He sets me down in the bathroom and starts the shower, then peels off my clothes. With every inch revealed, his mouth follows, slowly and deliberately, until I’m standing naked in front of him, barely able to stand on my two feet.
He groans. “I’m not sure how I got to be such a lucky bastard.”
When his hands reach for the buttons on his shirt, I brush them away. “My turn.” Taking my time, I unbutton it, then slideit off his broad shoulders. Acres of golden skin and hard-packed muscle make me clench my thighs. My need spikes, but I force myself to keep to the pace he’s set, wanting to draw out this first time as long as possible.
His belt slips from its loops, and I drop it on the ground. Unbuttoning his cargo pants, I slip my hands inside, touching everywhere but his cock, then tug them down to his feet for him to step out.
He narrows his eyes. “Killing me.”
On the way up, I skim my nails over his powerful calves and muscular thighs. His body twitches slightly, and his hand spears into my hair. As I rise, I blow out a breath, touching with more than just my hands. Golden eyes gleam at me from beneath his hooded lids. With a chuckle, I carefully peel off the last layer between us and bite my lip at the sight of him.Damn.His cock is long and thick.
Wet from this slow, torturous approach, I contemplate climbing him like a tree and sinking down onto his delicious body, but with a shaky breath, I wait.
Eyes locked, he pulls his hand from my hair and guides me into the shower. “Let me take care of you.” He picks up the bottle on the shelf and pours it into his hand, then pauses. “The Hari.” He takes in a deep breath. “The first time I smelled this on you, I wanted to strip that hotel robe from your body and see if you tasted as sweet as you smelled.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You hid it well.”
“I didn’t know or trust you then,” he replies with a light shrug. My brow furrows, and he bends down and places a kiss on my forehead. “Stop frowning. We needed time.”
His hands trail down my body, lathering every sliver of skin, until there’s not one bit of me that’s not clean or burning up with desire. Breathless, I stretch up and capture his lips with mine,my tongue dancing with his, but the second I lean in closer; he steps back.
Chest heaving, I watch the water trickle down his hard chest all the way to his feet.Damn.His body is a work of art, all hard muscle and pure strength. I groan and pick up the soap, gliding it across his body, washing away the fear I’ve been carrying since Hera immobilized him. Along the way, I claim every peak and valley across his body. My tongue flicks his nipples after I rinse him off, and the muscles in his stomach harden as he sucks in a breath.
He flips off the water and picks me up. Refusing to go through the torture of having him dry me off, I jump up and wrap my legs around him. Desperate, I tease the tip of his cock with my body, wanting him to feel how wet I am.
Cheeks flushed, he surges against me, the tip of him sliding inside, and we both groan at the sensation. For several interminable seconds, he holds it there as he stares into my eyes.
“Not yet,” he says hoarsely. He carries me to the bed and gently lays me down. “I haven’t tasted you yet.”
His large hands smooth the damp hair from my face as he leans over me to kiss my lips. “Sweet with a little tartness.” I smack his shoulder, and he chuckles. Firm lips slide down my neck, nibbling along the way, and he breathes out. “Sweet and sexy.”
I’m caught between laughter and passion as he continues to comment after he kisses or tastes every tiny square inch of my body. Gripping the sheets, I arch my back as he gets to my aching nipples, ready to feel his mouth on each of them.
His tongue flicks each peak, then curls around the tips as he sucks them into his mouth. Heat rises, and my body throbs with demand for his. “Please.”
“I haven’t gotten to the best part,” he murmurs, placing tiny kisses along my stomach as he moves between my legs.
I can’t help but clench in anticipation. His mouth descends, and I’m so turned on it takes little for me to explode. He pauses to watch me with eyes that gleam the most delicious color of gold. Satisfaction stamped across his face, he waits until my body subsides, then begins again.
Writhing on the bed, my words become incoherent until I’m a mass of gasps and moans, punctuated with pleas for him to stop. I want to feel him inside me. My body quivers and clenches as I come again. Again, he pauses to watch me.
Panting, I return his stare. “I don’t want to come again by myself. I want you inside me, where I can feel every hard inch when you come.”
He prowls up the bed until his big body covers mine, and I wrap my legs tightly around him. Firm lips drop to mine, hot and insistent, as if my words triggered a response deep inside him. He lifts his head to stare into my eyes as he slowly thrusts all the way in.
It takes a moment to adjust to his size, but I’m so wet, it takes but a second before I’m urging him to move. He slides almost all the way out and closes his eyes, halting with just the tip in, then with a twist of his hips, he thrusts into the hilt.
A broad grin splits his face, and he opens his eyes. “Damn, your body fits mine like a glove.” He swivels his hips and thrusts lightly in and out. “I want to take it slow, but I’m not sure I can this time.”
I lightly scrape my nails down his back and over his muscular butt, then dig them in. “No more slow. Hard. Fast. Deep.” To punctuate my words, I thrust my own hips up to meet his, faster and faster. “I need you.”
“I need you,” he says, his smile slipping from his face. “Now, tomorrow, and every year remaining in this world. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you from the gods and the fates themselves. I’ll be your shield against all enemies. Yourprotector. Your everything. I am yours.” His hips speed up, thrusting harder and deeper.
A light sheen of sweat coats his body. His hair falls around us like a cloak, protecting us from the outside world. I link my hands behind his neck and pull him down for a kiss. The edge nears, and his body moves faster. He stops, and our breaths catch as we fall apart together, his body pulsing inside mine, my muscles clenching him. Little tremors rack my body for several seconds. He wraps his arms around me in a massive hug before easing out.
When he rolls to the bed beside me, I’m still locked in his arms. Content, I lie there, cheeks flushed and heart racing, with no intention of moving for a very long time.
“I claim you,” I murmur, tapping my finger on his broad chest.
