I started to protest, but he held up a hand to stop me.
“I know now that wasn't your intent but it felt like it then. It felt like the woman I loved, the woman who I had waited for, was treating me as if she owned me—as if I were a dog who had misbehaved—and the worst part was that it's true.”
“It is not true!” I snarled.
Viper blinked in shock. “It is. I just told you—”
“Viper”—I took his hands from my face and held them again—“there is a huge difference between owning someone like a slave and owning their heart. You have never been my slave. From the very beginning, you established that you were your own person. Even when you followed my commands, you did it as my general, not my creation.”
Viper made a soft sound—half amused and half adoring. “I guess you're right. But I would still do anything for you. I let evil inside my soul for you. I think that makes me yours.”
“I will never forgive myself for taking you into darkness with me,” I whispered. Then, in a stronger voice, I went on, “But you must know that I would do the same for you.”
“What?” The word was a breath of sound.
“I've been out of my mind with fear and anger and regret the whole time you were missing. If Odin hadn't been able to find you, I would have torn apart Texas until I had. I would dive into the abyss for you, Viper. Headfirst, no hesitation. Evil is the least of what I would become for you.”
“Vervain,” he whispered in wonder.
“So, if we are both bound so completely—with love and magic—do either of us enslave the other?” I lifted a brow at him. “Or is it another kind of ownership? A bond of equality. The knowledge that you are utterly mine, but I am no less yours. There is no master here, only happily bound equals.”
Viper laughed boisterously and picked me up. He spun me around and halfway through our spin, his lips found mine. Our kiss went rapidly rapturous but the feel of water on our feet drew us out of it.
“Son of a sugar puff!” I cursed as I broke away from him. “We forgot about the bath!”
Viper ran to turn off the spigots and as he did, I tried out my territory magic on the water. What better time than this to figure out if the water obeyed me too. I held out my hands and lifted them. The water on the tiled floor—and a few inches from the tub—lifted with my gesture. Viper paused at the final spigot to gape at my display.
“Babe, turn off the water,” I said absently.
“Oh! Yeah.” Viper cranked the last spigot.
I drew the water together and moved it to hover above an empty spot near the fireplace. It gurgled together into a trembling amorphous bubble, gleaming gold in the light it collected from the fire. After a few seconds of thought, I decided on a sitting area. I connected with the magic of my territory and transformed the water into an art nouveau set of couch, chairs, and side table. The dark wood was carved to match the designs around the bathroom mirrors and the swirling handles on the cabinets while the fabric matched the shade of green featured on the walls. I let go of the magic and grinned smugly at my boyfriend.
“Well done.” He applauded. “I thought we were going to have to spend the day mopping up the bathroom instead of having wild, makeup sex.”
“Nothing should ever get in the way of makeup sex,” I said in a serious tone. “Especially notwild,makeup sex. If the magic didn't work, I would have insisted on the sex first and then the clean-up.”
“Yet another reason why I love you,” he declared and scooped me up.
Viper carried me down the steps, into the full tub, and set me on my feet in the center. He immediately returned to kissing me, his erection urgent and unavoidable between us. I reached for it, but he grabbed my hands and held them behind my back, nestling his shaft against my belly instead. I pressed closer, undulating against him as I moved my kiss down his neck. Taking the corded muscle between my teeth, I nibbled my way to his chest.
“Should we get soapy first?” Viper asked in a teasing tone.
“I said, sex first, then clean-up,” I reminded him before I dropped into the water, freeing myself from his grip and taking him into mine.
Viper's groan came as a hollow echo through the water, but I heard his cry clearly when I slipped him into my mouth. His hands went to the sides of my face, holding me gently as I worked my lips around him. There was something about being down there, connected to him so intimately and yet separated, that made it feel extra erotic. I lavished attention on him for as long as I could, then finally came up for air.
His face was tight with need. Viper grabbed my waist and tossed me upward so he could catch my ass with his eager palms. I reached between us and guided him in just before he brought me down. The sudden feeling of being filled made my whole body clench. Then Viper started thrusting upward, the water churning around us, and I clung tightly to his shoulders. His hands held me firm for his savage slams and the water took most of my weight, allowing me to lean back a little and appreciate the view of wet muscles, intense eyes, and full lips parted to bare slim fangs.
“Can I bite you?” Viper panted.
I pulled myself up, closer to him, and bared my throat in answer.
“Not there.” His eyes flashed neon.
I started to smiled wickedly and nodded.
A few more powerful pumps and then Viper lifted me into his arms to carry me to the edge of the tub. He stood me on the bench that protruded from the tub wall, and I sat down on the rim above it. Leaning back on my forearms, I shimmied my hips forward as Viper knelt on the submerged bench between my thighs. He pushed my knees wider apart, then drew a hand over my sex, fingers parting, then rubbing. My head fell back in pleasure but I lifted it mere seconds later when I felt his mouth replace his fingers.
