“I meant what I said,” Ian muttered. “I wouldn’t mind a nymph of my own.”
“Halo?” Ophelia purred.
“Yes.” He flashed her to their bedroom and tossed her onto the mattress. As she bounced, she wiggled out of the sheet, revealing her naked body to him. “All those delicious, dusky curves. The way those eyes watch me with excitement...” He unbuckled his belt. “Do you crave your male, Elia?”
“I do, I do,” she assured him. “Am I going to get him?”
“Oh, you get him. Often.”
“That’s not enough. I demand more.”
He grinned. “Then more you’ll get.” He crawled up the bed, kissed up her body, and gave her more.
Halo gave her everything.
EPILOGUE
“Get your lazy butt out of bed. Operation Lady O Be Good commences in thirty.”
Ophelia groaned, her mind slowly rousing from the most amazing slumber of her life. A pleasure drunk slumber, not a vodka drunk one. “That’s not funny.” Blinking open her eyes, she slapped at Halo’s bare chest and muttered, “Is this how it’s gonna be every morning from now on?”
“Probably. I do like my routines.” He chuckled and brought her hand to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. A real chuckle! “We slept in the same bed the entire night and awoke together. A first for us. And for me.”
His delight was too cute, and she grinned. She lay on her stomach, naked and facing him. Even though she knew the answer, she asked, “And what’s the final verdict on the all-nighter?”
Expression fierce, he told her, “I will destroy worlds to have this for the rest of forever.” He rolled closer and kissed her forehead. “My female makes me greedy for more of everything.”
She beamed at him. He’d kept his word and covered every inch of her in stardust. Many, many times, all night long. He’d done his X-ray vision thing a few hours ago and discovered she still bore the mark of the Bloodmor. Which made sense, since the creatures remained inside her head, caged once again. Halo could remove the mark...but she had to let him do it.
After much deliberation, they’d agreed she should keep the beasts. The defense aspects couldn’t be beat. She was able to morph into anything or anyone, then return to herself. The Bloodmor belonged to her, after all, and only she and Halo knew its current location. In between bouts of lovemaking, they’d hidden it.
“The next task will soon begin,” he said, smoothing a lock of her hair behind her ear.
Another Astra destined to find his gravita? “Who do you think is up to bat?”
“I have absolutely no idea. We’re only to expect the unexpected.”
“Well, whoever he is, I feel sorry for him. You got the best task, and the best girl.”
“I did indeed.” Grinning, he flipped her to her back, pinning her to the mattress with his weight. “She is insatiable for me. Beautiful beyond imagining. Brilliant and crafty. Filled with enough energy to bring a dead machine back to life. A prize worth any cost.”
“Someone’s software got another update, I see. This one is all about romance,” she said, curling her body around his. When he said such sweet things, Ophelia had no defenses. But then, she didn’t need defenses with him. She enjoyed being laid bare before him in every way.
The striations in his eyes twirled. “Be aware. The update can’t be completed until I’m plugged in and powered down.”
She snorted, adoring this teasing side of him. “Kiss me like you’ll die without me, Astra.”
He lightly pinched her chin and angled her lips to his. “The same as always then?” he quipped before claiming her mouth and making the rest of the world disappear.
* * *