Eros (Contemporary Mythos Book 4)

A sparkling grin spread over his lips. The wings rustled and stretched wide. He cradled me in his arms, and I stared up at those deep blue eyes, glowing now with an iridescent sheen.

“Are you ready?” Eros’s wings flapped twice as if they were eager to take flight.

I pressed my fingertip against the dimple in his chin. “Yes. But what if someone sees us?”

“Reach in my back pocket.”

Doing as instructed, I removed the device Heph left behind.

“Push the green button, and we’ll be invisible to the world.” He nuzzled my cheek with his nose.

Tracing my thumb over the button, I canted my head at him. “With all the power you have, you can’t use your powers to cloak us?”

“Despite our power, we all have our burdens. It keeps us grounded.” He kissed the tip of my nose.

Keeping his gaze, I pressed the button. The green hologram surrounded our bodies, clinging to us like a second skin. My heart hummed in anticipation.

“Put it back in my pocket so you can hold on.” The heat radiating from his bare chest warmed my face as I reached for his pocket.

“Do I need to worry about you dropping me?”

A masculine chuckle escaped his lungs. “Never. I figured it’d make you less nervous. You could go Titanic up there if you wish.”

I curled my arms around his neck, letting my fingers play through his damp, curly waves of hair. “I’m ready, Eros.”

His eyes fell shut, and a shiver vibrated his shoulders. He pressed our foreheads together, and with one push of his wings, we were airborne. I closed my eyes, fearing if I saw how high we were, I’d panic. The cold air nipped at my cheeks as he picked up speed.

“Elani,” he whispered into my hair. “Open your eyes.”

Tightening my arms around his neck, I opened my eyes, staring up at his serene face. He looked so relaxed.

“You’re missing a hell of a view.” He jutted his chin behind me.

“I don’t know. I’ve got a pretty good one right here.”

His eyes glistened as his grip on my waist tightened. “Look.”

I slowly turned my head, peering down at the breath-taking aerial view of the Highlands. An airy breath pushed from my lungs. We were over the loch, our reflection invisible from the surface of the water. Men on fishing boats hurled nets or dragged them in. Cliffs and mountains covered in emerald moss rose to the sky. He steered us into a light blanket of fog and mist. I dared to raise a hand, letting the moisture collect on my fingertips.

“Let go. I got you,” Eros said against my nape, his lips skirting over my earlobe.

After removing my hand from his neck, I peeled my arm away, raising both to the heavens above. A train chugged along a raised track below, curling through the thickets of trees nestled within the valley. Eros nose-dived, and I yelped, throwing my arms back around him. My heart raced, but laughter soon followed. He flew us directly above the train, its steam wrapping around us like a cloud.

I gazed up at his wings splayed to glide through the air. Every few moments, they’d flap once to keep us level. The sun peeked through the gray clouds, making the stark white feathers gleam. I pulled Eros’s head down, bringing our faces closer, and kissed him. A tender brush of lips—a quick lap of my tongue. When I pulled away, the smile spread over his face could’ve melted an iceberg.

“What else you got?” I rolled my bottom lip past my teeth as I scratched my nails against the back of his head.

His eyelids grew heavy, and we halted in mid-air. He raised one brow, gave a mighty flap with his wings, and sent us catapulting straight up. Instead of shrieking, I giggled with delight. The wind stole away my laughter the faster he went, spiraling us and making the world spin. When he stopped, I shook away the dizziness and gazed down at the people walking the path by a nearby waterfall plunging over a cliff. I was a giant peering through a magnifying glass at the ants below.

“Can we fly over the water?” I trailed my finger over the grooves making up his carved arm muscles.

He kissed my brow. “Wrap your legs around me.”

“O—kay?” I shifted in his grasp, curling my legs around his waist and locking my feet together at the ankle. “What are you up to?”

He circled both arms around my back, and we plunged through the sky. I dipped my head back, watching the world speed by upside down. As the confidence built with each passing moment, I let go of him and stretched my arms in front of me. He grinned, did a half-barrel roll, and I was on top of him with my arms still out.

“Does it feel like you’re flying?” He kneaded my lower back with his fingers.

Sea mist speckled my cheeks the closer we got to the water. The wind whipped through my hair, and I pretended those white wings peeking from behind Eros were mine.

“Yes.” The word came out more like a moan.

He flipped us back around, carrying us inches from the water. I reached for it, letting my fingers drag through the clear cerulean pool. I watched the wind play through his hair, making him appear even more majestic than he already was with his bared muscular chest and radiant wings.

“Take me somewhere, Eros.” It came out breathy and gravelly.

His gaze dropped to my lips, and his mouth pressed to mine. With my body underneath his and the ocean a liquid blanket beneath us, he kissed me—devoured me. I moaned, pinching each of my knees against his ribcage. Keeping one arm wrapped around my waist, he moved the other hand to clutch my hair, bunching it in his palm.

“Is there a particular type of place you had in mind?” His tone took on a new level of husk.

I bucked my hips against him, spying the setting sun spilling purple and pink hues across the sky. “Surprise me. I trust you.”

He bit the corner of his lip and tossed me into his arms again, cradling my back and legs. He banked to the right, carrying us through the wind with expert aviation. A golden eagle glided beside us, its feathers varying shadows of brown and white. It cocked its head to one side, rapidly blinking its large eyes as if it could see us.

We circled above the ruins of an old castle nestled on a bright green island. Part of the stone structure remained intact, its spires stretching to the sky. The other half held a hole as if damaged in a long-ago battle. He descended, bringing us closer to the castle.

“Here?”

He kissed the top of my head. “It’s time for you to see my powers extend beyond helping people find love.”

My stomach flipped, did somersaults, and dove right to my crotch.

He brought us through the small window on the top floor of the castle. I’d expected to see an abandoned dusty room of floor-to-ceiling stone. Instead, it appeared as if time hadn’t so much as touched it. A roaring fire blazed in the stone-framed hearth; a brown bearskin rug sprawled on the floor in front of it. Candles and roses of every color rested in patterns on the various tables surrounding the room. He set me down. The warmth from the stone floor traveled up to my thighs.

“Did you do all of this?” I traced my fingers over a flower’s petals.

The candle flames flickered from the gentle breeze pushing into the room from several open-aired windows. However, the air wasn’t chilly but set to the perfect warmth—heated enough to keep my skin from sprouting goosebumps.

“Yes. Do you like it?” He stepped behind me, sliding a hand over my hip.

A shaky breath pushed from my lungs. “It’s like something out of a fantasy.”

“That’s what you need to realize, Elani.” He slowly turned me to face him, kneading my waist with his fingers. “You can live a fantasy. You can have it all.”

Gulping, I dragged my fingers down the ripples of his abs. I followed their pattern, tracing the light scattering of hair that disappeared into his pants. “Can I start with having you first?”

His heated kiss was an answer without words. He trailed his fingers over my chin, moving them to the back of my head, tongue massaging over mine. He pulled away, peering down at me with hooded eyes. His wings disappeared, and I stifled a whimper.

“You’re not going to leave them out?”

A sultry smile curved his lips. “They’ll be back.” His hands slid under my jacket, pushing it from my shoulders and slipping it down my arms.

I stood fully clothed, staring at his naked chest, and already an ache pooled in my core. “Can’t you snap our clothes away?”

“I could.” He dragged a single finger down the line of buttons of my shirt. “But where would be the fun in that?”

I froze in front of him, letting him do his handiwork.

He kept my gaze, torturing me further with those sapphire eyes. One-by-one he undid the buttons, the skin of his knuckles occasionally brushing my skin. It was a bitter-sweet mix of anticipation and pleasure that had my knees shaking.

He peeled the shirt over my shoulders, tracing the calluses of his fingers down my arms as he slipped it away. Despite his powers making the room as warm as a bright summer day, I shivered, my nerves pouring into overdrive.

He cupped my face. “Relax, Elani.”

It was debatable whether it was fear raging through my system. I was no stranger to having sex with a man, but he wasn’t human.

“Is it—what’s it going to be like, Eros?”

He lowered his head, grazing his nose over my forehead. “Like a man but far more—” His breath floated over my brow. “—intense.”

My groin pulsed.

He used one finger to slide a bra strap off, followed by the other. Using one hand, he undid the clasp, and I let it fall down my arms, throwing it to the side once it reached my wrists. His eyes panned down to take in the sight of my bare breasts. Cupping one, kneading it, he sunk his mouth over the other, making swirls around my nipple with his tongue.

My head fell back, and I tangled my fingers in his hair. We’d only just begun, and I didn’t want it to stop. Not now. Not ever. He kissed his way up my chest, over my collarbone, and paid extra attention to my nape—taking a moment to kiss, lick, and nibble.

I moaned, tightening my grip on his hair. His fingers dipped into the top of my jeans, flicking the button open and pulling the zipper down in one swift motion. He placed a hand on each of my hips, and as he slowly—torturously slow—pulled my pants down, he sunk to his knees. With each inch of exposed skin, he left a trail with his lips—outer thigh, inner thigh, the back of my knee. When the jeans were a pile at my feet, I stepped out of them and stood in only my pink lace underwear.

A masculine groan roiled from his chest as he came face to face with what remained hidden beneath a thin piece of fabric. He lapped his tongue over the satin, right on that bundle of nerves. My back arched, and I let out a sharp gasp. He smiled against my hip and stood. Taking one of my hands, he guided it to his belt, gingerly rubbing the back of my hand. I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip, making quick work of his belt, button, and zipper. His assisted strip tease had me ravenous—impatient for a meal like I’d been starved for weeks.

Warming me with his gaze, he lifted my wrists. After giving a kiss to each of my palms, he turned his back to me. Raising a brow over his shoulder, still keeping his eyes on me, watching my every reaction, he slowly slid the pants down, pulling the boxer briefs along with them. He stopped as those muscular ass cheeks poked out.

A breath hitched in my throat, and I couldn’t be sure, but I may have made a hurry-up gesture with my hand.

A satisfied grin played over his lips, and he peeled the pants away entirely. The same scattering of masculine hair traveled over his toned legs. He turned to face me, giving a full view of him. All of him. I dragged my fingers over my chin and down my throat—simply staring with abandon.

“Lie down, Elani.” He gestured at the bearskin rug.

As I moved past him, he followed me with his feral gaze. The soft fur brushed against my skin, sending ripples down my spine. He kneeled before me, lightly pressing a hand on my chest, guiding me to my back. My hands bunched the rug in my palms, nerves mixing with impatience making my jaw tremble. He loomed over me, supporting his weight on his forearms beside my head. He kissed me, relaxing me, teasing me with the tip of him, brushing the underwear still very, very on. My hands softened at my sides as he pulled away to give my chin a peck. His tongue dragged down my throat, over each breast, my stomach, and when he reached my underwear, he pulled them down my thighs with his teeth.

The room was silent save for the crackling fire, the wind rustling through the windows, and my uneven panting. When his tongue lapped over me, I thought I’d pass out. My back arched, and I dug my fingernails into his shoulders. He continued to lick me, occasionally stopping to suck, making my limbs shudder. A finger slid in, causing a cry to escape from my inner soul.

I traced a hand over my breast, moving it over the light sheen of sweat gathering on my face, and wrapping it in my hair. The world spun, and my grip was the only thing keeping me on solid ground.

Another finger plunged in, and I called out his name—his real name. Eros. Passion. Love. Sex. It was enough to shatter me. The explosive release started in my core and traveled over every nerve like a static shock.

I could feel his smile against my folds. His fingers disappeared from inside me, and his tongue followed. As my body shook, coming down from its release, he moved over me, pressing his chest against mine.

“Elani.” His voice sounded like an echoed whisper.

The need for him inside me was almost painful. No amount of water could quench the built-up thirst between my legs.

I touched his face, tracing my thumb over the cleft in his chin. “Eros…”

He gobbled my words with his mouth, kissing me. “I know.”

And he did know. Every part I yearned to have touched, kissed, licked—he was with me every step of the way.

He sat back on his haunches, and with a flex of his arms, the wings shot out. The dim lighting emanating only from the flames around us cast wavering shadows across the white feathers. He folded them back, and as he leaned forward, I felt him nudge at my entrance. I bit down on my lip, grabbing his forearms as if I were about to plummet over a waterfall. His wings rustled with each gained inch pushed into me. When he filled me to the hilt, he paused, but only for a breath.

He pulled himself out and slowly plunged back in. I lifted my hips to meet him, deepening the connection. My heart swelled in my chest, bringing me to tears. A single one rolled down my cheek, and Eros’s lips kissed it away as he started a steady roll of his hips. The carefree space I’d held in my head—my heart, before it shattered, began to chisel the stone that’d built up around it.

“Ki’taxa vathia’ mess ta ma’tia sou ke I’da to me’llon mas.” Eros whispered against my hair, his thrusts increasing, deepening.

He’d spoken Greek, a language I didn’t understand, but still, the words dove into me, sending flashes of unexplained memories blasting through my brain like a slide show gone mad. Images overlapping—wings, a serpent-like creature, a wedding ceremony.

I looked into your eyes and saw our future.

My eyes flew open, staring up at—he was my—

“Soulmate, Elani.”

My heart flew into an erratic sprint. I yanked him down to me, smothering him with a kiss I could’ve only ever imagined in a fable—a kiss to shake the mountains themselves. He groaned against my mouth, pulling away and sitting back. Cupping his hands on my ass, he lifted my hips and plunged into me. Swirls of golden shimmer spiraled around his arms before floating between our joined bodies—our union. A heat built in my stomach, intensifying until my heart felt like it’d erupt from my chest. Not in the painful sense but in such an overwhelming bout of serenity, my mortal shell could scarcely handle it.

“Is this your love mojo?” I whispered, staring up at him with heavy-lidded eyes.

He dipped his head long enough to drag his nose across my cheek. “I said I’d never use it on you, but I can’t help showering you with passion—feeding it to you from a silver platter.”

He turned us on our sides, facing the fireplace, and keeping us joined. His one arm snaked around my chest, his fingers tracing over one breast. His other hand trailed my ribs, my hip, and delved to the inside of my thigh as he pumped with slowed thrusts. One wing dipped in front of us, low enough for me to reach it but not so far to block the heat radiating from the flames.

I stroked a feather with a single finger, the wing bristling against my touch. Adding another finger, I roamed my hand over the softest parts, relishing in how they felt like a kitten’s belly. As I quickly traced over the arch, he gave one quick thrust—deep and claiming, his arm tightening around me.

I curled my arm behind me, tangling my fingers in his hair, coaxing his head down to my lips. The kiss had him driving into me with more force, more passion. Every time he’d plunge forward, I’d arch my back to meet him, whimpering into his mouth. He pulled away and wrapped a hand over my shoulder, pushing me to my back. A fire lit in his gaze as he pressed his hands to each side of my head, pushing into me with such ferocity my body jerked against the bearskin rug.

The gorgeous wings fanned out, widening to their full span as he pumped faster and faster. The tingling sensation swirled inside me, churning like a typhoon until it erupted. I screamed through my release, and I’d never been a vocal person, but with him…with Eros, it was impossible not to let myself go—to take the time to feel everything.

He dropped over me again, keeping one hand on my butt, rolling, and bucking those hips until finally he came undone. A masculine moan floated from his throat, his face burying into my hair as he shook through his release. His wings went taut, and as he blew out a shaky breath, they slowly relaxed and folded behind him.

“Anasa mou esai.” He muttered against my lips.

You’re my breath.

I couldn’t fathom how I knew what he said, but it was the farthest of my concerns. I gently glided my lips over his, reaching behind him to trail my fingers over the arch of one wing. Both wings shivered and rustled. Eros pinched his eyes shut, and a lazy smile tugged at his mouth. I touched each arch of his wings, making the hardness resting on my thigh twitch.

“I warned you,” he purred with a devilish grin and plunged into me.

For the rest of the night, he proved just how sensitive the arches of his wings were to my touch.