“Then I will spend every day making sure you do,” he promised, leaning down to kiss her again.
She stopped him with her hand pressed against his chest. He froze, waiting for her.
“I slept with Thanatos last night.”
Chapter fifty-two
ILIANA
Here she was, pinned beneath a god who’d just praised her and promised her a future. He wanted her—and instead of basking in it, Iliana blurted out that she’d slept with his friend. She winced, bracing for rejection.
But it didn’t come.
Instead, a wide, knowing grin spread across Anubis’ face, revealing his straight teeth and slightly elongated canines. That smile was dangerous and beautiful—so very Anubis. “I am aware,” he said.
Her eyes widened. “And?”
A chuckle vibrated against her. “And I have no problem with it. Did he satisfy you?”
Iliana’s face heated. “Yes, but—”
He hushed her with a kiss, smoky sweetness intoxicating her. It was possessive and thorough, swallowing any of her protests before they could escape. When he finally pulled away, he pressed his lips to the shell of her ear. “No buts. You can have as many lovers as you want, Neferet.” His palm slid between them, cupping her breast over her sports bra. “But they will treat you right.”
He pinched her nipple lightly, making her breath catch and her head go fuzzy with desire.
“And as long as you are also mine, and I get to make you come as often as I like…” He trailed off, looking smug when she whimpered beneath his touch. “Then I do not have a problem with it.” He lifted slightly, giving her space and watching her.
Iliana swallowed thickly, her chest rising and falling unevenly. She nodded. His certainty soothed the doubt that had plagued her since last night. She didn’t want to lie, not to him. Not when she’d never allowed herself to have anything like this before.
“Understand?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Now,” he teased, clasping her wrists lightly, securing them above her head, “do you want to learn how to escape from this hold, or—”
She didn’t give him a chance to finish. “I choose the ‘or’ option.” She smiled, wickedly. “Please.”
They looked at each other. God and mortal. Predator and prey. Her thoughts abandoned her, leaving only the sharp throb of need.
“I want this. I want you,” she whispered.
He released her wrists, moving his hands down her body, trailing heat wherever he touched her. Gripping the neckline of her tank, he tore it straight down the center, the rip of fabric slicing through the quiet training room. She heard her own gasps as he exposed the smooth plane of her stomach and the tight compression fabric clinging to her breasts.
Iliana gasped, her arms still obediently above her head. She would’ve reached for him, attempted to pull him down to her, but the look on his face rooted her in place. It was breathtaking. Reverent. Hungry.
He lowered himself, warm puffs of air skimming across her bare skin as he hooked his fingers into her waistband. She breathed in sharply, catching his scent—incense, sweat, and arousal. Her muscles clenched in anticipation, and her face blushed. His eyes tracked the reaction.
“Perfect,” he said reverently, strained with need.
Then his calluses dragged across her skin where they were still hooked underneath her clothes, and she whimpered. His scent surrounded her as he slowly peeled her shorts and panties down her thighs. When cool air kissed her wet, exposed flesh, she trembled. She resisted the instinct to close her legs, refusing to hide from him.
Still, this waiting was killing her. She wanted his rough hands on her, not just the phantom touch of his gaze as he looked at her, as if he were memorizing every inch of her body.
“Ani…” she breathed, clenching her hands above her head.
He smirked. In the next instant, he was naked, his powerful body entirely on display, all dark skin, sculpted muscles, and raw strength.
Iliana’s restraint snapped. She reached forward to touch him, to feel—
