Page 40 of Protected By Artemis

“I…slow.” He took a deep breath as he eased out, then pushed into her. He expected her to flinch or cry out in pain, but instead, her fingers dug into his biceps.

“More. Don’t hold back,” she moaned.

He repeated the motion, faster this time. And again, his stroke slowly becoming steady. His worry that she might not enjoy herself ebbed away as she began to meet his hips. So he moved faster, each stroke hitting her just right that she made a needy groan that only fueled his own desire.

Reaching down, he gripped her thigh, pulling it up so he could push deeper into her. She let out a cry, her pussy squeezing him so tight that he almost came right then and there. He adjusted his hips so that as he began to thrust into her, he hit her clit with each shallow stroke.

“Faster,” she urged. “More.”

Her voice was like a siren song, and he was unable to deny her. He pushed hard into her, each thrust making her moan louder. Her fingers clawed at his back, the pain and pleasure mingling in his brain.

“Come, Artemis,” he commanded as he slammed into her over and over again. “Come for me.”

“Unnghh!” Her hips pushed up as her muscles gripped him. He didn’t want to come yet, but it was too much. She was too much. This gorgeous, frustrating, and utterly enchanting creature that had somehow gotten under his skin.

He let go, spilling into her, bucking into her, trying to coax another orgasm out of her even as he filled her with his come. When the final pulse came, he grunted and gave one last thrust, their bodies freezing like marble statues, locked together in an eternal dance of lust.

At some point, he felt the feeling return to his body, and he slipped out of her, then collapsed on his back beside her.

“That was…” The words wouldn’t come to Cade’s brain. Actually, he didn’t have much of a brain left—it was all a pile of mush right now.

“Amazing,” Artemis finished. “Oh…” she rolled over to face him, then placed a quick kiss on his bicep. “Thank you for volunteering to be my first.”

A laugh escaped his throat, and he reached out to brush a lock of stray blonde hair from her face, caressing her soft cheek with his thumb. “I should thank you. For letting me be your first.”

She turned her head so she could kiss his thumb. “Fine, we’re even.”

Chapter 8

Cade

Cade sat in his office, the familiar scent of pine and earth from the Alaskan wilderness drifting in through the open window. His usual routine had been disrupted ever since he’d returned from the conference. He was supposed to wake up early, take a walk around the territory, and check his emails before diving into meetings with his pack. But today, only one thing had been accomplished—getting to his office.

Because Artemis was with him.

The goddess had decided they needed to take a break, and somehow that break turned into her curling up on the couch in his office, pulling him down beside her. Now, instead of checking his emails and making decisions about the pack’s day-to-day matters, he found himself lying back with Artemis tucked against him, her head resting on his chest.

He looked down at her, her golden hair fanning out over his shirt as she absentmindedly traced shapes along his arm. She felt so small and delicate in his arms, yet he knew the strength she carried. It was hard to deny her anything, and when she’d mentioned needing a little break, he hadn’t fought it.

“You’re supposed to be working,moro mou,” she teased lightly, her voice muffled against his chest, though she didn’t move away.

“Yeah, well,” he sighed, wrapping his arms around her, “I think the pack will survive a few more minutes without me.”

She looked up at him with a playful smile. “A few more minutes?”

“Maybe more,” he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

“You’re terrible at sticking to a routine,” she said, her fingers still tracing patterns on his arm.

“Only when a goddess is around.”

She chuckled softly, and the sound made his chest tighten. There was something so comforting about this moment, so easy and natural. For a while, they just sat there, the world outside the office door seemingly far away.

They had returned to Anchorage the day before, and now, in the quiet moments before meeting with Xavier, he savored the closeness they shared. Thecuddlingthey were doing.

He nuzzled her temple, breathing in her scent, a mix of wildflowers and something uniquely her. She turned, her lips finding his in a gentle kiss that made his heart race.

The goddess had gotten under his skin, unexpectedly making him feel whole. As he held her in his lap, he marveled at how quickly she had fit into his life. It was as if she had always been there, weaving herself into his every thought, grounding him in a way he had never experienced before.

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