His erection pressed against her thigh as he tried to make this last. He wanted nothing more than to take her right here, to feel her tense around his cock, to hear her moan his name. Even the few feet between them was too much. He needed her, all of her, right now.
With one hand, he grabbed her ass to hold her in place as he rubbed his cock against her clit, teasing her, testing her, seeing what she would do. She bit her lip and wiggled her butt, egging him on. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and she tilted her hips toward him. Eyes closed, she gasped, those sexy red lips parting as he played with her.
If only for the moment, she was his, and he would make it count. He spun her, shoving her against the shower wall until her breasts pressed against the glittering tile. Her body relaxed into him, surrendering entirely. She gasped and giggled, her wet hair sticking to her face as the water pummeled his back.
His cock teased her sensitive folds, but he had no intention of lingering. The seductive scent of her arousal ignited the fire deep in his core, and he couldn’t hold back any longer.
He slid into her in one slow, powerful stroke. She gasped. He paused as his dick filled her, savoring her warm sex and the way he stretched her. She moaned. He slid slowly out, savoring every spark of need as he retreated, and thrust into her again with the same vigor. She gasped again, moaning with pleasure.
“Harder,” she ordered.
He nipped at her shoulder. “Yes, ma’am.”
Zane thrust again and again and again. He rode her as the steam billowed around them. His grip on her ass tightened as he thrust into her, her beautiful curves filling his hands as he filled her with his cock.
He had never been so present, so completely satisfied and happy as he was with her. Just a taste of her left him completely at her mercy, in awe of her and needing more. Not just sex, but more of her. Of her wit, her kindness, her compassion.
She set a hand against the wall, moaning louder now as he dominated her, her lust intermingled with bouts of sultry giggles. The sensations running up his shaft and through his thighs overwhelmed him. Her legs spread wider as she took him in, and as he rode her, her mouth parted in the delightful expression of ecstasy.
“Oh my God, Zane, more,” she moaned.
He indulged his woman, bucking into her with everything he had. The desire and yearning he’d felt for her culminated here in the shower as he finally took her.
Her sex tightened around his dick, and her nails scraped against the tile. She pressed her forehead against the wall, and she moaned his name, loud and fast. Her warm sex pulsated around his cock as she climaxed.
When her moans finally quieted, Zane let himself come. His orgasm rocked him to the core. With one hand on her shoulder and the other on her hip, he tensed as he released himself inside her stunning body.
They paused in the aftermath, neither moving. He set his head on her shoulder, delighting in her soft skin as he held her. He never wanted to let go, never wanted to share, never wanted to lose the sense of joy and peace she gave him. He couldn’t, not now that he’d had a taste, and that kiss under the showerhead had sealed his fate.
She hummed with delight. Her body glowed white, and it took a moment for him to notice the light had spread to him as well. “I think I know what I want to do with our day together,” she said with a chuckle.
He laughed and gently bit her shoulder. “As do I, but I have something to show you first.” Zane ran his hand down her body, delighting in every delicious curve, and kissed her neck. “As much as I hate to suggest it, let’s get dressed.”
28
Tina
Once she had pulled on a fresh dress and dried her hair, with Zane kissing her shoulders and caressing her back at every opportunity, Tina finally set her hands on her hips and eyed the tiger shifter. He stood by her door with one hand in his pocket, all nerdy charm and tousled hair.
Tina grinned. “What’s this surprise you wanted to show me, professor?”
“I want to take you on an adventure,” he said.
“Oh? Where?”
“Within your temple.”
She tilted her head in confusion. “Huh?”
He lifted his finger and backed against the far wall of the corridor. Gently, he pressed his hands against the frame of a portrait, and a secret door in the wall next to it slid open.
Tina’s mouth dropped open. “How did—where did you—”
Zane shrugged modestly. “There are always secrets to discover if you know where to look and what to look for.”
His comment both scared and excited Tina. Zane was clearly full of knowledge, and not all of it was knowledge he was supposed to have.
“Impressive,” she admitted.
He stepped into the secret passage and offered her his hand. “Ready?”
“Where does this go?”
“You’ll see.”
She raised one eyebrow and set a hand on her hip, waiting for him to say more.
Instead, he pulled out his cell phone and turned on the flashlight to light the dark tunnel. He offered her his hand again. “Do you trust me?”
She peeked her head in the secret tunnel, reaching out to Damara about whether this was safe. No warning bells. No sirens. No red flags or nagging worries.
Tina took his hand. “Yes, I trust you.”
29
Zane
Zane led Tina through the twisting tunnels of her temple, careful to guide her around the holes in the floor hidden by the darkness. Her soft hand in his sent unfamiliar sparks of desire through him, and he held on even when he didn’t need to.
The secret passage finally ended in a stone door on a well-oiled hinge. He gave her his phone to hold as he used his shifter strength to pry the exit open. As it budged, a gust of wind tore down the tunnel. Rays of light shoved through the gaps in the door, shattering the darkness.
A crooked grove of trees greeted them, the quiet forest creaking softly in the occasional gust.
“Where are we?” Tina asked.
“The forest outside of your temple.”
She tilted her head at him in mock admonishment. “I believe one of my rules was to ask me first if you wanted to take me on a date outside the temple.”
“Technically, you’re in the temple until you set foot out there.”
Tina sighed, though her chiding tone had no real bite to it. “You of all people would find all these loopholes.”
“I take that as a compliment.” He laughed. “Glad to see you figured me out already. You picked up on that faster than most. Honestly, though, I only wanted you to know the way out in case you ever needed a quick escape. This is the best route to take.”
Her shoulders drooped, and a flickering look of worry crossed her face. She turned her attention outside, as though considering it a viable escape plan for the first time.
Zane hesitated, wondering if he should say what he wanted to say, but he couldn’t quite tell what she was thinking. He took her hands in his. “Tina, thank you for giving us, for giving me, a real shot. I never thought I would see the day a goddess returned to Earth, let alone be worthy of her presence. That you would spend any time with me at all is an honor.”
She caught his eye, and a slow smile crept across her lips. With a quick kiss on his cheek, she took his hand and gestured back down the dark tunnel. “Let’s go get something to eat. I think I’ve had enough with obsessing over getaways and contests.”
“Of course,” he said, and he closed the secret door to the outside.
As the day sped by, Zane barely noticed the hours as they passed. Tina had him laughing most of their time together, and she listened intently when he shared the other secrets of her temple. The hidden passageways, secret spying spots, and doors to the outside were her favorites.
Toward the end of the day, they sat among the rafters high above the sparring arena. A catwalk had once been built along the edges, and over time most of it had been bricked up into a proper passage. One small section had a strategic viewing area cut out of the stone to allow a handful of people to observe the matches below.