“Youjustdid.” Ares leans down and kisses me softly, and bringing his hand up to the back of my neck, he continues. “We all need you too,Cara. All of us understand.” He pulls away from me abruptly. Reaching into his front pocket he pulls his phone out. Tapping a few buttons, he goes to lift the phone to his ear.
I place my hand over the screen before he can. “Are you sure?” I whisper, wondering what he’s going to tell them. Will they all know what we’re doing? Even their parents?That thought sends a sobering jolt through me.
Ares pulls the phone free and places it at his ear. “Hey, yeah, she found me.” He goes silent, listening to the person on the phone. “I know, that’s why I’m calling. Laura wants to take a quick shower since we ran off right after training. We’ll be there in a little while.Go ahead and eat without us.” He listens again for a moment. Never breaking eye contact, he adds, “We’ll be down later to talk about this weekend.”
After a quick goodbye, he tosses the phone behind him on the bed. Ares’s eyes are his usual tawny brown, and the phone seems to have abatedsome of the desire he was feeling. Reaching for me again, he pulls me in closer for a hug. My arms wrap up under his arms and around his back. I nestle my cheek against his bare skin, tucking myself as close as humanly possible.
“We can stand here all night, or you can go have a shower. Just because you need time with one of usdoesn’t mean anything other than that.” Ares’s palm glides up my bare back.
I know he’s telling me that there aren’t any expectations, he’s told me this before. “What if I don’t want to just stand here, or take a shower yet?” I let my hands roam over his back.
“I’m sure I couldfind a way toentertain you.” His hand dips a little lower, brushing over my butt. Feeling brave, I slide my fingers under the waistband of his pants, but I can’t get very far because of the belt, except it still feels like I passed somesort ofbarrier.
Ares’s hands go to my waist again and he lifts me so my toes just barely graze the ground, before spinning us so my back is to the bed. I wrap my arms over his shoulders, liking the feel of my body against his. Keeping me plastered to him, he goes to kneel on the bed. Releasing one arm, he plants it on the mattress and takes me with him as he crawls up to the pillows.
Neither of us has spoken or looked away from each other. There’s an intimacy in our gaze. We both know exactly where thisis heading. Settling me on the pillows, Ares looks down my body. His lips are parted so I can hear the heavy breaths he’s taking. “Seeing you in my bed,Cara…” He groans, trailing his hand from my thigh and up the side of my body, until he reaches my stomach. Ares guides his hand up the center of my body, from my belly button to the hollow of my throat. He watches his finger,fascinated by his hands on my skin.
Ares flicks his eyes up to me. “You okay?” I nod quickly. I still want him, need him to touch me, but it feels more arranged, not as natural after the phone call.
“I need your words, sweetheart. I always need to hear you tell me.”
I swallow and clear my throat. “Yes, I’m okay.”
“Good.” Ares’s knees are on either side of my legs and he’s leaning over me, but not touching enough of me. Tentatively, I bring my hand up to his jaw, feeling the coarse stubble under my palm. I thread my fingers into his hair over his ear, making his eyes fall closed. He leans in, bringing his face close to mine before dropping a soft kiss on my lips.
He tilts his head from left to right, taking the kiss deeper. I open for him, loving the way he uses his teeth to give me little nips on my lips. I run my hand down his back, applying a little pressure, hoping he’ll give me more than just his lips.
He makes a low sound against my mouth. I know he knows what I want, his skin on mine, but he’s going to make me wait for it.
Ever so slowly, Ares brings his hand up and wraps it under my neck, then he lifts and brings me up to his mouth. He pulls my bottom lip into his mouth and sucks, before releasing me. I arch my neck, letting my head fall back. He moves down, peppering my neck with little kisses, and bites. My body arches off the bed when he finds a spot under my ear, my fingernails digging into his scalp and back. Bracing himself above me on one hand, I feel Ares’s knee part my legs. I let my thighs fall open and accept him.
With patience I don’t possess, Ares lowers his body to mine, his hips between my thighs. But there’s still too much between us. Reaching down, I try to release his belt, but he flattens his stomach to mine, trapping my fingers.
Leaning back he looks down at me, and his eyes are completely black. I lose my breath, he’s so beautiful. “Are you okay?” I drag my hand from between our bodies and run my finger under his eye.
Ares’s voice is deep and thick when he answers, “Never better.” Taking my hand off his face, he lifts it above my head and squeezes my wrist. Switching hands, he grabs my other wrist and brings it up to his mouth, biting me hard enoughthatI suck in a quick breath through my teeth in surprise. It was almost enough to hurt. He then places it above my head with the other, a warning.Ares trails his finger down my forehead, and over my nose and chin, until he reaches the center of my bra over my chest.
“I might need to save this.” Ares drags his fingers over the lace cup, brushing across my nipple in the process. “I still have the other one.” I look down at his hand caressing me. I’d almost forgotten about the one I lost the night we bonded.
Lifting himself off of me, Ares lies on his side facing me, and I tuck my arms back down between us, turning to face him. Withpurpose, I lean in, almost placing my lips on his. Instead of kissing him, I open my mouth and give his chin a little nip, he freezes, and not even a breath passes his lips.
My eyes fall shut as I savor every moment with him. I place my palm over his heart, it’s beating fast, and he finally drags in a breath. Inching my body even closer to his, I move a little lower so I have access to his neck. Turnabout is fair play, since Ares is always kissing and biting my neck.
He tilts his head back, content to let me explore. I feel the short, crisp hairs on his chest tickling my fingers as I run my palm all over his torso.Without much experience I can only emulate what he doesto me,and hope it feels half as good as he makes me feel.
Using the tip of my tongue, I lick the underside of his jaw and I feel his body tense, but he doesn’t try to stop me. With my eyes open I deliver another long lick, this time from the base of his throat, winding my way up to his ear, as I watch to see his expression. Ares’s mouth falls open, and he lets out a throaty sigh. Feeling brave, I push him over onto his back. Ares’s eyes snap open when I settle myself over his lower stomach, straddling his waist.
He doesn’t waste any time grabbing my hips and holding me against him. I return my palms to his chest, running my fingers up and down over him. I almost squirm at how delicious he looks under me. Ares makes me feel powerful, even though I know he likes to be in control he always makes it clear that I’m the onein charge of anything that happens between us.
I lean down, placing my hands on either side of his head, connecting our chests, and kiss him. His hand sweeps up my spine and grips the back of my neck. Excitement fills me, it’s like my body knows that’s his spot. I lean forward on my knees to deepen the kiss. The heavy weight of Ares’s abilities uncoils in my chest, reaching out for him. I glide the shadows over his skin, surrounding us both in the darkness that comes so easily.
Ares breaks the kiss, his neck arching back as he lets out a low groan. Opening his eyes lazily, he gazes up at me, licking over his bottom lip.His eyes are flickering with bright white dots, much like they looked the night we bonded. It doesn’t frighten me the way it did that night, but there’s definitely something otherworldly about it.
He sits straight up and wraps his arms around my back, and my breath leaves me in a huff as he fuses our chests together. Without giving me a second to recover, he seals his lips to mine. His tongue slides into my mouth, licking and sucking over mine. Fighting to keep up, I return his kiss with just as much passion. “My turn to play,” Ares murmurs between kisses. Fingers on the clasp of my bra, he loosens the hooks. Eager to feel him against me, I drop my arms and let the lacy material droop down my arms. He backs away enough so the fabric falls in a heap between our bodies, and he snatches it free, tossing it off the bed. Slowly, he pushes against me. Not stopping until he leans me all the way back to the mattress, and my legs unfold to go around his waist as he switches our positions, with me flat on the bed and him over me. His hips rock as his whole body undulates against me. I cling to his neck, unable to even kiss him back as my body processeseach andevery touch. The heat of his chest against mine, the brush of his skin across mine. Every move he makes tightens my sensitive nipples.
Ares’s hand curls around my hip, his fingers near the bottom of my butt, lifting me so I’m even closer to him. He’s leaning on his other elbow, his mouth near my ear. My heart is beating so hard I feel like it willcome right out of my chest, and my breath is just as choppy.
Ares drags his fingers out from under me and I miss the extra pressure immediately, but then he toys with the waistband of my leggings, his fingers sliding under enoughso he exposes my hip.
