Chapter Sixteen

Aliana's POV

I turned on my side, watching him. Hell, I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. He was carved perfection, a living statue made by hands far more skilled than any mortal’s. No human man could ever compare to a creature more perfect than Michelangelo’s angels. No wonder the women of old had fallen in love with them – married or otherwise! I mean, how could they not? If they all looked like this, they never stood a chance…

“You know,” his voice suddenly rumbled, deep from sleep, but highly amused. “It’ll last longer I you take a picture.”

Shit!

He’d caught me looking? Of course he had! His lips twitched, and he lazily lifted one eyelid, his red dulled into an almost dark brown in the shadow of his hair.

Embarrassed fury bubbled in my blood, staining my cheeks crimson. Before I could stop myself, I slapped his arm indignantly, huffing at him.

“It’s not nice to spy on a girl,” I harrumphed, grabbing his arm and throwing it back at him. But he just laughed, and before I could make my escape, he pulled me back into a hug, kissing my temple.

“I do humbly apologize, little girl,” he said, not sounding very sorry at all. “How can I make it up to you?”

“Stop calling me little girl for---!” I began, but was caught off guard when his lips caught mine. Slow and lingering, my traitorous body melted against his instantly. Every nerve in my body seemed wired to him, aware of only him.

His mouth!

His heat…

The taste of him stole my senses away, hell, it stole my own will. I told myself to resist, but the mere thought of pulling away had the hunger in me roar louder.

I wanted him!

Nothing made sense anymore...

My body should have been aching and sore after what we had done. For ducks' sake, I had been a virgin only yesterday! And yet everything I was, only craved more of him. I felt rested, my weary muscles renewed. The only ache I still carried was the sharp, insatiable hunger for him.

I moved before I could even think, pushing on his shoulder and straddling him. His grin grew wicked, his fingers flexing on my middle. His eyes blazed red, and I could feel his thick erection already pulsing between my legs, matching the rhythm of my own need.

I leaned closer, nipping and lapping at his lips. I had no idea where this stamina came from or whether this insatiable hunger would ever subside, but I felt little to no worry about it. With both of us naked, everything else in the world felt like a fleeting thing. He was eternity and I his willing slave…

“Master?”

The word was followed by a quick succession of taps on the door, shattering the illusion magic that had wrapped me in its foggy hands.

My head snapped around--- and I was absolutely mortified when I saw what was probably the most beautiful woman in existence, standing in the doorway. The woman was tall and slender, her black hair a river that cascaded in generous waves all the way down to the floor. She wore a red gown that looked almost sheer as it carelessly draped over her body, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. Every line of her figure, every perfect curve, was there for the world to see – and this goddess of a woman clearly didn’t mind.

Her lips were red as roses, full and perfect, as they curved into a knowing smile. Her eyes, the color of icy blue crystals, glinted mischievously.

“Shit!”

I hissed, jumping off Ani as if he was on fire, and scrambled to grab the sheets I’d carelessly discarded before. I pulled them around me, apologizing profoundly and feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment that quite literally could be considered a fire hazard.

And what did the marvelous sexy beast next to me do?

Stunned, he looked from me to the woman in the doorway, and--- laughed! I could only gape at him as the pearl of laughter trickled from his lips, mortified that we’d been caught in such a compromising position. Next, I couldn’t stop the bubble of jealousy that burned in my veins.

Who the hell was this woman?

And why did he seem to have such a casual relationship with her?! She’d just seen me trying to ride him like a horny pony, and he laughed?

Shit!

Don’t tell me this was his wife or something?

Dread and despair churned in my stomach as I remembered how many of the gods and goddesses of old had numerous lovers and affairs, leaving their spouses devastated. And more importantly:

Very, very vengeful!

“Nyx,” he called the woman, completely unbothered and shifted up onto his elbows, utterly unconcerned that we were both naked. Hell, he might as well have been sitting in armor, for all the notice he gave to the situation. “Good morning!”

“Welcome back, Master,” she said, with a voice as soft as velvet, and gracefully bowed low, the movement graceful as a swan dipping its head--- wait!

Did she just call him “Master”?!

“Please see that food and a change of clothes are brought up. For both of us,” he continued evenly, like one might greet a servant delivering a message.

“As you wish,” she replied, giving me one last knowing look, before she turned, her hair flowing like liquid shadow, and swept from the room.

The silence that followed rang in my ears…

“Was that---?!” I asked, my words stumbled out, caught between disbelief and outrage, while my heart was thundering in my chest. But Ani cut me off, sighing as he did.

“Nyx, the Goddess of Night and Darkness, mother of Death, Sleep, and the Fates themselves?” He asked, sis eyes still fixated on the place where she’d disappeared. A look that I couldn’t decipher, but my hurt overactive imagination immediately concluded had to be longing...

“Your wife?” I snapped, my head whipping towards him so fast I might have given the air whiplash. But just then his words finally entered my mind and I realized what he said.

“Wait---WHAT?!”

We both exclaimed, looking at each other like someone had slapped us. A hot second passed, where we just looked at each other, neither one of us able to find words. But the horned beast was the first to break the silence, as he threw his head back and let out a barked laughter.

“I’m not married,” he grinned, reaching up and cupping my face in his generous hands, his voice dropping low and all amusement dissipating from his sharp features. “Until I met you, I was single. Now, everything I am is yours.”

Breathe!

Don’t forget to breathe…

I sucked in a sharp breath, my heart skipping beats that it probably shouldn’t…

How the hell is a girl supposed to reply to that?!

Swallowing thickly, I wanted to tell him not to joke like that. I more or less always expected my first time to be with someone I was irrevocably in love with. Since that hadn’t happened, a part of me expected this whole thing to be more of a “one-night stand” type of thing.

Honestly, I didn’t expect more than just basic human decency...

So when Ani only looked at me, entirely at ease, and his crimson eyes glowing faintly with some secret fire, I couldn’t help but want to believe him...

“Who---who is she to you then?” I asked, unable to truly believe that he wouldn’t be involved with someone that stunning and beautiful. Hell, I was straight as a stick, but not even I would be able to resist a goddess like that!

Ani frowned, cocking his head as if considering the answer. His red eyes looked away from mine, his gaze turning to the window where the daylight streamed in with generosity. After a silence that felt like it lasted forever, he finally confessed.

“I guess that in layman’s terms,” he explained, his eyes finally meeting mine again. “She’s a prisoner of war!”

Erm...

“WHAT?!”