Tyranny: Goddesses of Delphi

by Gemma Brocato

  Oh, goddess, those tiny creases on his cheeks did funny things to her insides. With a shaky breath, she faced the shelves again and studied the neatly ordered spines of his collection. She was conscious of his movements behind her.

  “Oh, you have my favorite.” Clio hooked a finger on the top of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare case and tipped it out. It was the only game she knew of that offered an option of diplomatic resolution in the face of war. Holding it between her thumb and forefinger, she faced Jax. “Want to play?” This would be an excellent way to introduce the idea of the economic solution she had in mind.

  “Really? Hell yeah!” Jax lifted one eyebrow. “Want to make it interesting?”

  Clio inched her head to the side. “What do you have in mind?”

  Moving with predatory grace, Jax stalked to her side. He leaned in, sandwiching her body between him and the entertainment center. Bracing his hands on the shelves behind her, one on each side of her head, he dipped into the crook of her neck. His lips were soft as he nibbled the muscles there. Shivers coursed through her.

  “How about strip video game?” He licked his way up to the hollow below her ear. “We play in easy mode.” He circled his hips against hers and nipped his way along her jaw. “Loser of each level must remove one article of clothing.”

  His lips and teeth were magic. Her clothes could melt off under the onslaught of his marauding mouth. She moved her hands to his butt and pulled him closer. It was difficult to catch a breath, let alone speak. “I’m game,” she breathed.

  Jax smoothed a finger along her collarbone and then curled it under the neck of her T-shirt. Dragging the fabric to one side, he licked the spot he’d just bared and then blew a breath on it before pressing his lips in place. “Winner gets to pick the place, position, and duration of the really awesome sex that will result. Deal?”

  Tingles blasted from between her legs, hitting every part of her anatomy. “Deal,” she sighed.

  The corners of his eyes crinkled with his smile. “A little kiss…to seal the bargain.”

  He feathered his mouth over hers then pulled her bottom lip between his. Moving her hands up the broad plane of his back, she relished the soft seduction of his mouth and tongue as he deepened the kiss. Screw the video game. Screw her need to get him to help. She just wanted to screw him.

  Jax cupped her face between his hands and eased away. Temporarily dazed by the passion in his kiss, Clio blindly followed him as he led her to the couch. He continued to smile at her, as if he knew how he’d affected her. He pushed her down to the cushions, putting her at eye level with his crotch. His cock was firmly outlined behind the zipper of his jeans. Goddess, did she really want to play a game when that waited in his pants for her? She’d caused his bold erection. The knowledge brought a blast of pure pleasure.

  Jax snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. She jerked her gaze to his face.

  With a smirk, he pushed a controller into her hands. “Ready to lose?”

  “Win or lose, doesn’t really matter, does it?”

  He laughed. “I guess not.”

  “But, so you know, you’re going down.”

  “Figuratively or literally?”

  “Both.”

  His laughter cracked loudly in the air around her. “God, I need a cold shower after just talking to you. Why don’t you go grab us a couple beers from the kitchen while I fire the game up?” Jax picked up a remote and turned on the system, almost as easily as he’d turned her on.

  When she returned with two bottles of pale ale, she located coasters and set them down. Reclaiming her seat on the sofa, she squirmed, making herself more comfortable on the soft, buttery leather. The cushions hugged her body like a lover. If she won, she was picking this couch as the scene of her reward. She pulled her feet up and tucked them under her thighs tailor-style. Propping her elbows on her knees, she scrunched over to her favorite gaming position. Jax plopped down right next to her. He grabbed a controller, turned to her, and said, “Let the games begin.”

  While they played through the first level, it became apparent they were fairly evenly matched. But in a surprise move, Jax surged past her, defeating her strategic play.

  “That level to me.” He pointed to the table. “Pay up, Clio.”

  She set her controller on the seat next to her. She snagged the bottom of her navy-blue T-shirt and pulled it over her head, arching her back and jutting her breasts up. Underneath, she wore a snug fuchsia tank top. Holding Jax’s eye, she tossed the scrap of cotton to the center of the table. She pinned him with a look meant to say he wouldn’t win the next round. By the sudden gleam in his eyes, she was sure he was determined to defeat her.

  They resumed play without a word. This time, Clio set a course toward diplomacy, reserving some of her troops as security forces. Jax deployed his fighters in a blockade around the imaginary nation they fought for. Her strategy would be useful in helping him see a way through the Five Nations situation. She hoped.

  While she worked toward the peaceful resolution, she still used her security forces in sniper mode and decimated Jax’s army. Level over.

  “Damn, you’re good at this.” Jax’s voice was muffled in the dense fabric of his shirt as he pulled it off. Muscles shifted powerfully in his back and abdomen as he leaned forward to drop the shirt on top of hers. “I never saw that coming.”

  “I’m stealthy that way.” She gripped the handles of her controller more firmly. “Round three.”

  Play continued, each of them getting more intense, more focused on winning the game. For every armed action Jax executed, Clio countered with a reasoned response. She lost the next two rounds. Her bright pink undershirt and her white shorts joined the pile on the table. Jax pressed a kiss to her breast above the black bra she wore. Then he trailed his fingers up her spine, from the elastic lace of her boy-short panties to the nape of her neck.

  Using the powerful distraction of her body and a carefully veiled, gentle nudge his direction, Clio won the next round. They were both down to their underwear. Knowing they were so evenly matched, she decided she wasn’t above cheating a little. She’d never thought to influence an electronic game, but it was worth a try. She couldn’t nudge the game so she turned her gift on herself. Her fingers flew on the controller, defeating Jax’s massive troop buildup with diplomacy and an economic resolution. Exactly the same way she hoped to help him resolve the situation in Bulgaria.

  The hunk of plastic that had become an extension of his arms as they’d played clunked loudly on the table when Jax tossed it down. “How did you do that? Your solution should never have worked. You obliterated my position without much loss of life and manufactured a…a détente. A diplomatic answer. I’m stunned. I never lose this game.”

  “Guess you’ve met your match.” Clio dropped her gaze to his green boxers. “I believe the terms were place, position, and duration.”

  “I believe you are right.” His gaze smoldered with desire as he rose from the sofa.

  He hooked his hands in the elastic waistband and slid the fabric down his hips and thighs until it settled around his feet. His erection jutted away from his body when he stood straight again. He kicked the boxers away, then stood still waiting for her instruction.

  Her heart raced, the pulse pounding in the hollow of her throat. She licked suddenly dry lips. “Here,” she said as she uncrossed her legs and spun until her back was against the arm of the couch. She spread her thighs apart, exposing her core to his steamy gaze. “I think you on top, at least to start.”

  “And duration?” Jax braced one hand on the bolster behind her and leaned down, running the back of his knuckles down the slope of her chest.

  She captured his hand and flattened it over her breast, arching into the heat of his palm. “I wouldn’t be opposed to all night long, Jax.”

  Still standing next to the couch, he seized her mouth in a long, drugging kiss. Hooking a hand behind her knee, he jerked her down until she was prone on the soft surface.
He pinched his fingers on the front closure of her bra and freed her breasts. He put both hands on them, thumbing her nipples, squeezing gently and circling the areolas. The whole time, he plundered her mouth, stroking his tongue on hers, reaching as far in as possible before retreating, only to thrust again.

  He trailed his hands from her breast to her panties. In a smooth motion, he lifted her hips and swept the scrap of lace from her. He tossed it to the pile of clothes on the table.

  He pulled his lips from her mouth and kneeled between her legs, his gaze intent on her slit. Reclaiming one breast with his hand, he licked his index and middle fingers. With a wicked grin, he plunged two fingers deep inside her. She gasped then moaned, her hips rocking up, trying to draw his fingers deeper.

  “You’re already wet for me, Clio.” He sucked her nipple between his lips and worked her with deep thrusting motions in her sheath. The rhythm of his mouth matched the motion of his hand, and he pushed her closer and closer to the edge.

  Hot, bright sensation grew as he paid attention to all the parts of her anatomy begging for release. Delicious tension spun out of control and crashed over her in a rich splash of color, light, and sensation. She gasped out his name in a quiet squeak that ended on a sigh.

  He kissed his way down the center of her body, swirling his tongue in her navel before continuing downward. She pressed her heels against the cushion when he grasped her hips and lifted. He ran his tongue over her slit in a slow, languorous lap. Sparks shot off behind her eyes when he dipped his tongue inside her. He licked, dipped, and nibbled her, building her back to a frenzy.

  Unable to bear it any longer, she tangled her fingers in his dark curls and urged him up. But, dear goddess, he took his time. He lowered his chest to the vee of her legs, his hard muscles brushing firmly along her clit as he pushed upward. His erection lay heavily on her thigh. He kissed her belly, then her ribs. His abs flexed against her nub, setting her insides to quaking.

  “Jax, please,” she begged. She’d expire if he didn’t slide into her soon.

  “In a minute,” he mumbled around a mouthful of her breast.

  He rocked his pelvis to her center, making her whimper with need. He repeated the motion until finally the tip of his cock slipped beyond the barrier. He drew back a little farther, then pushed inside, again and again, going a little deeper each time. After minutes of the torture, he thrust hard, groaning as he merged fully with her. Filling her completely.

  He reared back and then slammed into her again. Circling his hips, he continued to brush her clit. Waves of pleasure pushed her along a tide so intense it made her heart pound. A spasm began in her center, and her muscles clenched. He turned his face into her neck when she lowered her hand to his ass and clutched him. She matched the movement of his hips, cradling him close, chasing after him. His groans sounded in her ear, his breath hot and moist against her cheek.

  Higher and higher he pushed until, like a champagne cork, she burst in a rush of fizzy pleasure. Jax bit the column of her neck as he came, the pain intensely pleasurable. He pounded hard, growling with each thrust. His rhythm slowed, but he continued to strain against her, into her.

  Spent, he collapsed on top of her with a rush of breath. “God, Clio!” His voice was like a drug as giddy elation claimed her.

  She rested her hands on the curve of his hips and flexed her fingers. She hummed quietly as ripples of aftershocks radiated through her.

  Jax lifted his hips slightly, allowing his dick to slip from her body. He settled between her legs again, maintaining skin to skin contact. He cleared his throat, a nervous sound. Opening her eyes, she stared at the ceiling, unsure of what was happening between them.

  He rose up on his elbows and gazed at her. “Look at me, Clio.” When she did, his brown eyes reflected the light from the television that they’d ignored in the heat of passion. But his emotion was unreadable. “We should talk about the challenge.”

  Chapter 15

  Well, shit. Nerves shot through Jax like a fucking Cupid’s arrow. That was never a good way to start a conversation. Clio struggled under him, rocking her hips in an effort to dislodge him from his spot between her legs. A spot he didn’t want to relinquish. Ever.

  Clio lowered her brow and narrowed her eyes at him. Residual sexual tension stirred his dick. But it wasn’t in the same way her mind-meld trick had affected him when she’d nudged thoughts at him. Seeing her squint must have made his cock react like Pavlov’s dogs.

  “Okay, that came out wrong. I don’t mean we should talk, like it’s been nice knowing you. But because I have questions.”

  “Oh.” Her voice was uncertain, but hope glimmered in her eyes.

  He kissed the tip of her nose. Reaching behind him, he grabbed the blanket draped over the back of the couch. He spread out the fleece, covering them. Not like it was necessary, but because he thought she might be more comfortable not completely exposed to the world. He balanced his weight on his elbows to keep from crushing her.

  “I have some questions about you as a Muse.”

  “I’ll answer what I can. But understand, I’ve never revealed myself this way before. Neither have any of my sisters. This is pretty uncharted territory for us.”

  “Gotcha.” He sucked in a deep breath and asked the question that had bothered him the most. “Are you immortal?”

  “My memories are immortal. But physically I’m mortal.”

  “Explain.”

  “I have a life span, just like a normal human. I’m born, I age…I die.” She toyed with a bit of fringe on the blanket. “My body exists on this mortal plane. My memories exist in Olympus.”

  “Hang on! Olympus is real?”

  She laughed. “Yes. It exists just beyond the veil of ether surrounding the earth. You can’t actually see it, but you can sense it. In those moments of déjà vu common among humans, you catch glimpses of it. But for the last two hundred years, it’s been run as a multinational corporation.”

  “Sweet. We’ll get back to that. Okay, keep going. What happens to the memories once your body dies?”

  “When I’m reborn, I come with all the accumulated memories of our entire life experience.” She sighed, her breath warm on his cheek. “Same for my sisters. We remember everything, which makes our jobs easier. None of us come into our gifts right away. We live in a period of dormancy when we can’t impact the world.”

  “So you’re all born and die at the same time?”

  “Goddess, no! My poor mother couldn’t handle a litter of nine. No woman could. We really are as mortals. Although I do have twin sisters.” Her smile was sweet as she talked about her sisters. “They are a matched set and always come together. But we come into our powers individually, even them. And we die separately.”

  “What happens to the rest of humanity during your dormant period?”

  “Depends. Bloody Mary Tudor sat on the throne of England one time. The Dark Ages were the longest periods. Our life spans weren’t as long then. Our worst time was during the bubonic plague. Had our powers not been dormant, we’d have found a way to influence world leaders to implement better sanitation.” She frowned. “Oh, and the Spanish Inquisition. By the time our powers emerged in the sixteenth century, the inquisition had been going strong. It’s hard to combat religious zealots. We’d just about get it under control, then we’d die. Life spans weren’t as long back then, you know. By the time we came into our powers again, the brutal Inquisition was back in full swing. It took a long time to fix that.”

  Jax toyed with the strap of the bra he’d opened, but they hadn’t managed to remove. The ages when the world seemed dim suddenly became a little clearer in his mind. “That explains a lot. Remind me to ask you about Napoleon sometime.”

  “Okay. But you should know he was actually compensating for his height by trying to conquer the world.”

  He laughed. The muscles in his shoulders were twitching, so he rolled off Clio and nestled in next to her. He tucked the blanket under her hip then rested
his hand on her flat belly. “How did you figure out using a diplomatic solution on the game? I’ve played that way, but diplomacy almost never works.”

  A becoming pink color washed her cheeks. “Um, I might have cheated a little.”

  “You mean like you used your power on it? You can cheat an inanimate object like that?” Incredible if it was true.

  She grinned at him. “Not on the game. But I gave myself a nudge to work faster to find the hole in your strategy. It worked.”

  He remained silent for a moment, contemplating her resolution. A light popped in the corner of his mind. Hers had been a sound approach. It made him think of the situation in Bulgaria. He struggled to not get his hopes up for a similar peaceful resolution overseas. “Is there a hole in the Five Nations plan?” If anyone knew, it would be Clio.

  She rolled on her side to face him and lifted her thigh over his. “Yes, we believe we’ve found a workable option to circumvent further bloodshed.”

  “We? Your sisters and you?”

  “My parents helped, too.”

  “Your dad, Zeus, right? King of gods?”

  She grimaced. “Yeah. Zeus and Gaia.”

  Jax snorted. “Of course. I’m not much on mythology, but I believe that.”

  “Jax, we can stop the Five Nations aggression.” She shoved up on her elbow until she was face-to-face with him, her blue eyes electrified by some glow from within. “We believe their motivation is greed. Bulgaria has something they want. Beneath their soil is a vast field of crystals. According to Mars, the Bul—”

  “Mars? Like God of War Mars?”

  “Yeah. He’s my uncle.”

  Jax groaned out a laugh and slid onto his back. He clutched her hips and urged her to straddle him.

  After shedding her bra, she propped her forearms onto his chest. The points at which the taut nubs of her nipples pressed against his chest distracted him. Shit, he had to focus. He sent his dick an at-ease command and was relieved when it sort of listened.

  She regarded him earnestly. “Anyway, according to Mars, the Five Nations need these crystals as an energy resource. Pierus is exploiting the situation of the five governments to help free his daughters and take over my father’s corporation. We believe he thinks your lack of success in the region previously would render it difficult for you to embrace the what if this time around. We disagree.”