wanted to be left alone. Now I know that's not the truth—I want Aron to touch me. I want him to give in to this crazy attraction that we've been fighting. I'm ready for it. I'm ready for more of his touch. I've wanted him for what seems like forever. I don't care that he's a god, or that he's arrogance personified. He's Aron and my traveling companion, friend, and protector. I want the guy.
Powerfully.
"Fine," I tell him when he says nothing. I move to the bed and toss aside the wide belt that cinches my dress closed. It gapes open and I undo the one small tie holding it together, and then shuck it, too. I'm completely naked in front of him, and while we've bathed in front of each other several times, it feels different tonight. Tonight, my breasts are tight with need, my nipples aching from his caresses. Tonight, my pussy's flooded with wetness, and he's going to ignore all of that.
And it's killing me.
His hard gaze sweeps over my body, and he arches an eyebrow at my nudity, as if quietly asking if this is some sort of ploy. It's not, though. It's more like a “fuck you.”
I shake my head and get into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin and turning my back to him.
"You wear no nightclothes," he points out, and the bed sinks with his weight behind me.
"Yeah, well, they didn't give me any," I tell him. "So just keep your hands to yourself while I sleep if it bugs you." Normally he puts his hands on my waist and holds me against him as I sleep, and I'm desperately hoping he'll do it anyhow. If he's so immune to everything my nudity shouldn't matter, should it?
"You're angry," he says, and I can't tell if it's a statement or a question.
I thump the pillow and stare at the wall, even though his presence is looming behind me, larger than life. There's a knot in my throat that I can't quite shake, and I swallow a few times before I give up and speak anyhow. "You didn't have to kiss me like it meant something," I whisper.
"No one said it did not mean anything."
I turn around and sit up to look at him. The blankets fall to my waist, and I'm rather viciously pleased to see that his gaze flicks to my naked breasts before going back to my face. His arms are crossed over his massive chest, and the expression on his face is hard and unyielding as ever.
But that's not the only part of him that's hard. Even through the skirted part of his tunic, his cock bulges against his clothing, making it obvious that he's affected.
Good. I want him to be affected. I want him to be as aching with need as I am.
"Faith," Aron says, and his voice is softer and gentler than I've ever heard it. "You are my anchor. I must protect you from everything if I am to ensure that we both return to our proper places. I cannot become distracted."
My nipples feel like they get even harder at his tone, and I arch my back just a little, letting him get a good look at what he's missing out on. "And you think I'm distracting?"
"A mortal liaison would be distracting."
I don't like how vague he's trying to make that. I slip a hand to my breast, thumbing my finger over my nipple and sure enough, his gaze flicks there again and his mouth tightens. "But am I distracting?"
"You always distract me, Faith." The air practically crackles around us and shivers with intensity, like it did downstairs. If anything, his gaze is more intense than ever before.
"Good," I tell him, and lie back down, tugging the covers back up. "I'm glad both of us are going to bed with blue balls."
He chuckles, and the sound is low and delicious and oh, it makes me wet all over again. "I do not know what that means, but I can guess."
"It's unfair," I tell him, and slide my hand between my thighs, a wicked idea occurring to me. "I guess I'll just touch myself to ease the problem—"
"If you do, I will tie your hands to the bedposts," he warns.
I raise my hand out from under the blanket and give him the finger, instead. "You suck."
Aron just laughs again. "Go to sleep, Faith."
Oh sure, like I'm just supposed to turn things on and off like a switch.