by Marie Harte
Holy fuck. He could feel his temperature rising, causing sweat to drench his silk shirt and make the material of his slacks cling to his legs. If she came here often… He couldn’t even finish the thought. His men had discovered Tabithia partied. She often partied for weeks at a time. He’d called her. Texted her aunt. Texted her. No response.
She knew he was coming for her and yet she hid? The music took on a sexual, driving beat and across the crowd he spotted her bright head. A rush of possessiveness flooded him. She looked amazing. Dressed in leather pants that hung low and hugged her hips and thighs with a strip of red curving over her ass and down the inside of her thighs, she looked sexy beyond belief. He’d seen her naked, but this was…this was dangerous sexy. Her back was bare except for the leather top wrapping around her upper ribs. He spotted her tattoo curling up around one curvy hip. Blue flashed when she turned her head, and he squinted at the swirl of colour decorating her neck. She looked ready for sex. Or battle. Either option had his temperature boiling.
A flare of fire heated his blood, warming his already overheated body. He was just about to go grab her and shake the living shit out of her for being here when his vision of her was obstructed. Blinking, he lowered his gaze to meet a woman’s. Short, comely, with purple eyes decorated with blue and black lines that ran into her temples and disappeared in her hair—this woman had to be Evie. She barely stood tall enough to reach his chest, yet she smiled up at him as if she knew a secret he didn’t.
“Evie.”
One delicate eyebrow rose, but otherwise her face remained expressionless. She reminded him of a porcelain doll he’d once seen in a Parisian shop—cold, fragile yet beautiful.
“Very good, Spartan. Most people never see past what’s in front of them.”
He didn’t respond. It wasn’t a question, but he knew she wanted something. Instinct said it had to do with Tabithia.
Through the crowds, he spotted her slim back again. Why was she here? What did she hope to gain here? A man?
Gods help him if she was looking for a man.
“She’s here to try to hide the girl. Should I let her? Hide this witch from a god, and in exchange have her sing for me? Do you think it a good trade, Spartan?”
“Tabithia wants to hide—”
Evie snapped her slim fingers. “Enough. Follow me, and we can both find out why she has come.”
Not waiting on an answer, hell, he didn’t know if he had an answer, he looked over at Tabithia and saw her talking to the woman Ares wanted. For the first time, he examined the woman causing him such hell. A few hands shorter than Tabithia, red hair reaching her chin, she didn’t look Ares’ type. Slender, with small breasts and a tiny frame, she looked nothing like the women the war god brought to his home. Her green eyes flashed, and she tipped her head to the side slightly, considering something Tabithia was saying. She and Tabithia shared blood. The woman was of her coven, then. The resemblance wasn’t too great but there all the same.
“Come, we must hurry. Your woman grows impatient.”
His woman. The tightness in his chest eased, but his fist tightened. When he got his hands on Tabithia, he would prove just how true that statement was.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Tab just knew that wasn’t what she wanted to say, but that was what came out.
Aeros had the nerve to grin and fold his hands over his stomach and cross his long legs out in front of him. He looked incredible—sexy. Dressed in a silk shirt that lay against his hard chest the way she wanted to, he gave her a hot-looking glower and she shivered. His slacks looked expensive and well-tailored and didn’t hide the disturbing bulge at his hips.
She swallowed and glared at his handsome face.
“He got here right after you, Tabithia. I thought, if we were going to negotiate, I might as well have all the players.”
Damn.
Aeros nodded to a gilded, velvet chair. “Sit down, Tabithia.”
Well, fuck. Aeros really, really needed to stop talking.
“Here.”
Unable to stop her legs from walking, she moved across the room and sank back in the chair next to Aeros, settled in, and mimicked his stance down to crossing her legs. Resting back in the chair, she rolled her head to gaze up at him, knowing her lazy posture would no doubt irritate him. If his darkening face was any proof, she’d hit him square.
“Great. So, how was the jungle?”
He sprang up like she’d hit a switch and nearly made her bite her tongue off. His chair hit the floor, and he took one step towards her. “You never answered my calls, or responded to my text, Tabithia.”
She shot upright. “That’s because you didn’t bother to call. Don’t lie to me, you never—”
“Touch her, and you’ll face my wrath, Spartan.” The quiet words spoken so calmly really had some power to them. Even Aeros heard it. He swung his head to look at Evie, and, after a moment, he nodded curtly and reached down to pick up his chair. He sat down with a none-too-subtle grumble under his breath.
Touch her? Tab glanced at Aeros’ dark expression, immediately recognising the anger there. Ah, shit.
“We’re here to discuss a new singer for my club. You’ve not come to my club often and never for more than drinks. Do you feel qualified to bargain with me, Tabithia?”
Well, when she put it that way, no. Next to her, she could almost feel Aeros settle back in his chair. For some reason, she sensed his anger had gone down a few notches. She refused to look at him, though, and concentrated on Evie. Her power was substantial, but Tabithia couldn’t tell if it was Evie’s power tingling through the room or that of the realm they had entered when they’d first passed through the doorway of the club. Either way, Evie packed a powerful punch. Powerful enough to hide Dare from a god?
“Look I got what you need, so… I guess I am qualified. What’s he doing here?”
Aeros slapped his big hand down on his thick thigh and growled. “Tabithia—”
“He’s here to guarantee I can have my singer.”
Aeros turned his head to face Evie, and, wow, did Tab feel sorry for Evie. The captain did not look pleased.
“The witch has to come with me.”
“Tabithia?” Evie asked.
“No, the other.” Aeros blew out a breath, then grinned at her. Gods, his smile was too much. She felt her toes curl in her boots. “I’ve been sent to bring her back to Ares, but I don’t know her name.”
Tabithia swallowed twice before she could manage to say, “Dare. It’s much longer, but I thought shortening it would be easier on us all.”
Evie laughed from behind her enormous desk. “I like it. And she can sing. Amazing that Ares would let her go. But he didn’t let her go, did he? And that, my dears, is why I needed you both here.”
Tabithia peeked over at Aeros’ firm profile and was reassured to see he appeared as confused as she was.
“I need assurances that Tabithia speaks for Dare. That Ares will not claim foul after I set my bargain.”
“Ares wants her back—”
Tabithia sat up. Aeros was acting like a lap dog for that dickwad, Ares. “Ares can go suck an egg. He can’t have her. And you shouldn’t ask for her. I thought you were not into kidnapping women and all that. Protect the weak, right? Hero stuff.” Aeros opened his mouth, but she held up her hand. She wasn’t done. “I am not handing her over, so don’t even ask.” Or order, Tabithia added silently.
Aeros’ dark brows shot down. “Tabithia, you know she needs to return.”
“No, actually, I don’t.” She huffed out a breath and got her heart rate under control before she continued. “She doesn’t need to do anything. If Ares wants to bargain, she might be game. But you’d best know, she has some conditions he is not going to like.” There, she could give him that much at least.
He grumbled a curse under his breath. Obviously, he didn’t think she was giving him anything.
“Look, I saved your talisman—chalice, whatever—fair and square. Th
e woman inside the talisman does not count as part of the deal. Never would have, never will. And for the record, you, Mr Honourable and Trustworthy, should know that.”
When Aeros shot to his feet and pointed a finger down at her, she realised she’d stood up before he had.
“Tabithia, you are splitting hairs here. You know that she—”
A crack like thunder stopped her before she could bite the finger he was waving in her face.
They both turned to see Evie glaring at them. “Enough. Let me get this straight. Tabithia, you were contracted to find and return a talisman?”
Tabithia nodded, but when she sensed Aeros shifting to speak, she said, “Yes.”
“No, she was contracted to bring back what she stole from Ares.” Aeros hitched a thumb in Tabithia’s direction. “She has the woman, and Ares wants her back.”
“Did she hand you the talisman, Spartan?”
Aeros didn’t say a word, but he grumbled under his breath again and finally nodded.
“So, she fulfilled her terms of the arrangement. And—” Evie paused and they all stilled.
Tabithia grinned and sat back in the comfy seat. Dare was singing. And oh, Lordy, was she singing.
Evie stood from behind her desk, facing one of the mini-television sets facing the club. Dare was up on stage, daintily sitting on the arm of a chair with two of the male performers at her feet.
Aeros folded his big arms over his chest. “This changes nothing. Tabithia, you don’t understand. I need—”
As if in a daze, Tabithia heard Evie say, “Doesn’t matter. I accept the deal. She’s safe here. For as long as she needs it, I’ll make sure she’s hidden.”
“Done!” Standing, Tabithia spat in her hand and grabbed Evie’s hand and shook it, grinning. “Now, I gotta scoot. Ladies’ room, you know.”
Evie waved her off, still mesmerised by the song. Aeros practically toppled his chair to stop her, but she made it out of the door and beat him down the hall by sneakily using a spell to untie his fancy shoes. She heard him cursing behind her and something hitting the door. Once she was inside, she let the excitement rushing through her come out in a small squeal.
Aeros. He’d come for her.
Now what to do with him?
Chapter Seventeen
“Be careful with her, Aeros. You trend too quickly with this one and you will lose her.”
Aeros turned back from the door to see Evie watching him instead of the witch singing on stage.
“Dare can’t stay here.”
“She can. And will. As long as she desires. I won’t bind her. Not like Ares did. But I won’t let him have her if she wishes to stay. Your god might need to learn patience.”
If it were only patience, Aeros would agree. But right now, his mind wasn’t on Ares, or even the little witch, Dare. He needed to see Tabithia and…
“I will tell him where she is. He will want to come here.”
Evie fiddled with a silver letter opener that looked like a small dirk. Probably was, too, Aeros thought when the blade caught the light.
“Ah, you see, he’s not on my list. If he’s not on my list? He can’t enter the premises.”
Aeros frowned. “I got in.”
She nodded. “Yes, and you were on the list.”
Shit. The woman was holding him up. He needed to get to Tabithia.
“Fine, put him on the list. I’ll wait to tell him as long as I can.” He turned to go and Evie stopped him again.
“Spartan, be very careful with Tabithia. She has powerful friends.”
He nodded and hit the hallway. He saw the room with a figure of a woman in a skirt on it and stood to the right of the door, shoulder to the wall. When Tabithia came out, he’d get his answers. Either she felt what he felt, or she didn’t. If she did, he’d finally have her like he’d dreamed. If she didn’t? He’d still have her. She was interested, he could tell when a woman wanted him, and Tabithia had gazed at him with longing. He’d control his need for more and dispose of her the way she did these men she partied with. No touching? He doubted that now, more than ever.
“Aeros!”
Just his name—that was all she said, but the hope in her eyes when she met his stopped his heart. His throat filled with dust. Something painful tightened his chest.
“Were you with those men? Tell me.”
Confusion clouded her brilliant eyes. “Men? What men?” Scrunching her nose up, she tilted her head.
“The men you party with. Those men. Are they your lovers?”
Sucking in a breath, she backed up a step and gave him a dirty look. “You jerk! What the hell? Like you care. You’ve been free for like, what? Weeks.” Deepening her voice, she mimicked him. “Oh, I’m coming for you, Tabithia.” She flung her hands up. “Please, like you hurried, huh?”
Stepping towards her, he caged her in. She sounded angry. His heart surged with happiness, flooding him with excitement. She was angry it had taken him so long to find her?
“Back up before I fry you like a toad, Aeros.”
“I’m sorry I took so long, Tabithia. You were not easy to find.” He’d learned one thing from Tabithia, she didn’t handle his kindness well. It put her off balance, and brought out the shy, sweet Tabithia he guessed she showed no one. An apology with Tabithia was like giving jewellery to another, he guessed—hoped.
Her mouth opened once, then again. “Did you try?” Her voice came out on a hopeful whisper, and his cock grew heavy and painfully hard.
“Yes. I’ve not slept for thinking of you. Wanting you.”
Her eyes lightened, then darkened, while her cheeks flushed to a beautiful rosy glow. “You didn’t? I mean, you did?”
“I do. I want you now, Tabithia.”
“You do?”
“Tell me you’ve not let another touch you.”
She blinked again. Clearly she’d not, but he wanted, needed to hear it.
“No one touches, I have a rule.”
“Except me.” He made it a demand. An order, but he was too far gone to care.
She nodded, swept her lips with her pink tongue, and stared up at him with hunger. Him.
“Except you.”
A rush of adrenaline hit him then. He had to kiss her, or he was going to go up in flames. Moving in closer, he placed his bets on her not fighting him. He prayed to the gods that he was right. Because this time? He might not make it past a kiss before he had to be inside her.
Gods. If he even made it that far.
“Kiss me, Tabithia.” His order skittered over her, sexually powered and full of need—for her.
She shivered from the look of pure lust darkening his eyes. Leaning forward, she wasn’t certain if the pendant he wore demanded her obedience or if her own needs had finally broken the cover she’d shoved over them, and guided her lips to his.
Didn’t matter. The first contact with his lips shocked her system with pure desire. Her heart went crazy, beating so hard it hit her ribcage. His mouth was warm and soft, and, with a deep groan of what sounded like need, he clutched her close and took over.
If she’d been hot for him before, now her desire burst into a solar flare. Heat surrounded her, sank into the marrow of her bones, and washed something clean, leaving her in the moment, this precious, incredible moment. Life as she knew it disappeared. Her body took over, urging her to touch and explore every inch of him she could reach. She ran her hands up his strong arms and circled his neck, pulling herself flush to his warmth and hardness.
In response, Aeros groaned again. The ragged sound was all the encouragement she needed to press even closer. He blazed hot, harder than steel, but muscled hardness, living breathing hardness. Her dreams had never prepared her for this.
She felt him caress his hand over her bare back, firm enough to hold her in place but gentle enough not to frighten her. When he reached her face, he cupped her jaw tenderly in his big, rough hand. Something close to tears rose up at the careful way he held her while his mouth took her b
reath.
Lifting his head, he brushed a kiss to her lips. “Touch me, Tabithia. Touch me.” Not waiting for a reply, he fisted her hair lightly and tilted her head to gain possession of her mouth again. The back of the wall pressed into her, holding her firmly while he devoured every resistance she’d thought up.
Of their own bidding, her hands went back down, sliding along firm flesh. Instead of pushing him away, she moulded her palms flat against his hot body, feeling every bulge in his muscled stomach under the silk of his dress shirt. The heat felt like nothing she’d ever experienced before—except with him.
His heart raced under her fingers when she glided them over his pectorals. Reaching his face, she lingered on his bristled jaw, shivering at the thought of him between her thighs. Unable to resist, she ran her fingers through his midnight hair. Silky soft, but short, his hair fascinated her. She used it to pull him closer, hitching her leg around his thigh to press herself tight.
“Gods, baby.” His hoarse voice gave her a thrill. She’d done this to him. He was aroused—very, very aroused. The thick hard length of him jerked against her pussy, and she felt a flutter deep inside her core.
He pulled her up until he had her up against the wall with his hips cradled in between her legs, his cock perfectly lodged against her mound. A full-body shiver forced a small moan from her lips. She couldn’t have stopped the sound if she’d tried. The excitement and sheer pleasure of Aeros had hit her harder than anything she’d ever encountered in the world.
His strength thrilled her. The feel of his hard erection against her clit was so incredible she dug her nails into his scalp, wanting more. All thought of driving him away disappeared, all thought of not wanting this—him—evaporated. All she knew was that she was about to explode like she had in the pools.
“Tabithia…”