“Whatever. Fine. Ares.”
A laugh escaped her throat. “Wow. He’d be impressed.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Mack, you were standing across from the Greek god of war tonight on that stage.”
He shook his head as he snarled. “You are delusional. Ares is a myth. Greek mythology. Get it?”
Athena closed her eyes as she held her hand out, her heart expecting the worst when he learned the truth. A moment later a bottle of beer appeared between her fingers. “Guess I had a beer after all.”
He glanced at the beer then at her. “What the fuck? You are Anna Lynch, daughter of Senator Alastair Lynch, sister of that bastard Romeo Lynch.”
She sighed. “Not exactly. Do you remember Namtar calling my brother oh holy one? Do you remember him questioning his divine power? That’s because his name isn’t Romeo Lynch. He uses that name when he’s interacting with mortals. He’s Ares, the god of war.”
“Okay, if he’s not Romeo Lynch, who is Alastair Lynch?”
“Zeus.”
His glare narrowed on her. “And you are?”
“Well, I was disappointed that you didn’t say Athena. I mean, she’s your mate after all.”
“Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war.”
She gave him a brief curtsey. “At your service.”
His stare was unnerving. She couldn’t read whether he believed her or was about to storm out the door. It didn’t matter, she thought to herself. From what she understood, the mating mark meant one of them would end up on the other’s doorstep eventually. They were joined for eternity.
She never saw him move until she was pinned against the wall, his mouth prying hers apart to search for her tongue with his. She clung to his shoulders as his kiss wandered from her lips up her cheek to the curve of her ear then back.
He let her go to drop to one knee at her feet. He undid her jeans then hooked his fingers around the waistband to tug them down to her ankles. She leaned against the wall breathless as he examined her thigh, his fingers grazing her flesh.
“There’s nothing here,” he scoffed.
“It has to angle in the light. It’s translucent,” she answered.
Mack cupped her foot in his hand then moved so her body was in the light from the lamp. She gazed out the window to the street. She was half naked, and her neighbors could look inside the wide-open curtains. She couldn’t care less if they saw her right now.
He sucked in his breath, his eyes wide. “How? They’re supposed to be black.”
“I’m a goddess.”
He stared at the multi-colored shimmer on her flesh before he kissed it reverently. His mouth continued up her leg until it reached the vee of her thighs. He tugged her panties to the side before he feasted on her. She whimpered as she slumped against the wall, the dull ache in her fanning into an inferno. She buried her fingers in this thick hair as he sucked and licked at her clit. The scratch of his facial hair on her skin sent a delicious shiver up her spine. He wrapped a strong arm around her leg to keep her steady as his hand wandered up her body. It knocked away the lapel of her suit coat to caress her breast.
“Mack,” she pleaded, her voice just a breath. He looked up, his dark gaze meeting hers, but he didn’t stop. If anything, his attacks were more urgent. She knew of women orgasming from oral sex like this. She didn’t know it could feel this good.
She gasped as Mack’s fingers found her nipple beneath her shirt and pinched tenderly. The sensations he gave her left her mindless with need. She shook as she cried out his name over and over, the pleasure finally tearing through her as she came hard against his mouth. He held her up even though her knees buckled. Through her hazy vision she could see cars and pedestrians passing by. She wondered how many of them just witnessed her mind-blowing orgasm.
Mack stood slowly as he wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand. He pulled her into his arms with a triumphant grin. “Where’s your bedroom?”
Athena swallowed hard then had to do it once more to find her voice. “Upstairs.”
He nodded towards the window. “You should close up for the night so I can worship you properly.”
Her head bobbed in silent agreement. She bent over to pull up her jeans. A swat on her ass straightened her. She glared at Mack.
He pointed at her jeans. “Kick those off. You don’t need them anymore.”
Her eyes widened. “The window is open.”
“Your point is? Go. Don’t question me.”
Her instincts demanded that she slap him then throw him out. She just told him who she was. Was he getting off on ordering a goddess around?
But deep in her core, the essence of her still trembling from what he’d just done to her, she wanted to obey. No, craved to obey him. The thought of turning herself over to him was exciting.
She slipped her suit coat off and let it hit the floor next to her jeans. She heard the growl come from his throat. She kept her gaze locked with his as she crossed the living room in her underwear and T-shirt and closed the curtains. She made her way to the front door and locked it.
She turned to face him then leaned against the door with her palms folded behind her back.
“All locked up. Now what do you wish of me?” she teased.
Mack stalked across the room to her. Before she could react, he scooped her over his shoulder. She wasn’t sure if she should fight back or hang limp. Instead she hung on for dear life as she ascended the staircase. He paused at each doorway to peer into the room before continuing on to the next. He chuckled as he reached the last one and flipped on the light.
He tossed her onto the bed then knelt on it with one knee. He undid his jeans and tugged around his briefs until he freed his cock. He lowered himself until he hovered over her, bracing himself with his hands on either side of her head.
“A goddess, huh?” he questioned.
All she could do was nod. The heat of his body against hers set her on fire again.
He buried his lips against her neck, his teeth nipping at her jugular. She felt his fingers tug her panties aside again. The tip of his erection nudged her folds apart. He kissed her hard and quick then pulled away to stare in her eyes.
“You are mine. You belong to me. Understand?” he demanded.
Athena’s back arched off the bed as he slid inside her inch by inch. His hand slipped to her low back to press her tight to him. He stretched her slowly as he drove deeper. The friction of her panties against her clit as he thrusted harder drove every coherent thought from her mind. All she wanted, all she needed was his man inside her. He could command her at this moment to end the world and she would do it without a second thought.
“Yes,” she murmured as she thrashed against him. “Yes, I am yours.”
Mack slipped off her T-shirt with his free hand then pulled the cup of her bra down to free her breast. He wrapped his arm around her as he drew her nipple into his mouth and sucked on the pink nub. There was a flick or two against her skin before her bra was free. Mack wiggled it free then tossed it away, his mouth never leaving her flesh.
Athena wrapped her legs around his denim covered hips as she moaned. She was lying nearly naked beneath him in only her panties which were being turned to scraps with each brutal stroke he made. He was knotted on top of her fully clothed fucking her senseless. His mouth was hot as it traveled from one breast to the other. His hand at her back held her tight to him so she couldn’t escape. She couldn’t move to match him. She could only take what he gave her. She felt him swell thicker each time he slammed into her.
He straightened out over her, his weight pinning her to the bed. His lips devoured her as they roamed her throat, her mouth, her cheeks. He growled. “Mine. I marked you. You are mine.”
She whimpered. “Yes.”
He captured her wrists with his free hand and held them over her head. He stared down at her, the roll of his hips growing faster with each stroke. “Surrender to me. Say my name.”
<
br /> “Mack,” she pleaded.
He lowered his head to the curve of her shoulder and sunk his teeth into her skin. She cried out his name again as the rush pulled her under again, her body quaking as every nerve in her body blazed alive. She saw stars in her eyes as each tremor shook her harder than the last. She was barely aware of Mack’s deep, thick strokes or the sensation of warmth that filled her as he joined her.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he collapsed against her. His chest rose and fell as he gasped for air.
“Fuck,” he moaned into her shoulder.
Her brain was echoing the same sentiments. He was still thick and hard inside her, filling every aching crevice. She mindlessly arched her hips into him to drive him deeper. Her body moved on its own to seek out more pleasure from him. She couldn’t process a coherent thought other than the word “fuck”. Whether it was a command or an exclamation was lost on her.
He lifted himself above her to glare at her. “What the hell are you doing?”
She answered with a grunt as her hips rolled up to meet his. The slickness of their joined bodies sped up her tempo. Her breath came out in gasps as the electricity snapped in her body once again threatening to explode.
He braced himself on his elbows so that he could smooth her hair from her face. She could see his brow crease as his skin flushed. He trembled beneath her touch.
“Go, baby,” he encouraged. “Take it. Take what you need.”
She sobbed as she gripped his hips, her fingers digging into the denim to pull him closer. The feel of the rough fabric on her heated skin plus his deep, dark gaze piercing hers pushed her past the edge. She thrashed beneath him as the orgasm singed every nerve in her body while it consumed her.
Mack groaned and cursed in her ear as he pumped into her hard a few more times. This time she felt his cock throb as he released. The sensation made her crave more even though her muscles ached. She met the last of his thrusts as he emptied himself with new ones of her own. Her body was possessed with lust. She was no longer a goddess. She was a creature with the desire to mate.
He gripped her hips and held her down. His stare met hers. “Stop. You need to rest.”
“More,” she pleaded.
“Later, beautiful. Right now, sleep.”
She reached out to grasp him but instead he slipped through her fingers as he pulled free from her. Without him buried inside her she felt vacant. He bent over the bed to pull her underwear down her legs then tossed them on the floor.
She watched as he strode into the master bath, shutting the door behind him. She smiled to herself as she let out a little purr. She’d wait for him to come out. Once he did, she would do everything in her power to get him to fuck her again.
Her eyes drooped blurring the room. Sleep claimed her in its thick grasp before the door opened again.
Chapter Six
The bright morning sunlight shook Athena from her deep sleep. Normally she didn’t mind. She kept her walls and all her furnishings white so that they would reflect it. It reminded her of home, of all the mornings she woke up at peace in her temple on Olympus.
This morning she felt like she had been run over by a semi-truck which had then backed over her again. She hadn’t even been drinking. Every muscle in her ached and her body still burned with lust. At least she had control of her thoughts and actions for the moment. If Mack was around she wasn’t sure how long that would last.
Speaking of the werewolf, the pillow she was laying her head on wasn’t made of down like the ones on her bed were. It was made of warm flesh and muscle. And her hand was resting on a bed of tight, soft curls, the steady rhythm of a heartbeat drumming against her fingers. A tremor ricocheted from the junction of her thighs through her entire body.
Shit. He’s here in my bed.
“So, a goddess, huh?” his deep, rich voice questioned still full of sleep.
She sucked in a breath. “Yep.”
“It’s a little hard to believe.”
She lifted her head to look at him, a scowl on her face. “What’s so hard to believe? You’re a werewolf. It’s not like that’s easy to believe.”
“Yeah. But during a full moon I turn into a terrifying beast. Can’t refute that. But it’s not like you can sweep me off to heaven to prove…”
Athena snarled. That was enough. She glared at him as she concentrated. There were several pieces that had to fall into place.
Before he could finish his sentence, they were standing in Olympus. Mack’s eyes widened as he took in the lush green gardens, marble pillars, and the ancient artifacts. He glanced down at his body now clad in just blue jeans. He stared at her then continued to study everything around him.
Athena smoothed her chiton then tucked a blonde curl that had slipped from the gold band wrapped around her head. “You were saying?”
“Umm...yeah. I get it. Way to show and tell.”
She smirked at him. “Fantastic.”
He shook himself to his senses then strode across the thick grass to her. He gripped her hips and pulled her tight to him. Her breath shuddered as she felt his erection pressed tight against her belly. “Athena.”
“That’s my name, yes.”
His voice dropped low. It was sex incarnate. “Has anyone ever fucked you here?”
She trembled in his arms. “Until you, I was a virgin. So, no.”
“Hmm. Sounds like we need to fix that.” Mack’s mouth descended on hers, stealing her breath. He arched his hips against her. She felt the all familiar heat he brought her fill every pore of her. She didn’t know who might show up on Olympus to find them in a compromising position. The gods had a bad habit of hopping in and out randomly to get a taste of home.
At the moment she didn’t care. She could feel the all-consuming madness taking her over again.
Athena.
She bolted out of her haze, tearing her lips from Mack’s. Her eyes grew wide as she focused on the voice that filled her head.
Athena, where the fuck are you?
She pulled out of Mack’s grasp and took his hand. “We have to go.”
Mack frowned at her then growled. “What the fuck?”
“My brother is in my townhouse looking for me. He ghosts all over the fucking place. And trust me, Ares is not the one we want finding you balls deep inside me. Eternity is too long to keep getting crap from him about it.”
She gripped his hand and closed her eyes. Her chiton disappeared and was replaced by the softness of her sheets and the heat of Mack’s flesh.
She savored his touch for a moment before Ares’s voiced boomed from downstairs.
“Are you upstairs?” he demanded. “Where the hell are you?”
Athena scrambled from the bed, grabbing the comforter. She wrapped it around her and tucked the corner in to keep it in place. She glanced at Mack one last time before hurrying from the bedroom. The poor man looked baffled once again.
She slowly descended the staircase as she held the comforter tight to her. Ares hand was on the door knob of the front door when her foot hit the bottom step.
“I’m right here,” she greeted.
He spun at her with a growl. “Where the hell were you?” He scanned her from head to toe. “Am I interrupting something? Wait. I forget who I’m talking to.”
She scowled at him. “I thought I asked you to call first.”
Ares let go of the doorknob and stomped across the floor until he hovered over her. “I’m here to tell you to get to work. You’re constantly on my ass to do what I’m supposed to and to stop being a lazy ass. Who’s the lazy ass now?”
She blinked at him. “Hold up. You went and started the war?”
“Yes. You have an entire country up in arms blowing shit up and throwing punches. I was so fucking pissed off about losing my fight with that asshole that I went and stirred shit up like you requested.” His glare narrowed. “Or maybe it’s because my own sister turned her back on me. Never knew you could be a double-crossing bitc
h.”
Her free hand flew out and slapped him hard across the cheek before she could think. “Watch what you call me.”
Ares rubbed his skin where she struck. “What? Are you going to tattle on me to Daddy?”
She snarled at him to hide the fact that she flinched at his words. “Grow up, Ares. You have no idea what we’re facing.”
A smirk played across his lips. “What did you do?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I mentioned Dad and you acted like I slapped you instead of the other way around. You fucked up and you don’t want Zeus to know. So, what was it?” He scanned her again from head to toe. His eyes widened. “You had...you’re not a…Bradshaw is upstairs, isn’t he? He’s in your bed.”
Athena’s heart seized in panic. “Ares, please.”
“Dad is going to kill him. He isn’t going to have to wait for that freak. Then he’s going to kill you for giving it up.”
“Ares, you have to help me.”
He frowned. “Help you how?”
“Help me get Mack ready to face Namtar. This isn’t some mortal he’s facing. He’s facing a demon.”
Ares chuckled. “Fuck that. I’m out.” He strode to the door and threw it open.
“I helped you with Juliet, remember?” Athena shouted after him.
He turned and looked at her. “And I’m returning the favor by not telling Zeus that you gave up your precious virginity to the Swamp Thing.”
Ares slammed the door behind him, leaving her alone. She gathered the comforter past her feet and shuffled up the steps to her room.
Her mouth gaped open when she found Mack out of bed already dressed in his blue jeans.
“Where are you going?” she demanded.
He looked up at her as he tugged his shirt over his head. “Home. Thanks for letting me sleep here last night. And for our little side trip.”
Her voice pitched dangerously to a screech. “That’s all it was to you? A place to crash?”
Mack shook his head then plopped down on the bed to tug a boot on. “You’re overreacting.”
“I’m not overreacting. But we’re more than friends with benefits. We’re mated.”
Love and War Page 6