Chapter 25
JAMISON
Phaedra’s on the couch bent over a book when I walk into the living room. Her silky hair like a dark cloud around her, hiding her expressive face, but the minute I enter the room, she lifts her head and smiles. Damn, she takes my breath away. She has from the minute we met at Hawkes House.
“May I?” I ask, not wanting to interrupt her research. She’s been at it for a couple of hours, trying to find clues as to where Ares might have hidden his panel.
She tosses the book to the floor with a heavy sigh. “Please.” She scoots over to give me room and pats the sofa beside her. “You look tired.”
Tired doesn’t begin to cover it, but more than that, I’m worried.
And I’m not the only one. We know Phaedra can handle herself, but Bennett is an unknown.
A very powerful unknown. Add in an entire city full of vampires, who have designated themselves the enemy, and gods like Hera, who aren’t in favor of whatever plan they have for her, and we’d be happier if we could lock her away in this house.
As I sit, she moves to face me. “How’s the plan coming along?”
I tilt my head from one side to the other, trying to ease the tension in my neck.
Hawthorne, Gatlin, and I were up all night nailing down the details.
Every time we thought we were close, another potential variable popped up.
Mathias has been helping as much as he can spare, but he’s training hard for the matches.
“It’s done.”
“You don’t sound happy about it,” she murmurs, getting up on her knees. She twirls her finger. “Turn around.”
“There’s too much risk,” I tell her as I turn. Strong thumbs press down on the tight muscles in my neck, and I groan.
“You think the mission will fail?” she asks, moving to my shoulders and upper back.
Notes of vanilla and jasmine fill my senses.
When I first met her, I thought she was Elven because of the jasmine, but I couldn’t figure out the vanilla for the longest time.
Rich and exotic, the combination drove me crazy.
Now I realize it’s unique because she’s unique, and it’s burned into my senses. Forever.
“We’ve got a fifty-fifty chance of pulling this off,” I murmur, falling deeper under the spell of her hands. My head falls forward, and my eyes close.
For several minutes, she runs her hands from my shoulders down my spine, tackling each knot as she finds it until I’m putty in her hands.
“Sounds like pretty good odds to me. Is it because I’m part of the equation?” she asks, straddling my lap and pushing me back against the sofa. Her eyes say she already knows the answer, but I nod anyway.
“We’re concerned. Mathias too,” I reply and her eyebrows rise. “Vampires love a good battle. It’s in their blood. But he doesn’t like the idea of you around so many of his brethren, especially when they’re amped up.”
I don’t tell her he hates the idea of his mate around other vampires as I’m not sure how much they’ve spoken about it. Knowing Mathias, not a lot.
She lifts a shoulder. “I don’t like the idea of him participating in death matches, so I guess we’re even.” Her fingers toy with the buttons on my shirt. “What are his odds?”
I tilt her chin up until she’s looking directly at me. “He’s a fierce fighter. I’d bet on him.” I would. My concern is that I don’t know the competition he’s up against or the format of the fights.
She rubs a thumb over my lips. “Thank you. A little hope is better than none.” She leans forward and brushes her lips across mine, softly teasing, but she moves away before I can deepen the kiss.
Her mouth moves to my ear where she gently nibbles on my lobe, then slides down my neck, placing feathery light kisses along the way. It’s equally arousing and relaxing at the same time, and I shift further into the sofa.
Her body lifts, and she scoots backwards as her lips travel south.
Button by button, she undoes my shirt, her lips and tongue nibbling and licking every inch of my chest. Leaning up, I strip off my shirt, then settle back down, but when I try to pull her closer or press my lips to hers, she evades my capture, moving to another spot on my body.
I chuckle and tilt my head to stare down at the beautiful woman showering me with kisses as her hands wander over my body. Her mouth settles on my nipples, and every lash of her tongue has me shifting restlessly as the spiraling sensations make me harder and harder.
She glances up at me, then slides to the floor on her knees, her hands already reaching for the button on my trousers. I inhale sharply, anticipating the feel of her hands on me. I throb at the thought.
Seconds later, she slides off the rest of my clothes, and my dick practically salutes her when it’s freed.
“I want to see you,” I tell her, needing to gaze on her magnificent body, see her tight nipples. Watch as the flush of desire rolls across her.
She raises an amused eyebrow and spreads my legs wider.
Her delicate but strong hand circles me, and an arrow of need shoots through me.
Her hand slides up and down on my shaft, softly at first, then tighter, as she rolls her grip.
I dig my hands into the sofa beside me when her head lowers, then I gasp as her warm, wet mouth covers me.
Heavy-lidded, I stare at her wet, pink lips and hands covering my dick.
It’s the best damn sight I’ve ever seen.
She swirls her tongue around the edge, then slides me in deeper, suckling and swallowing until I swear all the blood in my body is pooling at the base. Fuck me. My body tightens, and it’s all I can do not to push deeper into her mouth. I’m so close to exploding, and she’s barely touched me.
“Phaedra.” I call her name, torn between jumping off the cliff or sliding into her sweet body. She looks up, and her gaze finds me. I know which one I want. Her. Always her. Wrapped around me tightly as I bury myself inside her. “I need you.”
And I do. Need her. More than I ever thought. Smart, stunning, fierce. She makes me want to live forever.
Something in my face must convince her because she stands and slips off her clothes, then straddles me. As her body settles on mine, joined in the most intimate way possible, I haul her closer and dive into her with deep kisses that nearly ruin me.
“Jamison, it’s not just about me. Promise me you’ll be careful. That you won’t take chances with your life,” she murmurs as her body settles into a rhythm. “I’ve already had a glimpse of a world without you, and it was empty.”
Staring into my eyes, she moves, rising and falling in a rhythm that brings me closer and closer to the edge.
Her skin glistens as a light sheen of sweat coats her skin.
My eyes drop for a second, captivated by her full breasts rising and falling with every stroke.
I slide my hands up and capture them in my hands.
“Phaedra…” Hawthorne’s voice fades away as he catches sight of us. He turns to leave.
“Wait.” Phaedra slows and raises an eyebrow, giving me the choice. At the thought of sharing her, I swear I’m like a brick, I’m so damn hard. I nod.
“Don’t leave,” she says, glancing over her shoulder to meet his gaze.
Whatever he sees in her eyes must convince him, because seconds later, he’s shedding his clothes. Stalking over, he wraps a hand around her head and pulls her back for sensual kiss that makes her gasp.
Her body clenches on mine, and I grit my teeth. Hawthorne’s hands roam her body, and my dick swells, ready to come. I grip her hips, needing her to move faster.
She places her hands on my chest to steady herself, then moves at a rapid pace. Her eyes glitter with need as she rides the wave of passion between us.
Hawthorne tugs on her nipples, and she gasps, her body immediately gripping me tighter. Already on the edge, I can’t hold back any longer. I thrust a few times and groan as my release hits me like a damn freight train.
Moments later, Hawthorne carefully slides her off me and puts her on her knees in front of the couch, then slides into her. She moans and pushes back into him.
Gatlin strolls into the room and props himself against the wall, his hand undoing his trousers to grip his already hard dick as he watches. She turns her head and crooks a finger at him, and his gold eyes become molten.
Stripping his clothes, he sits, running his hand up and down as he watches Hawthorne thrust in and out of her.
With a wicked smile on her face, she brushes his hand away and takes him into her mouth.
Gatlin’s bigger than me, and her mouth is stretched wide; my dick hardens again at the sight of the two of them filling her.
Gasps and little noises escape her sweet mouth as she takes everything Hawthorne and Gatlin have to give. Her hair falls, but I reach out and brush it back, wanting to see her mouth on him. I almost groan at the pleasure on her face.
Hawthorne pulls her off Gatlin so he can work her body with his fingers as he continues to thrust inside her. She throws her head back and stares at us, little whimpers falling from her lips. Body flushed, eyes glazed, it’s clear she’s about to come.
Gatlin’s hand picks up where her lips left, and he strokes himself as she watches.
“Are you getting close?” he asks in a raspy voice. She nods, and he picks up the pace as if he’s trying to time his release with hers.
Hawthorne thrusts hard and fast as his fingers continue to work her body. Her eyes widen, and she arches, pauses for a second, then cries out. Hawthorne and Gatlin come hard a second later.
She slumps, and I bend down and pick her up off the floor. With a sigh, she curls into my arms, and her lips lift in a satisfied smile.
I hug her tightly and look at the other two.
Their eyes are glued to her too, as if they’re afraid to believe in how good this feels, how right it is.
I think we’re all afraid, Phaedra too, that whatever the gods have planned is going to tear us apart.
But underneath, the fear is a layer of determination and granite will.
We’ll do whatever it takes to come out of this together.