Goddess of Pain - Katie May Page 0,38
her hands on her hips and levels me with an icy glare. But, just before that, I saw a flash of vulnerability, there and gone faster than a shooting bullet.
Because of me.
Because of what I—the one person who’s supposed to love her irrevocably through all of time—did.
“You’re avoiding eye contact,” she huffs. “Refusing to touch me.”
I shouldn’t be surprised that she’s so perceptive. It’s always been an admirable trait of hers.
But how can I tell her the truth?
“You want eye contact?” I maintain my customary crooked smirk as I place my hands on her shoulders and lower my face to hers. Fuck, she’s so beautiful. With her golden skin and pitch-black locks, she radiates an inner light, one I want to lock in a jar and never remove from my sight. “Here’s your eye contact.”
“Des,” she warns, her tone acerbic, almost bitter. “Just tell me the truth.”
It’s suddenly too much for me. Unable to maintain her piercing stare, I lower my head and scratch at the back of my neck. My shaggy brown hair falls across my face, obscuring her completely from view.
My mind drifts to one of my first meetings with Emily, back in the Realm of the Gods. I knew even then that she was the one for me.
“Do you expect me to believe that?” the goddess huffs, her long skirts cascading around her ankles. Today, Emily has her hair brushed back into an intricate braid woven with flowers. And though it’s gorgeous, I would much rather have her hair around her shoulders, rumpled from a bout in the sheets.
It’s only been two weeks, and I’m already borderline obsessed with this girl.
“Twenty men. All armed,” I insist. “It only took me ten minutes to disband them all.” I can’t help but flex my biceps for added emphasis. After all, I’m not the God of Combat for nothing.
Emily stares at my muscles intently, lips puckered as if she ate something sour, before she shrugs and turns away.
“I’ve seen better,” she declares with feigned nonchalance.
“Oh, really?” I hedge. When she continues walking, a sly smirk on her kissable lips, I lunge forward and yank her over my shoulder.
“Desmond!” she squeals, laughing.
“Do you want to take back your earlier statement?” I begin to tickle her sides relentlessly, and her gorgeous giggles fill the empty halls of the palace.
“Nope!”
Before I can stop myself, I lift my hand and slap it down on her ass. Hard. She freezes, and I worry my impulsive behavior has ruined the best thing to have ever happened to me. I open my mouth to apologize, to beg for forgiveness, when she smacks my own ass.
A snort escapes me unbidden, especially when she releases a pained mewl.
“Fuckkkkk,” she whines. “Your ass is hard.”
“Oh is it?” Still holding her over my shoulder, I strike a pose, placing my free hand behind my head and cocking my elbow out at a ninety-degree angle.
Of course, that’s when a fleet of Emily’s soldiers turn the corner. Her giggles increase as I continue to hold my ridiculous pose.
“Want some of my hard ass, boys?” I jest to the men, spinning on my heel to flash them said butt.
“You’re ridiculous!” Emily says between laughter, and I finally—reluctantly—set her back on her feet in front of me. Her hair has finally come out of that damn braid, loose tendrils framing her angelic face.
“You know what’s ridiculous?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder to ensure the soldiers have left.
“Your hard ass?” she questions seriously, and I smirk.
“That I haven’t kissed you yet.”
Her pupils dilate as her breathing turns choppy. When she tilts her face up, maintaining eye contact the entire time, my heart begins to thunder.
Like a man possessed, I lean forward to devour her lips with my own.
It’s our first kiss of millions.
“Desmond,” she asks now, irritation lacing her tone. She takes a step closer until her bare feet are on top of mine. This moment feels eerily familiar, and I have the strangest sense of déjà vu, like we’ve had this exact same argument before. “Do you still love me?”
With a grunt, I wrench my gaze away from her and begin to pace. She watches me with unerring intensity, and I can’t help but melt under her gaze.
Fuck, I love her.
Which is why I’m going to break her heart.
“You don’t remember this, it’s obvious you don’t,” I ramble, forking my fingers through my too long hair. It’s in desperate need of a trim, but I haven’t really had the time between the combat classes