It made her feel good. Sexy.
She’d felt like a monster for the past few months, but with Apollo, she was just a woman again.
His fingers trailed up her thigh. “Spread your legs for me, Terese.”
She did, opening herself fully to him. To his touch.
His broad fingers slipped under the edge of her panties. He found the center of her desire and stroked her lightly as he rubbed his warm fingers over her hungry flesh.
Her h*ps arched against him, and a thin, choked cry slipped past her lips. Oh, yes…
One think finger plunged into her even as his thumb pushed against her sensitive flesh, the pressure intense. Perfect.
“You’re tight,” he whispered. “You’re going to feel so f**king good.”
He already felt pretty damn amazing to her. He knew just how to touch her, knew just where to stroke—
Another finger worked up inside her. He stretched her, pulled his fingers almost completely out of her, then thrust them back inside.
Terese squeezed her eyes shut as a moan broke from her. She was so close to coming…with just the touch of his hand.
His tongue rubbed over her nipple. Then his mouth closed over her breast. He sucked her and pulled her flesh deep into his mouth.
And shoved his fingers inside her in a quick plunge.
“Apollo!” Her body bowed off the bed. So close—
“Look at me,” he ordered, his voice a harsh snap.
Her lashes lifted. Her gaze locked on him.
She was panting, her body shaking, need burning through her. Why had he stopped? She wanted—
His fingers curled around the elastic band of her panties, and he yanked, shredding the material. The lace fell onto the bed, exposing the dark curling hair at the juncture of her thighs and the glistening folds of her sex.
His pupils flared. “Do you want my mouth on you?”
Terese nodded, unable to speak. Yes, definitely, yes—
His hands squeezed her thighs, then shoved them even farther apart. He lowered his body, and his golden head dipped between her legs.
His breath blew over her clit, a long, slow breath that had her tensing in anticipation. Then he licked her.
Her heels dug into the bed even as Terese buried her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer.
He growled, and the rumble vibrated against her flesh.
“Apollo…”
He thrust his tongue inside of her.
Terese screamed and came on a long, hot tide of pleasure.
He licked her, tasting her cream, rubbing his tongue over her, and murmuring softly as she shook beneath him.
Then he was moving back, positioning his muscled legs between hers, and he pushed the thick head of his c*ck into the opening of her sex. “My turn,” he growled and drove into her in one deep, hard thrust.
He filled her completely. He caught her hands and pinned them to the bed. And he thrust into her, again and again.
Apollo’s mouth opened over her shoulder. He sucked her flesh, his teeth lightly scoring her in a delicious bite.
Oh, yes…Her nails dug into his back. Another orgasm built within her as the hunger spiraled inside her.
His head lifted, and his neck—that strong, golden neck—was just inches away from her mouth.
“You’re so tight.” His nostrils flared. “So good…” He drove into her again, pushing his c*ck balls deep into her sex.
His neck…it was just out of reach—
She locked her arms around him and twisted, sending them both rolling across the bed.
“What the—”
Terese was on top of him. Her legs straddled his hips, and his thick, wonderful c*ck was still buried inside of her. “My turn now,” she whispered, and began to move. Up and down. Harder. Faster.
Up.
Down.
He clenched his teeth. His fingers wrapped around her hips, and he pulled her down onto him, pushing up in a powerful thrust at the same time.
A moan of pleasure hummed in her throat.
She could feel him in so deep, so deep.
Her fingers splayed across his chest. Terese rolled her hips, then rode his cock.
Up.
Down.
Harder, faster.
Her head lowered over his throat. Her tongue snaked out and licked his flesh.
Harder, faster.
His c*ck pushed even deeper inside of her. His fingers slipped around her waist.
Up.
Her mouth opened on his neck. Her teeth pressed lightly against his pounding pulse.
Down. Harder—
Her teeth sank into him. She pierced his throat in one smooth bite.
“Terese!” he shuddered. His body tightened as he came inside of her, and his se**n erupted in a hot blast.
The sweet warmth of his blood flowed over her tongue. Sweeter, richer than she’d ever imagined.
Power surged through her. Raw. Wild.
Her h*ps slammed down on his, and a second orgasm ripped through her.
And as she came, she drank, taking his warm, wet blood into her mouth. Taking it, taking it—
“Terese…” Her name was a whisper this time. A soft, weak whisper.
Weak?
She drew back as horror filled her. What had she done?
She couldn’t remember how long she’d been drinking from him. Couldn’t remember how much blood she’d taken.
She only knew she’d lost control.
The monster had taken over.
Chapter Two
What in the name of Zeus had she done to him?
Apollo lay in the bed, his eyes closed, and his body still shuddering with little aftershocks of pleasure.
Terese. Her name whispered through his mind. The woman was amazing. What had she done there at the end? Her mouth had been on his neck, sucking his flesh, and her tight little sex had milked his cock, then she’d—
“Apollo?” Her slightly cool palm stroked his cheek. “Are you all right? Oh, please, please be all right.” Her palm tapped him, once, twice. “Please.”
He smiled. “I’m fine.” Fine was definitely too tame of a word. He felt about twenty times better than fine.
And it was all because of the lovely, mysterious Terese.
Apparently the other gods had been right…choosing a mortal for a companion was the best way to go.
His lashes lifted, and he stared at Terese’s beautiful, but slightly worried face. “What did you do to me?”
She flinched and jumped from the bed.
“Terese…” What was happening? Why wasn’t she still in bed with him, her lush body pressed against him? He knew she’d enjoyed the sex as much as he had. He’d felt her cl**ax—first against his mouth and then around his cock.
She yanked on the leather dress. “I-I have to go—” She stumbled back and nearly tripped over her discarded heels.
His hand waved toward the door. Not going anywhere. He’d just found her, and he wasn’t ready to let her out of his life yet.
Her hand clenched around the doorknob and she twisted it. Nothing happened.
Apollo rose from the bed and stretched slowly. He pulled his jeans on, but didn’t bother to button them. If he had his way, he’d be removing the jeans soon anyway.
Her knuckles whitened, and she jerked—
The doorknob popped off in her hand.
Apollo sauntered toward her. “Why are you trying to leave?” He asked, bending to inhale the sweet scent of her body.
Terese froze, then glanced back at him. “I-I just…need to go.” Her lips looked even fuller and redder than before.
There was something wet, something dark, glistening on the corner of her mouth. Something that looked almost like…blood.
He frowned as he remembered the feel of her mouth on his throat.
Her fist slammed against the wooden door. “Why won’t the damn thing open?”
He shrugged. “What’s the rush?” His fingers caressed her arm. “Stay with me. It’s almost dawn, we can—”
“Dawn?” Her eyes widened in horror and she glanced toward the small, square window in the makeshift kitchen. An orange- tinted glow spilled though the dusty glass. “I’ve got to get out of here,” she said. “Now.”
His shoulders stiffened. Apparently his little mortal was the kiss and run type.
Too bad. He wasn’t done with her, not by a long shot. He’d had a taste, but he wanted more, so much more and—
Terese turned back to the door, lifted her heel and rammed her foot into the wooden frame.
The door crumbled beneath the blow. Chunks of wood sagged inward and littered the floor.
His mouth fell open. Hera’s guard, how had a mortal done—
She jumped over the shattered remains and raced down the stairs.
“Terese? Terese!” She was leaving. Actually running from him. Women didn’t run from him. They ran to him.
The slam of the metallic door echoed up the stairs.
Oh, this wouldn’t do. It wouldn’t do at all.
An unfamiliar, hot rage filled him.
Apollo waved his hand and disappeared.
* * *
Shit. Terese rushed across the bar and shoved her way past the few stragglers who were still moving on the dance floor.
She was about to be seriously screwed. And not in the nice, fun way that she’d been with Apollo.
How could the hours have passed so quickly? She’d known that she’d pissed away too much time in the parking lot, but she’d had to work up her courage before she’d entered Hades. But she’d still thought she had plenty of time to find prey and then get safely back to her home.
Guess I thought wrong.
She was so not good at this whole vampire thing.
“Hey, babe, do you wanna—”
“Not now,” she snapped at the drunken idiot who’d stepped into her path. She shoved him, and he stumbled back. The guy hit the floor and took two other dancers down with him.
The bar’s entrance was only a few feet away. So close—
Apollo appeared in front of her, his face tight with anger.
Terese screamed. Where the hell had he come from? She’d left him upstairs. How’d he gotten—
“We are not done yet,” he told her. He reached for her arm.
She leapt into the air, clearing his head by a foot and landing behind him, blessedly close to the door. “Holy shit,” she whispered, her knees trembling. She’d never done that before!
But she didn’t have time to be thrilled with her new skill. Terese yanked open the door and ran outside. Her car was close by—her car with the lovely tinted windows. She could get to her vehicle, and then—
Apollo tackled her and she knocked into the ground. He flipped her over, forcing her onto her back, then pinned her there, trapping her beneath his body. “What are you?” His blue eyes were narrowed in fury.
This couldn’t be happening! She twisted, squirming and shoving against him.
But he didn’t move. Not an inch.
The dank scent of the earth surrounded her. And the faint orange light from the approaching dawn streaked overhead.
Sonofa—
“Answer me!” His fingers tightened around her wrists. “What are you, Terese?”
What are you…not who, but what. Pain lanced through her. They’d made love. He’d held her in his arms, and now—
Now he glared down at her with rage stamped on his face. “Let me go!” She wasn’t going to tell him the truth. He wouldn’t be able to handle her truth. Her nightmare.
“Are you a fairy? A nymph?”
What was he talking about? Her eyes narrowed. Had he just called her a nympho? Sure, they’d had some really spectacular, oh-my-God-that’s-the-best-orgasm-of-my-life sex, but that didn’t mean she was a nympho.
“You aren’t a goddess.” His tone was definite.
Well, hell, he wasn’t exactly the prize of the century, either! Yeah, he was good-looking, and he’d had her nearly begging back at the bar, but now he was in a Neanderthal mode that was really pissing her off.
“Get off me,” she ordered.
“No.”
“Don’t make me hurt you.” She really, really didn’t want to hurt him. She’d enjoyed being with him. He’d made her feel alive, almost normal, if only for a short time.
But the sun was about to rise, and if he didn’t move, she wasn’t going to have a choice. She’d kick his ass.
“Hurt me? Hurt me?” He actually laughed at her.
She gritted her teeth. “Fine. Have it your way.” Her nails lengthened and turned into razor-sharp claws. She barred her teeth at him and knew that he’d see her canines lengthening as they stretched into perfect fangs.
“Hera’s guard…” He stared down at her in amazement. But the jerk still didn’t have the good sense to move off her.
Terese gathered her strength and lunged upward with a fierce yell.
Apollo slammed her back against the ground. He didn’t even appear to strain as he pinned her.
What the hell? A dark suspicion grew in her mind. “Apollo…what are you?”
A smile spread across his face. His dimples flashed, and some of his rage seemed to fade. “Ah, love…now, you know I asked first.”
He’d asked—
Terese screamed as agony ripped through her.
The sun had risen. The golden glow wasn’t a faint hue anymore. The beams of light were around her, on her. Burning her.
She could smell her charred flesh. Could feel the lick of flame on her fingers, her arms, her face.
Oh, God, it hurt—
“By the Fates!” Apollo scooped her up into his arms. “Hold on, love.”
But she couldn’t hold on. Couldn’t fight. The pain was too intense.
She knew that she was dying.
His hands tightened around her. She felt a curious rush of wind against her flesh, and then the world went dark.