by Marie Harte
She curled her legs around his rounded bum and kissed him. “Not a chance. When can we do that again?”
Laughing, he rolled over, still filling her up with his body, to let her lie on top of him.
“After you let me catch my breath.”
“Mmm, that sounds good.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
When her phone rang later that night, she nearly dropped it in the bath water Aeros had drawn for her. He’d also lifted her up like some princess and gently lowered her down until barely her head was above the lush, perfectly heated water.
Samantha rarely called her. When Aeros had found her phone and said it was a call from Sammie, she’d taken it. Now, she rubbed her head, trying to figure out why her best friend would think she had the king of the Lykae on speed dial.
“What? How am I supposed to have that?”
Tabithia tried to clear her head, but sitting in Aeros’ whirlpool tub while he knelt in only his jeans beside her trying to feed her strawberries while he kissed her neck was a bit of a distraction.
“Well, he’s not listed. But I thought you’d know.”
She still wasn’t following why she would have his number but she said, “Uh, sure, but, well, maybe he’s listed?”
Aeros stopped kissing her neck and rose up to frown down at her. His eyebrows drew down sexily, but she didn’t tell him that. Instead she cupped her hand over her cell and grinned.
“Sammie wants to know the number for Alrick,” she said. “Seems she’s found a guy from the wolf clan on her hunt.”
His face softened to that look she thought he saved for her. “Ah, Samantha, your friend who’s searching for her sister?”
She nodded.
“I have his number. Tell her to give me a moment.”
He did? The man knew everyone, could do anything, she thought, watching him stand and walk out to his room. He certainly knew how to make her shiver.
“Hold on, I’ll get it.” Or Aeros would. “What’s up with the guy? Where was he?”
“I can’t get into the deets right now.”
Sammie said something else, but Tabithia lost her when Aeros came back in. His jeans hung low on his waist, and she could see from the bulge he was hard. One look up his big muscled body and into his dark eyes, and she knew bath time was over. He squatted down, handing her his cell with a killer grin.
“Here you go, baby. Time for your bath to be over.”
Oh, yeah. She rattled off the number and hung up, more than ready for fun time to begin.
“Do you like it here?”
“Here?”
She stood up, loving the way Aeros immediately focused on her breasts. He reached up and cupped both warm hands under them, pressing them together to create a little valley he kissed. The bristle on his jaw made her tingle all over. A girl could get pretty sure of herself with him doing that—or melt.
“Damn, out of the bath before I end up in it.”
They shared one more heated look before he helped her out by picking her up. She couldn’t hold in the happy laugh and didn’t want to.
“You’re getting all wet.”
He grinned and would have said something, but they both heard a door opening and closing followed by footsteps down the hall. He’d brought her to the same house where she’d first met him. It was all glam, except his room. His room was practically as empty as her house. She’d almost believed he didn’t live here, and would ask, but hadn’t got around to it. Actually, she’d not got around to much since he’d made love to her so wonderfully.
Aeros set her down and rubbed a hand over his neck, looking uncomfortable.
“What?”
When he didn’t say anything, she reached back and picked up his shirt and pulled it on, suddenly feeling uneasy with her nudity. The cotton stuck to her, but she tugged it to her knees and waited. Something was up.
He grimaced and exhaled wearily. “I need to know how to get Ares in to see Dare, Tabithia.”
She glanced away and down at the table. Dare was staying at Evie’s, and she couldn’t tell Aeros how to ‘get’ to her. The only way to reach Dare was for Ares to do what Dare demanded.
“Aeros, man? I need to talk to you.”
Their gazes met for a brief heartbeat. Aeros clenched his jaw, the muscle rippling along his cheek once before he looked away.
“It’s all right. Go talk to him. I’ll be right here.”
He turned back to her, clearly not expecting her words. She thought maybe she had surprised him, but he nodded and left the room quickly.
She really didn’t want him to find out about her conversation with Ares. When, or if, he did, she was pretty sure he’d be angry. Not completely off his lid as he’d been with the pendant, which she still possessed, but still he’d not be pleased.
Voices carried through the wooden door, but she ignored them and explored the room instead. There wasn’t much to it. A bed. A dresser. A chest or two. A fireplace, two chairs that looked brand new. It seemed Aeros shared more with her than she’d thought. This place almost reminded her of home.
Home. She needed to go home soon. It was nearly morning. They’d been up all night. She felt a twinge between her thighs, but nothing too painful. After making love to her so beautifully, he’d done it again, but refused to do so a third time, shaking his head instead and kissing her all over. He’d worried she’d be too tender. She was a bit tender, but it was a good tenderness. She already knew she’d be addicted to the firm, solid feel of him. Even thinking about sex had her nipples hardening.
The door opened behind her, and she turned to see him standing there watching her. Her breath left on a small whoosh. She hoped he didn’t notice how easily he took her breath away. Still without a shirt and dressed in low-slung jeans with no shoes, he stunned her.
“Galen has heard from Ares.”
Oh. Yeah. Ares. She scanned his face, but she couldn’t make out what he was thinking. He could turn so stoic. The angles and planes of his features became hard and unreadable until she looked in his eyes. Now, he avoided her gaze while he messed with something on his dresser.
“Do you like this place, Tabithia?”
“It’s nice.”
“I’d like to take you to my home. This is merely a…place we stay. But I have a home. Would you like to see it?”
He had switched topics abruptly, but she gathered he was nervous. So was she. She couldn’t stay with him, as in stay with him. But she wanted…what?
The slow reality of that question threw her. What did she want?
“Tabithia? What is it?”
He’d turned back to face her, and she watched the worry cloud his eyes as he closed the distance between them.
“You’re cold. Should I light the fire? Are you hungry?”
“No, I’m fine. I need to go home, though. Maybe tomorrow we could go to your home. You could show me.” They could date, maybe. Couples dated. Dinner. Drinks. Sex.
From the glower he gave her, a date might not be what he wanted. “I want you to stay with me.”
Suddenly, she found it hard to breathe. “I can’t stay with you. I have a home.”
“I know this. I can come there, if you’d be more comfortable.”
“No.”
No way, José.
No coming to her home. He looked like he was working up to something so she modified her response a bit.
“I just have things to do. But I want to see you again.”
“Tabithia.” He paused and gave her a strange look. “What is it you think we are doing here? This? Between us?”
She swallowed. Really, she really didn’t want to answer that.
“Dare. I heard from her and she’s willing to negotiate with Ares.”
“Tabithia, I couldn’t give a fuck about Ares.”
He threw his hands up and got right in her personal space.
Taking her arm in his hand, he said, “I want you. With me. Us. Together. Not you in your home while I am here. Why? Why
would you want this?”
He made it sound ridiculous. Like she was being an idiot for even suggesting they not move in together after having sex once, okay, three times. Before she could even process her response, her phone rang. Samantha.
“Sammie. I have to get that.”
He gave her an angry nod and turned away to stalk to his bathroom. The shower turned on, and she picked up her phone, feeling hollow inside. She’d hurt him, she thought. Maybe disappointed him. She was screwed up. Seriously, for even thinking of dating him, she was insane. They’d had sex. She’d done it. But more? A relationship? Impossible.
“Yep, what’s up?”
“Hey to you too. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, why? I’m good. What’s up? Did you call the king and all?”
“Nope, not me. I gave the number over, though. Are you up for some fun tomorrow? I have a certain demon to train.”
Normally, she’d be all over that, but for some reason, the idea of spending a night at a club felt empty. The years she had spent doing just that felt wasted, useless, bleak. Now she knew there was so much more—much, much more. But she couldn’t have it. Because she was too screwed up to move in with someone, wasn’t she?
“Sure, that sounds great. Tomorrow night? Where?”
“One Eye’s, of course,” Samantha said.
“Sure thing. One Eye’s. Tomorrow.”
“You sure you’re okay?”
She felt Aeros coming up behind her and pushed the bleak emptiness down.
“I’m great. Just great. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“All righty then. Later, dudette.”
“Later, Silver.”
He smoothed his hands up her arms to her shoulders and pulled her back to a hard chest. “Tabithia, I’m sorry for being angry with you. We will go slow, eh? As slow as you need, but you’re not going to some club without me.”
The hardness of those last growled words was completely at odds with the warm, gentle caress of his hands on her flesh.
“Mmm, good. I was hoping you’d say that.”
Truth. She had been hoping he’d say that. She didn’t want to do this any longer. Not alone. Sorrow threatened to spill over, but she lashed it down with the darkness and emptiness. She had him now. For now that would be what she concentrated on. Here. Now.
“I am hungry, though, big guy. Dinner? Or do you plan to starve me after all that fun?”
His rough laugh vibrated between them. “I plan on feeding you, then making more fun.”
“Oh, nice. Very, very nice.”
Aeros was in deep.
He’d not wanted to let her out of his sight, so he’d convinced her to come to Paris with him for dinner.
Just watching her eat her salad was amazing. When she smiled over at him, he had to hold himself still each time when all he wanted was to tug her on his lap and murmur how beautiful she was. She glowed. She made his life glow. Such colour should be illegal, but she brightened everything.
The poor human waiter had nearly tripped over himself getting to their table, but he couldn’t blame the guy. He’d done the same.
She never noticed. He was learning a great deal about Tabithia. She loved life. She enjoyed the simplest of things. They’d passed a small child with an older gentleman, a grandfather, perhaps, on their walk. She’d hit him on the stomach and laughed, pointing at the child. The little girl had been clapping her hands at her grandfather when he made a coin come from behind her ear. Another block away, Tabithia stopped him to admire an artist painting the flowers blooming along the banks of the Seine.
He never noticed such things. He’d have never seen the child, or the artist. He looked out for death, not life. She looked at everything.
“What?”
He blinked. One perfect cinnamon eyebrow rose, and her pink lips lifted in a smile.
“What? Did I say something?”
“No, but you were simply staring at me, so I thought you might want to share.”
He loved that. How she teased him. He was in deep. Just the thought of her leaving had sent him into a panic. Her not being near him wasn’t what he wanted. Now Dominic’s behaviour with his Beauty made sense. Perfect. Complete sense.
“I want you to move in with me, Tabithia. But if you can’t, then I at least want you to let me stay with you.”
Almost before he had the words out, he wanted to take them back. A look of panic rushed over her happy expression before she hid her face by ducking her head. She’d kept her hair down and now used it to mask the turmoil he knew he’d caused. Patience. He needed patience.
“Think on it. Just think on it. Now, tell me what you meant when you said Ares wants to meet with Dare.”
“What I meant?”
She was playing with her food now, so he took her plate and moved it aside so he could hold her hand. She had the smallest hands. Slender, like she was, with delicate fingers. He smiled at the dark polish because she’d not worn a black shirt. In fact, she’d surprised him by wearing a soft sundress with small little blue and pink flowers sewn into the light fabric. He couldn’t keep his hands off her. He glanced down to her breasts, and held in a growl at the little pearl buttons running down the front. She wasn’t wearing a bra either. He knew it. Could see the soft difference in her curves and wanted to jump across the table like a beast and eat her up.
“Aeros, my eyes are up here.”
“Damn. Sorry, baby. You’re—”
“Beautiful, yes, I know. You said that at least twenty times since I put this on.”
“—not wearing a bra, are you?”
She grinned and winked at him. “No, but you like?”
“I like. I like very much.”
She seemed natural among so much beauty.
“Mmm, I thought you might.”
He more than liked, but she was avoiding his question. “Answer me, Tabithia.”
“Well, I had a little heart-to-heart with Ares.”
Immediately, his jaw clenched as tension shot through his system. He didn’t want her within a mile of Ares. If he’d touched her. Insulted her. Done anything to her.
“It seems Dare loves the jerk, so she’s willing to make some demands and punish him, and I got to tell him.”
Demands. Punish. Love. All those words simply didn’t fit. “Didn’t Ares hold her hostage for—”
“Love. Who knows what happens to people’s brains.” She sipped her wine and lifted a shoulder.
He knew. He knew very well what they’d do. They’d do damn near anything.
“And how did Ares take this?” And when had she gone to Ares? How?
“Well, he wasn’t too happy.”
“Not too happy. When did you…? How did you…?”
“He kinda snuck up on me. It was no big deal, though. He wasn’t too happy, but he is a smug…guy. So he thinks he’s all set. Dare might have the last word, though. I’m buying popcorn.”
“Popcorn?”
“To watch, duh. Like the fight? Movie? Popcorn?”
He nodded. “And he didn’t harm you? Touch you?”
She exhaled, set her wine down and leant forward, crooking her finger at him to come closer. He did, but he knew she was up to some mischief. Her eyes twinkled with it.
“A, no one harms me, keep that in mind. And B, I have this no-touching rule, but you know, instead of sitting here, we could take a walk and have sex in the pretty park right over there.”
“Fuck.” He had her up so fast she laughed. “You’re not serious. Are you?” He wanted her to be. He wanted to have her right here, in the damn restaurant’s outdoor seats.
She tangled her fingers in his hair and attached herself to him like a vine. “I am. Now. I want my dessert. Now.”
He barely breathed as he tore money from his wallet, throwing the bills down and nearly knocking the table back to get to her. Her smile hit him right between the eyes and shot down to his aching cock. All evening he’d wanted her. Each look, a caress. Each smile, a
fan on his flaming body. Something dark, dangerous lurked, though, making him slow down, eat his meal, and simply wait. Wait for what, he didn’t know, until her eyes softened and the flush of arousal pinked her cheeks.
They were halfway to the small wooded park before he even knew he’d dragged her along. She kept up, her dainty heels not slowing her as she laughed and ran beside him. Two seconds into the semi-secluded park, and she was tucking her hand down to his belt and tugging the strap open.
He cupped her lush, rounded curves through the fabric of her dress before he started working on the damn little buttons. His hands shook. His body ached. His breath felt like he’d just won a damn war and she was laughing softly, the sound enflaming him. Desire for her, for so much fucking more than her, this moment in time without end, pounded at him. He wanted this, the luxury of running off with her, impatient to be inside her, yet enjoying the rush of lust as they laughed through the need.
“Hurry, hurry.”
“Why did you wear this?”
“I thought you’d like it. Don’t you dare rip it.”
She had his cock out and in her hand, stroking him possessively before he’d even freed one breast. He gritted his jaw to keep in the moan. One of his teeth felt like it cracked. Had anything ever felt so good? Hell, no. Nothing felt as good as Tabithia’s hand on him. There were no experiences in his life to call on, to temper this woman and all she gave him. Magic. She was magic.
The panic at the thought of her leaving his side, even for a night, returned, infecting him. He jerked her closer and meshed their mouths. She gave a surprised sound but he swallowed it, demanding more from her, more than the fun, the teasing, more than the simple fuck. He fuckin’ needed her to see he was hers. All of his existence boiled down to her. And she had no fucking clue.
He hitched her up by her ass. She encircled his waist with her long slender legs, pressing the cradle of her hips tight to his pulsing erection. Damn. Damn.
“Oh, gods, Aeros. Now, now.”
Now? He wanted now, later, forever. She wanted what? To go home.
Anger tried to surface but he fought it viciously. He’d never harm her, never. She needed time. He needed her.
Her panties were in the way. The thought sent him into a downward slide to orgasm. He loved her fucking sexy undergarments. So feminine. Tabithia might have dressed in black most of the time, but he was betting she wore lingerie under every fucking thing she wore. He knew she did now. He’d seen a glimpse of what she’d taken off the rack at the women’s store earlier.