He perused her body, from her feet to her face, in a visual caress that sensitized her skin. “I wasn’t sure you’d come to me.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t hunt me down.”
He flashed her a grin that made her belly flip-flop. “You told me once we left my cell, you were my commander only. It wouldn’t have been appropriate.”
“And asking about my past is?” Or vowing to earn her love.
He shrugged. “I’ve been trying to learn about all the Huntsmen.”
Tegan stormed across the room and stopped on the other side of the coffee table. “And did you ask about their past lovers too?” She didn’t want anyone else to know of the betrayal she’d endured, not even the male who’d left a piece of himself inside her.
Ian dropped his feet to the ground. Her gaze zeroed in on the visible bulge in his pants. Her womb clenched in a wave of desire. The lust rushed over her so quickly, she swayed.
“I don’t care about anyone else’s love life. Only yours.”
She latched on to her anger instead of her cravings. If she didn’t, she’d release his erection and straddle him. She balled her hands and advanced on him. “You have no right to question my past. You have one too.” She leaned over him. “Or doesn’t your fiancée count?”
One moment, he glared at her. The next, she was flat on her back underneath his powerful body. He’d moved so fast, she hadn’t gotten the chance to react.
She shoved against his chest. “Off.”
A sinful grin spread over his face. “If you insist.”
He sat back, thighs locked over her hips, and tugged off his shirt. Her mouth watered. She had the sudden urge to lick the dips and contours of his abs. She’d been right the first time she’d seen him. He had the body of a god, or, more specifically, a demigod.
The sound of his zipper releasing snapped her back to reality. She grabbed his hand, but not in time to stop him from freeing his cock. Her knuckles brushed against his penis. “Dammit, Ian, that’s not what I meant.”
He captured her wrists and jerked them over her head. She gasped at the rough move. It didn’t hurt. The shock came from the realization that he had her at his mercy. Unless she was willing to embrace her Hunter’s form, he was the one who held the power between them. He bent over her, careful not to crush her. Inches from her face, he stared into her eyes and said nothing.
Primitive hungers rose the longer he held her gaze. She swallowed past the desire his nearness stirred. “I wanted you to get off me.”
“Wanted, huh?” A knowing sparkle shone in his eyes.
“I want you off. We need to talk.”
Ian leaned closer. His breath bathed her neck and sent tingles skipping across her skin. He inhaled deeply and groaned.
“I love how you smell.” He licked a path to her ear. “And how you taste, like sweet vanilla.”
She squirmed under his body. “That’s not what I want to talk about.”
He made a noncommittal sound and nipped at her tender flesh. Her eyelids fluttered.
“Cynthia never understood why I always had vanilla candles burning.” She froze at the mention of his ex-fiancée’s name, but he didn’t acknowledge the stiffness in her body. He kissed across her jaw, brushed his lips over hers and continued his torture by working his way to her other ear. “She also didn’t understand why I preferred her in skirts or bought her flowery perfume. Do you?”
Unsure what he was trying to get at, she shook her head.
“I thought you were a fantasy. I didn’t want Cynthia to mess with it. That’s why I started dating her. She was the complete opposite of you, in looks and demeanor. She was shy where you were bold. Innocent while you took me to the edge of heaven with only a few strokes of my dick.”
“We shouldn’t have been able to connect. Minerva was behind it.”
“So you told me.” Ian released her wrists and skimmed his fingers down her arms and over her sides to settle on her waist. “I don’t know if I should thank her or be angry.” He slid his hands under her top and traced the waistband of her jeans. His gaze glued to her face, he popped the button. “You ruined me.”
“How?” Tegan glared at him. “You seemed to have no problem teasing me to the point of ecstasy and then welcoming Cynthia into your bed.”
He yanked her jeans to her knees and lodged two fingers into her core before she could stop him. Her eyelids fluttered. He stroked her, caressing her sensitive muscles and taking her up so fast, dots spread over her vision. She readied for the orgasm he built, but he didn’t give it to her. He pulled his fingers out and laid them over her wet lower lips.
“Three years. That’s how goddamn long I’ve gone without sex.”
Ian wrapped a hand around her throat. She automatically grabbed his wrist, ready to unleash her claws, but he didn’t squeeze. He rubbed his thumb in gentle swipes over her pounding pulse.
“You left me fucking hard, horny, and half out of my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Hoping you were real. Every damn time I saw a woman who looked like you, I was on her in a second. I tried to pretend they were you. It worked until I actually got them naked.” He released her throat and buried his face in the crook of her neck. “Then my dick shriveled.”
He hadn’t fucked Cynthia. Or anyone. The emotions she’d meant to leash until they’d discussed everything bubbled over. She hooked her arms around his back. “I couldn’t talk to you. I tried.”
He pressed his lips to her skin, not a kiss exactly, but the reverence in the simple touch made her heart beat faster. “So did I at first. Then all I wanted was to kiss and touch you before you disappeared on me.”
“We weren’t allowed to orgasm, because then I would’ve realized you were a demigod. That’s why our connection cut every time. It wasn’t because I wanted to leave. I wanted to make love to you.” She clung to him. “I still do.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear. I need you so damn bad. Want to get lost in you.” He spoke the words against her mouth, and then he kissed her, not giving her the chance to respond. No gentle leading, no reverent tangling of their tongues. He ate at her mouth with a hunger she’d never experienced in his arms. She returned it. There was no stopping it. After what he’d just admitted, she wanted his passion.
He finally tore his mouth from hers and kissed his way to her ear. “I want to fuck you, Tegan. Right here. Right now. If you don’t want that, tell me because soon I won’t be able to stop. I’ve waited too damn long to be with you.”
His words shocked her. They shouldn’t have. Three years of teasing had left her on the edge too, but she hadn’t expected him to pounce on her the second they were alone. And why not? He’d just admitted to not having sex during the entire time they’d visited each other.
He stroked her cleft, and her thoughts scattered. “Answer me, or I’m taking your silence as a yes.”
“You’re a demigod. That means you can mate me during sex.”
“Good.” She felt his smile against her skin. “Then I won’t ever lose you.”
“It doesn’t work that way.” She pushed against his chest. He eased back and met her eyes. “You can’t force me to complete it.”
A hurt expression spread over his face. “I want to fuck you more than my next breath, but I’d never force you to do anything you don’t want. I’d rather die first.”
Tegan cupped his cheek, and he leaned into her touch. “I know.” And she did. The truth was written on his face.
“Then don’t stop me again cause I’m going to shatter you. Make you come so damn hard your heart will stop.”
She held his gaze, letting the moment wrap around her and searing his image into her mind. All the reasons not to make love to Ian flashed across her mind. The look of pure hunger in his eyes pushed them back. She couldn’t deny him. Something elemental inside her wouldn’t allow it.
“Don’t mate me.” It was all she could say to protect herself.
Quicker breaths fell from his mouth. He w
orked his pants down and tossed them away. His cock slipped between her thighs. “Is that a yes?”
She nodded. Gods help her. She’d never wanted anything more in her life. “Yes, it’s a yes.”
He tilted his hips, and the head of his cock pushed into her opening on a slow thrust. Her eyes rolled back in her head at the pressure of his thick erection stretching her lower lips. She clutched at his back. He froze, the head of his cock barely inside her body, and dropped his head to her shoulder. “God, angel. You’re tight.”
She chuckled. “If you thought three years was bad, try a millennium.”
“Oh, Tegan.” He kissed her, running his hands over her sides and squeezing her hips. All the while, he rocked into her. Each short thrust loosened her muscles until he slid all the way in. He dropped his head back on a throaty groan.
Tegan panted through the fullness of having Ian’s cock lodged deep. “You have to willingly push your essence into my body.” She dragged in air. “Don’t do it. You don’t know everything it entails.”
He focused on her. His eyes took on a faint glow. “Yet you trust me to fuck you.”
She thought about her past, the pain Bjorn’s lies had caused. She’d trusted him. He’d betrayed her by keeping secrets.
“To negate the curse, you must heal yourself. Make your sacrifice. Save the world.”
Could this be her sacrifice, trusting that Ian wouldn’t mate her? Too simple, her mind countered, but what did she know? Her excitement over solving the Triad’s riddle blended with her intense desire and longing for Ian. She squeezed her inner muscles and relished his muttered curse.
“Yes.”
“Exactly what I needed to hear.” He dragged out his length and thrust into her. She gasped. He swallowed the sound and pumped into her. Each stroke harder and quicker than the last. She clung to him, unable to do more. He’d never even undressed her completely. The rashness of their sex hit her. Here they were fucking on the couch, him naked and her with only her pants tugged down enough to join their bodies, while her siblings were across the hall.
It was wicked. Naughty. Anyone could walk in on them. The thought kicked her lust higher. She dug her fingers into his scalp and kissed him harder. He moaned and met her stroke for stroke. Their teeth banged and groins smacked. The scent of sex mixed with the rich smell of cinnamon. She licked the recesses of his mouth to savor his taste.
He shortened his thrusts, rubbing the upper part of her core. Her muscles tightened with each of his plunging drives. Heaviness settled deep in her womb. The pleasure he built threatened to undo her. Still he fucked her, not giving her the chance to peak.
He tore his mouth from hers and pressed his lips to her ear. “Tegan.”
As if her name was the trigger she needed, her orgasm hit. Its clenching waves pulled him deep. He stilled with the head of his cock touching the mouth of her womb.
“Not yet. Not yet.”
She heard his muttered curse, wouldn’t have cared if he filled her, but couldn’t get the words out. The rhythmic squeezing of her muscles spread from her core out to encompass her entire body. Her fingers and toes tingled. Sparks of energy skipped down her spine. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak, couldn’t share with him the utter ecstasy she floated in.
He dragged his rigid length through her gripping core. She shuddered and dug her nails into his back, stopping him from pulling free. A growl met her efforts. He nipped at her jaw and rolled his hips. The stroke rubbed her clit and sent another clenching wave through her core.
Ian plunged deep, swallowed her cry, and came with quick, short thrusts that spilled his seed into her womb.
Their release eased. He dropped his head to her shoulder and breathed hard. Her racing heart matched his, beat for beat. The tiny piece of his essence he’d left inside her connected them, tempting them both with the glorious bond they would share if they finished the union. They’d be one, body and soul, and would be able to touch the other’s mind whenever they needed, for help or merely comfort.
“I love you, Tegan.” He peered into her face. She saw the emotion reflected in his eyes. “You hear me? I love you, have since the moment I laid eyes on you, and I won’t let you go.”
“Ian, I—”
The library door banged open, stopping her words, not that she knew what they would have been anyway.
“Well, fuck.”
She tensed. The voice wasn’t one she knew.
Ian stretched a hand down to cover her exposed hip. “Out, Trevor.”
The door clicked closed without another word.
Hazel eyes focused on her. Ian flashed her a smile. “We were caught.”
She matched his grin. “At least he waited until we finished.”
All the amusement fled from his expression. “Oh, we’re not done. We won’t ever be done. I think I’m hooked on you.”
She shook her head to clear it of the images his words sparked. Trevor’s interruption had reminded her they weren’t in a position to indulge in sex. Honestly, they probably shouldn’t have in the first place, but she’d gotten caught up in the moment. That and she’d wanted Ian for too long. “Not here and not now. I came to you for a reason, to talk.”
“About?”
“Minerva. You. Us.”
“Okay, I have questions for you too.” He slipped from her body and stood.
The loss of their physical connection left her feeling empty. She reached for him. The sight of the jagged black line stretching from between her middle and ring finger to her wrist caught her eye. Her air rushed out. So much for an easy answer to the mysterious riddle she had to solve.
He glanced over her shoulder. “You okay?”
She curled her fingers and nodded. No use sharing her disappointment. She also didn’t want him to think she only made love to him because she’d hoped to solve the Triad’s challenge.
He grunted and surprised her by using his T-shirt to wipe the evidence of their passion away before dragging her pants up. “Best I can do at the moment. Next time, I’ll lick you clean, but Trevor is waiting. He’s probably got the stuff I asked him to find.”
Next time, he’d lick her clean? A fresh wash of arousal drenched her already damp panties. She blinked past the renewed desire and focused on the rest of his statement. “What stuff?”
He used the material to wipe himself, then pulled on his jeans. A white button-down shirt was draped over the back of a chair next to him. He slipped it on. “Police reports.”
“Reports on what?”
Ian took her hand, linking their fingers, and led her across the room, dropping his dirty shirt in the trash can by the desk. “Redcap and sluagh activity. I need to locate another fairy ring and fast.”
She stumbled and flicked her gaze to his. “Why?”
“Raul had a camera at the warehouse. He lured Allie into it, and I promised Cynthia’s spirit that I’d bring her home safe.” He shrugged. “So I have to figure out how to get Allie out of the fairy realm.”
Chapter Ten
Ian released Tegan’s hand and followed Trevor’s voice to the kitchen. He took slow, steady breaths and tried to tamp down his lust. It did little good. His dick was as hard as a rock. After the explosive release he’d just had, he should be sated. He wasn’t. Not by a long shot.
He wanted to push Tegan against the wall and pound into her. Or maybe bend her over the couch and take her from behind. On her knees would work too. Hell, she could tie him to the bed and ride him, for all he cared, but he needed to come inside her.
He hungered.
He wasn’t sure for what, but he knew with certainty that sex with Tegan would give it to him.
She’d awakened the beast he’d felt inside him, the one that only ever stirred when he thought of her.
Except, he was the beast. He was also the son of a god. Well, a goddess, Minerva.
What the fuck was he supposed to do with that knowledge? Because he couldn’t understand how it could be true. Tegan had to be wrong.
Some god probably knocked up his mom like Arawn did when he created the Huntsmen.
At the end of the hall, Tegan stepped in front of him and shoved against his chest, scattering his thoughts. He stopped, not because of her push, but for fear of knocking her over. He glanced at her. Fire lit her eyes, but her mussed hair and flushed skin stirred the part of him that wanted to devour her.
“You promised Cynthia’s spirit what?”
He tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “That I’d bring Allie home.”
Tegan dug her nails into his biceps. “Why would you make a foolish promise like that?”
Fear. That was what put the angry glint in her eyes. He drew her against him. Screw her rule that she was only his commander. They’d just had sex in the living room. They were beyond the charade. She resisted him only a moment before settling into his embrace.
“I owe it to Cynthia. I used her in a desperate attempt to get over you. It wasn’t right, and if I hadn’t been with her, Raul never would’ve targeted her family. Seems only right I save her sister.”
Tegan leaned back to meet his gaze. “But you can’t go into the fairy realm, Ian. Only fairies can transverse its borders.”
Yeah, that was a problem he didn’t know how to solve. He massaged her hips and let the issue play through his head. No answer came to him. He shrugged. “I’ll find a way.”
“And if you don’t, you’ll have damned yourself. Words have power.”
“So I’ve been told.” He pressed a closemouthed kiss to her lips. Any more and he’d be ripping off her clothes. “I didn’t know at the time I made it. Besides, Allie is a sweetheart. I don’t want to see her lose her mind in that place or die.”
Worry tightened the skin by Tegan’s eyes. “And I don’t want to see you suffer. It’s…well, it’s bad karma, so to speak, if you break your word.”
He rubbed his thumb over her lips. “Guess you’ll have to help me then, huh?”
She stared at him a long moment, then dipped her head. “I’ll try, but I honestly don’t know what we can do, other than to send Harley.”
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