Chapter Ten #2
Ares was not someone who wanted to step into a lifelong role of duty by a woman’s side.
Where he would be required to sire children to further the Mansur royal line.
He was a lone wolf. And this was just a brief moment.
And the fact that she was even thinking of him in those terms made Cassie lever herself off Ares’s lap and back to her seat, forking some ravioli into her mouth before she could say anything else.
Ares just looked at her, as if he had her measure, but she really really hoped he couldn’t see into her head because if he did he’d be running so fast in the opposite direction she’d have whiplash.
Cassie woke the next morning to a warm breeze over her bare skin and the scent of sea and pine and lavender. Scents that reminded her of home, but she knew she wasn’t in the palace.
For one thing, she didn’t sleep naked. And for another, she wasn’t used to waking feeling achy but satisfied on a bone-deep level. A soul level. She let her mind skitter away from that far too revealing revelation. There was a much earthier smell, the smell of sex. She focused on that and smiled.
‘Do you ever not smile?’
Cassie’s eyes flew open and she was looking at an expanse of toned ridged belly muscles above the line of sweatpants. She dragged her gaze up to where Ares was sitting on the side of the bed.
Cassie’s face got hot. Last night she’d lived out her fantasy of having Ares spread out for her very thorough investigation.
‘Kalimera,’ Ares said, with a very wicked glint in his eye, as if he too was remembering how she’d let him do the same to her, exploring every dip and curve of her body until she’d been begging him for mercy.
‘Bonne matin,’ she said, using her own language. A hybrid of French, Spanish and Italian.
He swatted her bottom under the sheet and stood up. ‘Come on, I’ve got plans for you this morning.’
‘Plans? What are they again?’ Cassie rolled over onto her back. She could see that it was still early outside, just after dawn.
When she looked at Ares his gaze was fixed south of her face on her bare breasts. She revelled in his hot look. ‘Are these plans…urgent?’
He came down on the bed again and put two hands either side of her, coming down close to her chest. She could smell his freshly washed skin and smiled wider.
She’d realised that it cost her nothing to smile and be happy with Ares.
It came from an easy place. Not needing to force it.
‘I’ve just added something to my wish list—I want to shower with my lover. ’
Ares’s eyes flared. He stood up again and caught her hands, pulling her up. ‘What a good idea.’
She was in his arms and he was carrying her into his en suite before she could take another breath. She’d never get enough of this evidence of Ares’s sheer strength.
He put her down but kept an arm around her as he turned on the spray.
Then he pulled down his sweatpants and brought them both under the steaming hot water.
He set about soaping up Cassie’s body, hands running over her with the same thoroughness he’d used last night.
Standing behind her, cupping her breasts and then reaching down with his hand to slide his fingers between her legs where she was already ready, and, by now, wide awake.
He moved his fingers in and out, bringing Cassie to the brink of orgasm, and then he disappeared, saying, ‘One second…’
Cassie whimpered a little, and turned around, resting against the wall, to see Ares return, rolling a protective sheath onto his hard erection. He stepped back under the spray and lifted her up. ‘Put your legs around me.’
She did, and then gasped when he took her with one deep thrust. It was fast and furious, Cassie climaxing around Ares’s body, clinging to him as he found his own release, a guttural groan coming out of his mouth as his body jerked against her, and he dropped his head into her neck.
Cassie felt unaccountably tender, spearing his hair with her fingers and holding him as their breathing came back to normal and the spray fell around them.
A little later, Cassie stopped in her tracks when she saw what was waiting for them outside the front of the villa. Her mouth dropped open as she looked from where the two motorcycles were parked to Ares.
‘Ares?’
He smiled a little ruefully. ‘I know the coast road of Spetses isn’t Route 66 but it’ll have to do.’
She couldn’t believe it. Emotion surged. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had done something so thoughtful. She tried to hide how touched she was, gesturing to her clothes, jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers. ‘Now I know why there was a strict dress code.’
Ares was similarly attired. He held out a lightweight leather jacket. ‘The bike shop sent this over too.’
Cassie pulled it on. Even though it was warm, she knew the leather would be protective and regulate the heat. She zipped it up.
Ares put on his leather jacket and instantly looked like a rock star.
He showed Cassie her bike but she was familiar with the model.
She got onto the bike, settling into the seat.
Ares came over with a helmet in his hands and looked at her, shaking his head a little. ‘I must be crazy to let you do this.’
Cassie took the helmet out of his hands, putting it onto her head. She grinned at him and turned the bike on, feeling the powerful throttle. ‘Too late now.’
Ares’s jaw clenched but he put on his own helmet and got onto his bike, then he said over the sound of the two engines, ‘This isn’t a race, Cass, follow me.’
Cassie bit back her smile. ‘Aye, aye, sir.’
They set off from the villa and Cassie dutifully followed Ares as he made his way to the main coastal road that encircled the island.
Ares drove fast but he was safe. Cassie liked that he obviously didn’t feel the need to show off.
He was confident enough not to. It was very sexy.
And she was happy to stay in his slipstream.
She guessed he was giving her time to take in the scenery.
After about thirty minutes, when she figured they must be halfway around the small island, Ares slowed down and indicated left.
He turned off the road and went down a dirt track. Cassie saw the sea sparkling in the distance, olive trees lining the track until they emerged onto the edge of a secluded sandy beach. Not just secluded. Totally empty.
Ares stopped his bike and got off. Cassie pulled up beside him and cut off her engine. It was blissfully quiet, just the sounds of the waves breaking on the shore and insects in the undergrowth.
Ares took off his helmet and then came over to her, lifting hers off. She shook her hair out and unzipped the jacket. She could get far too used to this attention and consideration as Ares helped her off the bike.
Her legs were a little wobbly from the adrenalin. The sea had never looked so inviting.
Ares said, ‘I found this not long after I bought the villa. It’s usually very private here.’
She noticed then that there were two saddlebags attached to his bike and he opened them now, taking out an array of items. Swimwear, towels, and she could see what looked like a packed lunch. A bottle of wine in a cooler.
Ares carried everything down to a shaded spot. He glanced at Cassie. ‘I took the liberty of packing for you.’
Cassie raised a brow. ‘Did you now?’
He grinned and handed her a white string bikini.
His grin distracted her from pointing out that he could have chosen the white one-piece she’d also bought in Mykonos.
She took a towel too, and used it to change into the bikini.
When she was dressed she jogged towards the water, not able to resist the lure.
She turned back to face Ares, jogging backwards, and almost tripped over her feet when she saw him pulling up a black pair of swim shorts that hugged his muscular physique and left little to the imagination. Not that she needed any help picturing what he looked like naked.
He jogged towards her, easily catching up, and she saw the mischievous glint in his eye and put out her hands.
‘Ares…don’t you even dare to—’ but it was too late.
Before she knew what was happening, the world was upended when he threw her over his shoulder and brought her into the water, ignoring her squeals and protests, dunking them both beneath the foaming waves.
When Cassie surfaced, gasping and blinking seawater from her eyes, she felt so full of gratitude for Ares giving her this experience that she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him before he could see the emotions that were bubbling ever closer to the surface with every passing minute.
Later that day when the intense heat had gone out of the sun, belly full and skin sandblasted and sunblasted, Ares sat by Cassie, knees drawn up.
She’d fallen asleep under the shade and his avid gaze tracked over her golden curves.
Her hair was spread out, wild and tangled from the sea. Blonde streaks highlighted in the sun.
She’d been so delighted with the bike, and then the impromptu picnic. It had been rustic and basic, but she’d fallen on it like someone who’d just been handed a ten-course tasting menu in one of the world’s top restaurants.
The fact that she would be at home in either scenario was not something Ares had ever expected when he’d seen her that first night on the dance floor in the tacky bar.
She’d admitted to him that she’d felt out of her depth and lonely that night.
Then she’d asked, ‘Are you really here with me because you want to be?’ His insides had seized at the thought that she suspected he was only with her out of a sense of responsibility.
She truly had no idea of the depth of his desire for her.
A desire that wasn’t waning. It was growing.
He’d pushed that disconcerting thought aside and said, ‘If I didn’t want to be with you, Cass, I’d have handed you over to one of my team days ago. I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you.’