Daughter of Persephone

by Helen Scott

  “Knox,” I pleaded as I tugged on his hair, but I wasn't sure what I wanted, other than that which I apparently couldn't have.

  When he pulled away and looked at me, it was as if he knew what was going through my mind. He stood and turned the shower off, grabbing a big fluffy towel from the rack at the end of the glass-walled area and wrapping it around me.

  I felt as if I were at one of those fancy spas where they give people a super fluffy robe to wander around in. He popped the door open on the shower and led me out through the bathroom and into the bedroom. For the first time, I got a good look at him naked, and my jaw dropped.

  In the shower, he had either been too close or I was being too polite, but now, as he walked in front of me, I could see the muscles in his ass working, forming perfect globes as he moved. When he reached the edge of the bed, he stopped and turned. My eyes had still been trained on his butt, so I got an in-depth look at his manhood, which was just as impressive as the rest of him.

  Some men weren't proportioned well, but Knox? Knox was perfect—tall, broad, muscular but without veins popping out all over the place, and well endowed. His cock bobbed up and down in front of me, the engorged length making me throb with need.

  My eyes couldn't get over the deliciousness in front of me, and as they traveled up to his face, I could feel his eyes roaming over my own body as though he were touching me. Our gazes finally met, and not only did lust fill his eyes but something tender, something deeply caring as well, which just about broke my heart.

  “Tell me when you want to stop,” he said roughly as he tugged me closer.

  “I don't want you to,” I breathed, knowing in my heart that it was true. This, the guys, it was all what I wanted.

  Knox looked at me, suddenly serious. “Think about what you're telling me, angel. I don't want you to get wrapped up in lust and do something you’ll regret.”

  “I'm not. I know what I want, and it's this, you, everything.” I paused and, with a sigh, admitted something that had been bothering me all morning. “Hunter was right. Sure, I'm trying to get my freelance business off the ground, but in the meantime, I have bills to pay, and that means working at that crappy bar, dealing with guys grabbing my ass or my tits whenever they want, and as much as I love Rox, I don't want to live with her forever. I want more. I want a fulfilling life full of love.”

  Knox's face darkened. I knew saying the L-word was a risk, but I thought he would understand. His hands rubbed up and down my arms as he just continued to look at me, his face inscrutable.

  “I'm not saying I love you right now—that would be ridiculous—but I think there is potential, don't you?” I withdrew my arms from his touch and crossed them in front of myself, feeling more vulnerable than ever.

  “I do. What's wrong?”

  “You're looking at me as if I'm crazy after I just poured my heart out to you and am standing here stark naked.”

  He chuckled. “I don't think you're crazy, angel. I think you're braver than most, certainly braver than me. You're taking a leap of faith and trusting us, which is more impressive and meaningful than I can explain.”

  “So that look is you being impressed with me?”

  He nodded. “I happen to think you're freaking amazing,” he said with a smile that melted my heart.

  “You don't think I'm crazy?”

  “Not in the slightest. Although, I turn into a hellhound, so, you know, crazy is relative to me. I do believe there is something between us, just like there is something between you and Emmett, and I would like to explore that as we get to know each other better, but right now, I would like to explore you.” The fire in his eyes was unmistakable now, and it stoked my own.

  “That sounds like a good idea,” I said in what I hoped was a sexy voice.

  Knox picked me up and turned to the bed, climbing on top with me still in his arms. Once we were in the very center, he gently set me down and propped himself above me. His mouth connected with mine in a kiss that stole my breath, leaving me tingling and gasping for more. It seemed now that the barriers were out of the way, Knox was even more talented than I’d realized. Lips, tongue, and teeth, everything was involved as he kissed his way down to my breasts, laving each nipple as though it were the finest delicacy in the world.

  When his fingers found my core again, I gasped as he slid two in, just like before. Between his mouth working my breasts and his hand working my pussy, I became a writhing mass underneath him, chasing the pleasure his touch promised.

  “Please, Knox,” I breathed as I ached for him even though he was already touching me. It wasn't what I needed—that was still frustratingly far away. I had yet to even be able to reach his cock, let alone stroke it or offer him as much pleasure as he was offering me.

  He pulled away from my breasts, and my chest heaved as I panted. A grin spread over his lips. “As my lady commands.”

  Slowly, his delicate kisses made their way back up to my mouth, and his hips pressed against my own. I could feel the blunt, soft head of him nudging at my entrance. When I arched toward him, he sank into me in one long, slow thrust that had me groaning with pleasure under him. The stretching and filling sensation was one I never tired of, and especially with a man like Knox, it was good to savor every moment. At least, at first.

  He pulled back equally slowly, apparently determined to drive me mad with need. There was nothing I wanted more than to feel that steady rhythm he'd used with his hands again, only this time, I wanted his hips smacking into my own as well. When he thrust back into me, I moved my hips to meet him. A moan that was closer to a grunt escaped him, and we began finding our pace together. When he was too slow for me, I'd move to meet him, and he would nip my earlobe, making me shiver in delight.

  Finally, he said, “If you keep moving like that, I won't be able to last.”

  I couldn't help but smile with glee, loving the effect I had on him. “Spoil sport,” I breathed as he moved into me once more.

  His hips met my own as he left himself fully sheathed within me for a moment, just rocking back and forth. I could feel him moving deep within me, and as I raised my hips even further, I helped him go deeper than before, to the point that I was gasping as we danced along the line of pleasure and pain.

  No other experience had prepared me for this. I had never had a lover like Knox before, and I felt as if all these years, I had been missing something and now I had found it. My very soul cried out as he began to move again. The tempo he struck was a steady, hypnotic beat that had my eyes closing from the sheer bliss of the moment.

  As soon as the darkness descended, everything seemed to freeze. I could see everything around me in so much clarity that it almost hurt to look, even though I knew my eyes were technically still closed. It wasn't just the outside, though, but the inside. My inside. My soul.

  It was a blazing fire, but not a natural-looking one. The flames were white and yellow but were also tinged with purple on the edges as they licked at the nothingness around them. They curled and wound around one another, and thanks to the purple outline, I could see that they formed a flower. At first, it was a daffodil, but as the flames morphed and changed, it became a lily.

  I had no idea what it meant, but I knew it was beautiful and more captivating than anything I had ever seen before. When I looked up again, I could see a similar fire burning within Knox, as if it were his very soul, but his fire was purple and only had yellow around the edges. I blinked, and suddenly, everything was unfrozen, and the fires were just in my mind’s eye, while Knox had paused above me, concern etched on his features.

  “Where'd you go?” he growled.

  “I'm right here,” I said, trying to smooth over what was obviously something unusual and get back to the decadence of having him inside me.

  “You went quiet and froze. What happened?” He started to pull out of me completely, but my hands stilled his hips before he could complete the action. Sure, he could have pulled past them, but I got my point across.

&
nbsp; “I think it was something to do with the bonding, that's all. Can we please get back to the business at hand?” I asked, nipping at his lower lip.

  He seemed satisfied with my answer and thrust back into me harder than before, pounding against me to the point that I was bouncing off the bed. I had never felt more alive or connected as I did with him. Knox leaned back and gripped my ankles with his hands, pulling my legs up and together so my feet rested on his shoulder. When he thrust into me again, I almost screamed with pleasure. He felt even bigger and harder than he had before, and I could feel myself stretched around him as he moved into me over and over again.

  The noises I was making should have been embarrassing, but I knew he was enjoying them by the way he responded. His hips slapped against my own, and suddenly, the steady rhythm he'd kept became stilted and erratic. Finally, he thrust hard into me, and from the growly yell he let loose and the pulsing of his cock within me, I knew he'd finished.

  A small part of me was sad that I couldn't join him in his release, in the wave of bliss that seemed to overtake him, but most of me was just satiated and felt as if I were made of jelly. When Knox pulled out and rolled next to me, he was breathing hard, but it didn't stop him from reaching for me and tucking me into his side.

  “Was that okay?” I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop it.

  “That was fucking amazing,” he said between pants. “You burn so bright. You are absolutely stunning, angel.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Poppy

  Sleep washed over me like the ocean over the shore. One moment I was awake, and the next, I was in a dreamland with just the memory of Knox and our phenomenal lovemaking dancing through my mind. A figure stood in the strange landscape that seemed to be morphing from one thing into another as soon as I looked at it. For some reason, it made me feel like Scrooge going to meet the Ghost of Christmas Future.

  I kept waiting for something to make sense—usually my dreams weren't so abstract—but as the figure got closer, it only confused me even more. There was nothing I recognized about her. I didn't remember ever seeing her anywhere before, so how had my brain created her?

  “Your brain did not create me, child,” she said, and I wondered how she knew my thoughts. Her voice was melodic, like birdsong, and made me want to just sit and listen to her speak. She seemed to glow with life; her sky-blue eyes and strawberry-blonde hair only enhanced the vibrant flowers that sat atop her head. Gentle waves of her hair fell around her face, while lilies and daffodils seemed to bloom between the locks. It reminded me of the fire I had seen burning within myself earlier.

  “Who are you?” I asked as my curiosity burned within me.

  “That is not important,” she said, waving my question off as she drew even closer to me. The dress she wore was a beautiful cream one-shoulder piece that looked elegant and casual at the same time, something I would never be able to pull off. “You need to go here tonight.” She waved her hand, and everything surrounding us changed.

  The floor rippled, becoming a black carpet with stark-white lines curving through it. Tables with spotless white tablecloths surrounded by black leather chairs seemed to appear out of nowhere, while in the middle of each table was a metal sculpture that drew the eye. Walls made of white pillars, pale paint, glimmering silver curtains, and smudge-free mirrors with the occasional piece of modern art closed in around us. Material draped in waves across the ceiling as though it were covering a skylight. Suddenly, through the windows, the city of Chicago lit up, giving the cold black, white, and silver motif a warmer glow. The Sears Tower was visible just to the right, rising out of the darkness like a giant, making my jaw drop.

  The woman began walking off to the right, and I followed. She led us into a large room clearly designed for private parties. The colors of the decor shifted slightly, turning the black into a gray-blue. It made the feel of the room softer and more casual. Balloons covered the ceiling, and while flowers decorated every table. At the very top of the flower arrangements was a tray displaying hors d'oeuvres. Each morsel looked designed to tempt and was almost too beautiful to eat, but plenty of the guests didn't seem to have a problem destroying the little creations.

  “Come here and find your fourth.”

  “Fourth what?”

  “Hellhound, of course.”

  “But Cerberus only had three heads,” I protested. The idea of adding a fourth person to our little group put me off balance, and I wondered how the guys would react.

  “That was when the world was much simpler, when gods were content with what they had and weren't trying to steal other realms.” The anger in her voice was more than a little unsettling. She turned to me, resting a hand against my cheek, and said, “Find your fourth, find your judges, and find your powers. Take the throne and be the queen I know you can be. They need you.”

  My eyes closed as I absorbed the sensation. I felt as if I were standing in the middle of a perfect spring day. Everything was warming, flowers were blooming, and animals were getting frisky. The world felt new again; I felt revived. When I opened my eyes, the area I was standing in was fading. The only clearly visible thing remaining was a logo on the door that looked like a mountain sitting on top of a tea cup, except the cup didn't have a handle. It was confusing, and as everything turned back into fog, I looked around for the woman I had been talking to, only to find her walking away.

  “Wait! You never told me who you were!” I shouted to her.

  She paused and turned. “You know who I am if you look deep enough within yourself.” And with that, she faded into the mist as well.

  I was alone when the blackness found me once more, and this time, I hoped for a dreamless rest. Sleep was elusive, however, and when I opened my eyes, I found Emmett lying on the bed next to Knox and me, his face slack with sleep.

  Part of me wanted to wake them both and tell them about my weird dream, but another part of me just wanted to go back to sleep and luxuriate in the two seriously fine men I was sharing a bed with. I was enveloped in warmth and the feeling of safety in a way I never had been before, and I truly cherished it. I rolled to look at Knox, only to find his eyes slowly blinking open. As I moved, Emmett's arm slid over my waist and tugged me back into him. My whole body sparked from his touch, and I wanted to claim him as I had Knox, but I wanted our own moment for that.

  “Hello, beautiful.” Knox's voice was gravelly with sleep as he spoke.

  “Hey,” I said, feeling unsure now that he was awake and I was apparently cuddling with Emmett. I reached my hand out, and he took it, dropping kisses on my knuckles. When he let go, I ran my fingers over the fine hairs on his chest, down to his taut stomach and the delicate line of hair that disappeared beneath the sheet.

  Knox rumbled his approval at my touch and slid closer, his brown, tawny skin looking like summer against my own pale skin. I was sandwiched between the two of them and could not have been happier about the situation. Seeing that Knox didn't mind my cuddling with Emmett gave me hope that this whole thing would work out. When I felt his hard velvet cock push up against my thigh, I shivered with desire.

  With a quick tug, Knox had me out of Emmett's arms and on top of him as we rolled so he was lying completely on his back. Naturally, my legs spread to either side of him, leaving my already aching core pressing up against his cock. When his hips rolled against me, I had to suppress a moan, or risk waking Emmett up.

  “We can't! Emmett's right there!” I hissed.

  “He won't care,” Knox said huskily as he pulled my head down for a kiss.

  When his lips met mine, fire flooded my body, and I felt myself preparing for him. His tongue delved into my mouth as he angled my head with one hand and massaged one of my breasts with the other. The idea that Emmett could wake up at any second somehow turned me on even more. I knew that once I'd been with Emmett, I'd want to try having a threesome. I just couldn't get the idea of being with both of them out of my mind, but in that moment, all that existed was me and
Knox.

  Small moans escaped me even though I tried to stay quiet, especially when his hips rocked against my own. The world narrowed to pinpoints of sensation—his mouth on mine, his hands on my breasts, his manhood moving against me. I gasped when he gently pinched my nipples. He bit my lower lip, and his hands moved down to my hips as he thrust up toward me. I hadn't even realized my body had pulled away, but when he made contact again, it was everything I could do not to call his name.

  I sat up, my hips hovering over his cock for a moment before I slowly lowered myself onto him. Every inch of him filled me, and his girth stretched me to the point that I had never felt so full. When our hips met once more, I began to rock, swaying my hips forward and backward, while his hands urged me on. After a moment, I knew I needed more and began pulsing up and down on his cock.

  His hands came to my breasts, massaging and rolling my nipples between his fingers, while his head fell back and his eyes closed in bliss. I increased my tempo and had to brace myself on his chest so I didn't fall over. My fingertips were able to brush his nipples in time with my movements, and soon, his hips were bucking off the bed to meet me.

  “Poppy, if you don't slow down, this is going to be over much faster than before,” he growled at me.

  I didn't care. All I wanted was to watch his face as his orgasm hit him full force. It was such a rare thing for me to have an orgasm at all, let alone from sex itself, that I had learned to take pleasure where I could, and watching a man's face as that moment hit was definitely something I found pleasure in. So instead of slowing as he wanted, I rode him even harder. Part of me delighted in the pounding rhythm I set, while the rest of me enjoyed the touches, looks, and small growls he gave me. I let my head fall back as his hands gripped my hips once more. The sensation of him filling me was one I wanted to commit to memory.

  Movement to the side of the bed drew my attention, and when I looked, I found Emmett watching us, his eyes drowning in lust while his hand worked his shaft. I froze as a blush screamed up my cheeks, and I wondered what we must look like, what he must think of me having sex with his friend while I was in bed with both of them.