne, then he picks his helmet up and I see the laughter in his eyes as he slides it back on. I tuck the bottle under my arm and twirl the glasses in my fingers as a smirk plays with my mouth.

  He drops his ass, moves his cape to the front, and says, "Get on."

  "You Bastard!" I sass as I jump on.

  "Tonight your goddess training begins."

  "Tonight, I better be your Angel Thang."

  "You already are." He chuckles.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Once inside, he deposits me on the bed and commands me to, "Stay."

  I crawl to the center and sit cross legged being a quiet kitten as he closes the curtains on the bed. He releases the last panel of fabric and as it falls, I purr. What little light that came through the French doors is completely blocked now and I sit in darkness.

  I hear his chuckle."That’s better. I like your sexy kitten."

  Listening to his armor clink as he walks back to the French doors, I hear him closing them. Synchronized bolts slide, lock, then a beep from the security system that it is armed.

  I strain to hear him come back to the bed, but I only hear complete silence and my own breathing. Suddenly, it feels like an ominous Bear Cave as my rapid heartbeat pounds in my ears. "Aurei?" I ask and my voice sounds like a little girl’s who is afraid.

  "I’m right here, Baby Thang. Do you need some light?"

  "Yes, please." I answer truthfully. I look up to the ceiling as it illuminates and the clouds in the mosaic of Heaven overhead appear to float by. "Ah! That’s better." I fall backward and bounce softly. "Your heaven is beautiful." I tell him.

  "You are beautiful."

  "You are sweet."

  "You are the sweetest one."

  "That’s right!" I giggle. I lay staring at the ceiling. It really looks 3D. How did they
do that? "Aurei?"

  "Yes, Sweet Thang?"

  "This would have turned out so different if we had come here as planned, rather than the way it happened. You really never know how your life will turn out. You just have to own what happens and own your moments." I smile. "And own who you really are."

  "That’s right." He says fast, and I giggle again.

  "We own us too, don’t we?"

  "Yes, we do." He says from across the room.

  "Our lives are so different! Yet, here we are. We are perfect for each other, aren’t we?"

  "Yes, we are."

  Bea Miller’s song starts to play in my mind, and I hum it, tapping my feet, then my hands on the bed to the beat. "Fire and Gold, Baby. That’s us! I’m fire and you’re gold." I focus on the gold word Heaven. "We are undeniable, aren’t we?"

  "Yes, we are."

  "Promise?"

  "I promise you. You are collared and claimed."

  "Good. Cause I love you to the stars and back! And I’m ready to launch into Heaven. Bring on the Bastard!"

  He chuckles. "Do you need some music?"

  "Yes. Please!"

  "Hang on. I’ll turn some on."

  Marvin Gaye starts to sing, "Let’s Get It On."

  "Oooo. Let’s Get It On." I sing with him, then I ask. "What’s taking so long?"

  "I’m going to film us."

  "Oh Hell Yeah! I’ll wait for that."

  He laughs, then says. "Are you ready?"

  "I was born ready! COME TAKE ME TO HEAVEN."

  I hear his chest plate unlatch. The sound stirs my heart and it begins to pound even harder. He throws it over the side. It hooks the post and hangs. I’m reminded of unsaddling a horse and I see Caesar in his wild state as he reared up and pawed the air. As soon as I hear the bottoms coming off, I call to him. "Leave the helmet on."

  He chuckles softly again behind the curtain, then they begin to withdraw in unison to reveal Aurei standing at the foot of the bed. I sit up to see his body silhouetted by the lights. I’m overwhelmed with emotions and in complete awe of him!

  He is massive, mounds of manliness! He is nothing less than sculpted perfection!