by T. M. Cromer
She’d just sat up and threw back the duvet when he stepped from the en suite bathroom. A plush towel was wrapped around his waist and hung low on his hips, taunting her with its precarious position. His deep auburn hair was slicked back and still damp from a shower. He only needed a trident and he’d easily pass for a sea god.
Selene’s mouth went dry.
The searing heat of his gaze warmed her in all the right places as his eyes slid down her body. They paused overly long on the exposed length of her legs.
“Good morning.” The huskiness of his voice only added to the ache forming between her thighs.
“Good morning,” she replied softly. “What time is it?”
“Still early.”
“When do we need to meet the others?”
A small smile tugged at his lips as if he guessed where her line of questioning would lead—or where she wanted it to lead. Right back to bed!
“We have time yet.”
Time.
That one word sobered her. Time was running out for all of them. Should she grab what she could with both hands before the world as they knew it was gone? Before the Evil had its way and took over, destroying all the beauty and love to be had?
“What is it, Selene?”
A shiver ran the length of her spine. Preston had immediately picked up on her mood shift, and the only person who’d been able to do that in the past was Victor. Many times, he’d noted and used the slightest change to manipulate her. Was that what Preston was doing without her realizing it? Was he playing her?
With as much grace and confidence as she could muster, Selene rose to her feet. Wrapping in the robe left by their host, she avoided Preston’s all-seeing eyes.
She attempted to pass him, but his arm shot out and effectively halted her.
“Selene. Talk to me, love. Where did you go just now? It’s like your mind went on a side trip.”
Lifting her chin, she met his concerned eyes. “It’s nothing. Old ghosts creeping in to haunt me.”
“Nothing I’ve done?” He seemed troubled that he might’ve.
The chilling tension left her, and she placed her hand atop his. “No. Nothing you’ve done, Preston. It was the idea of time and how little we have left if we don’t find a way to stop the Evil.”
“That’s not all, though,” he said with a frown.
“I thought your brother was the empath.” She tried to sound teasing, but her tone fell flat.
“He is, but I’m observant. Especially with people I care about.”
Placing her palm along his chiseled jaw, she attempted a smile. “Thank you for caring. I’ll be fine after a shower.” She looked down the length of his tall frame, pausing where the towel rested below his ridged abdomen. Once again, the moisture fled her mouth as she silently counted the visible muscles. “Too bad you didn’t wake me so I could help you with all the hard-to-reach places.”
Her words had the desired effect, and his body’s reaction was immediate.
Glancing up beneath her lashes, she shot him a wicked look. “But you can help me reach mine.”
He moved so fast, she squeaked.
Without giving her a second to think, he swept her up into his arms and charged for the bathroom.
The large space was filled with his scent along with the refreshingly clean smell of soap. The combination was heady, and Selene soaked it up.
Preston set her on her feet and cupped her face between his large palms. “I just have one question—shower or bath?” A slow, seductive smile curled his generous mouth and made her weak.
“Shower.”
Without ever removing his gaze from her, Preston waved a hand in the general area of the Roman shower stall. The handles turned, and the overhead rainfall showerhead released a deluge of water. The hand-held wands sputtered, then settled on a steady stream.
“Hot?”
“Is there ever any question with you around?” she asked in disbelief.
His roar of laughter sent color rushing to her cheeks the second she realized he meant the water temperature and not her internal thermostat. “Hot is fine,” she mumbled.
Preston wove his fingers into her mussed hair and cradled the back of her head as he lowered his lips to hers. All the previous embarrassment fled along with any coherent thoughts she might consider forming. The boldness of his kiss shot a thrill along her skin, from crown to pinky toes and every place in between.
Christ alive, the man had a talented tongue!
Selene thought of all the other key spots he could use it on, and her knees gave way.
Quick on the draw, he wrapped his sinewy arm around her back and drew her against him, deepening his kiss. She moaned into his mouth and held on for dear life.
Walking her backward until they were under the spray, he hoisted her up. She experienced a second of panic when she remembered her clothing, but it faded as she felt the skin-on-skin contact.
Thank the Goddess for witchcraft.
Her breasts were squished against the hard wall of his chest, and she shifted to increase the friction. Her nipples tightened into hard buds, and she practically whimpered as he ducked his head to take one into his mouth. After he paid the proper homage to her left breast, he dedicated an equal amount of time to her right. She deeply appreciated his thoroughness.
Selene didn’t realized she’d said it aloud until he chuckled. This time, she didn’t give two flying flips about her silliness. She smiled down into his face as he lifted her and pressed her back to the tiled wall.
“Stay,” he murmured an instant before he dropped to his knees in front of her.
She gasped, unsure whether it was her reaction to floating above the floor or the touch of his tongue to her core. While she’d used magic to enhance sex in the past, she’d never had it used on herself. Nor had she hung suspended in the air as her lover laved her folds and toyed with her until she screamed his name.
He surprised her when he didn’t immediately enter her. Instead, he reached for the soap and turned her rag doll body to face the wall. His large hands used the slip of the suds to massage her shoulders and upper back. Working his way down her body, he cupped her buttocks and used his thumbs to massage the area between her legs.
Again, she moaned as she pressed her palms to the tile and locked her trembling knees to keep from dissolving into a puddle at his feet.
Using the hand-held wand, he directed the flow upward between her thighs. The water pressure made her catch her breath as it hit her clit, and when it turned icy cold, she cried out. Immediately it warmed, only to change to frigid again. The fluctuating pressure and temperatures were a sensation like nothing she’d ever experienced before, and she rode the wave to her second orgasm.
The smug smile on his face when she finally faced him made her roll her eyes. “I can now freely admit I was an idiot in the Otherworld for not taking you up on your offer to date the second we met.”
The flash of white when he grinned set her knees to trembling again.
The man was divine.
She wondered if he was even aware of his devastatingly good looks and what they did to a woman’s internal system, so she decided to ask.
His surprise was laced with a bit of embarrassment. Or so she believed when she witnessed the tinge of color highlight his cheeks. Selene loved his discomfiture. It spoke of the lack of conceit and the very real emotion he felt being with her.
Taking the shower wand, she knelt in front of him. His eyes flared wide then dropped to her mouth.
Selene magically adjusted the water pressure and ran it over the underside of his penis, teasing the tip before massaging his balls with the spray. Making eye contact long enough to shoot him a seductive look and matching smile, she took him into her mouth.
It was his turn to moan and gasp his way through her ministrations. As she felt his balls tighten, he drew back and cupped himself. He breathed in and exhaled a long moment later, stopping himself from coming by sheer willpower alone.
/> His lids lifted, and he stared down at her with wonder. Those soul-destroying eyes of his turned the color of molten lava, and a tight half smile curled his lips.
Selene sat back on her heels and watched him as he watched her.
“Why did you stop me?” She trailed her hands up his muscular thighs, making slow circles with her fingers as she worked her way back to his groin.
“Because I want to come inside you,” he replied. The husky quality of his deep voice couldn’t hide his honesty and the openly admiring look he sent her. “I want to feel your walls tighten around me as I thrust into you. I want to feel you milk every drop from me and inhale your cry of pleasure into my mouth.”
“Aw, fuck,” she whispered, turned on as she’d never been before.
“Precisely.” He hauled her to her feet and into his arms in one smooth motion.
Wrapping her legs around his waist, Selene lowered her mouth to his.
He used his index and middle fingers to stretch her and work her to the point of exploding for a third time, but before she could, he replaced his fingers with his dick. She purred his name as she felt the fullness of him for the first time. It seemed to ignite something within him, and his hips moved faster, and the constant piston motion became harder. Deeper.
She released a gasping cry with each thrust, begging for what only he could provide.
Shifting to place her back against the wall, he cradled her head with one hand and used the thumb on his other to circle her nub. The slap of skin on skin, the delightful pressure of his superhuman thrusts, the rasping moans he released as he lightly bit down on her nipple, all worked to send her spiraling over the edge.
He followed right after, and the shout of her name echoed off the walls around them.
With his face buried against the hollow of her throat and his ragged breath hot against her sensitive flesh, she felt herself grow aroused again. She’d done this. She’d had the power to bring this man to completion and have him cry out for her and her alone. It was a heady feeling.
Wearing a satisfied smirk, she tightened the walls of her vagina.
His groan was her reward. “Fuck, but you’re going to kill me.”
“And you me. But we’ll die extremely satisfied and happy,” she teased.
“You know it.”
Scooping her up, he tossed her over his shoulder and gave her a light tap on her ass.
“Let’s have round two in bed. I don’t think my legs will hold up to that again this soon.”
She laughed and caressed the beautifully rounded ass in front of her.
His second go rocked her world even more than the first, and Selene was ready to alter her initial impression of him as a sea god and declare him a bed god. She puffed out a breath, which was ragged since she was in short supply after what they’d just done.
He chuckled. “Did I hit all those ‘hard to reach places,’ my love?”
“Most assuredly. And then some.”
His laughter was deeper, more full-bodied this time. “Good. I’d hate to think I lost my touch after so long in the Otherworld.”
“Nope. No touch lost at all.” She kissed the rounded shoulder next to her. “Or if you did, I can’t imagine what sex with you would’ve been like before. Quite possibly, it might’ve killed me.”
He rolled on his side and propped his head on his hand. Blowing gently on her sweat-soaked skin, he cooled her body down, but with the same breath, he heated her up and sparked her desire for another round.
“I would give you all day to do that,” she murmured huskily as he eased down the sheet to expose her breasts. The moment the cool air touched her skin, her nipples contracted. “I’m not sure I’ve met anyone who uses their magic to such an amazing degree.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have all day, but I’m willing to steal a few more minutes to delight you with my talents,” he said.
She moaned his name when he sucked one of her tightly budded nipples into his mouth. “Delight away.”
Chapter 16
“We have to get dressed and go down, my love.”
“I know, but I don’t want to ruin my postcoital bliss.”
He laughed and stood up.
As he slid into his boxer-briefs, Selene used the last glimpse to admire his tight, toned ass. She wasn’t sure of his exact age—probably close to seventy—but damned if she could see where he’d been touched by time. Like most warlocks of his caliber, his body had stopped growing older at the forty-year mark. Genetics played a large part in a witch’s aging process. The Thornes were exceptionally blessed, and Selene was thrilled about it.
“Are you planning to lie there and ogle me all day, or are you joining the rest of us to save the world?”
“Tough choice. I’ll pick option one since I like ogling you.”
He grinned over his shoulder. “If you go that route, it won’t only be ogling you’re doing.”
“Preston Thorne, are you saying you’d dismiss your responsibilities as a hero and stay in bed with me?”
“In a second. I’m hoping you’re the honorable one here. I need you to force me out that door to deal with this mess.”
Selene expelled a long breath and climbed to her feet. “You really did kill my high. As soon as everything is back to rights, I’m chaining you to my bed for a good month.” She held up a hand when he would’ve spoken. “No, don’t argue. You owe me that, at least.”
“Who’s arguing? I was going to suggest two months minimum.”
A girlish giggle escaped Selene, and it surprised her. Rarely before had she experienced this level of teasing, and she loved it. With each layer of her reserve Preston peeled back, another fun part of her emerged. She adored him for waking her up to all she was.
“Sold. Two months to the ridiculously handsome man in the gray button-down shirt.” She pressed herself against him. “I’m afraid we have to seal our deal with a kiss.”
He gave her a quick hard peck. “That’s all you get. Anything more, and we’ll never leave this room.”
She grinned and reveled in his matching smile. “You’re onto me.”
“And stop trying to tempt me with sexy talk.”
“‘You’re onto me’ is sexy?”
“Absolutely. Especially when I want to be on you.”
Laughing, she escaped to the bathroom. She peeked around the opening to say, “I’ll meet you downstairs. I’m sure you want to check on Evie.”
“I do. Thank you for understanding.”
“I’d be a selfish person if I didn’t, agápi mou. Go now.”
After he left, Selene sat on the edge of the tub and pressed her hand to her heart. This morning had been a revelation. He wasn’t the first skilled lover she’d been with, but he was, by far, the most considerate. Perhaps their feelings for one another heightened the experience, but events had left her shaken and frightened of the future. If things should go wrong, if the Evil should come out the winner in this skirmish and if Preston’s soul was obliterated in the process, she’d never recover.
If she dug deep enough, she’d probably have to acknowledge she’d avoided relationships for this exact reason. Previously, she’d been terrified of her half brother’s reach. Now, he needed to be brought back to balance the scales of good and evil to make the Thornes’ plan work. If he could strike down Preston to make Selene miserable, Victor would do that very thing.
Closing her eyes, she prayed to the Goddess they would succeed. Any other outcome was unimaginable.
Preston found his brother on the terrace, a cup of coffee in hand and a grim expression on his handsome face. “Al? What’s happened?”
“Isis and Serqet consulted with Set. They will be the three who go to the Netherworld.”
“Did Isis say why she chose now to leave the Otherworld? I thought the risk was too great?”
“She’s been watching our progress from her side and wanted to speed up the process. Apparently, things are taking a turn for the worse there.”
“I’m glad she’s here. I would think having Isis on our side is a good thing.”
“It is. But they’ve picked the witches and their counterparts who will accompany them.”
A sliver of unease pierced Preston. “Who?” But he feared he already knew.
Alastair straightened from where he rested his elbows on the railing and turned toward him. “Damian and Isolde, of course. Spring and Zhu Lin. GiGi and Harold Beecham. You and Delphine. Selene and—”
“Victor,” Preston finished for him. “Fucking hell! The sickest individuals with the greatest grudges against us all, a goddess we can’t trust, and our cousin who would likely shoot me through the heart herself in place of her henchman this go around.”
Preston understood the pairings. One of the two had ultimately been responsible for the other person’s death to a degree. Although his sister, GiGi, hadn’t killed Beecham, she’d set up the plan and provided her husband with the knife. The pairings drove the stakes higher and made their task fraught with danger.
“I tried to take Spring’s place against Zhu Lin, but Serqet wasn’t having it, and her siblings agreed there had to be a male-female balance among the pairings as well.”
“Spring killed Lin, GiGi set up Beecham, Delphine ordered my death, and Victor killed Selene,” Preston said, easily figuring out the connections. “Doesn’t it throw off the balance having the Aether there? After all, he killed Isolde.”
“Technically, that was a joint effort by him and Nathanial.”
“Right.” He ran a hand through his hair and met his brother’s probing gaze. “What else aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing. I’m waiting on the others to arrive to inform them of the decree from our godly trio.”
“Then what’s your thoughtful look for?”
Alastair’s lips twisted. “I’m curious how well you slept, little brother.”
Preston glanced down at his person. Nothing seemed to be out of order. “Why?”
His brother laughed. “You look more relaxed than normal. I imagine your lovely companion from the Otherworld is responsible.”
“Shut it, Al. I don’t kiss and tell.”
