Night of the Tiger(34)

He should have been asking her that question. “Fine.” His answer was brusquer than he intended, but her nearness was pure torture. He was so aroused his balls were one perpetual ache. Every muscle in his body tensed when she stopped in front of him and reached out her hand.

She brushed her fingers lightly against his stomach, sending a bolt of lightning surging to his cock. His stomach muscles rippled, and he sucked in a deep breath. He was so close to the edge, it wouldn’t take much to make him spill his seed. Maybe it was because he’d been so long without a woman, but he suspected it had more to do with Aimee herself. She was like an addiction thrumming through his body, his blood. He wanted her.

His shaft pulsed in a primal rhythm, urging him to take her again. As much as he wanted to toss her down on the bed and drive himself into her heated channel, he knew they had to talk. He had no idea how long it would be before the demons found them and attacked. The fact that they hadn’t already made him suspicious. Once again, he was left wondering if Aimee was on the side of the demons.

There was only one way to find out. He would share his story with her and see what she did. “There are things I must tell you.”

She nodded.

Roric took her hand in his and led her back to the end of the bed, urging her to sit. She settled on the edge, staring up at him with her fascinating green eyes. He didn’t want to bombard Aimee with too much information. Best to keep it simple. “It all started with The Lady of the Beasts,” he began.

The corners of her mouth turned downward, and her brow furrowed as she tilted her head to one side. “That’s what he called me in my dreams. Only he called me the lady of the beast. As in one beast.”

“Who?” Roric was almost afraid to ask, but he needed to know.

Aimee shook her head. “Hades. I dreamed I was drawn into an antechamber of Hell and met the big guy himself. I researched the Lady of the Beasts online, but could only find some vague references to an ancient goddess who was basically the patron of animals.” Her eyes widened as understanding began to filter in.

Unexpected pain streaked through him. The world had forgotten the Lady. Hades and the Olympians had done their job well. “In the time before cities, when man still roamed the earth, the Lady of the Beasts was revered by all—a goddess of life and fertility in the ancient world.”

“I’ve read about goddess worship, but I didn’t find any references specifically to her.” Aimee tugged the sheet tighter around her, but it gaped slightly just above her breasts, giving him an unrestricted view of her cleavage.

Roric tried not to look. Not out of some long-forgotten sense of chivalry—he’d never laid claim to being anything but the beast he was—but out of a sense of self-preservation. It didn’t work. His gaze was drawn to the gentle slope of Aimee’s breasts, to the softness of her skin.

He swallowed hard and jerked his attention back to the topic at hand. “The Lady was a kind but practical goddess, the guiding light of all the animals of the world, animals that provided food, shelter and indeed life for the sons of man for generations.”

He broke off as he remembered those earlier times. They were happy times for all of them. Earth had been primitive and brutal, but there was much beauty and goodness to be found. He took a few steps away from the bed before turning back to face her.

“Then man settled into communities,” Aimee prompted.

“Yes,” he continued. “Man settled and began to plant and harvest the earth, forcing it to his will. With the settlement of people came the need for leadership and government. Wealth and power were in the hands of few. The Greeks began to worship Zeus and the other Olympians. Forgotten was the Lady of the Beasts as new gods and goddesses took her place in the minds and hearts of the people.”

“Hmm.” Aimee crossed one leg over the other, absently swinging her foot.

The sheet parted, revealing her long, shapely legs. Not even the scars that ran down her left leg could detract from her beauty. Roric’s gut tightened with a hunger he knew he couldn’t sate. There wasn’t enough time to take her again, even if she would allow it.

“Zeus was the Lord of the Sky, the king of the gods, wasn’t he?”

Aimee obviously knew something about Greek Mythology. “Yes.” Roric could still see Zeus demanding the surrender of the Lady. The arrogance of the Greek gods still astounded him after all these years. “His brother, Poseidon, was made Lord of the Seas, while his other brother, Hades ruled as Lord of the Underworld.”

Aimee nodded. “So Zeus and the crew wanted to take over.”