by Marie Harte
“I’m fine.”
She scrunched her nose up adorably and snorted, sitting back in her chair and crossing her long legs with a graze of cotton on cotton that had his dick growing heavy under his jeans. He moved back and rested his foot on his opposite knee, trying to hide the evidence of what she did to him. He’d moved closer to her, could reach out and touch her easily now, and the control it took not to stunned him into silence.
“Well, you certainly don’t look fine. Maybe I should have gotten you something cold.”
“No, no, that’s fine. This looks good.”
“Mmmm, well. Tell me, how long have you been…sweating? Like this?”
Worried now that he did smell, he shifted back and froze when she reached out a cool hand to grip his wrist.
Tabithia giggled. A real, honest-to-god giggle. She pulled her hand back and covered her mouth, clearly amused.
“You don’t smell, Aeros.”
She’d said his name. Tabithia rarely said his name. He wanted to savour it. Instead he realised what she’d said. Gods, he did smell, didn’t he? Heart in his throat, he scooted his chair back, nearly toppling a huge plotted plant sitting too close to the goddamn table. Shit.
Tabithia reached out again, barely big enough to hold onto his biceps. She gently tugged him back into place when he stood to straighten the plant. Who had plants this size in a shop anyway?
“Geesh, loosen up. You don’t stink. Do immortals ever smell bad? Give me a break. Now, answer the question, mister.”
He grinned. She hated orders but dished them out like a little general. Gods, he’d missed her. Leaning forward, he took her hand in his. She didn’t pull back but looked startled. Green eyes the colour of his Aegean Sea at dusk met his.
“I missed you, Tabithia.”
Warmth filled her eyes, giving him hope. She blinked rapidly a few times and looked down for several long seconds.
Clearing her throat, she murmured, “You’re avoiding my question.”
“A few months. It comes and goes.” He was always hot, but she looked so worried. He shrugged. “I’m from a hot climate.”
She slid her hand out of his, but only to lift her coffee and to take a quick drink.
“Try yours.”
He did as ordered. Sweet and strong, the coffee was wonderful. She’d ordered it just dark enough, with a hint of cinnamon and cream. He’d always had a cup of hot black coffee before he’d grown so tired, but this was something altogether different. Sweet, hot and strong. Just like her.
“You like it.”
She sounded pleased. He nodded setting the drink down. Somehow, he felt a bit cooler.
She brushed a hand through her hair. He noticed she had no scars on her arm. How was that possible?
“You’re not wearing black.”
Sighing, like he’d just said something dense, she set her drink down and put her hands in her lap. To keep him from them?
“No, I decided not to wear black today.” She tilted her head, green eyes on his face again. “Why? Do you like black better?”
“No, it’s not that, Tabithia. I’m sorry, it’s just… Did I…hurt you at Evie’s?”
“No!” she exclaimed quickly, leaning forward so they were almost touching. Just as quickly, she sat back and looked away, her small face pensive. “It’s not that.”
“What was it then, Tabithia?”
She was quiet for so long, he wondered if she’d say anything. Finally, when he felt near to burst for waiting, she faced him.
“I wasn’t hurt by you, Aeros. I’ve not had, um, well, much to do with men, not really.” She sounded exasperated, embarrassed and impatient all in one quick breath.
“And, well, I don’t do such things in public,”she said.
Such things. She opened her mouth, but he halted her flood of words with his.
“Tabithia, there is nothing wrong with feeling pleasure. Nothing shameful. I want to make you cry out my name in pleasure so everyone can hear you’re mine.”
Her pale cheeks grew rosy but, eyes round, she met his gaze steadily. His cock hardened painfully enough to make him wince. He coughed to cover it and took her hand again.
“Don’t be shy with me. You enjoyed—”
“Aeros, that’s not the point. I kinda think I’ll pass on public displays if you don’t mind.”
He grinned. She sounded so proper.
“It’s not wrong. It’s very right. Do you think other immortals don’t mark what is theirs and theirs alone?”
She frowned and tried to pull her hand away. “I’m not yours,” she murmured.
“Yes, you are.”
She sucked in a breath. He wasn’t sure what she saw in his face, but she paused, her pink lips half open on a word she didn’t say.
“You’re mine, Tabithia.” The more he said it, the more he wanted to pick her up and carry her off. She was his. “Aren’t you?”
Squeezing her eyes shut, she tipped her head down and her hair fell to mask part of her expression. He gently brushed her hair back and thought she might blast him from the room, she looked so miserable. Had he misread her? Pushed too far? The memory of her pale skin, split open with her knife, caught and held him frozen. Stomach sinking, he gripped the table edge with his free hand. He’d pushed too far.
He tried to think of something to say to ease the situation, but before he could, she lifted her head. Her expression glowed with such intensity he swallowed hard past the rocks blocking his throat.
“Yes.”
If she’d sucker-punched him, he’d not have been more surprised. The quietly spoken word sounded loud to his ears. They vibrated through him and he felt certain he’d hear her whisper for the rest of his life.
She wanted him. But…watching her, he saw doubt and fear swirling with the hope and excitement. Fear. Why fear? Not of him. Instinctively, he knew she didn’t fear him. Did she doubt him? Did she worry he’d use her and discard her, like so many human males did with their females? He couldn’t conceive of it.
“Good. Because I plan on keeping you close, Tabithia. No one is ever going to harm you again.”
Instead of being angry with him and snapping his head off for suggesting she needed his aid, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Aeros?”
Again his name. Did she know he would give her the world to hear her say his name like that for the rest of their lives?
“Yes?”
“Can you stop telling me what to do? Can you? Seriously. I need to know.”
It was his turn to blink. Thinking over what he’d said, he couldn’t pinpoint how he’d told her what to do. Across from him, she tensed as if to leave. He felt it in her hand and sensed, if he let her go, he’d never find her again. He held on tighter.
“Absolutely, I can promise you I will not tell you what to do.”
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “No orders. No orders, Aeros.”
He nodded and sipped his coffee. Would she let him order her in bed? Eventually? A thought occurred to him, and he froze with the cup halfway down. Had that monster ordered her to do things to him? Sexual things?
“Aeros?”
He took one more quick drink of coffee and set down his cup. She might never let him touch her the way he wanted. Perhaps he should slow down.
“Can we go to your place?” she asked. “And continue what we started in the caves?”
Fuck. Him.
He lost the power to think. He simply nodded, struggling to rise without knocking the table over. His cock felt strangled. He thanked the gods that he’d worn a long, leather jacket. She stood and her full, rounded bosoms brushed his chest.
He was in trouble. Big, big trouble.
Praying for patience, he followed her out of the too-small coffee shop. His heart hammered, and he had to drag his eyes off her lush ass in her soft blue jeans to meet her teasing smile.
He’d fought in more battles than he could recall and he’d never felt the pure terror that sh
ot through him at the thought of making love to this woman. He let her take his hand and battled his surge of possessiveness. Slow. He needed to go slow.
How the hell could he do that when every instinct shouted to rush in and stake his claim? Here, now, so that everyone, Tabithia, the world, knew she was his.
His body pounded at him, surging harder than he’d ever been in his existence. He battled it back, fought silently to win over the needs crushing him. If not? The very question scared the hell out of him because he knew of only one way this day could end.
With him inside Tabithia in every way they could imagine. For as long as he could manage. Or imagine. And at this point? His imagination had no end.
Ares give him strength.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Tabithia had no idea what she was doing, but it felt like a combination of playing with fire and losing her freaking mind. She had time for crying out loud. Why was she rushing this? Why was she letting the big, sexy-as-hell Spartan take her home, oh Lordy, to have sex?
Because Ares might be lying.
Because Aeros looked sicker than before?
Because he’d promised so earnestly not to order her around.
Like he could help it.
She glanced up at his proud profile, and her stomach did that odd flip-flop again. His jet black hair had grown long enough in the back to get a little curl to the ends. Her hands itched to run through the dark locks, just to see if they felt as heavenly as they looked. He was simply too sexy. She’d seen the couple staring at him from their table. The young girl behind the coffee counter had practically drooled in their coffees. Aeros in his leather jacket and faded jeans, with his tight faded T-shirt, looked much more delicious than any coffee the girl could have created anyway. Did the man realise he was the centre of every female’s attention within breathing range?
No. His dark, intense gaze had been fixed on her. On her butt, if she had to guess from the way he slowly let his eyes travel up her body to meet her eyes. She hadn’t missed the way he’d stopped along the way up, or how his strong, square jaw bulged when he clenched his teeth. The man was a powder keg. Was she the flame? Goddess help her if so, because, when she was in his arms, every thought in her head seemed to evaporate. Someone needed to be in control.
Right?
One peek up at him and she doubted Aeros had ever been out of control. He knew what he wanted. Surprisingly, she accepted that what he wanted was her. Amazing. The captain of the Spartans had one goal. Unbelievable as it sounded. His jaw bulged again, drawing her attention to the stubble she knew felt like heaven against her flesh.
Bridget had warned he’d jump-start her. Did the tricky warrior goddess know she’d want to jump him?
Depressing. Really. How could she jump him? What would she do with him after? He might not like pushy women. He might not like her once—
Shit! Focus. Here, now, witch!
“Watch your step. Walk over here.”
He matched words to action by hauling her over and around a broken piece of concrete and back to their side of the sidewalk without breaking his long stride.
Ha. Not give her orders? The man breathed orders and didn’t recognise it. Even just walking down the street, he couldn’t help but issue them. Just like the warrior he was. But it broke her heart a little when he’d been so earnest in the coffee shop, like he would promise her anything. Maybe because when he’d said he’d protect her for the rest of their lives, he’d meant it. Looking back on the jungle she could see now that he’d meant to protect her all those times he’d tried to step in front of her, or ordered her about. He’d saved her life in the caves. That creature could very well have ended her life as she knew it. She had a feeling Aeros really meant what he said.
‘No one is ever going to harm you again.’ What would he do when he realised no one ever did—except her? Obviously, her welfare meant more to him than to her. And wasn’t that hilarious? Yeah, she’d laugh if it wasn’t so sad.
Was Artemis telling the truth? Was she his? Could she deny such a thing? Bonded. She’d never considered herself for that kind of thing. The thought sank down to her stomach and fluttered around like a crazy butterfly.
“We can use this portal. You”—he paused and scrubbed a hand through his black hair, looking oddly determined and hesitant at the same time—“shouldn’t use your energy on shifting, Tabithia. This will take us to—”
“Aeros, I know my own limits.”
Colour heated her cheeks, but she refused to discuss the other night when she’d shifted and nearly ended up on her ass from power drain. He didn’t know that, and she wasn’t spilling the secret. She’d been messed up—an emotional wreck. Now she was terrified, but determination flooded her senses too. She could do this.
He gave her a lopsided grin and nodded. “Yeah, but for me, let’s use this method.”
“I usually do. Are we, er, going to LA?” She wondered, suddenly, if that was his home, or if he had another.
“Yes, for now, LA. It’s empty, the team is away.”
“Hunting for a way to get Ares into the club?”
He grinned again and took her hand. “Yes.”
She had to look away from him for a moment to get her crazy heart back on track. The portal was really nothing more than a sewer cap in the seediest part of south Boston. Why did magic end up in alleys littered with beer bottles and trash?
She was going to step on that little circle with Aeros. She’d never travelled with anyone before. But she didn’t know the address for the portal near his home, and he did.
Aeros tightened his hand around hers and pulled her until they were breast to chest. “Ready?”
A surge of heat tunnelled through her body from very disturbing places. “Yep, let’s go.”
She stepped on the circle, and Aeros pulled her into his arms, tucking her head against his body and brushing a kiss to her hair. Something burned her eyes, but she blinked the emotion away. She heard him murmur something under his breath, and the alley darkened, slowly fading to be replaced by pure black and the cold of travel.
For the first time in her life, she felt something in the darkness.
Aeros.
His warmth connected her to him in ways she wasn’t prepared for. Surges of heat and tenderness blasted against her senses. Aeros, his spirit bright and golden, pulsed against her and took her breath away. They floated, lost to time and place, but anchored to each other.
She dug her face into his neck and breathed him in. He surrounded her. His essence, his scent, his body, his heat, his core revealed itself with such detail she couldn’t have blocked the connection if she had tried. The firmness of solid ground returned with a shock to her senses. She felt changed. Marked in ways she realised might stay with her forever.
Aeros. Honourable. Strong. Pure warrior.
Inside her chest, she felt a warmth building, expanding until she felt like she glowed from the inside out.
She stumbled back and broke their embrace. Aeros’ expression told her the experience wasn’t one-sided. He looked stunned. His eyes burnt, darker than ever, and held hers. She saw wonder fill his expression. Then, with a growl, he yanked her by the arms against him and took her mouth with such a powerful, fierce kiss she felt her knees go weak.
“So fucking beautiful, Tabithia. Do you realise how beautiful you are? Your soul is brighter than the sun.”
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. He’d seen her soul, her every secret, horrible part of herself and, instead of being disgusted, he looked at her as if he couldn’t believe she let him touch her.
Warm lips covered hers, and he wrapped her up in his arms, pressing her to his bigger body, providing more evidence that he wanted her. The bar of steel against her stomach took her breath away and made her feel weak, but so safe in his arms that she gripped him by his silky hair and deepened the kiss.
She felt his touch all the way to her toes. And back again. She didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to kno
w she was in over her head. She’d known since the first glimpse of him, eyes bright and fixed on her like he’d spotted his prey, that she was in big, big trouble. Huge trouble. Because no matter how hard she tried to remind herself that they could never be, this, that they could never last, her body and, damn it, her heart didn’t listen.
She’d never had this. Never felt so cherished in her life. The overwhelming feel of him, so hot and hard, pressing against her, enveloping her in his strength was addictive. He watched her as if she were something precious, something special. Aeros. The captain of the Spartans, a man hardened by battle, and years of walking this Earth, found her attractive. More than that, he tripped over himself. Let her yell at him. Called her beautiful names.
The truth was Aeros wanted her.
He’d seen her naked. She still remembered the heat of his gaze at the waterfall. She could close her eyes and recall every caress. Every word he’d spoken. He’d been captivated. His handsome face had darkened with desire—for her. Not the nymphs playing in the pool—her.
“We’ll go slow, baby, very, very slow. If you want me to stop, all you have to do is tell me.”
Tell him? How could she do that? Fear rose up, the feeling, like a cold splash of dirty street water from a passing car, settling over her. She didn’t have time to panic because he pressed closer, heating her and making her brain freeze as his erection brushed her thigh. His clear reaction to her was evidence enough to ease the fear. He wanted her.
“Shh, let me kiss you, Tabithia. You like that, no?”
She did. She loved that. She wanted it. He didn’t make her say it. She couldn’t have, even if both their lives depended on it. With a deep groan, he pulled her closer and nestled his face to hers, bending over her and pressing a kiss to the corner of her lips.
“So damn sweet. I can’t get enough, Tabithia.” Another kiss followed, this one on her bottom lip. “Beautiful. All of you, so damn beautiful.” One more brushed against her other cheek, his moist breath tickling her ear as he made it to her mouth again. “You deserve so much more than me, but by Ares, I won’t let you go.” With that startling declaration, he kissed her.