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 breath.

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…”

She swallowed the rest, taking his mouth with such need that he bucked between her thighs and crushed her hips in his strong hands. She loved it and wanted more. The thick bar shoved against her clit with such force that a moan burst past their kiss. The pleasure tingled, grew when he did it again. And again. She felt it then, the brink, so close, so close. He couldn’t stop now. He couldn’t. Fear settled over her, dimming the pleasure. Surely, he would stop before she reached completion. Surely, this was wrong. They were in a club—a hallway. Anyone could walk up.

Suddenly, he jerked her closer, releasing her mouth to breathe in her ear. “Gods, baby, I’m going to come right here and now for you.”

That was all it took. He expelled a warm, moist burst of air in her ear, the sound so ruggedly male she arched her back and ground into the thick column. He shuddered and jerked against her, practically tearing the wall down with the force of his aggressive rutting. The pleasure was so intense that she threw her head back and dug her nails in his shoulders, riding his erection with abandon. His groans increased her pleasure until she felt it. He stilled, groaned louder, his breath hectic in her ear.

“Tabithia, I’m coming, I’m coming, baby.”

She dug her hands in his hair and clutched her legs around him tighter as he bucked and trembled against her.

Bursts of pleasure exploded from her clit to her empty core and on to tickle every inch of her body. Her toes curled, and she bit her lip to keep from screaming. It was so good. He was so strong he held her without any effort. His strength made it hotter. His groan, pure ecstasy to her ears. Shaking in his arms, she tried to catch her breath as her heart raced on, the pure satisfaction and pleasure of their act ebbing and flowing though her.

“Gods, Tabithia, did I hurt you?” He sounded like he’d run a race, but he also sounded worried. Just like before, he seemed more concerned about how she’d react than anything else in the world. It was heady. His concern hit something inside her that hurt but at the same time felt good. He caressed her gently, as if she might break. She felt his lips press warm kisses all over her neck. The pain in her chest rose to her throat. Maybe she would break.

“Tabithia?”

She couldn’t speak at first. The club slowly resurfaced around her, the music, the people, the world. Suddenly, what they’d just done crashed down on her harder than the dirt back at the caves. Harder than the past that she kept bottled up. She pushed against him, suddenly frantic to get away from him, shoving him, half panicked at what she’d done. Allowed. Participated in. And for what? There could be no ‘them’—could be no Aeros and Tabithia. There could be nothing between them. All the things she hid from the world were a huge wall, thick and solid between them.

“What is it? I hurt you? Gods, I hurt you. Tabithia, I’m sorry, baby. Are you…?”

“Stop, just let me down. Let me down.”

He did—slowly. His chest rose and fell sharply with each breathless pant while heat poured off him in waves. She couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t meet his eyes. Not now.

“Tabithia, look at me.”

Damn it! Damn it. She glared up at him. Angry now. Why did he keep ordering her? ‘Kiss me. Touch me. Look at me.’

“I want to go. Move.” When he didn’t she tacked on, “Please.”

He frowned, clearly confused. His hand came up, no doubt to cup her face like he had before, but she dodged under his arm. There would be no more tenderness. No more Aeros touching her like she might break. No more Aeros watching her like she was something precious. Beautiful? Her? He had no idea what ugliness she hid beneath the surface.

She made it to the door and outside into the darkness of the night without looking back. She could feel the heat of his stare, but she also felt the heat of shame flaming her cheeks with a bitter, choking regret. She should never have let him touch her. Never have let him near her. Not in the jungle and not now. She knew better.

‘Dirty little whore.’

The whispered snarl caught her by surprise. She’d tried so hard, fought so hard to keep that voice out of her life that she stumbled in the street and almost fell. She gripped the brick wall near her head, and she cut off the sob that choked her throat. Images of a dank, dark room and a man standing over her, contempt and disgust written on his face and reflected in his words, had her stomach heaving.

She stumbled along the wall. The need to be home, to feel the safety of her house around her and the slice of the knife biting deep enough to drive the voice away throbbed through her. Her head hurt. She needed… Rubbing her face, she jerked to a halt. Her hand came away wet. Looking down at her fingers, she sucked in a breath. Touching her face with her fingertips, she trembled. Sure enough, tears wetted her cheeks. She was crying.

‘Filthy whore, did you think tears would sway me? Nothing will sway me from purging the dirty filth from you.’

The vision that came with the words hit hard. A face, distorted by madness and the frenzy of righteous fury, swept through her vision. Dark hair, dark eyes, dressed in white… The man kicked her, snapping a rib with the blow. Another kick and another and she curled into a ball, making herself as tiny as she could.

‘Nothing. You are nothing. You can’t even please a man. You never will. He’ll see the filth inside you. The dirty whore you are. Filthy and unclean. You can’t even bring me to pleasure, how could you? The sins of your filthiness are too foul for any man. No one will want you. No one could want you. Filthy, impure whore, you disgust me. Only with pain can you cleanse yourself. I have tried, tried to teach you, tried to aid you.’

Another blow, harder than the rest, and he stopped. She could feel the breaks, the blood rushing through her ears so loud she could barely hear him above her panting from the beating he’d given her.

Something broke. She couldn’t go to Sorcha. She couldn’t go to Trouble. Samantha was off on another hunt without her. There was no one, and for the first time since she’d been old enough to box the memories inside, deep, deep inside, they’d broken free.

The darkness settled in, surrounding her, dimming all else. Alone. She was alone again.

Dirty. Unwanted. Used.

Filthy whore.

Behind her, she heard a door open and footsteps. She didn’t waste time. She started walking faster and faster, breaking into a run when she heard her name called.

Aeros. Panic completed the toxic emotions brewing up inside her chest. The past, so long capped, had broken through the boundaries she’d created. What would Aeros see when he looked at her now? After she’d acted like a whore in a club?

With a cry, she grabbed her pendant and used her last bit of energy to force a travel spell right to her home. Seconds later, darkness caressed her, soothing smells of jasmine, and the hardness of her closet floor under her knees eased the tight hold she had on her emotions.

The sound of her breathing was ragged, laboured, and unsteady. Her vision blurred and nothing, nothing in the world could have stopped her from pulling out her knife as she huddled with her back against the far wall, facing her closed closet door. Safe.

Safe.

She was safe. There was no monster to spew his filth down on her. He’d died long ago. He was gone. Dead. Destroyed by her aunts when they’d rescued her.

Still the pressure, the aloneness, the feeling of being dirty, festered painfully up and over her. The knife gleamed in the dark. Cool silver shone against her palm, crisp, clean, and ready.

Squeezing her eyes closed, she prayed to the Three Sisters for strength. But, like her aunts, the goddesses had deserted her—if they’d ever been there in the first place.

Dirty. Used. Disgusting.

Whore.

Opening her eyes, she focused on the blade. There was one way to ease the pain ripping through her.

Create more.