The Sea Witch (Wicked Villains 5)
His mistake is my gain, however.
Or that’s how this started. A mutually beneficial arrangement in which we’re both getting our needs met. Sexually, yes, but once we realized we had a common enemy in Triton, the beginnings of a friendship formed. Friendship. The thought might make me laugh if I had less control. Our relationship is far more complicated than friendship. I like this man with his wicked charm and eager submission. I even like his flaws despite myself. He’s a danger I’ve never been able to turn away from. Now, I don’t have to.
I crook my finger and lean back to brace my hands on the mattress behind me. Alaric crawls across the floor toward me, and the sight thrills me just as much as the knowledge of how close we are to revenge against Triton. Layers upon layers, all of them working in our favor.
Alaric stops just short of touching me and brushes his fingers against the hem of my dress. “May I?”
“Do you think you deserve it?”
He gives me a quicksilver grin, one that says he knows I’m going to say yes. “I know I do.”
“Mmm.” I spread my legs just a bit, all the invitation he needs to start sliding his hands up my legs, bringing my dress with him. I wait until he reaches my thighs to speak. “I should thank you.”
“Oh?” Alaric’s question is distracted, his gaze following his hands as he shifts my dress up and strokes my thighs. “Are you thanking me in advance for orgasms?”
“Darling, you know those orgasms are mine by right. It’s your reward to give them to me.”
He flashes another grin. “I better get started then.”
“You’ll want to hear this first.”
He hesitates, but finally presses his palms to my thighs and gives my face his full attention. “Okay, I’m listening.”
“She’s here.”
It takes three long seconds for comprehension to settle over his features, quickly followed by a cascade of emotions. Guilt. Lust. Hope. More guilt. Alaric clears his throat. “That took longer than you thought it would.”
That, right there, is why I can never trust him fully. For as much as he cleaves to his internal image of the selfish playboy, Alaric has a conscience. It’s not enough of one to stop him from doing what it takes to further his own goals, but it raises its head at the most inopportune of times.
His hands pulse on my thighs. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”
Here we are.
I’ve been waiting for this moment from the second Alaric got back from Olympus. He’d done what was necessary, but he’d lost that fierce joy at the thought of revenge. I hoped time might smooth out that guilt, but I’m not surprised it didn’t. I sift my fingers through his hair. “How long have you worked in the Underworld?”
His expression closes down. “Eight years.”
“Who’s responsible for that?”
He holds my gaze, some of the guilt clearing. “Triton.”
“That’s right. He was going to take out your debt on your pretty face, your beautiful body, and when you were too broken to do anything but give up, he would have killed you.” I stroke his cheekbones with my thumbs. “You did the only thing you could and made a deal with Hades, but it wouldn’t have been necessary if Triton hadn’t painted you into a corner.”
Alaric finally meets my eyes. “Maybe we should have found a way to get revenge that doesn’t include Zuri.”
I laugh in his face. “Lie to yourself if you must, but don’t lie to me. You wanted that girl from the moment you laid eyes on her, and you didn’t bother to look for another path forward.” I lean down a little. “You don’t care what the fallout will be for her, darling. You want her pretty virgin pussy, and I’m more than happy to provide it to you.” He could have taken her and run. She was ripe for it during the weeks he spent in Olympus. All he had to do was crook his finger and he could have had her.
He chose not to. He chose to play out this revenge scheme.
He chose me.
Some days, I can hardly believe it. I don’t truly trust this man, but it’s difficult to remember to keep him at a distance when he’s looking at me like he is now. Like I’m a goddess he’s only too happy to spend his life worshipping. If I was a different woman, I’d let down my guard with him after all this time.
I can’t. I’ve built my walls too high and too strong to protect myself, and it didn’t occur to me that I might want a door or window to let someone in. Who can I trust? My people pledge their loyalty, but they’re benefitting from it as long as I’m territory leader. Alaric submits to me so perfectly, but he’s a caged bird. I can’t guarantee what he’ll do when the door is blasted open and the entire sky is at his disposal.