Page 84 of Alpha Marked

His lips found hers as she unzipped his pants, making him groan. "Did you want me to? I didn't want to bother you."

River looked at him thoughtfully. "I want you to bother me."

Their lips slammed against each other so hard their teeth clashed. He whipped her shirt over her head and kissed down her throat to the tops of her breasts.

"How much time do we have before the dinner?" she panted.

Ares checked his watch and hissed. "Forty minutes."

She smiled. "We can do it in forty minutes, can't we?"

She went to pull his lips back to hers, but he froze.

"What's wrong?"

He stared at her, conflicted. "River, believe me when I say I don't want anything more than to make love to you right now, but I don't want to rush our first time."

"Forty minutes is rushing?" Damn!

He brushed the hair from her face and pressed his lips to her forehead. "It is with everything I want to do to you."

His words made her wolf mewl.

River tried to press her hand down the front of his pants, but he gripped her wrist and backed away. "If we start now, I will not stop for dinner."

"How can you tell me that and then leave me in this state? I think I will have to find one of those little friends of mine from my nightstand and give him a few rounds."

Ares threw his head back before looking at her again. "You are going to be the death of me, woman."

She chuckled, knowing he had no idea she'd thrown them all out hours earlier. "You better not die," she said. "I'd be lost without you."

Ares watched her without moving, and River wished she could take back the words. She'd basically told him she loved him and couldn't live without him. What the hell had she been thinking? She hadn't been thinking. Not with her head, at least. With her heart? Did she love him?

No. It wasn't possible. She couldn't love him. Like him? Yeah… sure… but love? No possible way.

Ares's eyes went black. "Do you mean it?"

River's throat dried. "I… I think I do," she stammered.

Surprisingly, he smiled. A genuine, whole-face smile which made his hard-angular face take on a softer, kinder appearance. He looked almost boyish, except for the eyes.

For a moment, she thought he might cry. Instead, he knelt in front of her and pulled her to him, laying his head on her breast.

River's heart clenched, and she ran her fingers into his hair.

She didn't know how long they sat, but when Ares rose again, another piece of their connection locked into place.

She touched his face. "I have something for you. I made you a present."

"You did?"

She smiled and pulled him toward the bed. She sat him down and walked to her purse. She came back with a small bag and held it out to him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Something to wish you luck at your meeting."

He opened the bag and dumped two small pieces of metal into his palm.

---