by Lawrence, S
"Some he had to kill, some the hellhound will kill, but Jason always tries to save them first." Her voice is sad. I reach out for her hand and she grips mine tight as she starts to pull me down the hall. "Now, I wonder how do you feel about Jason?"
"Umm, well, I mean, I don't really know him." I don't want to say that I've dreamt of him since I saw him that first night. I can't say that I consider the beast mine. How do I explain that I'm drawn to the broken ones, the damaged ones? Aislin long ago pointed out my weakness for men that are so like my daddy. How many times has she held me after I realized that one couldn't or wouldn't let me love him? It is that part of me that can have sympathy for Arias. It looks at Jason and wants to be the place he falls, the person that holds his secrets. I look up and she is smiling at me. I realize that the goddess and I aren't that different.
"He will not be easy. He built a wall to protect himself. He thinks it is to protect others but my Jason, he guards his heart. Your friend penetrated that wall." I grin. That sounds like Aislin. She has a light in her, hidden behind her own wall. When she lets you see it, lets you in, well, you feel like the most special person in the world. I saw hers the moment I met her in fifth grade and I swore to protect that part of her.
"If she chooses you, it is for life. He has no idea. Soon he will realize what he has in her." I grin again, picturing her protecting him.
"I believe he will soon realize what he has in you." My eyes fly to her face at her words.
"What does that mean?"
"You'll see." She opens the door I didn't realize we had stopped in front of and gently pushes me through. I stumble and stop, turning to look at her, but the door is already closed. I turn back and see Jason standing tensely across the room. An instant later, he is right in front of me, and I jump, startled.
"Jesus, don't do that. Are you trying to give a heart attack?" My voice sounds like a harpy, and I sigh. "Sorry. Listen, it's been a very trying couple of weeks."
His eyes are scanning over my body, and I'm surprised at the hint of heat in them. I mean, I know I look like shit. Really couldn't I meet him looking my best. I want to cry suddenly. I tromp over to the bed and throw myself over it, sulking like a child.
"Are you alright?"
"ALRIGHT! Alright. AM I ALRIGHT?!" I'm screaming and I can feel a breakdown coming. "NO! I'm not fucking alright. I've been kidnapped. Watched someone get eaten by rats. Saw someone get their throat slit right in front of me... Twice. Had my brains scrambled by a goddess. Had all my memories of love stolen. Was made to believe I loved the man who kidnapped me. Had sex with that man. Broke my ankle. Was locked in a temple with a giant hellhound. Had to slit my wrist to save him and now I'm stuck in HELL. NO, I’M NOT ALRIGHT!" My body is shaking with my sobs and anger. "And I need a goddamn shower and some clean clothes." I let go. I know somewhere deep down I'm safe with him. Well, as save as a girl can be in hell. I let it all break free and vomit it all out. Every emotion I have shoved down, every fear and every terror bubbles to the surface.
56
JASON
I'm frozen by her outburst. I want to comfort her but I'm almost positive she won't accept it right now. I look helplessly at the wall. I know someone is watching. I feel the magic flow through the room and her face whips up, eyes narrowing as she quarters the room. I've seen that stance in the Druids and I wonder at how much her father trained her. I also wonder at her ability to feel the power. Her hand goes to her temple rubbing it. I wonder if it is all powers she feels like pressure. She can't stop them but she is aware of them, or maybe this is new. A door appears across the room and she stares at it before turning to me.
A hiccup and then she sniffs before speaking, "Did you do that?" I shake my head. "Who, then?"
"I don't know, maybe Perséphone or Orpheus." I glance back at the wall.
"Are they watching us?" I nod. I see her anger flare to life the instant before she jumps down from the bed and stalks over to the new door. She glances back at the wall.
"Wait!" She looks at me, concerned. "Let me check it first." My beast is fighting me wanting to protect her. Her eyes widen and she steps back. I know my eyes are red.
"Are you okay?" Her fingers point at her eyes and she raises her eyebrows.
"Yes, he's a little hard to handle right now." I can't tell her he is clawing at my insides, that he claims her as his.
"Hmm. She turns me to her, pulling on my arm and leans in until we are almost touching as her scent wraps around me. It is heady and exotic. "Beastie, you need to settle down. I'm sure you would keep me safe, but I really need Jason here right now. Please." Her voice is soft but stern and I see him in my mind circle twice before laying down. I stare at her gaping. She smiles up at me before smirking and shrugging. "He likes me."
She steps away and points at the door after a moment, and I shake my head. I glance at the wall, worried at who might have seen what just happened. She follows my gaze and studies the wall before coming back close. Her hands reach up and cup my face, and I shudder. Emma pulls my head down, her lips go to my ear, and her warm breath whispers over it. "I shouldn't have shown them, should I've?"
I barely move my head side to side. I hear her mumble ‘fuck’ before she steps back. I smile at her; I get why Aislin loves her so much. She is a force. Reaching around her to grab the door handle, I open it and look in over the top of her head. I smile definitely Perséphone. I place my hands on her shoulders and turn her, grinning at her sigh.
"Oh, yes!" She groans.
My body flares to life. An image of her over me, her hair wild in her passion, her voice thick with need, and those words coming out of her mouth plays on a loop in my mind. The sound of the door closing pulls me from the fantasy, and I realize she went into the spa-like bathroom Perséphone made for her.
Turning to face the wall, I debate what to do. If Hades is standing there, calling for them to come in will only heighten his interest in Emma. Do I chance it? I hate indecision. The door opens, making the choice for me. Perséphone walks in a huge smile on her face. Why is she so happy?
"She did it. She calmed the beast." She is practically vibrating. "Aislin was right."
"What are you talking about? Aislin was right?"
"Nevermind that. We have to get her out of here. He lifted my ban from this room obviously, but he will know if she leaves. I don’t, nor does anyone else, have the power to cloak her from him here." She stares at nothing, after a moment she looks at me. "We have to make him think it is his idea. He will come to watch soon. He is intrigued with your relationship."
"We don't have a relationship; we just met," I argue.
She just looks at me, and I don't like what that look says. She knows me too well. She saw my reaction. She turns and moves to the door, stopping to look back over her shoulder.
"She is the key."
The door closes behind her. "The key to what? What does that mean?" I growl in frustration. I stare at the closed door for a minute and then two, until a hint of jasmine and ylang-ylang hits my nose. I am halfway to the bathroom before I realize it. I stop to listen and I hear her humming a slow, sexy song. I imagine her undulating under the hot water and swallow. Suddenly, I am at the door, my hands gripping the frame. I want her. I've wanted her since I first saw her pixie face on Aislin's phone, since I first caught her scent at the hotel, since I held her in my arms here in this room. Mate. That word terrifies me. I don't know how to be that; I can barely be a friend.
A sound draws my attention. I lean close to the door, pressing my ear against. I filter through all the other noises and latch on to her sobs. She is sobbing even while humming. She is killing me. I again stand undecided, until I hear her slide to the floor. I throw the door open and stride to the glass shower door.
Throwing it open, I step into the shower, the heat and steam hitting me. Her skin is bright red, and I hiss when the scalding water hits my skin as I sit behind her, wrapping my legs and arms around her. She flinches before collapsing into me, her han
ds clutching at my shirt. We sit this way until I fear for her skin; the water here will never grow cold. At last, I pull her into my arms and stand, carrying her from the shower. I sit her on the stool near the mirror and move away to get us towels. I wrap her in the biggest towel I've ever seen, tucking it around her. Taking a smaller one, I move behind her and start to dry her hair. I don't speak and she sits, knees drawn up, tears sliding down her cheeks. Her hair is only damp when she lowers her feet to the floor, and reaching up to catch my hand, stops it.
"Thank you," she whispers.
Her face turns up to mine. Her eyes are red and puffy but the green is brilliant, a dark emerald color. They study me as I stand still, waiting. I want to kiss her. I want to hold her until the sadness leaves her. In this moment, I hate that my power doesn't work. I would take her memories to ease her pain.
"You are all wet." I smile a little at the surprise in her voice.
"Yes, well, that happens when you sit in the shower."
"I'm sorry about your clothes."
"They are only clothes." She is still watching my face.
"Can they see in here?" I shake my head. "Good. That's good."
She releases my hand, standing and turning to me. Moving around the stool, she comes in front of me, only stopping when I feel her breasts brush against me. I hold my breath as she rises up on her toes, pulling me down at the same time. Her lips are gentle on mine for a hesitant moment, and she pulls back a little, looking at me. She nods at whatever she sees, and my control snaps. I crush her to me. Lifting her in my arms, I crush my lips to her mouth, demanding more. Needing more. I invade as she sighs.
57
EMMA
Forbidden fruit or not, I am starving, and he is delicious. I sink into the heat of him, letting him take control. At some moment as I sat there and he dried my hair, the words I said to Aislin echoed back at me. I deserved to find happiness after everything. He feels like happiness, like a haven from the storm. His hands move from my waist to my ass, lifting me even higher, and my legs wrap around him. I am extremely aware of my nakedness as my core presses into the cold of his wet clothes. His brown eyes darken as my heat seeps into him.
Some part of my brain whispers that I don't know him, that I've hardly even spoken to him. But my soul cries out for him, reaching for something I can't understand. I stiffen for a second, wondering if someone messed with my mind again. He pulls away, panting. Fuck that's sexy.
"Are you alright?" His concern stamps out my worry. I hear Aislin's voice in my head "jump".
Pulling his mouth back to mine, I free fall. His tongue thrusts into my mouth, and I nip at it. A growl rumbles up through his chest, and I grin against his lips. Yes, my beastie likes me very much. We kissed for what seems like hours, but languorously, I feel him lower me to the floor. He smiles at my look before moving his hands from my ass to his shirt button. I swallow as he undoes them, sliding his shirt off. He stands before me, and I wonder if I'm drooling.
He had the vee, oh sweet baby Jesus, the vee. Turning, he threw his shirt across the vanity and I gaped. How could I not? He has the perfect back, muscles running down the sides of his spine and two little divots right at the top of his low slung pants. I can tell just by looking that his ass is perfection, solid grippable muscle. The kind of ass you can sink your nails into. It takes me a few seconds to realize he turned back around and I'm staring at his crotch. I look up lazily, savoring the trip to his face.
Da Vinci's man pops into my head. Perfection. I have a moment of self doubt until I reach his eyes, which are glowing with lust. He raises an eyebrow and looks down at my hands. I glance down and giggle when I see that my fingers have curved in at the thought of his delectable ass. I gradually relax them, raising them to curve into the skin on his chest. I felt powerful at his sharp intake of breath. I reveled in the heat of his hands as they did the very thing I had just fantasized about, his blunt nails curving into my ass, lifting me. The towel feels heavy against my skin. I shiver when he sets me on the cold marble counter.
He shifts between my knees, spreading them wide. His long fingers slide up my arms , along my collarbone, and over my chest until they reach where the towel is tucked. I hold my breath as he pauses, looking at my face.
"I want you so badly I can taste it. If we do this, there's no going back." His voice is deep and smooth, like a Werther's candy. God, I fucking love those candies. I can eat a whole bag like it was nothing. I push his hand out of the way and finger at the towel, watching his pupils dilate. This power is addictive. He locks eyes with me, and what I see there ignites a fire in me. I pull the towel apart and let it fall, pooling around my hips. I bite my lip at the look on his face. It is carnal. I smile. The beast plans on devouring me, and I open my arms, welcoming him.
His hand slides over my skin, fingers dancing over the freckles scattered on my chest. I'm panting and he's done nothing yet. His flattened palm slides down over my breast and stops, his heat seeping into me. My nipples tighten in anticipation. Slowly he kneads. He plucks at the peaks, gently at first, and my head falls back. His mouth finds the sensitive part of my neck, right below my ears, and I shiver. His fingers pinch just a bit harder, and I can't stop my back from arching.
Nine Inch Nails ‘Closer’ starts playing in my head. I pull him closer with my heels. He bites at my neck, and I groan. I trail my hands down his chest, marveling at the washboard rippling under my touch. My fingers trace the vee that makes us girls stupid. I glance down at the trail of dark hair that disappears into his jeans. Running a nail along it, I pause at the button before undoing it. His forehead comes up and rests on mine, his gaze going deliberately down my body until I feel the heat of it on my core. I push at the waist of his pants, wanting to see him. He steps back. My eyes lock on his hands as he lowers the zipper and slides the pants over his hips. His muscles ripple, and I swallow, gaping at what just sprung free. Oh my. His chuckle mortifies me as I look back at his face. I imagine I look like some cartoon character with my mouth hanging open. I peek back down and my face flushes. I'm obviously no virgin, but damn, he is... Mouthwatering. My hand has a mind of its own, and I like the way it is thinking. I drift toward him until his hand shackles my wrist. That breaks the spell, and I jerk my gaze to his smiling face.
"Not yet. I have had your scent tantalizing me for weeks now."
Huh, what? My scent? "I'm sorry, what?" I ask.
"You smell of jasmine and musk, like dark humid nights in a rainforest. I first smelled it in Scotland when I started tracking you, and it has haunted me every moment since. I plan to see if you taste as good as you smell." His voice is harsh with his lust.
My skin flushes with the image his words evoke. "Yes." I don't realize I spoke out loud until he grins, a very wolfish grin, sinking to his knees. His stubble slides over my inner thigh and goosebumps break out over my skin. He bites down on the top of my mound, and I lean back against the mirror, my fingers finding his hair. Warm breath blows over my center, and I tense in need. I get wetter as he runs one finger through my folds.
I hear panting and realize it is me. My fingers tighten in his hair as his tongue flicks out. His moan is my undoing; I am lost. The next second his fingers are gripping my ass, pulling me closer, and his mouth is devouring me, tongue thrusting, lapping and teeth nipping. I am climbing higher and higher. Spots dancing into my vision. I'm close already. So close, I'm climbing, spinning, flying. I open my eyes and look down. It is the look on his face that forces my orgasm from me. He growls and it vibrates through me, and I shudder. I can't catch my breath. I pull at his hair, wanting him in me, chanting his name. I am lost.
"JASON!" A deep voice jerks me from my ecstasy. His head falls against my pussy and I hear a growled “fuck” before he pushes to his feet.
I grab the towel and wrap it around quickly in case Hades decides to come on in. I should be mortified, but instead, I'm pissed.
"What the fuck do you want?" Jason yells through the door, moving to block it just in ca
se. I grin at him as he gingerly tucks himself back in his pants. Mouthing ‘sorry’, I slide off the counter and walk to him. Pulling his head down, I kiss him, kissing him until his hands are hard on me again. We both forget about the god on the other side of the door.
"I need to speak to Emma." His voice holds a bit of humor, I think, and I widen my eyes at Jason.
"Just a moment. I was just taking a shower. Let me get dressed." I make my voice sugary sweet. He mumbles something about some shower, and Jason and I grin at each other. I glance around and see a closet, praying whoever made this room made me some clothes too. Opening the door, I gape.
"Perséphone." Jason's voice is right behind me, and I lean back into his heat.
"He'll break the door down, right?" He nods into my hair, breathing deep. "Shit." His arms come around me, hugging me tight.
"Dress. I promise I'll get you out of here." He sounds so sure. I wish I felt the same way. I pull out a very expensive pair of black leather pants, they are like butter going on, and then pull a royal blue fitted sweater. No underwear. I turn, and his eyes are flashing red.
"What is it?" He draws in a deep breath, holding it for a moment, before crossing to pull out a pair of bright green flats. He kneels before me, sliding them on my feet. For a moment, I'm embarrassed at how beat up my dancer's feet are, but he rubs his thumb along the arch and I forget.
"He doesn't like the no underwear. Or maybe he likes it too much. He is fighting me." A growl tears up his throat, and I feel it vibrate over my skins.
"Beastie. Don't you realize I am yours. I am his and yours. You both belong to me." My hand cups his cheek and I gaze up into those red eyes, lost in them for a moment. I wonder if I've said too much when he just stares at me. Pounding on the door jerks me back to the room. Jason strides to the door, jerking it open, and a deep growl rings out in the room, one I haven't heard since the temple. I walk to his side and run my hand down his back, calming him. All the while, I stare into Hades’ blue eyes. Let him look, let him observe.
