Chapter 67
“Yes!” I shout as I jump up from the bed. “Finally!”
Rushing forward to inspect the bone splinter, I toss my hands into the air in celebration. I turn to face Ari.
“I did—”
I crash right into his chest. He had followed me to get a look himself. Shocked, I fall backward, bracing for impact.
Ari’s arms fold around my back, pulling me into his embrace. We stand there, chest to chest. Or my chest to his stomach, rather.
“Right on target,” he whispers while keeping eye contact.
“Th… Thanks… I would…”
I’m stuttering.
Our faces are so close. His arms so firm. The space between us is alive, waiting. His face has lost its playful expression. Serious now. Energies drag my face to his. Is that all fate is? Inevitable attraction?
I stand on my toes and give him a light peck on his lips, pulling back to check his reaction.
I hesitate, staying on my toes.
A second passes. Deafening silence. He doesn’t let me go. He doesn’t laugh or joke it off. He just looks into my eyes.
All we’ve been through together. All the moments shared. I’ve been chained, so angry.
All the masks I have been forced to wear. Only with him have I been able to unleash my rage.
The world is cold, but to Ari, I’ve been the cold one. Yet he’s the one I want. Since I saw him under the rainbow. Before that, even. He’s always been on my mind. The target of my emotions.
I should stop. End it with a laugh. Keep him in his place. Deny him. I should.
Fuck it.
I stretch my arms around his neck and tilt my head toward him. Eyes closed, hoping for equal lust.
We connect.
My blood simmers as our lips dance in union. I keep my eyes closed, afraid of an awkward exchange. I want to melt into the moment.
The world narrows to breath and heat. A shiver runs through me, a burning chill.
I widen my lips and stick my tongue forward, pressing it between his. His mouth opens in reaction. He waits for me to lead—doesn’t want to scare me off.
I’m not scared. Not anymore.
My tongue reaches into his mouth, searching for his. They connect. He releases a grunt from deep within. I moan in response.
Communication old as time.
The ice between us melts. My pulse drums in my ears.
He still hasn’t released me from his grip. A hand glides down my back but stops at my tailbone. He pulls his head back, making me open my eyes.
I’m dazed, confused… Boiling. Why did he stop?
“Can I…” His voice is low, hoarse. “Can I touch you?”
What I should say is obvious. I should defend my honor. Repel this scoundrel. Return to my bed and please myself. But the tremor in my belly has a hunger of its own.
“Do what you want,” I whisper.
Instant reaction. He grabs my ass in both hands, one on each cheek. He lifts me. I grab his face as I wrap my legs around his waist.
I greedily seek his tongue as he holds me up. His firm grip sends ripples through my body. Finally. Release.
All my problems. All my walls. Gone. Mangy crow.
He steps backward and falls on the bed. I squeal in surprise. He strokes his fingers up my sides, through my robe. It’s not enough. I pull an arm in, then the other, slipping them up so my robe falls down.
His eyes widen at the sight of my bare body. For a flickering second, I am brought back to my senses. Insecurity. Does he like what he sees?
“Guess you saw these earlier already,” I say awkwardly.
I feel the air against my bare skin. I feel his eyes on me—judging.
On his back with me straddling him, Ari ignores my silly joke. He reaches out and cups my breast. His thumb traces slow circles over my nipple. I whimper in delight. The touch is light—unbearably so. My skin prickles beneath his hand.
Ari’s eyes hold a passion Narve never had. Narve was grateful. Ari looks like he’s preparing to eat. I am a deer he has hunted down.
He raises himself, replacing his thumb with his mouth and tongue. It glides around my form. Heat blooms. I harden in his mouth. A hand travels from my knee to my hip, down my rump to where I am split. He takes his time—a pleasure that feels like punishment.
All I can smell is his body. Unable to restrain myself, my hips sway back and forth. An ancient rhythm flows through me. A pang of irritation as I connect with leather instead of his softer flesh.
“I want to feel us…” I complain.
His hand pushes my rump upward, forcing me on all fours above him. We kiss as a lone finger strokes my inner thigh. Barely touching, he runs a finger along my entrance. The lightness of his touch is its own torment. No friction between us. I’m wet. Past ready. Past patient.
I detach my lips from his and breathe into his neck, savoring his exploration. He reaches my clitoris, circling its tip. Tingling heat floods my belly. The sensation sharpens. Pleasure coils tight, bright and insistent.
A moan escapes my lips as he picks up the pace. The pressure builds in waves. My body answers to his rhythm. No one has ever touched me there. I understand now that Narve was but a boy. A boy lost in the woods.
His free hand grabs my chin and directs my lips to his.
My body sizzles at his touch. I devour his tongue, all shyness gone. A fuzz builds up in my head. I could stay like this all night, but at the same time, I’m hungry for more.
A rumble surges through my body. I can’t hold it back—it escapes my lips.
Rougher than planned, my hand reaches down his stomach and into his pants. I find his cock, curling my fingers around his hardness. He swells against my palm, hot in my hand. Velvet skin, iron beneath. He grunts as I stroke him up and down.
My doubt is gone. I only want.
His hands lower his pants. Equal eagerness. We hunger for each other, a perfect meeting point. I am not alone.
Without leading him inside, I glide my folds against his length, rubbing my wetness to tempt him.
With a nibble at his ear, I whisper.
“Let me first… but then… I am yours.”
I’m unsure if he understands what I mean. But who the fuck cares?
Wanting to control his first entrance, I angle his tip at my opening.
I sit on him, releasing a deep moan. Our bodies connect. Energy flows between us. My body resists slightly, yearning to make space for him. He growls like an animal, applying pressure to dig deeper. I arch my back and meet his pressure to accept him within me.
We kiss.
This is what was meant for us. The threads have led us together.
I have all I wanted. The passion. The house.
Asbjorn and his wife. No need to be jealous.
Look at me now. Look at us. Ari groans. He wants more of me. I slap my hands on his chest, leaning my weight on his broad frame.
My pulse aligns with his. Our eyes meet.
Time freezes—one second is everlasting.
The roots seeking water. Attached in the depths.
I close my eyes. A brief image flashes inside.
Freya. Tits out. Mouth agape. Eyes closed.
Ecstasy.
It dissipates in a flash of colors. A golden glow surrounds us when I open my eyes again. She has chosen me for this, chosen Ari.
I glide in circles along his length as I toss my head back in abandon. My body vibrates with every stroke. I know he feels it too. Freya has blessed us.
In this moment, we are one.
No one can stop us.
Our love will live forever.
We are the gods.