He slid his tongue against hers in an almost teasing way that went straight to her head. His hands found her hips and jerked her toward him, closing what little distance was between them.
She needed him, needed him closer, needed more. She threaded her fingers through his hair, tilting his head to get better access. She kissed him like he was the best thing she had ever tasted, and she could never get enough.
He groaned and grasped her ass to lift her, and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist. “What do you want, Geri?” he said against her lips.
“You,” she said, looking into his eyes. She felt like she was lost in the deep blue that reminded her of the ocean.
“And? You remember what I said the last time? Back in Bran?”
“I do want you.” A flicker of emotion crossed his face, and she knew she had to be straight with him. “But I also want more. More than just your body.”
The smile on his face didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Don’t you believe me? I swear this time?—”
“I do, I do,” he said quickly, his brow furrowing. “It’s just…that night in Bran when we almost had sex, I said some pretty hurtful things to you, too, and I’m sorry…I’m just fucked up when it comes to things like this.”
“Fucked up? How?”
“Well, I have this reputation, see, for chasing women. Most people think I’m just a pretty face who will sleep with anyone.”
“You’re not,” she assured him. “You’re smart and kind and wonderful.”
“Yeah…I need to tell you why I lashed out before this goes any further…” He cleared his throat. “There was this woman. Daphne.”
Geri ignored the stab of jealousy in her chest. “Go on.”
“She was a nymph.…”
And so, Geri listened to the entire story, her emotions like a rollercoaster as he told her what happened, including how Eros had messed him up with his arrows.
“And so, you see, I just thought, I’d let them think what they want anyway, there was nothing I could do about it.”
Geri harrumphed. “Yeah? Well, fuck those people.”
He chuckled. “Really?”
“Yeah. If they don’t know how you really are—that you’re generous and brave and kind, then they don’t deserve to know you. But, thank you for sharing this, and I’m sorry I treated you like a piece of meat.”
“That means a lot. Thank you.” This time, he smiled a real smile that made his eyes crinkle at the edges. It went straight through her, and she knew she would be happy to see him smile like that for the rest of her life.
She traced a finger along his cheek and then his lips. He was so beautiful he took her breath away. “So, do you need more convincing that I want you—for yourself and not just your body?”
“No,” he said before quickly turning into the room and laying on the bed on top of her.
It happened so quickly that all she could do was giggle at the suddenness of it all. Then she welcomed the feel of him against her. He nuzzled her neck and took a deep breath, seeming to take her in.
She hooked her ankles and reached to cup his neck, then moved so her body ended on top of his. He laughed as she straddled him, but then he looked at her astride him, and his gaze turned molten.
“Hmm,” she murmured, running her fingers up his body. She hooked her fingers into the collar of his shirt and ripped the fabric before pulling it away. “There, that’s better.”
Her gaze flowed over his body. “This is so unfair. You’re literally a Greek god.” Her eyes flicked to his, and they shared a laugh.
“So, is it as they described?” he asked, adjusting to pull their hips together.
She could feel his hard-on and started to rock along his length. “Yes,” she said and felt an exquisite warmth pool between her legs. She ran her fingers over his arms and noticed a scar. “Wait, this is the bite from Uriel?”
“Yeah, I wanted a reminder that you care.”