Her heart lurched into her throat.
He did it again. And in a moment of panic, she realized…now that his sexual need had been sated, he was feeling pain once more.
“Don’t even think about it, ligos Vesuvius.”
“But I’m hurting you.”
He smiled against her shoulder. “Yeah, you are.”
She pushed against him.
He chuckled, an immovable weight, and nipped at her throat. “You’re hurting me and, gods, I love it.”
She stilled her fight. “That’s…twisted.”
He pushed up on one hand so he could look down at her, but didn’t put any other space between them. “I never claimed not to be.”
He wasn’t lying. Every time he twitched, his face would tighten in pain for just a split second but he wasn’t climbing off her. He wasn’t trying to get away from her. And inside her body, he was still hard. Like steel. “Wh-what does it feel like?”
“Like I’m being shocked. Tiny little electrical zaps. But after…the sweetest pleasure.”
Confusion drew her brows together. “Sounds like you’re describing an orgasm.”
His hazel eyes filled with heat. “No, that was…skata, out of this world. I felt everything. Everything you felt. It was the most intense climax I’ve ever had.”
She searched his features, could see from the excitement lurking there that he was telling the truth. “Why? Why can you handle touching me now, when before…”
She looked down at the dusting of hair on his chest, hating the memory of how he’d collapsed in the mud when he’d reached for her. How just the tiniest touch from her since had caused him to jerk away.
“Because I was prepared for it this time. And because you love me.” She lifted her gaze to his. “That makes your touch bearable above all others. No,” he smiled, correcting himself, “not just bearable. It makes it intense. Incredible. Everything I never knew I needed.”
Hope sprang forth. Love enveloped her.
He jerked, then sank against her and sighed. “Holy gods, I felt that. Do it again.”
She wrapped her arms around him, closed her eyes, held him close, and let love carry them both across the distance that had separated them. Fire and water. Ancient philosophers theorized that the soul was made up of equal parts fire and water. She knew now that was true. He was the missing half of a soul she hadn’t known she’d been searching thousands of years for.
“Does this mean we’re okay?” she whispered, fighting back tears of joy. “That we can be together?”
He pushed up on his hand. Twitched. Grinned again. “For as long as you can put up with me.”
Relief stole through her. “Thank the gods.”
“No, ligos Vesuvius. Thank the Fates for you. I’ve spent my life wishing I wasn’t cursed. Now I wouldn’t trade it for anything, because without it, I wouldn’t have this.” He twitched. And sighed in pleasure all over again. His eyes softened. “Without it I would never have found you.”
“Oh, Titus…” She lifted to his kiss, returning it with everything she had. Every emotion in her heart and soul went out to him, and she felt his pleasured response against her skin, inside her body. But a thought made her pull back before she could get lost in his kiss all over again. “Wait.”
“What?”
She bit her lip. “No offense, but I really hate this room. I don’t mind the restraints and you tying me up now and then if you want—”
His eyes glinted. “You don’t?”
“No.” Her cheeks heated. “Not so long as I get to return the favor.”
“Baby.” He glanced at the leather cuff hanging from the corner of the bed, and inside her body, his erection twitched. “As you can tell, I am totally in for that.”
She smiled. Hesitated.
His eyes narrowed. “Skata, you’re already doing it.”
“Doing what?”
“Blocking my ability to read your thoughts. Damn, but you are quick.”
Oh…wow… “Does that bother you?”
“No, because no matter how hard you try you won’t ever be able to block me from your emotions.” He reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles. But his lips stilled against her skin. “What else?”
Oh, this was going to take getting used to. He’d obviously felt her nervousness. One touch and he was always going to know when she was upset or pissed or so desperate for him she couldn’t hold still. But she loved that. Loved him.
She drew in a breath. Let it out.
“Tell me, Tasa.”
“I…” She worked up the courage to look in his eyes. Knew it was useless not to. “I can’t stand to think of you here with anyone else. I know confident women aren’t supposed to be jealous but…I am. Blame the turbulent fire inside me if you want, but I don’t like even the thought of sharing space in your memories. It makes my blood…boil.”
“No one before you was ever memorable. And I want to be the only thing that makes your blood hot.” He slid his arms around her and rolled so that she was on top. “As for this place… You’re the only one I want to remember here. After tonight, it’s history.”
“Can I torch it?”
He laughed, lifted his head, and kissed her. “You can do anything you damn well please, just so long as you do it with me.”
She stretched out over him so they were touching, toes to lips. Kissed him, softly, gently, loving each and every jolt and twitch of his body against hers and the deep, pleasure-filled sighs that followed. “That’s a deal I can definitely live with for as long as you can put up with me.”
“Ah, ligos Vesuvius. That will be for always.”
ETERNAL GUARDIANS LEXICON
adelfos - Brother
agapi - Term of endearment; my love.
ándras; pl. ándres - Male Argolean
archdaemon - Head of the daemon order; has enhanced powers from Atalanta
Argolea - Realm established by Zeus for the blessed heroes and their descendants
Argonauts - Eternal guardian warriors who protect Argolea. In every generation, one from the original seven bloodlines (Heracles, Achilles, Jason, Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and Bellerophon) is chosen to continue the guardian tradition.
Chosen - One Argolean, one human; two individuals who, when united, completed the Argolean Prophecy and broke Atalanta’s contract with Hades, thereby ejecting her from the Underworld and ending her immortality.
Council of Elders - Twelve lords of Argolea who advise the king
daemons. Beasts who were once human, recruited from the Fields of Asphodel (purgatory) by Atalanta to join her army.
Dimiourgos - Creator
doulas - Slave
élencho - Mind-control technique Argonauts use on humans
Fates - Three goddesses who control the thread of life for all mortals from birth until death
Fields of Asphodel - Purgatory
fotia - Term of endearment. My fire.
gigia - Grandmother
gynaíka; pl. gynaíkes - Female Argolean
Horae - Three goddesses of balance controlling life and order
Isles of the Blessed - Heaven
ilithios - Idiot