His hand started to caress my back; my eyes closed as I fought the moan wanting to escape from my mouth. Jesus, was he just touching my back? Because it felt a lot like he was touching other places. I wanted to grab his hand and shove it between my legs...
“Maisey,” he said, lips brushing my ear. I made a noise in my throat but didn’t turn to him.
“Look at me,” he asked with more force, and no matter how hard I fought the pull, I had to look at him.
Blazing blue eyes, the gold in them like a melting pot of secrets. “Why do you turn away from me?” he whispered, that hand still stroking my spine, ignitingotherparts of me.
Swallowing hard, I tried to find moisture in my mouth. Pretty sure it had all gone south.
“You’re … too much,” I finally choked out. “I don’t think I can have a taste and then walk away when this is all done.” There. I’d laid myself bare. I said it.
An angry rumble rocked the balcony we were on, shaking it slightly, and I could see the other guests looking around like they were worried about earthquakes, but I knew it was all Cronus.
“Why would you walk away?” he asked, his voice low enough that only I could hear.
A sad laugh left me. “You’re a god, Cronus, and I’m … me. How could it work? For one thing, you’ll live forever, and I will die in eighty years, if I’m lucky.”
For another … he was a fuckinggod.
He went to speak and I shushed him with my fingers across his lips. “For another, you’re only with me because we are bound. Once that fully breaks apart … you’ll leave.”
My heart was beating so hard in my chest that I could barely breathe. I’d never spoken so honestly with someone.
He reached up and pulled my fingers from his lips, “In the beginning, I was only with you because of the bond. Not anymore.” He paused and his eyes glowed a supernatural gold. “I’m a Titan,” he said shortly, “and I will not let death take you from me. Trust me, Maisey. You’re going nowhere.”
My breath hitched at his declaration.
Music burst to life around us as the show started. One might have expected that to break the bubble surrounding Cronus and me, but it didn’t. He pulled me against his side, holding me like I was precious, adored, cradled against his chest as everything went briefly dark in the theatre.
Lips pressed against mine, so fast I wasn’t even sure I’d felt it, but then he went back for a second kiss, pressing into the corner of my mouth, lingering for a moment, as our energy mingled together.
My eyes burned at the perfection of the moment, and the fear that maybe everything was too perfect. If my life experience was anything to go by, something was surely about to come along and destroy it all.
#CanWeGoBackToTheRoomAndHaveSexNow
Bright lights burst to life across the stage and the background noise of chatter died off as the curtains parted. There was a hushed sort of energy, and even me, wrapped up in the Titan beside me, noticed.
A live band was the first thing to appear, setting off into an upbeat number, drums and bass the defining beat. It was designed to pump up the audience and I could already see them wiggling and bouncing in their seats as the beat took hold.
“Magic,” Cronus said with a shake of his head and short laugh. “Typical Jessell.”
Magic?It wasn’t until a few moments later that I realized exactly what she was doing. The emotions of the audience, the higher they ran, the more energy she stole from them. The music was enhanced, the atmosphere electric. I realized then that she was a witch or crone or whatever you call them. Just maybe a different kind.
And she hadn’t even stepped onto the stage yet.
The music died down and everyone appeared to hold their breath … waiting. Waiting for the appearance of the seer.
Cronus was unnaturally still beside me, his heart steady under my ear, but I felt his tension. “Fuck,” he muttered, and then he was up, pulling me with him.
Locked on the stage, as they were being magically pulled to do, no one turned to us.
“What—?” I barely got the word out before he pulled me behind some curtains and then we were zapping away.
Wherever we landed, it was dark, and I blinked trying to orientate myself. Cronus meanwhile had let me go and appeared to be in some kind of scuffle. As the lights flared on suddenly, I blinked against the dots dancing before my eyes.
What in the fuck was happening?
“You were running, old friend,” I heard him say around the time my vision returned.
