Page 43 of The Shadow Gods

He didn't answer but sped up. He slammed his palm against the tile, kept the other under my butt, and lifted me up and down. It was perfect. Each time, he hit the perfect place, and the pressure built until I couldn't handle it.

I cried out, my release consuming every part of me.

A second later, he followed me. With a deep groan, he filled me up with heat. Body pressed against mine, he held me and held me. He held me until the shower went cold, then he wrapped me in a towel and carried me to bed.

And held me all night.

* * *

In the morning, Hector stayed close to me. When there was a knock on the door between our room and Pollux's, he took my hand and squeezed it.

“You okay?” he asked.

I was fine.Morethan fine. I'd woken up in his arms, and nothing had changed. Part of me thought it would. Maybe he'd decide that he’d shared too much, and he'd need to back off and regroup.

I wouldn't blame him. As the first light of day pierced the clouds and shone directly onto my eyeballs, I made the decision to be patient if he had to take a step back.

But he hadn't.

He'd rolled over and kissed me. And after I took another shower and he snuck in, he kissed me again.

And after I brushed my teeth.

And after I pushed my hair out of my face with a headband.

He studied me and didn't look a bit guilty when I caught him. He just smiled, went back to what he was doing, then snuck another glance.

“Not tired?” he asked, snapping me out of my daydreams of all his kisses.

“I'm good,” I replied, and he rewarded me with another kiss.

With a twist of the lock, he opened the door. Pollux and Paris were quick to join us, but Pollux's gaze lingered on my cheeks.

I touched them, realizing he noticed the slight rash Hector's beard had left on my sensitive skin. It was the downfall of being a redhead. My skin was easy to read and gave everything away.

“You're all packed.” Paris sounded surprised. He took my free hand, tugged me close, and dropped a kiss on my lips. “I thought for sure you'd sleep late.”

Pollux coughed and my face heated.

“From driving all day,” Paris replied, a little annoyed. “She's human.”

“I'm fine,” I answered, then cleared my throat. “I slept fine.”

When I slept at all.Hector had woken me up again during the night, thrusting into me gently from behind. Was I going to spend the entire day blushing?

“Achilles was pounding on our door the second the sun came up. I'm surprised he left you alone.”

“He knocked on the door here as well,” Hector replied.

“He did?” I hadn't heard anything.

Hector laughed, and Pollux and Paris smirked. “Yeah.”

The hotel door opened, and Achilles and Orestes strode in. “Grab your shit, it's time to go. I've been ready for hours.”

“He's not lying.” Orestes yawned. He wore a gray hoodie and athletic pants. The hood was over his head, and there were circles under his eyes. “I got two hours of sleep, because he didn't believe me when I figured out the route in fifteen minutes.”

“How can a route that keeps the gods from finding us take you fifteen minutes to map?” Achilles asked.

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