All she got from his explanation was that his ship had carried him here from the stars—which meant that Mount Olympus was a place in the sky, rather than the mountain of legend.
Arus sighed, looking at her. “You don’t understand, do you?” A rueful smile tugged at the corner of his beautiful mouth. “I guess I should’ve expected that. I wish I could convince you that none of this is supernatural, that we’re just a more advanced civilization, but you’d have to learn a great deal before that would make sense to you. So for now, if it helps you to think of me as a god, you may do so.”
Delia smiled, oddly reassured by his words. “You are a god. What else could you possibly be?”
“I’m a Krinar,” he said, and she saw his face assume a more serious expression. “Delia,” he said quietly, “there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
She blinked. “What is it?”
“I have to leave soon. To go home to Krina.”
Her chest squeezed painfully at his words. “Of course,” she managed to say. “You said it’s beautiful there, and you have to return.”
Arus nodded. “I do—and I would like you to come with me.” Before she could do more than gape at him, he said, “I know I’m still a stranger to you, and that everything about this”—he swept his hand out in a wide arc—“must seem foreign and frightening. But I promise I won’t hurt you, and I’ll take care of you. You’ll be safe with me.”
Delia couldn’t believe her ears. “You want me to come with you? To the world where you live?”
“Yes, to Krina—or Mount Olympus, or whatever you want to call it.” Arus reached across the floating table and took her hand. “It is a beautiful place, and if you come with me, I can promise you a life beyond anything you can imagine.”
Delia had to be still dreaming. “Why?” she said in disbelief. “Why would you take me with you?”
Arus rose to his feet and pulled her up with him, his gaze filling with carnal heat as he stepped around the table. “Because our time together wasn’t nearly enough for me,” he said, drawing her against his hard, aroused body. “Because I had you, and I want more—so much more. I want you to be mine, so I can have you every day and every night for a long, long time.”
Delia’s pulse was rabbit fast, and a million questions crowded her mind as Arus gazed down at her, his erection pushing against her belly. His blunt declaration was far from tender words of love, and there were so many things she didn’t know about him and the world he wanted to take her to. But he was giving her a choice, and that fact alone helped quell her fear.
She could stay and live an ordinary life—most likely as the blacksmith’s wife—or she could follow this gorgeous stranger to a mysterious place in the sky.
“What about my family?” she asked as the thought occurred to her. “They need the mussels and I—”
“I’ll leave them your weight in gold before we go,” Arus said. “They won’t lack for anything ever again.”
“But—”
“Come with me, Delia.” Arus’s eyes glittered as his arms tightened around her back. “Your family will be fine, I promise. Come with me, and let me show you the wonders of my world.”
She stared at his magnificent features, remembering how he’d saved her from the storm—how he’d sheltered her, fe
d her, healed her, and given her more pleasure than she’d ever thought possible. He was right: her family would be fine without her—better off, in fact. Even without the gold, she was an extra mouth to feed. And if Arus truly gave them that much wealth, her sisters would have their pick of suitors instead of being forced to marry out of desperation.
It was that last thought that solidified her decision. Delia had no idea what would happen to her if she came with him, what his world was like or how they could travel to the stars, but at that moment, caught in her god’s embrace, she knew she wanted to find out.
It was unthinkable, insane, deliriously frightening, but Delia took a leap into the unknown and said, “Yes, Arus. I’ll come with you.”
THE END
Thank you for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to see more of Arus & Delia and learn about the Krinar, you can pick up The Krinar Chronicles, a trilogy of three full-length novels featuring another human-Krinar couple—Mia & Korum. Please click HERE to get the book. M&K’s story takes place in modern times, a few years after the Krinar invasion.
Alternatively, if you liked this story but prefer contemporary romance, you’re welcome to check out my dark erotic trilogy, Twist Me. Please click HERE to get the book.
Please visit my website at www.annazaires.com to sign up for my new release email list and to learn more about my upcoming books.
Excerpt from Close Liaisons
Author’s Note: Close Liaisons is the first book in my erotic sci-fi romance trilogy, the Krinar Chronicles. While not as dark as Twist Me and Capture Me, it does have some elements that readers of dark erotica may enjoy.
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A dark and edgy romance that will appeal to fans of erotic and turbulent relationships...