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  “I know.” Riley felt him bumping up against the barrier of her innocence once more. “Will you kiss me and fill me completely? Take my mind off the pain and show me I can do more. I can take more.”

  One of his hands came up to cup her cheek. “I’ll do anything you wish, sweetheart. All you ever have to do is ask.” Then he kissed her, sweetly at first, but it soon began to heat up. His tongue stroked over hers while he tipped her head to one side to take the kiss deeper. All the while, his hips never once moved.

  Riley loved it when he kissed her. She shifted. Her legs tightened, and she shuddered. She tugged him closer, telling him without words that she needed and wanted more.

  He thrust into her quickly, suddenly. He caught the gasp she let loose and stilled as he continued to kiss her. “I have you,” he said. Nipping at her lip, he scraped his teeth over her skin gently.

  Riley’s eyes were open, tears tracing down her cheeks, but she smiled. “You do,” she whispered. “Never letting you go.” She was incredibly, impossibly full. It was as if she were finally whole. “Please, move.”

  He brushed his fingers over her wet cheek, his mouth moving over the other. “Hold on, Riley.” Then he drew his cock out slowly before thrusting it back in just as slowly. Over and over he did that, continuing to pepper kisses over her face.

  Riley soon caught on to the rhythm and was moving along with him, her hips lifting and shifting, undulating against him. A sob tore through her throat. “Hector. God,” she whimpered as she tightened her legs around him. Something massive was building inside of her that had her gasping for air and holding on to him tighter and tighter.

  “There you are,” he gritted. “Look at me, Riley. I want to see your eyes as you come.” He was up on his hands, thrusting harder and faster now, his cock sliding in and out with perfect friction as his chest rubbed against her taut nipples, causing even more sensation.

  Her eyes opened. She saw the intense desire and satisfaction in his. He was perfect. Hector had been created for her every bit as much as she had for him. She’d needed someone to command her body, to tell her how she was to be in bed, and there was no one better than Hector of Troy to do just that.

  She gasped at an almost burning sensation in the pit of her stomach. Her womb clenched, and her pussy walls tightened on his cock. “God…” She breathed the word and arched against him again. “Hector, Sir, please.” She was so close but just couldn’t go over the edge.

  “Hold on, Riley. A little longer,” he grunted. He was slamming into her now, jostling her around on the bed. His face was set in fierce lines of determination as he stared down at her. “You don’t come until I say you can, do you understand me? Not one second before I say the words. Until then, you hang on tight and wait … let it all build inside of you.”

  She nodded and heard herself whispering, “Yes, Sir.” She would wait until time ended for him. She shuddered, moving under him now with every bit as much determination and desperation as he was moving over her. She let her hands move down his back, touching every inch of him she could before reaching for his buttocks. She cupped his perfect left cheek in her hand and squeezed, her toes curling and head thrashing about on the pillow.

  “Hector, Sir, God.” She sobbed the three words almost as one. She was seeing stars, her vision blurring, but she didn’t close her eyes. Instead she watched him with rapt fascination and licked her lips in anticipation of what he was going to give her.

  He was gritting his teeth, the lines of his jaw strained just as the cords in his neck were. He thrust into her again and again, harder, faster, as sweat dripped down his temple toward his chin. “Riley.” He growled her name. “Come now. Scream for me,” he demanded in a harsh voice as he slammed into her, his body shaking as he threw his head back with a bellow.

  Riley couldn’t have stopped her orgasm had she wanted to. All it took was for him to demand that she release. Her arms and legs tightened on him as a scream was ripped from her throat. She felt the rush of her honey coating him. The cord she had seen between them before now wrapped around them, tying their very souls together.

  When their orgasm was over, her arms fell limply to her sides. “Amazing.” She shuddered, feeling the pleasure reflect onto him, then come back to her two-fold.

  His chest kept brushing over hers as he panted for breath, his head hanging low enough for the soft strands of hair to tickle her shoulder and neck. “Holy hell,” he finally groaned. With a ripple of muscle, he rolled them over. She ended up draped over his chest, his rapid heartbeat under her ear. “Are you all right, Riley? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He sounded so concerned, his touch almost hesitant as he stroked her back.

  “I couldn’t be better.” Riley moved so that she could put her chin in her hands and looked down at him. “You didn’t hurt me.” She shook her head and smiled. “I can’t describe how amazing that was. I feel you,” she whispered with wide eyes. “Not just physically inside of me, but emotionally and mentally.”

  “Good.” His relief was a wave of sensation over her body. “The bond ties us together on a level that only the gods could ever truly experience. Heart, body, mind, and soul are no longer just a way to describe something. It’s now a reality for us both. If you are ever in danger, or upset, I’ll know. It doesn’t matter the distance between us. It’s not as strong the farther we get from one another, but it’s always there. I can also track you if I’m inside a certain range, as you will be able to me, in time.”

  “I like the idea that we’ll never be alone again,” she admitted, moving one hand to touch his cheek. “I know that things like love at first sight shouldn’t exist, but they do. I know I’m feeling something for you that I’ve never felt before. If it’s not love, then I don’t know what love is.” She shifted so she could rest against his chest and had to moan at the new feeling of his cock rubbing at her clit. “Sweet merciful heavens, that feels so good.” She wanted more.

  His chuckle jostled her around. “It only gets better, sweetheart. For now, though, you need to rest. Since this was your first time, you’ll discover soon enough that you have muscles between your legs you never even knew existed. Let’s get you warmed up, cleaned up, and tucked in for a nap. While you bathe, I’ll check the lasagna.”

  “A hot bath would be lovely. Then a nap and food. Then we can do something else before we turn in for the night. Or should we just turn in now, get up early, and have the lasagna for breakfast?” She was teasing him, fighting a grin as she did so.

  “You need to eat, and you did say you like pasta.” He helped her to move off the bed. Grabbing his shirt, he pulled it over her head. “That should keep you decent between here and the bathroom. I’ll meet you back in here when you’re done.” Hector yanked on his jeans but left them sitting low on his hips, unbuttoned.

  “It won’t bother Gaius if I take a hot bath, will it?” she asked, recalling in that moment that there was only one. “I can take a hot shower so that I don’t tie it up for too long.” She let Hector push her into the bathroom and once more pressed her hand over his heart. “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of touching you.” He was so warm and so hard. He was her idea of perfect.

  “You’re welcome to touch me whenever you want. As to the bath, you can take whatever time you need.” Leaning in, he kissed her slowly, drawing back with a small bite to her lower lip. She didn’t want to walk away from him. She didn’t want to move from the pleasure and the feelings she had with this man. She wanted to remain there, wanted him to stay close. “Go and check on our food and then come back and wash my back for me?” She just wanted him to touch her, needed him to touch her. “Besides, you have to be sore, too, right?”

  “Not even a little,” he told her. “A man doesn’t tend to get sore like a woman does. We’re not using the same muscles. Hell, we don’t even have some of the ones you do. Get in and start soaking. I’ll be back soon.” Another quick kiss to her lips and he stepped out of the bathroom, shutting the door between them.
r />   She watched the door for a good thirty seconds before turning with a grin on her face. Shaking her head, she felt the love that he had for her in the bond. She focused on it and poured to him how she felt without saying the words. As she did that, she began the water, humming under her breath and stepping into the tub, removing his shirt as she sat.

  She’d been in the bath for a good fifteen minutes before he slipped inside. “Sorry, Gaius had some updates on something else the guardians are working on, as well as some information from Mercury he had to pass along. Dinner should be in about an hour.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Riley scooted forward in the tub so that Hector had room to get in behind her. “Join me?” Fortunately, the tub was massive and had jets.

  He nodded and dropped his pants. Stepping in behind her, he slid down until she was between his legs. “Come here,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Much better now that you have your arms around me.” Her whole being relaxed when Hector pulled her close. Closing her eyes, she turned slightly so that she could lay her cheek on his chest. “Much better.” His arms were around her. The jets were running, and the water was hot. She was in heaven.

  “Don’t fall asleep in here. It’s not exactly my idea of comfort. Though the jets are rather nice. We definitely could have used them back in my time after a long day of being on the training fields. Then again, I don’t know if we would have fought quite so hard, had we had such luxuries waiting on us.”

  “I think you would have. You’re a warrior through and through, Hector.” Riley sighed. “I could get used to having you hold me.” She pressed a kiss to his skin and licked her lips. “I think that I might love you. Is that too much, too soon?”

  He shook his head. “You need to remember that we’re meant to be together. The Fates themselves chose you for me and me for you. Our souls are tied and our lives woven together for all eternity. So, love is only natural. Beyond all that, we have something going on that has nothing at all to do with the Fates or their meddling ways. We’re naturally attracted to one another, something they can’t hold any sway over. They can make us want someone, but the natural pull of attraction isn’t within their realm, as far as I know.” Hector lifted her, turning her in the bathtub until she was facing him a little more. “You are mine, Riley. Mine to protect, mine to be there for, mine to love for the rest of time.”

  Riley shivered at the heat in his voice, the promise that was there. “And you are mine.” She moved to lean in closer to him, rubbing her cheek to his. Against his ear she whispered, “Forever, Hector. I am yours from this day until the end of time. Now…” Her hands moved down his chest and closed over his hard cock. “I should give you some sort of pleasure, don’t you think?” she asked with a smile.

  She stroked down his cock and back up again, her thumb running over the bulbous head and smoothing the slick drop of pre-cum over it. “I love how hard you are all the time.”

  “You put your hands on me and expect me to remain unaffected? You need to sleep, though, and I’ve heard alarming reports of how dangerous bathtubs are. We should get out and move to safer territory, like the bed.” Catching her hand in his, he lifted it to press a kiss to each of her fingers.

  “Okay. Bed, then,” she said with a smile. She brushed her hips against his cock and rose to her feet. Then she stepped away from him and held out her hand. “Come on, my Prince of Troy.”

  He let out a low groan as he followed her lead. “I wouldn’t call me that in front of Gaius. If you do, he’ll insist that we all start using his damn title again, ‘as is his right of birth.’ I’d rather not have to call him ‘your highness’ again, for at least a while.” Stepping from the tub, he pulled a towel from the shelf and handed it to her before dragging another one off for himself.

  Riley could only laugh. “And what would Emily think of calling him that? Because I have to tell you, I don’t think that she would appreciate it. Or am I wrong?”

  “He lets her call him whatever she wants. She is his other half. That woman gets away with a hell of a lot, actually. As I’m sure you will too.” Finished drying, he wrapped the towel around his hips. Grabbing up his jeans and the shirt she’d been wearing, he moved to the door. “Though I’m sure, in public, he would insist on such a thing.”

  She snorted and shook her head. “I’m sure that, unless she was born in the Middle Ages, she doesn’t call anyone ‘your highness’ either. Besides…” she covered herself, “you are my prince, so I can call you anything I want.” He was her knight in shining armor, her prince charming, and her heart and soul. He was her everything.

  “Hmm.” He shot her a look and shrugged. “I won’t stop you, but take care about using it in front of Gaius. For all our sakes. I really don’t want to put up with the temper tantrums again. That was not a fun century.”

  Riley chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll just call you that when you make me very happy.” Which seemed to be just about all the time. “I don’t want you to have to tie your friend up and gag him because he has it in his mind that he should have his title used. This is the twenty-first century, after all.”

  “To which he will point out the royal houses that are still using their titles. Just … don’t,” Hector pleaded. He pulled the door open and ushered her up the hall to their room. Inside, he locked the door and turned off the overhead lights. It was still mid-afternoon, so there was plenty of sunlight. Or there was until he began drawing the drapery, which were obviously blackouts.

  Riley dropped her towel, found her way to the bed, and crawled into the middle. With her body covered, she turned and watched the large shadow that was Hector. Lifting the blankets, she smiled. “Come get in bed with me? Hold me until we wake for dinner?”

  The mattress dipped at her side before the heat of his body pressed along hers. The blankets were tugged from her fingers a moment before his arms slid around her. “We still have a long way to travel before we get to the Mountain.”

  She moved so that every possible inch of her body that could touch him did. With her cheek on his chest, she rubbed it lightly and closed her eyes. “Rest well, Hector,” she whispered before placing a kiss to his skin. “Dream of me,” she added, falling sound asleep.

  Chapter Five

  Dinner that evening was an interesting affair. While she’d finished her nap, Gaius had made up salads, as well as some fresh bread from little blocks of frozen dough kept in the freezer. He’d apparently had to run out for the greens for the salad, to which Hector had rolled his eyes.

  Gaius was a little dry in his humor, but he actually did have a sense of humor. A definite surprise. Hector had a more obvious humor, and both men were brutally honest in everything. Any question Riley posed, they would answer without even a hint of a fib.

  “More sweet tea?” Gaius asked, holding up the jug.

  “Thank you, yes.” She picked up her glass and let the large man fill it. “So.” She took a sip after he sat back down. “Did your girlfriend fall as easily for you as I seem to have fallen for Hector? I just ask because I’m very hopeful that I’m not the only one around here who knows an amazing thing when I see it.”

  She didn’t want to bring up the woman’s injuries again. She’d seen the hurt on his face the first time she had asked. It had made her sad, just as if a close friend was hurting.

  “She was a little resistant in the beginning but came around to my charm quickly enough,” Gaius said.

  Hector snorted at that. Getting up, he began to clear the table, waving her back into her seat when she tried to follow.

  “You’ll like Emily, I think. She is amazing, sweet, and generous, and of course she has the best taste in men. I realize that may be a point of contention between you two—deciding whom the best choice is between Hector and me. I have a feeling she’ll triumph, though. She’s fierce when it comes to me.” Gaius was grinning at her, wiggling his eyebrows too.

  Riley just chuckled. She wasn’t about to gi
ve this man a piece of knowledge about women. While they might ooh and ahh and make men think they were fighting over whose man was the most attractive, they all knew the simple truth—there was no one better than the man she gave her heart to. “I’m sure I’ll like her. She does, after all, put up with you,” she teased.

  Hector let out a laugh behind her. “I think she takes some sort of medication to put up with him,” he said. He came back to the table and settled a plate of fruit in the middle. Passing her a fork, he leaned in to press a kiss to her neck. “Are you putting up with me, Riley?”

  “Nope, I’m enjoying you, Hector,” Riley answered without missing a beat. “I’m loving my life with you. I’m happy you found me.” Which was honest. She couldn’t lie, anyway—it hurt her too much. “I need you in my life too much to simply put up with you.”

  “Oh, by the gods, is this what you guys have been talking about?” Gaius looked horrified. “You’re all syrupy and … and…” He made gagging sounds as he held up a hand.

  “Pretty much what we’ve been trying to tell you for the last seven weeks,” Hector said. “You and Emily are a thousand times worse, believe me. You’re more like—” Dragging up a chair, he sat down next to Riley and faced her. “‘I can’t imagine my next breath without you. Waking up without you at my side is a thought not worth bearing.’”

  Gaius was really gagging now.

  Hector rolled his eyes. “It’s all true, by the by,” he said quietly in Riley’s ear. “Are you now getting our point?” he asked louder of the other man.

  “Got it,” Gaius croaked out.

  Riley grinned and leaned closer to Hector. With her cheek to his, she whispered, “I have to tell you, though. If you said those things to me, I think I would stay naked twenty-four seven waiting for you to be inside of me the next time.” Just the words had her wet and needy. “There’s something that goes right to a woman’s core when her man tells her how much she means to him and how much he loves her.”