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 know 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.

Every doubt she had that this man wasn’t for her, that she wasn’t for him, evaporated in the heat he created. She forgot everything. She simply melted into him. Aeros hauled her tightly along his hard body. She could feel his chest rise and fall with each hectic breath. His kiss was almost desperate, as if he couldn’t live without tasting her. With deep groans, he stroked his tongue along hers, guiding her to take his kiss and give her own.

She rose on tiptoes to thread her arms around his neck, plastering herself to him to ease the longing building up inside. He responded by groaning against her lips. His big hands gripped her waist and lifted her closer, not hurting, not causing alarm, but making her tremble. She wanted those hands on her skin. Hot and roughly calloused, but gentle.

When she couldn’t take it any longer, she tugged the collar of his T-shirt, needing skin on skin. He broke the kiss with another of his quick grins. She watched him as he reached behind his head and pulled the shirt off with one amazing display of his chest and abs. Aeros bulged. His hard stomach rippled all the way down to his hips where the muscles veered down in a V from his hips. Before she could take in every inch he’d revealed, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. His rough bristle scraped her face but felt so good she moaned.

He was more than she’d ever thought to have. Trembling inside, she dared to reach up and cup his face to deepen the kiss. Their tongues collided and merged, sliding sinfully along each other. She could have kissed him forever. The thrill of it made her legs feel weak. He didn’t just kiss her, Aeros made love to her with deeper glides and sensuous caresses of his tongue, exploring and conquering her in one blistering exploration.

She shivered at the first warm feel of his hands. Another moan broke free and Aeros cupped her butt with one hand and rubbed his other along her skin. Warmth spread from every corner of her body. Afraid he might stop, she pressed her breasts to his hot flesh and dug her fingers through his silky hair to hold him in place. He pulled her body tight to his with a low sound and broke off their kiss.

“Tabithia, slow, baby, I don’t want to hurt you, but gods, I… Gods, you’re beautiful. I’ve wanted you for ages. Centuries.”

“Centuries? I’ve not lived that long, Aeros.”

He groaned and kissed her again. If all she had to do was tease him to get more kisses, she’d be in heaven permanently. There was simply something about her straight-laced captain, with his foul language but proper manners that drove her to ache from not teasing him. If she received kisses for teasing…

He plunged his fingers into her hair, pulling her head back so he could mash their lips together, swallowing her smile.

Even her breasts began to ache. They felt heavy, needy, as if they were jealous of the attention her mouth was receiving. Her nipples tightened to painful points even against the softness of her silky bra.

Gently, he cradled the side of her face and brushed more hot kisses along her jaw and down her neck and back up again. Too soon in her opinion, he released her face and took a step backward, letting out a long, low breath to stare at her.

“Can I see you? Can I…? Will you let me see you again?”

She blinked and her hand automatically clenched at her throat.

He rushed on, “Baby, I don’t want to rush you. I know we should go slow.”

Slow down? Ah, no? If they did, she might never get the nerve again. And now that he’d asked, suggested, she knew she didn’t want to stop. Didn’t want to go home and pleasure herself to thoughts of him. She wanted him.

He frowned and paced to a big dresser she’d not even noticed. Hell, they were in his bedroom. When had that happened?

“Tabithia?”

“I don’t want to stop—”

“You let me touch you before, will you let me again? We could—”

He obviously realised what she had said because he turned around quickly and his handsome face was almost comical it was so blank. “You don’t want to stop.”

“No. I loved what you were doing.”

Slowly, again—she got the feeling he thought she might bolt—he closed the distance he had put between them and took her hand. The feel of his big, hardened hand holding hers made her feel small and…warm inside, she realised.

“Tell me if you want me to stop.”

“I want you to kiss me, like before.”

Aeros wrapped his arms around her waist, closing the space between them until every line of her body fitted every line of his. She could feel his heart beating fast and hard. His body’s heat seeped back into hers. Along her stomach, his erection felt thick and hardened, ready for so much more than what he was doing.

Their eyes met and he brushed a wisp of hair from her face with his knuckles, while he kept his warm palm anchored around her waist, holding her tightly as if she still might run. She glanced down from the intensity in his eyes and felt trapped by the medallion around his neck. A choker, really, made of leather and woven into a braid with a flat disc threaded through the centre so that it sat against the hollow in his throat.

Her heart skipped a beat looking at that medallion. Was it the means for his control over her? Why so limited? It couldn’t make her do what he wanted, only what he told her to do.

“What are you doing, Tabithia?”

She sighed. She might never know what the power of the disc was, but she did know the power of this, what they shared, and she knew she wanted him. This. Them.

“Nothing, simply letting you hold me.”

His lips tipped upward slowly, the pinkness of them fascinating her, until her gaze snagged with his and she lost all sense of anything but Aeros.

He bent his head and kissed her slowly at first until, with an impatient sound, she dug her hands in his hair. He must have understood because he grunted and began devouring her mouth, breaking off only to glide hot, wet kisses over her jaw-line and down her neck to the cord of her throat. He bit down gently, her head fell back, and she moaned at how good he felt.

The sound was so unlike her she jerked against him in surprise. She sounded sexy.

Aeros chuckled and bit her again. This time he bit down on the delicate curve of her shoulder where he’d pushed her T-shirt out of his way.

His roving hands moved to her waist and lifted her shirt out of his way. She sucked in a breath as his firm thumbs rubbed directly under her breasts. Her body was on fire. Hot. So hot. She wanted those hands on her body, but… Did she have to ask? Couldn’t he tell?

“Will you, baby? Let me touch you? Feel you close and make you experience pleasure?”

Her breath caught in her throat when he slipped his hands up, all the while watching her closely as he finally cupped her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her hard nipples. Explosions of pleasure rushed to every part of her body, wetting her so thoroughly between her thighs that she dimly feared he’d scent her arousal like a wolf. Her clit ached, tingled, strained for more.

“Take your shirt off. For me. Please.”

Relief surged through her. If he was ordering her, then she wasn’t doing this, was she? He was. Immediately, she recognised the twisted logic for what it was, a cop-out, but she could use all the help she could get. She latched onto his words like a lifeboat in a stormy sea.

Desire reflected in his dark eyes. He was gorgeous with his lips full and still wet from their kisses. Big body tight, he waited, patient as only Aeros could be, for her to do as he requested, or ordered. His chest was bronzed, hardened by the sun, and dusted with a sprinkling of black hair. His tattoo surprised her all over again. She’d seen both in the pools, but the loop of dark black around his big biceps was Celtic, not Greek. Intrigued, she reached up and palmed his flesh, letting her hands smooth over his flat, hard pectorals before she skimmed her hand over the complicated ink knots. Strength. Honour. Both wove through the ink. She hummed softly at the pleasant feeling of his skin.

“Hell, Tabithia. What are you doing to me?”

His chest rose and fell, his body was tight. His jeans had slipped down his lean hips and she knew his erection pulsed under the soft denim.

She took the plunge. Biting her lip once, she let it go and rushed to say, “Touching you.”

He closed his eyes in what looked like relief but snapped them back open so fast she jumped in his arms.

“Don’t fear me, Tabithia. I will never harm you.”

Tears threatened at his earnest, honest words, but she held them off. She wanted this. She did.

Reaching for the bottom of her T-shirt, she saw him suck in a breath. His hard body tightened, the ripple of muscle from chest to his low waistband was so hot she pulled her shirt off in record time. Once she had it off though, she froze. She’d never undressed in front of anyone, not since… A chill raced over her. Doubts settled in. Memories of the underground pool rose up to block the darkness. He’d seen her, touched her, knew all about her, had even brought her pleasure while showing her what gave him pleasure. She’d been naked for Aeros, and he’d been speechless with admiration. He’d even cussed.

He did again, now.

“Sweet fucking gods, baby. You’re so damn beautiful.”

He breathed the last with such feeling she felt the chill ease, the fear subside.

“Gods, pink?”

Rubbing his neck, he displayed muscles she couldn’t stop herself from moving forward and touching. He was hot to the touch, but smooth, not drenched in sweat like before—hot and silky. Was she beginning to cure him? He had an indent along his torso when he raised his arm, all the way down to his flat navel. And an eight pack. Flat, hard muscles used to war, but for her, she knew he’d never harm her. “Aeros, you curse too much.”

He covered her hand with his, holding her gently in place. “Touch me, Tabithia. I’ve wanted you for so long. I’ve waited, I mean, I can wait, but I want to pleasure you.”

Pleasure her. Tracing his sun-darkened pectorals, she moved in closer, letting her fingers discover him. He shivered the more she explored, his big body reminding her of a stallion ready to mount a mare. Would he harm her? He was huge. She’d seen how big his erection was when he was fully engorged. He’d been beautiful, perfectly formed. The memory of his release under her hand had her shivering.

“Tabithia?”

“Yes, Aeros, I want you. I want to try, just…”

“Anything at all, baby.”

He looked so earnest.

She flushed. “Be careful with me.”

He pulled her close and hugged her to his hard chest. “Always, always. I’ll never let harm come to you. I can promise you this. Never. I will never harm you. Trust me. I want your pleasure, never pain. Never pain, baby. That’s not what this is about. It’s about pleasure. Yours. Mine. Ours. We can go slow, very slow.”

Something broke inside her. Maybe she didn’t need his pendant to guide them. Maybe she could do this alone.

Thinking of telling him to take it off, though, caused a huge amount of problems. She knew he’d not be happy. He’d be angry. They wouldn’t experience this now. She wouldn’t experience this.

All thought ended when he skimmed his hands down her back to cup her ass and pull her closer. He was impossibly big. The bulge she’d noticed in the coffee shop had been impressive. This? This was frightening.

And she was taking him. All of him. Grabbing hold of her courage, she caressed the hard planes of his chest and gripped his hair to tug his mouth down to hers.

“Damn, I fucking love when you pull my hair.”

She’d have him cursing like a sailor before she was done with him. Why not start off that way? She shoved the memories of her past away and grasped her future with both hands, even locking her leg around his to get that much closer to him. His muffled groan sent a surge of happiness through her.

Yeah, she could do this.

Aeros seriously almost came in his jeans when she took hold of his face and guided his mouth to hers. To have the leisure to let go, have someone else running the show for once, while he lay back and just experienced something, had him gritting his teeth in pleasure. Would his little shy witch give him this? Gods, the idea took root and he was panting.

Not now, though. Now he needed to get a grip and take things slow.

She blew that thought out of his sex-starved mind when she broke the kiss with a smile and stepped hesitantly towards his bed. Doubt clouded her expressive green eyes. She dropped her gaze.

He took over. No chance he’d let her stop now. She wanted him. He could see it in her eyes.

“Come here, baby.” He needed those jeans off her. And his. His cock was killing him it was so damn erect. Would he scare her with his size when he pressed to her sweet opening? Only one way to find out.

“I want to make you come.” He watched her eyes widen in surprise but she didn’t pull away. Instead she nibbled her lip, appearing to debate the idea.

He smiled. “Ah, baby, I want to do a lot more, but first? I need you naked. Completely naked, like before. I’d like that. To see you. To pleasure you. Remember the pool? Remember how we touched?”

Still looking more than a bit scared, she blinked a few times and seemed to come to a decision.

“I remember. But this time I want to watch you undress. You first.”

He was halfway out of his jeans before he realised she’d just dared him. The little… Thoughts flew out of the window when she simply watched him, a smile on her beautiful face.

She liked the way he looked.

His cock jerked.

“Oh.” She made a small sound, almost a giggle, he thought. Whatever it had been, the sound was happy.

“Oh? That’s all you have to say?” Standing tall before her, he dug his thumbs under the waistband of his boxer briefs, enjoying teasing her. He’d not dared to push her before but now something had changed, a subtle change, but there all the same.

She grinned and nodded. “Well? Show me the goods.”

He laughed. How could he help it? Grabbing her up in his arms, he spun her in a circle, so happy he laughed. She squealed, hitting him on the head once, but he knew he’d pleased her. He stopped and their eyes met. She grinned down at him, a genuine smile on her face as he kissed her once more and set her down.

“Take off your jeans, woman, and I’ll give you the goods.”

“Aeros! You are too much.” Blushing furiously, she tried not to smile up at him.

His heart felt so big it might burst. He felt invincible. If he could ease her into this, he would. He’d make certain she was so happy she never hurt herself again—even if he had to tie her to the bed.

Tapping his arm, she said, “I like your tattoos.”

“Do you?”

He reached out and ran a finger down the tattoo winding down her slender waist. The vines were unusual, sensuous. They had small buds, flower buds he assumed. He wanted to trace them with his tongue.

“I like yours as well.”

Her body softened even more when she exhaled. Had she been holding her breath?

Surprising him, she ran a hand up his side. His cock grew heavier, fuller with the need to have her. He needed to go slow. He was big, big all over, and she was tiny. Perfect, he realised. Not simply because she was Tabithia, and his, but because he suddenly knew he liked her smaller, liked how delicate she was, how much smaller she was to his size. Hell, he was a chauvinist and hadn’t known.

“Tabithia, take those jeans off before I come in my damn shorts.”

She sucked in a breath, eyes shining, and grinned. She held onto him with one small hand, but her other unbuttoned her jeans and released her zipper. She shimmied her hips like a belly dancer, and the damn things fell off, revealing bright pink lace panties to match her amazing bra.

“Tabithia… Gods, you’re so damn perfect, that’s it. Come on, baby, let me make you come.”

Manoeuvring her backwards, he pressed her back onto the bed with his bigger body. She sat a bit abruptly, but she didn’t protest when he practically ripped his boxer briefs down his thighs and kicked them away. He didn’t give her time to panic at his size. Instead, he pressed her to her back, hands on both sides of her head. Leaning in, he took her rosebud mouth in a kiss. Sweetness flooded his senses. He fisted his hands on the bedding to hold back from rubbing himself against her like a dog.

“Got to touch you.”

She looked so damn sexy. Her lids were at half mast, her hair a wild tangle on his bed—his bed. She was in his bed. A surge of cum hardened his cock to the breaking point. Down, boy. Down.

“Tell me if you’re not liking anything I do. Tell me, okay, Tabithia?”

She nodded, clearly uneasy. Before she could slip from her passions, he kissed her again, reassuring her with his mouth. She opened for him, her tongue running along his before he even had to show her what to do. The taste of her, just a hint of coffee and sweet vanilla from her drink, was intoxicating. Electricity shot up his arm from his fingertips to his heart as he grazed his hand along her side. She sucked in a breath. Glancing up, he saw her looking down between them. His bets were on his cock.

“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to. This is for you, baby. Now relax and let your man love you.” The words spilled out before he could stop them and then he didn’t want to. He would never lie to her. She was his. Instead of panicking, as he thought she would, she relaxed down, settling more on the bed. One sexy leg bent at the knee as she slowly drew it up.

She could have waved a flag at a bull and got the same results. Her panties, silky pink, were wet. Holy Hades save him. A rush of lust exploded along his body. “So damn beautiful.”

He couldn’t hold back. Sliding his hands along the softest skin he’d ever felt, he didn’t stop until her plump pink-covered breasts overflowed each hand. Her breath caught. He managed to remove one hand from their prize and unclasp her bra without too much stumbling.

Meeting her eyes, he unwrapped her like a present. “Baby, always wear these…like this. So damn pretty, god damn.”

“Aeros!”

“Gods, I’m sorry, sorry…” He trailed off when she moaned and lifted her chest off the bed. Her breasts bounced and quivered. Fuck. He dived in. There wasn’t any stopping now. His mouth found its place in this world right between the lush mounds. He took hold of one and sucked the soft, inside curve. He wanted a nipple, but hell, he didn’t trust himself.

She gasped and brought her hands up to clutch his shoulders. She even pulled his hair and arched again. This time he groaned when her silky thigh met his cock. A shudder of pleasure rocked his world. Hands full of her gorgeous curves, he tried to slow down, to pace himself, not overindulge in her. He concentrated on her plump flesh, sipping on the lush sides of each breast and sucking along the soft skin until he found her nipple. The hard, pink point was his. He licked and licked the stiff peak until she surged up under him. Then, and only then, did he devour her the way he’d dreamed.

Her moans grew louder and the grip on his hair tightened, holding him so tightly in place he wanted to yell in triumph. More, he needed more. Sliding one hand down, he gently eased over her flat stomach to the apex of her thighs. She stilled under him, holding her breath. He nipped her lightly, and she arched her back, moaning softly in response. When she did, he stroked her between her thighs.

Wetness met his fingers, and he released the tight little point of her nipple to watch her.

“Goddess, baby. Do you know how fucking beautiful you are? How damn gorgeous you are to me?” He caressed her carefully, rubbing a circle around her clit and bent to suck the underside of her heaving breast. She lifted her hips and moaned.

He knew that sound. She’d made it twice for him. She was close. Gods, help him, so was he.

“Tell me you want me inside you when you come. I need to hear it. Say it.”

Her hand tightened painfully on his hair. His lust-filled mind had a split second of worry that he’d pushed too far. Just when he would have lifted his head and chanced losing hair in the process, she let out a breath of frustration.

Had he pushed too far? Was he reading her signals wrong?

“I want you inside me when I come.”

Had she sounded pissed off? He would have checked, surely he would have, but his throbbing erection had other ideas. Already at her entrance, he surged forward at her soft, erotic words. Pleasure exploded up his spine. Colours filled his eyes, and the world seemed to rush by, leaving him motionless in pleasure like he’d never known. Sweet, tight, wet heat softened around his aching hard cock. The sensitive head felt like it had doubled in size. A rush of ecstasy pulsed up his spine, lingering on the way back down, and his balls drew up so tight he gritted his teeth at the pleasure-pain.

Slow. He needed to slow. The thought hadn’t even firmly formed when he realised Tabithia was struggling under him, her small hands pushing against his chest, not holding him close.

He froze. The world came rushing back into focus. One look at her face and he knew he’d fucked up.

She was teary-eyed. Her face was red and a grimace of pain filled her expression.

“Stop! Aeros, stop!”

He tried. He did. He shuddered, caught between pleasure like he’d never known before and her pain. Pulling back, he couldn’t stop the cum from swelling down the length of his hard flesh. She cried out again, and he groaned, falling down on her to hold her still. Every frantic movement only increased the pressure to come. With a curse, he gave up. Pulling back, he came, still only half buried inside her. The sensations rushing through him swamped everything else. Slowly, he fought it, forcing the world to resurface until he managed to unlock his muscles enough to lift his hips and pull completely free of her. Groaning at the loss, he couldn’t stop his body from bucking against her soft stomach, gushing load after load of cum onto her warm skin. His climax was so deep, so strong, he yelled her name repeatedly until he’d emptied every ounce of cum he’d ever created.

Breathless, he cursed himself for a fool.

Tabithia was crying under him, pressing against him to get him off.

He’d hurt her? Why hadn’t she said so? Why hadn’t she stopped him?

“Tabithia, sweet gods, I never meant to hurt you. Why didn’t you stop me? I would have…stopped.” She didn’t respond and panic tightened his chest. He’d hurt her.

“Tell me why you didn’t say anything, baby.”

Surprising the hell out of him, she hit him hard, right in the head, her fist connecting with his jaw and flinging him backwards. Holy Hades. He deserved that, but still.

“Because you keep ordering me! Damn it to hell. I told you. I asked you. I trusted you. And what do you do? You can’t help it, can you? Orders! Orders! Orders! God damn it!” She covered her mouth with both hands and her eyes grew round in shock. “Damn it! See what you’ve done? Never, never curse a god! And what did I do? I cursed a god.”

“Tabithia, just—”

“Noooooo!” Screaming like a banshee she was a sight—naked, beautiful, and angry as hell. “Don’t speak! Don’t even open your mouth!” She flung a boot at him, hitting him in the chest because he was too shocked to move. “Just shut up!”

“Damn, well, that’s a bit harsh, Tabithia.”

She covered her ears and jumped off the bed. She let go of her ears to pick up her clothes and he panicked. He’d be damned if he was letting her go. Not now. Not ever. He’d messed up, yes, but he wasn’t giving up.

He opened his mouth and she threw another boot at him, nearly taking his head off.

“Don’t. I’m warning you! Don’t speak!” Trying to jam her foot in her jeans, she nearly fell over. She made a frustrated screech and glared at him. “I’m leaving. Don’t you—”

He’d had enough.

“Oh, no, you don’t. Get that pretty ass back in that bed right now. I’m going to give you pleasure if—”

With another screech that threatened to break his eardrums, she climbed back on his bed, swathed herself in his blankets, drew her knees up to her chest, and covered her ears. Eyes squeezed shut, she was the most adorably miserable person he’d ever seen.

Gods.

He’d yelled at her. He’d hurt her. Then yelled at her.

She’d got back in his bed.

What the hell?

Feeling like a complete ass, he walked to the bed and knelt down next to her. She jerked to the side and didn’t open her eyes. She was humming, some nonsense sound so loud she couldn’t hear him.

What the hell?

“Tabithia, stop this and listen to me. We need to talk.”

She didn’t move. Her humming increased in volume as soon as he said her name. She rocked back and forth, looking so distressed he almost left her alone.

“Tabithia!” Jerking her hand away from her ears and held her palm against his heart and waited. For what he wasn’t certain.

The rocking stopped. She huffed out a breath like he’d ruined her day. Hell, he had, hadn’t he?

“I want to go home, Aeros.”

His heart took a direct hit. “You can, you can. Just we need to talk about this, baby.”

She gazed up at him silently. He could swear she looked disappointed in him, almost as if he’d let her down. He had. He’d hurt her.

“I would never have hurt you. If you had said something, if you’d told me…”

“I know.”

“You do?” Puzzled, he watched her but she seemed resigned, sincere and, more than anything, tired. She rested her head on her upraised knees and turned to the side, avoiding him.

He still needed answers. “I can’t please you if you won’t tell me to stop, or…”

Her head swung around, and she pierced him with a glare. “I did tell you to stop.”

Gods. She had?

“But you didn’t. You…finished.”

Heat hit his face but he refused to be embarrassed. “It was difficult, Tabithia. I was experiencing such pleasure. I…know you were not, but for me, it was the most incredible experience of my life. It was like you’d dipped me in pleasure. I never wanted to hurt you. I tried not to, but…” Swallowing, he looked away then back up at her. “Tell me how to please you and I will. I’ll go slow, very slow.”

“No. I want to go home.”

“No. I’m not letting you go like this. Not hurting.”

She stared at him for so long without speaking that he felt like she’d looked inside his soul and was still undecided on what she saw.

“I want to go home, Aeros. You don’t understand me, and I can’t explain, but I want to go home. I don’t want to talk. I want to go.”

“Tabithia.” Sighing, he rubbed a hand behind his neck and tried to figure out where things had gone wrong. “You liked what we did, didn’t you? Before I hurt you?”

She remained stubbornly silent. He knew she was angry—he could see it in her eyes. They flared a bright green, almost a jade, against her pale skin. Even tear-streaked she was beautiful.

“I want you—”

Reaching up, she covered his mouth with her hand. She’d done that before. More than once.

”Just stop talking. Can you promise not to give me orders? Can you stop telling me what to do? Stop telling me what to do!” she cried.

The suspicion grew until he had trouble breathing past the rage boiling up from his gut. He sensed the instant she felt his anger. She tried to pull her hand away. He held on and placed a kiss in the centre of her palm. She smelt of him. She’d been running her hands over his skin, driving him further and further into such pleasure that his cock strained between them.

He had to hear the truth. “Tabithia. I’m going to ask you a question. I want the truth from you.”

It wasn’t a question, but she nodded. Tears shone in her eyes making them a brilliant emerald drowning in either fear or sorrow. Both options fed his anger.

“Do you have to do what I say? Do as I bid you even if you choose not to?”

Her eyes closed an instant before the sorrow won. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she nodded.

Pain. Rage. Fury. All three emotions blasted through him, and he barely let go of her hand before his fisted.

“All this? This was because I told you to? None of this was you? It never was? You’ve only done this because I said?” He rapid-fired questions like a machine gun, unable to stop the flow of anger from raising his voice until he was yelling at her. “How could you do this, Tabithia? I knew you were a witch but this is beyond playing with nature, playing with people’s lives. This—”

She broke away from him, jumping down from his bed again, and screamed. The mirror behind him burst from the wall and slammed on the floor. The light by the bed exploded. The pipes sounded like cats caught in a door. Curtains whipped around as if caught in a gale, and, at the centre of it all, Tabithia blazed brighter than he’d ever seen her.

In the jungle, she’d raged. In the cavern, she’d saved him and had looked like a god bestowing vengeance on the damned.

Now? Now she blazed a green aura so bright he winced. She was enraged—at him.

“I never, never played with you. Never. It was me. It was always me. I wanted you. I wanted to experience this. So I took it in the only way I could. With you. With your pendant aiding me. Now you think to yell at me for trying when all my life I’ve simply hidden, too afraid to even think of trying? How dare you?”

Damn. He’d never heard her so angry

“Shit. I’m sorry. Baby, I don’t know whether to kiss you or spank that beautiful ass. Shut the light and dim the wind, would you?”

She blinked once, then crossed her arms. All indignant woman. “Give me the pendant.”

Touching the charm at his neck, he frowned. A child had given this to him. She’d told him something then that he’d forgotten until now. ‘Keep this on. One day it will save another, while it saves you too. Until you face your dream and see it before you. Then, when you have it before you, let this go and trust to fate to find your happiness.’ He’d saved the child from rapists. She’d barely been eight or nine winters.

Slowly, he reached back and tried to unlatch the clasp. A thought came to him and he grinned. “Are you certain, baby? I think we might have some fun with this…”

His cock chose that moment to jerk—possibly at the image of her on her knees for him.

Her green light faltered, and she bit her lip. He grinned and opened his mouth.

“No!” Her light blinked out. She scanned the room and sucked in a breath at the destruction. Hell, he’d let her destroy the entire house if it got her to stay.

“Damn, remind me not to ever come before you do, okay?” He was on her before she could escape, not that she was trying to leave now. She buried her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Why didn’t you simply tell me, Tabithia?”

She didn’t answer for a long while. Instead she curled up into his arms and let him hold her close.

“I couldn’t. How could I? What would I say? Oh, well, guess what, big guy? You know that pendant you have—can I have it, because it makes me do whatever you say?” Her mocking his voice was hilarious but he tried not to laugh. “Stop laughing at me. You scared me, Aeros. And yelled at me. And you hurt me. I don’t think I want to do that…again.”

“Whoa, wait a minute. That was a fluke. Trust me.” Damn, he didn’t want her scared to have sex with him. He wanted to have sex with her a great deal. All the time. Any time. Daily. “I promise it won’t be like that. Look, I’ll put my jeans on, okay?”

She shook her head against him. He tipped her head up with a finger under her chin. She was laughing. The witch.

“You will?”

“Anything.” He vowed.

Mischief lit her eyes, the green sparkling with excitement. His cock jumped between them.

“Anything?”

Why did that one word, out of Tabithia’s pink lips, turn him on so badly?