Page 75 of Salt & Blood

“Will you do that for me, Trivia?” he asked.

Gods above, she couldn’t speak. She completely forgot how to breathe. All she could do was stare at him, mesmerized by his midnight blue eyes and the look of yearning on his face.

“Why?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “Why don’t you hate me?”

He huffed a laugh at that. “I tried, darling. Believe me, I tried. But the moment that hydra came for you, as much as I wanted to deny it, I knew I couldn’t lose you. And I’m tired of fighting it. Aren’t you?”

Gods, she was. She really, truly was. She was torn between falling to her knees and sobbing at his feet for his forgiveness, and pulling him to her so she could kiss him fully.

Sol watched her expectantly, those blue eyes inviting and full of a dark seduction she was powerless to resist. Pandora couldn’t find any words, so instead she tugged on the corset strings of her bodice, pulling them loose. Sol’s eyes tracked the movement, and his pupils flared. When it was free, Pandora lifted the corset over her head and let it fall to the floor. Her loose tunic now billowed around her.

Sol swallowed, his throat bobbing. But she wasn’t finished. Her hands fumbled with the waistband of her trousers, tugging and wriggling until they slid from her hips and fell to her ankles. Her gaze held Sol’s as she carefully stepped out of them.

She had never completely bared herself to a man. With the lovers she had taken, it had been nothing more than a carnal need to fulfill. She had always lifted her skirts for whatever demon of the Underworld could satisfy her.

Her hands shook as she pulled the tunic over her arms and let it fall with the rest of her clothing. Then she stood there, letting Sol appraise her naked form, waiting for him to turn away in disgust. She was no divine beauty, and she knew he’d taken plenty of of lovers. But unlike her, his had been the most stunning goddesses of Elysium. How could she compare?

Sol drew closer, his eyes wide and his lips parted. His hands settled on her shoulders, and his skin was warm and smooth against hers. She closed her eyes as his fingers trailed down her arms, his touches ever so gentle. Her breathing turned unsteady as his palm skimmed over her navel, then traveled up to her breasts. He cupped one, and her stomach dipped, her head rolling back.

“I wish I could paint you,” Sol whispered, his thumb pressing against her nipple. A low moan poured from her lips. “You are magnificent, Trivia. Every part of you.”

She exhaled a strained chuckle. “Liar. You’ve seen plenty of naked women, I’m sure.”

“Oh, I have.”

She kicked his shin, and he laughed.

“Trivia, there’s no comparison. It’s not just your bronze skin and fiery hair and golden eyes… But your spirit and passion and temper. Gods, it drives me mad.”

Pandora snorted. “Is that good, or bad?”

He ducked his head and brought his mouth to her shoulder. “Both.” He dragged his tongue along her skin, and she gasped when his teeth clamped down on her. Her hands fisted his shirt, her hips rolling against his. “You have a fire like no other, Trivia. A fire I want to feed and fuel until it burns me. I want your flames to consume me entirely.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Pandora challenged. “I’m naked and ready for you, Sol. Or will you make me stand here like this for you all night?”

“Mmm,” he purred against her skin, his lips moving to her neck. “Well, you aren’t exactly suffering right now, are you?” His tongue glided along the column of her throat, and she jerked as pleasure rolled through her. “Besides, I enjoy having my way with you like this.”

Pandora shoved his shoulders until he stumbled away from her, his eyes flaring wide with surprise. She grabbed him by the shirt, then spun him around to pin him against the wall. With a growl, she ripped the shirt in two, then managed to tug it off his body.

He laughed again, his smile widening. “There’s that fire.”

She pressed her hands into his chest, relishing the feel of his hair and muscles. Her fingers trailed down his abdomen, over every ridge and curve.

“You toy with me,” she whispered, her fingers sliding underneath his trousers, “and I’ll toy with you.”

She gripped him firmly in her hand, and he jolted against her touch. His hands grasped her waist tight enough to bruise. “Shit, Trivia.”

“You said you wanted my mouth around your cock.” She knelt before him, then tugged his trousers all the way to the floor. She stared up at him. His eyes were closed, his head leaning against the wall. His arousal twitched, and she smiled.

Without warning, she brought her lips to his length, then ran her tongue along the tip.

Sol groaned, the sound low and hoarse. His hips bucked, and she took him deeper into her mouth.

“Oh, that mouth of yours,” Sol ground out, thrusting harder. “Gods, Trivia, that wicked mouth…”

Pandora couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she flicked her tongue against him once more, then dragged her teeth along the sensitive skin.

“Trivia, if you—” He broke off with another groan. “If you keep doing that, I’m—I’m?—”

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