Page 45 of Death

“Yes.”

“But...” I stutter. “I’m nobody.”

“Oh, Tannis,” he whispers, shaking his head. “You’re still telling yourself that?”

Ari kisses my chest, his lips pressing toward my heart. It pounds even harder for him and he smiles as he kisses a little deeper into my cleavage.

My body buzzes, the cold rain on my skin completely forgotten. The fire blazes and our bodies entwine as fantasy takes over my mind. Me and a boy, lying on a thick rug before a burning fireplace. How many times have I foolishly thought of this moment before casting it aside — knowing that it’d never happen this way? And yet... here we are.

Me and Ari.

A man I hardly know.

A god who sees me as so much more than I am.

Is he right? Am I more?

If I told him to do something, would he do it?

Can I really control a god?

I swallow hard as I touch my abdomen. “Will you kiss me here?” I ask, my voice shaking.

Ari raises a brow and shifts downward without a word. I move my hand away and he puckers his lips before leaving a firm kiss just above my navel.

I smile, driven by fantasy. “And here?” I ask, pointing a little lower.

He obeys and kisses me next to my fingertip. I begin to move my hand and he snatches it, smoothly bringing it to his lips.

“Anything you want,” he says, his breath on my knuckles. “I’ll do. I’ll show. I’ll teach.” His eyes connect with mine. “Just say it and I’ll do it. What would you like to feel, Tannis?” he asks.

I gulp hard. “Whoa,” I whisper.

Ari chuckles and kisses my navel again before pushing up onto his knees. “I’ve thought about this,” he says, looking down my curves. “About you...” His breathing labors. “Nothing has ever turned me on more than the thought of being the first man to...”

I bite my cheek as I watch him flex with restraint. “Can I see you?” I ask, the words falling from my tongue before I can think twice about it.

Ari’s gaze stays on me as he reaches for his belt. He tugs it open and pushes his zipper down, not hesitating for a moment to expose himself to me.

I gasp as I look at him. I’ve seen little more than a shadowed outline, a mere peek compared to how much he’s showing me now. It stands hard between us; long and thick in the orange firelight.

“You’re not ready.”

I flinch and look at him. “What?”

Ari lowers down and balances on his arms above me. “Here, now,” he says. “You’re not ready.”

He’s right. I know he is. In fact, I feel more relief than grief.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“Don’t be,” he says, his smirk climbing. “I’ve waited this long for you. I’ll keep waiting.”

He kisses my mouth and my pulse skips all over again. Every piece of me throbs beneath him, begging for me to change my mind and let him take me...

Seriously, who the fuck am I anymore?

“You...” I stop, my cheeks burning.