Breathe (TITANS, #2.5)

by Sotia Lazu

  He didn’t fuck like a man hung up on another woman.

  Palaemon ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, and she sucked on it hungrily. Her eyes were still closed when he whispered, “Whatever you may be, you’re mine now.”

  And there went her postorgasmic buzz.

  She lowered her leg, pried her eyes open, and batted playfully at his shoulder. “That’s pretty caveman of you.” Wait. Did he predate those?

  “Caveman?” He frowned and rolled to the side, watching her face.

  Sitting up took too much effort, so Christina stayed where she was. Her toes and fingers still tingled, and her brain was foggy, but she had to make things clear. “Yeah. The whole mine thing is rather primitive. We just had sex. It’s not like we got married.”

  He flicked a finger over her nipple, which strained into his touch. “I see you’ll need more persuasion.”

  “To what?”

  He shrugged and pinched her nipple. Hard. “Accept that you belong with me.”

  Christina’s heart jumped, and a fresh wave of desire coiled in her stomach. She wouldn’t let her primal instincts dictate her life, though. “I just met you. I’m only here till tomorrow.”

  But Olivia belonged with Hyperion from the moment they met.

  That was different. Olivia and Hyperion were destined soulmates. Christina and Palaemon were simply freakishly compatible in sex.

  Palaemon ducked to lick a trail between her breasts. “You’re not leaving.”

  Unf. Why did she hold his head to her, instead of pushing him away? Why was she reacting to him so viscerally?

  “Because you’re mine,” he murmured against her skin and blew a breath down the wet path he’d drawn with his tongue. His fingers slid between her legs. She was sore, but she opened for his touch, and he slipped two fingers inside her. “I feel it. I know it. My hearts beat for you.”

  Hearts? “How many...?”

  He pumped his fingers lazily. “Two.”

  She knew from the start that he wasn’t human, but the reminder startled her back to her senses. She took hold of his hand with both of hers and pushed him back. “This was fun, but I need to shower and get some sleep. Early day tomorrow. Breakfast with the king, and all.”

  Palaemon stretched out on his back. “Go clean up. I’ll be here.”

  She sat up and bit her lip. “Umm... I kind of meant sleep alone.”

  A grin tugged at one corner of his mouth. “I don’t think you realize what happened here. You’re mine, and I plan on fucking some sense into you.”

  That shouldn’t be so appealing, damn it.

  Chapter Six

  Palaemon didn’t recognize himself, but he liked who he became when he was with her. He’d always been assertive in his life, except when it came to women. Intense relationships were unstable relationships and could lead to broken hearts—or killing tendencies, like when his father, driven mad by the gods, tried to kill him and his mother. It was why Palaemon didn’t listen to his instincts when it came to females.

  He was all about compatibility. A good relationship wasn’t one based on passion, but one that revolved around common interests and goals. Yes, he wanted genuine affection, but not the kind that came with wanting to touch the other person every chance he got.

  Which was why this intense hunger he felt for Christina couldn’t possibly lead to anything good. She was human. Mortal. She had a life on land. She was mouthy and opinionated.

  She was also gorgeous and witty and funny.

  She was his.

  Everything else paled and faded into oblivion. He had her, and he would keep her.

  His cock stirred at the memory of her lithe form pressed to his body. Why did he ever let her get out of bed?

  Well, no reason not to join her under the shower.

  He jumped out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. The handle turned easily, and he let himself in and took a moment to watch as Christina lathered her hair. Her head was thrown back, allowing him a wonderful view of her full breasts, taut stomach, and round hips. And at their apex, that perfect, smooth triangle he wanted to get lost in. But what made his hearts beat faster was the sweet, satisfied smile curving her lips. He’d put that smile there.

  “Mind if I join you?” he asked. He’d done enough telling for now. He didn’t want to scare her by accosting her in the shower.

  Christina batted her long eyelashes, and then widened her eyes comically when she dropped her gaze from his face. “Don’t you have a not-hard version in this form?”

  Palaemon took that as a yes and stepped under the water spray. “Not when you’re within a couple kilometers’ range.” He moved behind her and took over soaping her up, enjoying the opportunity to massage every square centimeter of her incredible body. She moaned as he dug his thumbs into the knots at her shoulders, and sighed when he cupped her breasts, working the lather into them.

  As he circled from her hips to the small of her back, she leaned forward and pressed her palms flat on the mother-of-pearl wall. She waggled her bottom and looked at him over her shoulder. “I’m especially dirty down there.”

  The faint red mark of his palm on her skin mesmerized him. He wanted to spank that round ass till it glowed like a Pacific spiny lumpsucker, but he’d save that for later. For now, he massaged each cheek slowly, before running his thumbs forward between her legs, along her labia.

  His cock throbbed painfully, and her pushing back into him made it harder to resist, but he wanted to drive her dizzy with desire before he impaled her on his shaft. He glided the edge of his palm along her slit, wedging his fingers between her nether lips, to rub her clitoris, but withdrew it when she bucked her hips. “Hold still, and I’ll make sure to clean you properly,” he said.

  Christina’s grumbles were silenced when he turned her to face him and dropped to his knees on the wet floor. Hands on her hips, he helped her lift one leg over his shoulder, so he could bury his face in her pussy. Partial shifting was part of his skill set. All it took was half a second of intense focus, and he was pushing a long, raspy tongue inside her. Christina dug her nails in the back of his neck and shook so hard, he had to still her trembling leg with his palm before she collapsed.

  “How are you doing this?” she asked. “No. Don’t tell me. Keep doing it.” The words drifted into a moan.

  He replaced his tongue inside her with his fingers, and licked her sensitive button.

  Christina shivered. “Again. More.”

  Insatiable little thing. Not that he complained; he could feast on her forever.

  “Less talking, more eating me out,” she said.

  What? He hadn’t talked. He slid his fingers out of her, to give her clit a hard pinch. He wouldn’t be talked to like that by his mate.

  Christina rocked into his mouth until he plunged his elongated tongue back inside. “I’m sorry. Do your thing. Won’t talk again,” she managed between panted breaths.

  Could she hear him, like when they were underwater? Impossible. He shielded his thoughts, just in case, as he clasped her ass with both hands and lost himself in the sleek smoothness of her pussy.

  The way she moved her hips, his ring finger brushed the starfish of her ass hole. She stiffened for the briefest of seconds, and then pushed back against it.

  Oh, she was wicked, and he should fuck her every hole until she didn’t have the energy or the inclination to ever leave his side. But first, he owed her an oral release. He twisted and flicked his tongue, grazing the spot inside her that made her tense and clench and shudder.

  “God,” Christina muttered, pumping her hips wildly, fucking herself on his tongue.

  No, not God. “Palaemon,” he thought at her as he pressed the first knuckle of his middle finger past the tight ring of muscle.

  Christina jerked.

  “Relax,” Palaemon sent her, inching his finger deeper inside her ass, while his tongue mapped every inch of her pussy. “Trust me.”

  Chapter Seven

  Trust him? S
he didn’t know him. And yet when he wedged a second finger back there, where she’d never allowed a touch before, she clenched her teeth against the pain and focused on relaxing her muscles. After his first few careful thrusts, the pain lessened into a throbbing that added to the pleasure building up in her belly. Could she be enjoying this? She’d been brought up to think of anything anal as taboo. This was wrong. So wrong. But it felt incredible.

  “Should I stop?” She heard Palaemon’s question clearly, though his mouth was pretty full.

  “Don’t you dare,” she hissed.

  He kept fucking her with his impossible tongue and his long, thick fingers, until pleasure overtook every other sensation. She was the ball of fire in her belly. She was his.

  Palaemon withdrew his tongue and closed his lips around her clit. One hard suck, a grazing of his teeth, and he sent her hurtling into an orgasm that had her head thudding against the wall and her body jerking.

  Palaemon held her upright while he stood. He rinsed both of them, and then gathered her in his arms, to carry her to bed, sated and soaking wet.

  “Why could I hear you in my head?” she asked. Her lips were numb, and she felt drowsy, but she had to know. “Is it because we’re underwater?”

  Palaemon lay down beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist, to tuck her into his side. “That only works inside the water. This is because you’re mine.”

  He sounded so certain, for a heartbeat she could accept the idea. What would she leave behind, if she stayed with him? Her parents were on the other side of the freaking world, and her best friend was busy living her own impossible whirlwind romance. Christina had no place of her own and no career to speak of. Could she stay here?

  No. That was crazy. She’d miss the mall and the movies and moonlit strolls on the beach and eating fried calamari or anything not based on sea flora.

  But if she left—when she left—she wouldn’t have this, possibly ever again.

  “Sleep,” Palaemon whispered against her temple. “I have more in store for you before breakfast.”

  Using his broad, hard chest as a pillow, his twin heartbeats thundering under her ear, she gave into her exhaustion.

  Something tickled her lips. She averted her face, but the smooth thing nudging at her mouth followed.

  Christina opened her eyes, to get an eyeful of Palaemon’s huge cock hovering in front of her face. He half-knelt on the tall bed, fist around his shaft, and waggled his eyebrows at her when she sought his gaze. Part of her wanted to be upset that he’d wake her up to suck him off, but she wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to taste him. This would be her last chance. She parted her lips and flicked her tongue across the bulging head of his erection.

  “Take it in your mouth,” he said.

  Gladly. She stretched her lips around his girth and sucked tentatively. He tasted like the ocean, and she ached to drown in him. She rubbed her tongue along the underside, as she took in more of him. He filled her mouth until her jaw ached. If he went any further, she’d choke. But she was hungry—ravenous—for him. Letting her teeth graze his length, she pulled back and then sucked him in again. He felt like barely controlled power, encased in satin.

  She wanted to snap his control.

  With a growl she couldn’t believe came from her chest, she closed her hand as far as it could go around him and sucked harder, twisting her grip on every downstroke. Palaemon groaned and thrust inside her mouth, her hand keeping him from bottoming out. “You’re incredible.” He fisted his hand in her hair and forced her to look up at him as he drove forward. “What have you done to me?” His blue eyes glowed, and the words came out choked.

  She was doing this. And she would make him come apart, like he did her. She sucked for all she could, bobbing her head faster, stroking him harder.

  She tugged on his balls and felt them tighten.

  “I am going to come,” he said through gritted teeth.

  Good. She sucked for all she had, pumping him so fast her forearm ached with the effort, until he spilled in her mouth. Thick, hot, salty cum coated her tongue and slid down her throat, and Christina swallowed greedily.

  She’d done this. She’d made him come. And all before she even got out of bed. A giggle escaped her lips, and he draped his body over her and kissed her so thoroughly, laughing was the furthest thing from her mind.

  He made love to her, slow and gentle, introducing her body to more pleasure than she could ever fathom. By the time they lay facing each other, his fingers tracing patterns on her breast, she felt severely dehydrated, and her stomach grumbled.

  “You’re lucky it’s time for breakfast.” Palaemon kissed the tip of her nose and sat up.

  He’d leave. They couldn’t show up together for breakfast with the royal family. Nereus wouldn’t allow one of his generals to be with a mortal. Besides, Palaemon might not want Pherusa to know what he and Christina did last night. The thought felt like a punch to the gut.

  Palaemon held out his hand. “Aren’t you coming? We need to put some food inside you before I ravish you again. I don’t want you fainting on me.” He gave her a feral grin. “Or under me.”

  She took his hand and stood, trying to ignore her heart thundering behind her ribs. They were going together? What would he tell the king and queen? Or Pherusa?

  “That you’re mine.” His voice rattled in her head. “And I’m keeping you.”

  “Don’t I get a say in that?” She should have sounded more assertive, damn it.

  “You’ll get your chance to dispute my claim before King Nereus. He’s a fair man. I’m sure he’ll see how you cannot stand me, and order me to stay away from you.” Was he mocking her? He was mocking her.

  She slapped his perfect ass—God, she’d miss this ass—and squealed when he returned the favor leaving her ass cheek stinging. Her lower body still throbbed from his attentions, and the seaweed robe scraped her skin as if it were made of rawhide, but she enjoyed the prickling. She tied the sash tightly. Would everyone be able to tell how she and Palaemon spent the night? Could they smell him on her? Her cheeks burned. “Do we have time for another shower?”

  Palaemon shook his head as he put his breastplate in place and secured it. “The horn has sounded.”

  It had? “I didn’t hear anything.”

  “The witch has bespelled it so only the ones it’s meant for do.” As if that explained everything. Then again, the witch had made her speak fluent Greek within seconds, so everything was possible.

  Palaemon buckled the bottom half of his armor. “Ready?”

  Christina nodded and looped her arm through his. Let this surreal scenario continue for another couple hours. Soon, she’d be heading home.

  Chapter Eight

  He rolled his eyes. She wanted to go? Fine. She’d be back. He’d make sure of it.

  He led her to the ballroom, their fingers tangled together. Carp, they were the last ones here.

  Palaemon pretended not to feel the weight of everyone’s gaze on them, especially when he pulled out a chair for Christina and she winced as she sat. Feeling proud for his lingering effect was inevitable.

  Pherusa nudged Prometheus, and they exchanged a funny look. Beside her, Halie tried to hide a smile, but her mirth was reflected in her eyes. Delphinos studiously avoided Palaemon’s gaze. So much for male solidarity. Palaemon sought out Nerites with his gaze. The prince of Vythos wasn’t at his mother’s side, like he usually sat, but at the far end of the table, laughing with a gaggle of his sisters—Palaemon still mixed up most of the Nereids’ names when they were all together. Technically, they were laughing. Nerites wore that half-smirk of his that had replaced more joyful expressions in the long centuries since he lost Aphrodite.

  Palaemon clasped Christina’s shoulder as he sank in the chair beside hers. He’d seen what losing true love did to a male. He refused to suffer through it.

  Olivia patted Christina’s back. “Nice,” she whispered, but not so low he didn’t catch it.

  Christin
a didn’t react. She looked at the plate in front of her, twisted it a half-circle, and dug in. “Mmmm... This is incredible. What is it?”

  Nerites studied Palaemon’s face with an amused expression. “Unferitilized roe with seaweed. It’s good for building stamina.”

  Christina coughed, and Palaemon passed her a glass of seaweed juice.

  “I’m okay.” She held up her hand. “It just went down the wrong way.”

  The memory of her swallowing his seed made him choke on his saliva. He thumped his chest with his fist, not that it did much good through the steel of his breastplate. He cleared his throat and leveled his gaze on the king. No reason to delay this.

  “King Nereus, if I may.” Palaemon watched as Nereus’ chin lifted imperceptibly, the smile fading from his lips. This was the king’s holding-court face. “I would like to...” Palaemon’s self-assurance wavered, but he focused on his goal. “I would like to stake my claim on the human female, Christina.”

  “What?” Christina sputtered, flakes of dried seaweed flying out of her mouth to land on the pristine white tablecloth.

  Olivia didn’t take it much better. Her eyes threw light-bolts when she leaned on the table to glare at him from Christina’s other side. “Excuse you? There will be no claiming my friend.”

  “Yeah, there will be no claiming me.” Christina’s protest sounded marginally less fiery and was easily squashed when he closed his mouth over hers.

  King Nereus cleared his throat, and Palaemon pulled back from the kiss, bolstered by the fervor Christina returned it with.

  “You do realize I cannot condone a forceful claim.” Nereus’ tone was grave. “Even if I didn’t have fifty daughters and a wife—a lovely, patient wife—who’d have my gills for it, I will not sanction a union unless both parties are willing.”

  Palaemon smiled. “Forgive me, my liege, but our union isn’t what I seek permission for.”