I patted the trunk, muttered a thank you, and then turned to go inside Aktor's house. Within a couple of steps I saw Theo's shadow outlined on the porch. He'd been watching me, or keeping guard, I wasn't sure. I hesitated, wondering if I should feel annoyed at the intrusion, but then how often had I seen him feeding his Stoicheio by the fire? It was hardly a private thing and I did sense his worry. He'd been worried since he pulled me into his arms outside that tunnel. Hell, he'd been worried since the meeting had been shifted to this morning and I'd been summoned along with him to Prygos.
I pasted a smile on my face and walked up to the steps, stopping on the bottom one, so Theo was two above me. He looked down at me and then with a tender touch, brushed his fingers over my cheek. Gold flecks danced in his eyes.
"You like to touch," I said quietly.
"All Pyrkagia enjoy touch," he murmured. "Gi enjoy scent. Nero enjoy taste. Aeras enjoy sight. Pyrkagia enjoy touch."
"Oh," I said, understanding dawning. The Earth's scent always soothed me. Obviously Theo felt soothed by the touch of heat from Fire. I could see those senses would offer enjoyment elsewhere. I knew that I loved Theo's Mediterranean spices, sunshine and rosebud scent, in any case.
"Who are you trying to find through the Earth?" Theo asked, the question taking me by surprise.
"I'm not sure," I replied, walking up the remaining steps until I was on the same level as Theo. "The Earth warned me, while Aktor and I were escaping through that tunnel, that they were coming. I was trying to find out who they were."
Theo frowned. "And the Earth wouldn't tell you?"
"No."
"That is odd. When has the Earth denied you anything before?" He had a point. I started to furrow my brow in consternation. Theo reached out and ran a thumb across the wrinkles forming there. Smoothing them out with just his touch.
I leaned into his hand. It was automatic, my body dictated the move. In the next second I was wrapped up in Theo's arms his lips crushing mine, his hard body flush against me. His heat embracing me, engulfing me, surrounding all of me. I made a sound and he lifted me up off my feet and carried me towards the house. But he didn't take us through the door, he pushed me against the side of the building and continued to devour every inch of my mouth.
I craved his touch, his scent. Him. There wasn't an ounce of embarrassment in admitting I was lost to this man. To everything he did to me, everything he made me feel and desire. In Theo's arms I felt safe and wanted and perfect. There was no nervousness now. Not when he kissed me, anyway. The more we did it, the more I wanted. And that longing drowned out all other emotions with ease.
Heat washed through my body, but it wasn't his Stoicheio, it was my lust for him. Oh, he stoked it, but not with an element. He didn't need to do that. All he'd ever needed to do was just be him, be near, and I was gone. Lost to the sensations I was feeling. Yearning for more of the man.
"Casey," he murmured against my lips, then started kissing over my cheeks and down my neck. His hot breath fanned across where he had bitten me, a shudder racking his body when he pulled back to see his mark. "I want you," he whispered and all thoughts of exhaustion and hunger left me. I wanted him too.
But despite that desperate desire I hadn't forgotten the dusty room I'd spent the day in, or the dirty tunnel coated in cobwebs and streaming with foul smelling drips of water. My dress was filthy, my hair was matted and streaked with muck. I was sure my face was a mess, even though Theo continued to look at me like I was the most beautiful thing he had laid eyes on in this world.
"I need a shower," I admitted, but soothed the brush-off with a kiss to his throat. He smelled earthy and sweaty and all male, a combination that made my stomach flip delightfully, despite some if it being because of his own adventures today.
"A shower sounds perfect," he murmured, his nose nuzzling behind my ear.
What? Did he want to shower too? With me? And here I thought I'd passed the point of blushing.
"Sweet little Gi," Theo teased. "There is a water shortage, you know. We would be doing a service to the district by sharing a shower."
I pushed back against his chest playfully. "I shower alone," I insisted, even as my stomach continued to flip with images of a water soaked Theo before my eyes, ready for my lips and tongue to taste.
"Not anymore," he husked against my throat, his teeth dragging deliciously over my skin. "You are mine, Oraia. And I want to care for you, clean you, pamper you. You cannot deny that you want this too."
Part of me did want it, but that was a very new part of me. The old part of me who couldn’t even flirt with a man, was terrified of being naked under a spotlight and not live up to how Theo saw me in his mind. I chewed the inside of my bottom lip and ducked my head, unable to meet Theo's eyes. The warmth in my cheeks mocked me.
Theo sighed and pulled away slightly. The loss of his body heat was acute.
"All right, Casey," he said, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I'll show you to your room and I'll shower in the guest bathroom next door. Aktor is fixing us something to eat, so we shouldn't take too long, anyway."
He wasn't going to push me, he wasn't going to do a thing unless I wanted it. I felt relief course through me, immediately followed by regret. And disappointment. Why didn't he push? If he really wanted me that much, wouldn't he try a little harder?
I followed numbly after Theo as he led me through a light and airy interior, past the main open plan lounge, dining and kitchen - where Aktor was busy fussing away creating a masterpiece no doubt - towards one side of the house that led to bedrooms, running off a long hallway.
"This is where I'll shower," Theo said, indicating the first door on the left. "And here is your room, there's an ensuite bathroom attached. Aktor has laid out some clothes for you to wear."
I nodded and wrapped my hand around the doorknob, pushing it open so I could step inside and think through my tumbling and conflicting emotions. I looked back over my shoulder at Theo, who was watching me with a longing in his eyes that almost made me stop dead in my tracks. How could he look at me that way and not push for more? I needed that push. Couldn't he see that? I wanted him to push me to take the next step. But Theo had never pushed me. He had only ever shown me infinite patience, only following my lead and not presuming to take any more than I offered.
I shut the door as he began to turn away, unable to watch him go.
The room Aktor had prepared for me was lovely. White linens and blue accents, reminding me of a sunny beach. The curtains were gauzy and the window was open, allowing a salty breeze to lift the material and make it dance. Small knick-knacks dotted the room; shells, a starfish, brightly coloured ornaments depicting fish that couldn't possibly be found in New Zealand waters, but somehow they all worked. It was a bright and cheerful room, and I had to admit I was surprised the butler had such a delicate decorating hand.
I glanced over to the bed where Aktor had laid out some clothes. They included an oversized man's white button down shirt and soft white drawstring cotton pants. They'd be a little big on me, but at least they weren't Theo's size. I could roll up the sleeves and cuffs, and tie the shirt around my waist to not be completely lost in them. They were a damn sight better than the now terribly dirty dress.
I stripped off my clothes and folded them neatly in a pile beside the clean ones, then slipped into the bathroom and took a look at myself in the mirror. Bad move. I looked pale and had shadows forming under my eyes, and that was if you ignored the smears of dirt. I washed my hands and face in the sink, even though I was about to step in the shower. I needed to see myself first in the mirror. I needed to ground myself and look in my eyes to make sure I was still me inside.
So much had happened. So much was still happening and threatening to happen. I'd come a long way since I woke up in that pit of dirt, but that didn't mean I was OK with it all. I had so many questions and so few answers. But take all of the Ekmetalleftis developments aside, I had still experienced some important life changing m
oments these past few days. Of course, losing your virginity to a man you had harboured a crush on for a year, was nothing compared to becoming an immortal. But it was all enough to make me stare blindly for several minutes and just force myself to breathe through the enormity of it.
I had to ask myself if Theo hadn't walked into my shop and shown an interest in me, whether this would have happened at all.
I sucked in a deep breath and placed a hand in the middle of my stomach to stop the plummeting feeling I suddenly felt. Oh God, I hadn't thought of that before. What if this was all happening because of Theo? What if none of it would have happened if he hadn't decided to try out a deli on Parnell Road and been served by me? Was there a connection? Or was it just fate, a mere coincidence?
I wasn't sure there was an answer to that question, like so many of the questions I had in my head. And I decided adding more useless questions to the pile was a really bad move. But I'd thought it now, and I couldn't simply pretend it wasn't there; stuck in my mind, screaming to get out. What if?
What if?
I closed my eyes and lowered my head. The sound of Theo's shower being turned on next door, reached me through the wall. He was about to step into it, I really needed to step into mine. I took a deep breath in and raised my eyes to the woman in the mirror, immediately catching the marks of Theo's teeth on my neck. They were fading, by tomorrow they'd be gone. Why weren't they more permanent? Was that because I wasn't his Thisavros after all?
I didn't like that idea. I mean, I really didn't like that idea. I frowned at the mark and ran a finger over my neck, trying to feel the indentations. I let a sharp, short breath of air out. It didn't matter whether my connection to Theo made this all happen. It didn't matter at all, because if I had the choice to do it all over again; to avoid Theo and never become what I am or to repeat it and be standing here confused, but having loved the man - I wouldn't even hesitate. I'd do it all again exactly as it was.
Getting to know Theo over the course of a year. Learning to flirt with him, the first time I had ever been able to flirt with a man in my life. I may not have enjoyed the pit of dirt and the questions that still remained were pretty heavy. But I'd face it all, every single confusing bit of it, to lie with Theo, to feel his touch, his kiss, him. To have him love me like he did in my bed last night and this morning. To have him crave my body, want me, claim me, call me his.
I looked at the wall that separated my bathroom from Theo's and I knew what I wanted to do. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my body, then ran across the bedroom to the door that led into the hall. Peering out, I made sure Aktor was nowhere about, then crept down the hallway and before I could change my mind, turned the handle to Theo's bathroom.
Steam billowed out and wrapped around my ankles. The warmth of it inviting me further. I was getting used to heat. In my cheeks. In my veins. In my body. I took a shaky breath in and stepped inside, closing the door softly behind me. The water sounded loud as it pounded against the glass of the shower stall. It had condensed, but through the mist I could see him. One hand stretched out above his head, forearm leaning against the cool tile of the shower. His head was bowed low, the water pummelling across his broad shoulders and back.
He was incredible.
I had to just stand there for a moment and stare. Take all of him in. No, I would definitely do it all again. Every. Single. Moment.
My hands shook as I released my hold on the towel and let it slip from my body. It's not as though he hadn't seen me naked before, but in the heat of the moment you could pretend your imperfections were overlooked. This was different. But it was strangely liberating. Taking the plunge off the edge of the cliff and letting yourself free-fall.
Oh dear God, I was going to do this, but nothing was going to stop the small tremors that racked my entire frame. He'd be able to tell. I'd be laid bare. In more ways than one.
Taking in one last fortifying breath I reached forward and pulled the shower door open, then slid inside. Little droplets of water cascaded around me and a fine mist washed over my body the moment the door closed at my back. But I could have been anywhere. In a desert full of sand. In a concrete bunker or a field of wild flowers. Because nothing else registered but the look on his face when he turned at the feel of my body behind his.
He sucked in a deep breath and swept his eyes over my frame, gold flashing in them in a way I had never seen before. When my hand reached out to run over his shoulder, he made a delicious sound in the back of his throat and closed his eyes.
"For a moment I thought you were a dream," he whispered, his eyes slowly opening again, showing me the hunger that consumed him right then.
"I'm real," I managed to say, despite the dryness of my throat.
Theo turned to face me completely, his hands running up my sides, then back down again in a delicate dance against my skin.
"Real or not," he husked, stepping closer, placing his body flush against mine. "You are my dream."
Chapter Twenty-Two
But I Fought It, Just As I Fought My Tears
Theo didn't stop running his fingers across my skin, although I think he may have stopped breathing. Water danced between us, splashing off his arms, coating my chest and breasts, allowing him a slick surface to touch. He revelled in it. He drank the sensations in through his fingertips alone. If I needed evidence of a Pyrkagia's affinity to touch, this was it. He didn't do anything else but stroke, brush, caress... feel. And I could tell he loved it.
His pupils dilated, gold rimming the edges. His eyelashes lowered, his lips parted and a pulse beat erratically in his neck. There was power here. My power over him. I was giddy with it. With the knowledge that I brought Theo Peters to his knees. I wasn't naive enough to believe that I was the first woman to do so, but for me, this was a coup. The blush-ridden, tongue-tied innocent making the confident, enigmatic and slightly arrogant Theo Peters pant.
It was almost too much to take in. But I'd come this far, I wasn't stopping now. I mirrored his movements with my own fingertips. Where he touched on me, I reciprocated on him. It was slow and unhurried, despite Theo's earlier comments that Aktor would be expecting us for dinner before long, neither of us rushed this. When Theo cupped body wash in his hands and smeared it over my skin, I did the same. Washing away evidence of today's trials. Replacing it all with the sweet scent of vanilla and raspberry.
It made me smile to think Aktor had this lotion in his bathroom. Theo's lips twitched when mine did and he murmured, "What's so funny, little Gi?"
"Why do you think Aktor has this girlie smelling soap?"
Theo's rumbling laugh in the confines of the shower stall sent a shiver down my spine that ended directly between my legs. He had a very sexy laugh. Deep, luxurious, hinting at what delights he was capable of giving. I'd never realised so much could be said with a laugh, but Theo Peters told a novel's worth of mystery and intrigue with each vibration through his chest.
I'd known I was well out of my league with this man, but I no longer gave a damn.
"Should I be embarrassed that when I leave here you'll be thinking I smell like a girl?" Theo asked, his voice an octave deeper than before. I don't think it was the topic of conversation that did it. I believe it had something to do with where his hands currently were. He had obviously decided my nipples needed extensive soaping.
I moaned and arched my back when he tweaked both nipples at once. The soap making his fingers slide off the peaks smoothly, a direct contrast to the sharp pinch I had just received.
"You like that," Theo announced, a smug note entering his voice. Clearly he'd moved on from his last question to more important things. "How about this?" he asked softly, lowering his head to my breast and lifting one mound up so he could lick around the areola. "Hmm," he murmured, "soapy."
A giggle escaped. How could he be so sensual and still make me laugh?
His lips trailed up from my breast and he started laying kisses over my collar bone and neck. His hands replaced his tongue on
my nipples. Heat coursed through me and I had no way of knowing whether it was mine or his. But experience told me Theo wouldn't use his Stoicheio. Not unless I asked.
He pulled me closer, chest to chest, his arms wrapped around my torso. One hand cupping the nape of my neck, the other firmly gripping a butt cheek. His hips fitted against mine like a missing puzzle piece and I groaned at the feel of how very large he'd gotten since I stepped in here. Evidence of his arousal currently pressed into my stomach demanding my attention.
My hand slipped down over smooth but hard skin, and wrapped around his muscles. I could run my fingers over those ridges endlessly, but I did have a goal in mind. I cleared my head of everything, save the sensation of his hot flesh under my fingers. If I stopped to think of what I was doing I'd falter for sure. Theo guessed my destination easily and pulled back his hips to allow me better access. I swallowed passed the knowledge that he knew, that he could read me, and that I was so damn obvious.
Pushing thoughts of being a bumbling guileless girl aside, I wrapped my hand around his erection and received a low growl and rock of his hips in reward. Oh sweet heaven he felt divine. I wanted to see what I was touching, but Theo dragged his lips across my cheek to my mouth and started kissing me senseless again. There was no way I could do two things at once. Kiss Theo and play with Theo. It was one or the other, and although I was dying to see how much I could make Theo lose control with my hand alone, there was no way I could ignore or pull away from his kiss.
His tongue swept expertly inside my mouth, flicking against the roof, tangling with my own tongue, making me hot and hungry and bordering on shameless. I think I demanded more, I'm not sure if I thought it or said it, but Theo understood anyway. He pushed my back against the slightly cooler tiles of the shower stall and slid a leg between my thighs, offering something for me to rub back against. I didn't think, I just acted. Seeking friction, desperate for sensation, clinging to his frame while I brazenly sought release against his upper leg.
Elemental Awakening Book Bundle Page 22
