Acheron (Dark-Hunter 14)

His throat dry, Ash didn't move as he felt her body clutching his. It took all of his strength not to thrust, but it wasn't time yet. Her body was still stretching to accommodate him. "Are you all right?"

"Are you kidding?" She slid herself further down his shaft.

He gasped as pleasure almost overrode his control.

"Is this right?"

"Yes," he breathed, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as his entire body shivered.

She rocked herself against him even harder.

"Stop!" Ash cried.

Tory froze, afraid she'd hurt him. "What's wrong?"

He pulled out of her and rolled over onto his back to look up at her. He brushed the hair back from her face before he ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. "I want to come while looking at you."

She kissed him as he pulled her over his body. She straddled his hips while they kissed.

Ash trailed his hand down her back until he touched himself so that he could guide his shaft back inside her. They gasped in unison as she sank herself down on him.

As she did so, her thoughts whispered through his head. Am I doing this right? I hope he's not disappointed. Why can't I do this with my glasses on so that I can see him better? Please don't be disappointed, Ash.

Those doubts tore through him. Most of all the sincerity of them, the concern for him brought tears to his eyes. "You're wonderful, Tory. Perfect."

She paused to squint at him. "Really?"

"Yes," he breathed, reaching down so that he could stroke her while she rode him slow and easy. His throat tight, her gentleness succeeded in breaking him where the beatings never had.

One small tear slid from the corner of his right eye. Slamming them shut, he surrendered himself to her. Right now, this moment, she owned him in a way no one ever had before.

No, she didn't own him.

He gave himself to her and for the first time, he understood the difference. He understood what it meant to make love. To share his body with someone not out of obligation or fear, but because it made them closer.

In this one heartbeat, he was hers and she was his.

Tory burned at the sensation of Ash deep inside her. All her life she'd wondered what this would feel like. But her imagination had nothing on this reality. Nothing on the beauty of feeling the restrained strength of Ash lying under her.

He was so hard and fierce and yet so gentle. She wished that she could crawl inside him or more to the point that she could wrap herself around him and keep him from harm forever.

If only he'd let her.

Ash cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately an instant before he came with a force so strong it rendered him temporarily senseless. Growling, he pulled back to stare in her eyes as he tasted the first real bliss he'd ever known.

And it was followed by a fear so profound that his heart stilled. Now that they were finished, how would she react?

Would she shove him away? Would she cry? Hit him? Curse him?

He held his breath, waiting.

Smiling, she leaned herself against his chest and cuddled there like a kitten while their bodies were still joined. She let out a deep sigh as she stroked his shoulder and arm. "That was even better than I'd ever dreamed."

Ash flinched, still expecting the worst. "You're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be?" She took his hand in hers and brought it to her lips so that she could nibble his knuckles.

Ash relaxed as he realized that she wasn't angry or upset at him for what they'd done. And the more he relaxed, the more he enjoyed the sensation of her naked body lying against his. "I could stay like this forever."

"Wouldn't it be nice?"

He nodded as he leaned his head against hers and inhaled the scent of her hair. Unfortunately, he felt himself sliding out of her. Damn.

"I better take care of this." He reluctantly moved her to her side so that he could pull the condom off.

Tory watched as he left the bed. Hating to not see him, she reached over to get her glasses. After they were in place, she opened the Sprite that she'd left there and took a sip.

Ash returned with a wet cloth for her. "Sorry it's so messy."

She fingered his lips. "I like your mess. I think you taste wonderful." She exchanged her drink for his cloth.

Ash had never tasted a soda before. Curious, he took a drink of it and was surprised by the sharp tartness. "Wow, this is actually good."

"Haven't you ever had a Sprite before?"

"No."

She rolled her eyes as she cleaned herself. "I know, you stick to beer."

Ash didn't answer as he took a deep draft of it again. He frowned as a strange wave of dizziness went through his head. If he didn't know better, he'd think he was getting a buzz from it. But that was impossible. As a god, he didn't get drunk. And even if he did, there was nothing in soda that would intoxicate him.

Tory frowned as she watched Ash down the whole twenty ounces of Sprite in one gulp. "Ash?"

"Is there more of this?"

He was acting peculiar. Like he was drunk.

"There should be another bottle in the fridge."

He licked his lips as he cupped her chin in his hand. "You know, you are beautiful for a human."

"What else would I be?"

He laughed before he kissed her. "You could be a goddess, but you're not bitch enough for that. Then again, Katra isn't a bitch. She's beautiful like you." He cocked his head as if another random thought occurred to him. "I need to see my daughter soon. She's going to have a baby. A girl like her only not like her. It'll be a baby her with a lot more power. I just hope she has enough of her father in her not to be a goddess of destruction. There are already too many of us. We need more who are innately good."

Tory was baffled by his rambling tone that was half Greek and half English. "What in the world are you talking about?" There was no way he was old enough to have a daughter old enough to give birth to a baby. "Are you screwing with me, Ash?"

He nipped her breast. "I've already done that, Soteria, and I enjoyed it like nothing I've ever enjoyed ever. Where's that drink?"

She handed him another bottle. "Are you drunk?"

"I feel drunk." He looked up at her and smiled brightly. "I'm drunk on your beauty. Look what you've done to me, human." He took a drink of Sprite, then set it aside and reached for her. "Touch me, Soteria. I feel so clean and whole when you touch me." He rubbed her hand against his chest, raking her nails against his nipple and as he did so, she saw a scar appear that ran from his throat all the way down past his navel. Another scar, a hand print, appeared around his throat as the hair on his entire body changed from black to blond.

"Ash?"

His eyes turned a dark, fiery red.

Terrified, Tory got up to run for the door.

Somehow Ash appeared in front of her. "Where are you going?"

Terrified and unsure of him, she gulped. "What are you?"

"I'm a god, Soteria. The last of the Atlantean pantheon."