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I moved her back by grabbing her arms so I could look at her more.

She was already panting, worked up. I knew she was feeling everything I was.

I couldn’t feel her through the bond like I had with Cal—probably because her magic was still in the pendant attached to my neck, not within her—but gods, what I wouldn’t give to crawl inside her mind and body, to feel what she felt like turned on.

I wanted to make her feel so good. I held her face in my hands, not letting her move.

I kept her there with one hand while the other brushed the hair off the back of her neck.

Goose bumps erupted under my fingertips.

I ran my thumb over her lips, unable to stop looking.

I was a man possessed. “Your lips are so soft,” I said.

She moved to kiss me again, but I kept her face still. I wasn’t done looking.

“When I look at these lips, all I can think about is how good they would feel on my skin, on my cock,” I whispered as I continued to run my thumb slowly over her mouth.

Her eyes darkened under heavy lids. The soft shushing of the waterfall felt almost numbing, like we were in our own world and no one else was around.

I wasn’t concerned about anything other than touching her.

“Can’t you see what you do to me?” I whispered.

“Can’t you see how much I try to fight it?

How hard it is not to want you?” I moved her face to the side and placed small, sensual kisses along her jawline.

“When I kiss you like this, it sets me on fire. Do you know why?”

“Because you’re tied to my magic,” she said.

“No,” I said. “The magic I’m tied to is still around my neck.

It’s because you’re insatiable. You’re funny and sweet and perplexing.

” I planted more kisses up her jawline as I continued talking.

I moved my lips over hers while still holding on to her.

She tried to move forward to kiss me, but I kept my lips just far enough away to frustrate her.

“Look at you,” I said. “Look at everything you’ve been through.

Look at how strong you are.” I ran my hand down her cheek, along her shoulder, and brushed the side of her chest, just grazing the soft pink bra.

“How am I supposed to dislike you? When my body responds to you like this?” I whispered, taking in her body, making sure she saw every second of it.

“You don’t understand what you’ve done to me,” I whispered. “But you will.”

“Kiss me,” she whispered.

I kept my eyes on hers and moved back a little, letting my body sink into the water slightly. My palms grazed over her upper thighs slowly, with intention. I wanted her to feel everything—I wanted her blushing and frazzled. “Take those off,” I said, nodding to her pants.

She moved to get in the water, and I stopped her.

“No,” I said. “I want to look at you. Let me see everything, Anna.” I moved into her body again and we kissed, our tongues teasing, begging for more.

Her hands roamed across my chest and stomach, causing me to struggle to keep a train of thought.

“I’m gonna take these off for you, okay?

” I whispered in her ear as my hands found the edges of her wet pants.

She lifted, helping me remove them. I rolled them off and tossed them to the side with a slop. I scooted back to look at her again.

Her body was everything I had remembered since that night we had made out—she was a goddess, an enchantress.

She shifted uncomfortably under my gaze and moved her legs forward to get in the water, but I shook my head, and she stopped.

I ran a hand over my face, covering my mouth, hardly able to believe this was in front of me and not some dream. “Spread your thighs for me,” I rasped.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not gonna spread my legs for you to stare at me. Please come here,” she whined.

“Do what I say, and you’ll be rewarded,” I said sternly.

A flush crept up her neck and she moved her thighs apart just enough so that I could see her perfect pussy outlined by a thin layer of underwear that was now see-through, allowing me just enough of a view to drive me mad.

I moved in closer and ran my hands over her ankles, up her shins, then her thighs.

“How is it possible you turn me on so much?”

She launched at me with urgency. I moved my mouth from her lips to gently caress her jawline, down the side of her neck.

I knew I was going slow enough when her fingers grew urgent, and she tried to shift her body closer.

My hands stilled her around her hips. Maintaining my slow speed, I kissed down her clavicle until I came to the strap of her bra, resting on her shoulder.

I reached up and slid the fabric off. It felt like I’d won a prize when more of her skin showed and a bit of her full chest popped out.

I let out a haggard breath. All I wanted to do was throw her down and taste every inch of her, but she deserved to be worshiped.

She reached down to touch me and I grabbed her hand. “Not yet.”

“But I want you to enjoy this too,” she said.

I trailed my fingertips slowly down the line of her neck and shoulder, down the outside of her arm as I kissed where the bra strap had been.

“What do you think I’m doing?” I moved to the other side, repeating my actions, possibly slower.

I felt a shiver take over her body. I moved so my face was in front of her chest, but I didn’t touch her with my mouth.

I was taking my time enjoying every single second of this.

My fingertips glided down her sternum, over the soft edge of her cleavage, and it was my turn to let out a raspy breath.

I noticed her stomach clench when she heard it, which only fueled me on .

I reached my hands up around her back and undid her bra, slowly removing it and tossing it to the side, where her pants lay.

I let out a ragged breath when my attention fell back on her beautiful breasts.

“Fuck, Anna,” I whispered, unable to believe this glorious creature was waiting for my hands to feel her skin.

I moved my hands up and traced the line that indented her skin underneath her breasts, where her bra had dug in, and she shivered and let out a soft sigh.

My fingers trailed over her pebbled pink nipple and her thighs closed around me, keeping me in place between her legs—like I’d want to go anywhere else.

“Your nipples are the perfect shade of pink,” I whispered, moving my face so close that, with every word I spoke, my breath ghosted across her skin, leaving goose bumps.

Her fingers dug into my back, urging me to continue as she let out a breathy moan.

My large hand cupped her breasts gently.

“I love how you feel in my hand,” I said, squeezing lightly so my thumb and forefinger could roll her nipple slightly.

She ground her pelvis against my stomach as she greedily tried to climb on top of me.

“They are the perfect size,” I whispered.

I kissed the swell of one breast, moving slowly to lick her nipple and humming my approval before I took the entire thing in my mouth and sucked slightly, playing with it between my teeth—not enough to cause any pain but enough that I knew she felt it.

I struggled to get my breath. “Your skin tastes amazing.”

“Oh my gods, Eli,” she whispered, desperate now as she grabbed my hand and pressed it between her legs. My head dropped back and my eyes closed, feeling the small parting of her lips through the thin underwear.

I was on a mission, and I wouldn’t be deterred.

I removed my hand and moved her back on the stone enough so I could step away.

“Remove your panties,” I ordered. She pulled them off, giving me full spread-eagle view when she dropped her legs back down.

Biting my lip, I struggled for words. “I could look at you all day. ”

“I will combust if you look at me any longer,” she said, reaching for me.

I dipped down in the water so she couldn’t reach my shoulders without falling in and losing her balance.

“Scoot to the edge,” I whispered, grabbing her thighs and helping her move.

I meant to go slow and feel every inch of her, but I was struggling.

I kissed her again. Rising up out of the water, I kissed my way slowly down her neck, sucking and biting as I moved down between her breasts.

I continued moaning along the way, unable to believe how good she tasted.

My lips stopped at her stomach, and I remembered for a moment how she had seemed uncomfortable with showing that part of herself to me.

I could not fathom why—she was immaculate.

I paused and ran my hand over her stomach.

Her body was soft and luscious. “You are perfect,” I whispered.

I moved to kiss across her stomach, my mouth making its way below her belly button, where I nipped and licked before moving to bite at her hip bone, then the insides of her thighs.

She was panting and needy, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more attractive in my life than Anna in this state.

I worked my kisses up her thighs as her hands worked in rhythm, gripping and kneading at my hair.

Every time she pulled or tried to push my head into her, I slowed down.

“I want to take in every part of you slowly, like you deserve.”

Finally, I gave in and let myself get a taste of her sweet pussy.

I licked her and she began to call out my name.

“Eli, gods, how does that feel so good? That feels so good,” she moaned.

“Fuck, Anna, you taste so good.” I worked my tongue faster, lifting her legs and putting them over my shoulders.

She leaned back, propping herself up on her elbows and giving me the best angle.

I sucked at her clit, and she started to grind on my face feverishly.

She was close. I reached my own hand down and began to fist my cock under the water as I fucked her with my tongue.

She moaned, pressing herself harder against my face.

“That’s it,” I told her. “Give me that sweet cunt.” She continued to pant as I removed my hand from my cock and rubbed my fingers over her, working her clit.

Her cries intensified. “How hard are you going to come on my fingers, heathen?” I rasped. She ignored me so I stopped.

“What—please, please don’t stop,” she said.

“How hard?” I pressed two fingers inside of her, and she let out a moan, biting her lip and closing her eyes. “Tell me how good it feels, Anna,” I whispered.

She cried out, “It feels so good. Touch me, Eli.”

“That’s it,” I whispered. I moved my hands and tongue over her.

“I need to see you come,” I said. “I need to see it. Come for me, baby, let me see. Let me taste it,” I groaned.

All of her muscles tensed at once and she cried out as she came.

“That’s it. Mm-hmm. So fucking good, you taste so fucking good,” I said, needing to taste every drop of her.

“Come here,” she said. “Quick, come here, please. It’s your turn.”

I lifted her into the water, wrapping her legs around me and kissing her, but the position I held her in blocked her from touching much of me other than my chest. “This isn’t about turns,” I said.

“I’m not playing a game. And either way, I’d be willing to bet I got more pleasure from that than you. ”

She tried to wiggle her body down onto me, and it took everything in me not to lift her and put my cock inside her. “I want to savor this,” I said, looking her in the eyes. “You’re not a quick fuck. I want to enjoy all of this.”

She kissed me, and I wondered if she could taste herself on my lips and tongue, if she thought it tasted as good as I did. “I don’t know what this is, between us but we need to figure something out before things get any more carried away.”

“What is there to figure out?” she asked. “We’ll leave here and return to Eromreven.”

Everything turned stale in my chest. “I’m not staying in Eromreven, Anna. I’m going to take you to the Elysian Fields, and then to Moirai. I’ll find a way to get you there safely, I promise.”

She leaned away from me. Feeling that she wanted some distance, I set her on the ledge again.

“I’m not going to Moirai, I told you,” she said, grabbing her panties and struggling to put them back on, following with her sopping-wet pants.

“Why can you not seem to understand that I’m staying here in Tartarus and that it doesn’t matter what you say or do; I’m not leaving! ” she snapped.

Caught off guard, I moved to find my shirt, leaving her alone in the waterfall. After a few minutes, likely struggling to get her wet pants back on, she emerged.

“This was stupid. We shouldn’t have done this,”she snapped.

All the hope that had foolishly built in my chest fell to the ground and shattered.

“There’s no denying that we have some type of an attraction to each other,” she said, “but this is ridiculous.”

“Yeah” was all I could manage. Soft voices echoed through the trees, causing both she and I to snap our faces around to look toward the sound. “There’re people coming,” I said, ignoring everything that had just happened between us.