Warrior Rising (Goddess Summoning #6)(71)

Achilles slid his hands around her waist and took her into his arms again, kissing her deeply and letting his hands smooth over the impossibly soft skin of her back, down to her lovely ass. He cupped it, pressing her more firmly against the erection that throbbed taut and heavy between his legs. Her hips moved in response and an enticing memory of their first encounter filled his mind and he remembered how her hot slickness had felt gliding up and down against his shaft.

A wave of desire crashed over Achilles, drowning in its intensity and he struggled to hold onto his control as he felt the searing, red hot intensity of the berserker lick against his lust-fevered skin.

“Open your eyes, Achilles. Look at me.”

Kat’s sweet voice was cool relief against the fire in his mind. He opened his eyes and met her gaze. The berserker threatened. He knew she had to see his shadow lurking, ready to possess, to smother and repress all of his humanity. Yet she didn’t show any fear. Her smile was confident. She didn’t pull out of his arms and she didn’t open the locket and call for her goddess’s rescue.

“You’re not going to leave me,” she said in that calm, beautiful voice. “You’re going to stay here with me. You’re going to keep me safe.”

“Yes,” Achilles murmured, kissing her gently. “I will keep you safe.” He reached within himself and found his inner core—that part of himself that was the seat of his spirit—and Achilles centered himself there. “This passion is different than what I need for war.” He hadn’t realized he’d spoken the thought aloud until she answered him.

“Yes! What you need to love me doesn’t destroy.”

“Instead it builds,” he said.

Looking into her eyes he shifted her body so that she lay beneath him. Achilles lifted himself on one elbow so that he could continue to keep his gaze on hers as his hand cupped her breast, rubbing the hardening nipple against his callused palm. Her full lips parted as her breathing increased. When his hand moved down to the slick cleft between her legs, Kat moaned and arched her hips to meet him. She put her hand over his, guiding him, teaching him how to please her, and even when she shuddered in climax she still stared into his eyes.

Before the tremors of release had left her body he raised himself and slowly sheathed his throbbing cock within her tight heat.

“Stay with me, Achilles. Don’t leave me,” she whispered.

“I won’t ever leave you,” he said, his voice deep and rough with the effort it took to maintain control. He lifted his hips, gliding almost all of the way out of her and then he tunneled within her again, harder this time.

“Achilles.” Kat breathed his name.

He stroked himself within her.

“Achilles.” She moaned.

He thrust into her.

“Achilles…”

It was as if she surrounded him completely. His body. His soul.

Anchoring him, not just to her, but to sanity and to his humanity. When he finally found his release it was her name on his lips, and her face in his eyes. And his soul was his own.

Achilles and Kat got back to the Myrmidon camp as the sun was setting. Walking hand in hand and talking easily together, they reached the illumination of the campfire. Kat watched Aetnia’s eyes widen when Achilles tossed the empty basket at her feet and said, “Thank you. That was well packed.” Then, while everyone stared at them openmouthed, Achilles kissed her soundly and said, “I’ll be back after I’ve spoken with Patroklos.” And he walked off, looking incredibly pleased with himself.

“Excuse me? Did he just say thank you?” Jacky popped up from where she was lounging beside the fire.

“I don’t know why good manners surprise you so much,” Kat said, plopping down beside her. “Ah, crap. I need a goblet of—”

“Wine, my princess?”

Kat looked up, grinned at the girl, and took the goblet she offered. “Aetnia, you’re a mind reader.”

“And I’ll take some more, too,” Jacky said. Aetnia hesitated, glanced at Kat, who nodded quickly, and then filled Jacky’s goblet, even though her hand was shaking. “Thank you ever so, Aetnia,” Jacky said with exaggerated kindness.

“Be nice,” Kat whispered.

“Oh, boo!” Jacky stomped at Aetnia, who scuttled around to the other side of the fire.

“Must you tease her?”

“For your information she is a hateful hag when you’re gone. This whole ‘my princess this’ and ‘my princess that’ is a big act. When you’re not here she slithers around committing major gossip with those women who give you weird looks all the time. Somethin’s up with that girl. I may have to kick her scrawny white ass.”

“Uh, Jacky. Please recall that at this moment your ass is also white and scrawny.”

“Yes, but I have been eating steadily and I’m determined to change that.”

“Well, go on about your business,” Kat said.

“To big asses,” Jacky said, raising her goblet.

“To your big future ass,” Kat said, clicking her goblet against Jacky’s.

Jacky took a long drink then raised her brow at Kat. “All right. Details.”

Kat scooted over closer to her and lowered her voice. “We had sex.”

“Good god, you put the boy under again? And I mean that figuratively as well as literally.”