N. Walters - Pride of the Lion

He sucked in a breath, his chest expanding. He continued to study her face, running his fingers over her cheekbones, down her nose and across her forehead. She should have felt self-conscious, but for some reason didn’t. Leander seemed utterly enthralled with her and, if that wasn’t a turn-on, she didn’t know what was.

He reached for the sheet that was still between them and slowly pulled it down, exposing her breasts to his view. A low rumbling sound, much like a purr, came from deep in his chest. “You are exquisite.”

Beneath his gaze, she felt exquisite. It was a totally new experience for her. She usually tried to downplay her overlarge breasts. For the first time in her life, she was happy to have them.

He cupped one of the mounds and ran his thumb around her nipple, not quite touching it. The nub puckered into a hard peak. She made a sound of need, of arousal, practically whimpering. She wanted him to touch her.

“Let me have you?”

The sexy low rumble of his voice was like a caress against her skin and Araminta knew there was only one answer she could give him. “Yes.”

He smiled at her and she lost her ability to speak. He leaned down and took her mouth in a torrid kiss and she lost her ability to think. All she could do was give herself over to the sensual sensations flooding her body.

Power exploded through her veins and flooded her body briefly before she quickly contained it. The Lady of the Beasts knew another one of her warriors had been released from captivity. She paused in her treacherous climb, closed her eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks. Then she wiped the sweat from her forehead, shoved her fingers into the tiny crevices in the rock wall and once again began to scale the steep, jagged cliff. Her feet and hands were bloody from trying to find purchase among the deadly rocks and every inch of her body ached. She didn’t dare draw on the reserves of her power lest she draw Hades’ attention.

She was so close she could almost taste freedom.

Hades’ gaze was currently directed elsewhere and his demons would do little without his order. And the God of the Underworld would not give such an order. He knew if she were killed an enormous amount of power would be released, which would bring the other gods to investigate. And that was the last thing Hades wanted. It was the reason he’d kept her imprisoned all these long years rather than attempt to kill her. He might think her weak, but she was still a goddess, still a force to be reckoned with.

A light breeze hit her face, carrying with it a hint of spring and the promise of summer. The Lady allowed no hint of her excitement to show, none of her power to leak from her control. She did not want to draw any attention her way. Not when she was so close to achieving her goal.

Voices chanted in the distance. The climb seemed endless, but she ignored her growing exhaustion and kept moving steadily toward the sweet sound.

Leander couldn’t believe he was free after the long centuries of captivity. The sensory overload was almost too much to handle as he struggled to take everything in. The smell of lavender drifted from a room nearby. There was the slightest hint of it on Araminta and was probably her soap. A harsh smell of cleaning chemicals overlay that. But above all of them was the sweet perfume of aroused woman. Araminta’s scent was sweet with a hint of spice and he couldn’t wait to taste her.

Her mouth was sexy with a wider bottom lip and thinner top one. He traced it with his tongue, drawing a low moan from deep inside her. He knew he should get out of the bed, knew they had to move, knew danger was all around them. The Lord of the Underworld would not wait for Leander to get his fill of the woman in his arms.

But it had been so very long since he’d felt the touch of a woman warm against his skin, felt her sweet breath on his face or heard her soft moans of pleasure.

He stroked his hand over her silky skin. It was so incredibly smooth and supple and the sounds she made when he cupped her breast made his cock swell to the point of almost bursting.

He was alive.

He pulled his mouth from hers and stared down at the face of the woman who’d answered his fervent prayers after so many years. He knew she couldn’t see him very well, but with his enhanced vision he could see every inch of her delectable body and exquisite face. Her tawny brown hair spilled over the pillows like a waterfall. Her eyes were like the mist on a foggy day, gray and mysterious. Her body was full and curvy, her breasts a handful. And he had very large hands.

But it was more than her beauty that captivated him. This woman had released him from his prison. After more than five thousand years in prison, Araminta had set him free. He owed her everything, including his life. He would not fail to protect her from harm.

The lion within him roared in agreement.

She blinked at him, so innocent and trusting, like a lamb waiting to be led to the slaughter. The image turned his stomach sour and brought a bad taste to his mouth. What would happen to her if Hades had his way?

“Is anything wrong?” He could hear the insecurity in her voice and it made him want to roar with fury. A woman this incredible should never feel inadequate in any way. He’d learned much by watching his fellow warriors be set free and knew that the women who released them were special, each of them a ray of light in the darkness, a beacon of hope against despair.

He gently combed his fingers through her hair. “No, my beauty, there is nothing wrong.”

Her cheeks turned the most delicate shade of pink and he smiled. She was shy, his Araminta. The possessiveness of his thoughts gave him pause, but he shrugged. She belonged to him now and he would not fight it.

He knew his brethren had probably felt the same about the women who freed them, and most of them had probably fought it, thinking it would make them weaker to become attached to a fragile human woman. But Leander was more pragmatic. If she could release him from the curse she was destined to be his. If he had something more to lose, he would fight harder.

His eyes narrowed and fury filled him. If Hades thought he could take her from him then the god was sorely mistaken. He would kill any demons, immortals, gods or humans who tried to take her away from him. He would protect her with his life.

“Leander?”

He shook his head to help clear away the bad thoughts. He was here with her now and that was all that mattered. He leaned down to kiss her again, wanting to sample her lush lips before moving lower to uncover all her secrets.

A harsh ringing interrupted them. Leander leapt out of bed in one motion, landing on his feet in a crouched position, ready to defend them both. The ringing sounded again and he whirled toward it. Before he could destroy the offensive object, his mind caught up with the rest of him and information flooded through him. A phone. It was a telephone.

Araminta reached out and grabbed her cell phone from the bedside table. “Hello.”

Even though he was a few feet away, with his enhanced abilities he could easily hear both sides of the conversation. “Hi, it’s Mary Jo. I didn’t mean to call you so late.”

Araminta sat up in bed. “What’s wrong? Is it Percy?”

Leander’s hackles rose and a low growl escaped him. Who was this Percy and why was she so concerned about him?

“No, he’s fine. But someone broke into your house. The cops are here now. You need to come home.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thanks, Mary Jo.” Araminta carefully set the phone back on the bedside table and stared at him.

The lamp on the bedside table clicked on and he blinked to allow his eyes to adjust. She stared up at him, her gray eyes wide and frightened. “This isn’t a dream, is it?’