“No, not like Hades.” Arus stroked her back in a calming motion. “It’s beautiful where I live. Very green and bright.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “Why are you here then?”
“Because I wanted to see your planet,” Arus said, watching her lips. For some reason, that imperfect, delicate mouth of hers kept drawing his attention. “Your people fascinate me.”
“We do?” Her tongue came out to wet her lips, the gesture unconsciously seductive, and Arus felt his hunger intensify. Her body was now soft and pliant as he held her, and there was more curiosity than fear in her brown gaze.
Curiosity and a glimmer of feminine heat.
The realization that she wanted him—and the intoxicating scent of her growing arousal—made his groin tighten. The balmy air inside their shelter suddenly felt steaming hot, and his skin prickled as her hands shifted on his chest, her palms splaying on his skin without any attempt to push him away.
She licked her lips again, her eyes darkening, and Arus could no longer control himself.
Sliding his hand into her hair, he lowered his head and claimed that tempting mouth with a kiss.
Chapter Five
Caught in the god’s powerful embrace, Delia felt like she’d been swept up by the storm. When Arus had first picked her up, she’d been too anxious to focus on his naked body, but as her fear abated, the unfamiliar ache between her thighs returned—and with it, an intense awareness of him as an attractive man.
A man who wanted her, judging by the large erection pressing against her bottom.
Delia was a virgin, but she wasn’t ignorant about the mechanics of sex. She’d watched many animals mate, and her mother had told her it was the same for humans. Delia also knew she shouldn’t mate with anyone but her husband. It was a rule she had always intended to follow—except it now seemed that her husband was likely to be Phanias. She couldn’t imagine so much as kissing the old blacksmith, and the idea of this exotic, powerful stranger taking her virginity was more than a little appealing.
So appealing, in fact, that when Arus lowered his head to kiss her, she pushed her fear of him aside and let herself simply feel.
His lips were surprisingly soft as they touched her own, and his breath was warm and faintly sweet, like he’d recently eaten a piece of fruit. His tongue probed at the seam of her lips, and she parted them instinctively. He immediately took advantage, his tongue sweeping into her mouth as his hand tightened in her hair, and the ache inside her core intensified, transforming into a peculiar pulsing tension. Her breasts felt full and sensitive, her nipples peaking as if from being rubbed, and a liquid warmth gathered between her thighs as he deepened the kiss, all but devouring her with his tongue.
He tasted both sweet and slightly salty, as if some sea water lingered on his lips. Delia’s head fell back, giving in to the pressure of his mouth, and she moaned, her hands sliding up to grip his strong shoulders. The heat inside her grew as he shifted underneath her, his arms tightening around her body. His erection was like an iron rod under her bottom, and the knowledge that he desired her so much both thrilled and terrified her.
She’d heard the first time always hurt, and she wasn’t looking forward to the pain.
Still, even that worry wasn’t enough to cool the fire under her skin. Everything within her craved Arus’s touch. The need for him consumed her, making her feel like a stranger in her own body. For the first time, Delia understood why Helen of Troy risked everything for Paris.
If this was passion, no wonder wars were fought over it.
Before Delia had a chance to d
well on that, Arus lowered her to the ground, stretching her out on the still-damp grass. She managed to tear her mouth away from him long enough to gulp in a much-needed breath, and then he was on top of her, his large body blocking out her view of the storm raging outside. She still didn’t understand how a transparent wall could protect them from rain and lightning, but as he resumed kissing her, she lost all inclination to care.
Whatever magic powers the god possessed paled next to the desire he evoked in her.
His hands were now traveling over her body, big, strong, and determined. There was skill and experience in his touch. He didn’t grab at her breasts like the boy who’d kissed her when she was sixteen; instead, Arus kneaded her small mounds through her dress, his thumb flicking back and forth over her hardened nipples as he held himself up on his elbows. At the same time, his knee parted her legs, wedging between them, and she felt his thigh press against her sex, putting pressure on a spot that made her feel hot and dizzy. The pulsing ache within her intensified, and she gasped into his mouth, her hands clutching at his sides as the tension in her core coiled tighter and tighter.
“Yes, that’s it,” he whispered, moving his lips to Delia’s ear. “Come for me, darling.” His thigh moved rhythmically between her legs, rubbing against her sex through the rough material of her dress, and the tension inside her worsened. She could feel the heat of his breath on her neck, and her heartbeat thundered in her ears, her vision dimming as a throbbing pressure built inside her. It felt like she was dying, like something within her was about to explode. Frightened, she cried out the god’s name—and then the explosion was upon her.
Every bit of pressure that built up seemed to release at the same time, sending intense pleasure blasting out from her core. Her inner muscles spasmed repeatedly, and her toes curled. Gasping, Delia lifted her hips, seeking more of the sensations, but the pleasure was already ebbing, leaving her dazed and breathless.
Before she could understand what had happened, Arus rolled off her, stood up, and pulled her to her feet. She stood, swaying on unsteady legs, as he pulled her dress over her head and dropped it on the ground, leaving her naked—and starkly aware of the large, aroused male standing in front of her.
“Wait,” she whispered, but he was already bearing her down to the ground and covering her with his powerful body. There were no barriers between them now, and Delia’s earlier fear returned as she felt the insistent hardness of his erection against her leg. Her heartbeat spiking, she wedged her hands between them, her palms pushing at his chest.
“Don’t be afraid,” he murmured, holding himself up on one elbow. He slid his free hand down her body in a soothing caress, and she saw that his eyes were as dark as a midnight sky, his beautiful features tightly drawn. “I won’t hurt you,” he promised roughly, spreading her thighs open with his knees.
Delia opened her mouth to tell him she was a virgin, but he was already touching her sex, his fingers unerringly finding the spot that made her so tense before. It was even more sensitive now, and she could feel a strange, warm slickness inside her. Embarrassed, she tried to move away before he could feel her wetness, but his fingers were already there, parting her folds and pushing into her body.
It was just the tips of his two fingers, but Delia flinched away, the stretching sensation both unfamiliar and painful. Instantly, Arus stopped, looking down at her.
“What is it?” He sounded worried.