Seduction (Curse of the Gods #3)

“Long enough,” Rome said, avoiding the question.

“I think we’re in the middle of the stream right now—it might not get any deeper,” I noted. “Do you think we could walk a little further up?”

“You want to see the waterfall?” Rome asked.

I nodded, before realising that they couldn’t see me. “Yes.” My voice was faint—smaller than I had intended.

I was standing there naked, in the dark, with two completely bare Abcurses and too much emotion for my rogue-dweller brain to handle. I felt vulnerable. Exposed. More exposed than if I had stripped and paraded my naked self in front of the entire academy and all of the gods. This was a different kind of openness. I was letting them in, inviting them into my grief and asking them to understand something that I couldn’t even explain.

“Of course we can walk to the waterfall.” It was Yael who spoke, his voice soft and understanding.

My mouth dropped open and my stomach flooded with warmth all at once. An understanding Yael? Wow. They really needed to stop surprising me.

“Lead the way, Will.” That had been from Rome.

When had they started using my nickname? I wasn’t sure, but I liked it. A lot. I turned from them and waited until the slow push of water against the back of my legs indicated that they were directly behind me. They weren’t going to go in front, or pick me up, or force me to get out of the water—they were going to follow behind and simply be there if I needed them. I started walking with a small smile curving my lips, and by the time the spray of the waterfall was raining over us, the smile had widened into something full of happiness. I laughed, again, and waded through the stream until the water was almost up to my neck.

“Am I swimming yet?” I called out, trying to be heard over the sound of the waterfall, even though they were both directly beside me.

“No,” Rome answered. I could hear the same low chuckle from him as before. “You’re still standing. Your feet aren’t allowed to be touching the ground.”

I pushed up from the riverbed, looping one arm around Yael’s neck, because it was easier, before using that leverage to pull my other arm up and around Rome’s neck. They helped to tug me up the rest of the way, their hands settling either side of my waist naturally, and I kicked my legs a little through the water.

“There.” I knew I sounded satisfied. “Now I’m swimming.”

“Now you’re hanging,” Rome clarified.

“You know what.” I turned toward his face in the darkness. “This is why I don’t ask your opinions on things.”

He grinned—I could see the white flash of teeth against the tanned skin of his face, and then, suddenly, I couldn’t take it any longer. I needed to be closer.

I needed more.





Seventeen





I acted without thought, tightening my arm around Rome’s neck until he had to bend down closer to my face. I could feel his breath against my lips and the contracting of his hand at my waist. I wasn’t thinking about the consequences any more, or about my mother. I didn’t care about Staviti, Cyrus, Rau, or any of the other asshole gods. My mind was full of Rome and Yael—the warmth of their skin, the hard press of their muscles, and the cool water that licked between us. I wanted to stay there forever … but instead, I would settle for something that might help me keep the memory of my first swim forever.

The pact was broken and I was ready for this.

“Willa—” Rome started to warn, but I wasn’t listening.

I pressed my lips up against his mouth, swallowing the sound that grumbled out of him. He resisted for a fraction of a click, but as I opened my mouth and flicked my tongue out to caress it against his, I felt his will crumble. In a flash, my body was shifted around. I wasn’t sure who helped me to face Rome, or when I had wrapped my legs around him again—with no barriers between us, I couldn’t stop from rocking against his hard length as our kiss became frantic.

There were hands everywhere, breath everywhere, and my brain was scattered from the feeling of his tongue pushing into my mouth. Yael was behind me again, pressing so close that I could feel him all the way down my spine. His hands wrapped around my front, his fingers brushing across my stomach. I could feel the pressure of his touch as it continued lower, sliding across damp skin, until it dipped down, almost level with my hips. With a low moan, I pulled back from Rome, trying to push up into the touch.

“Are you okay with this?” Yael’s voice was only a growl. “I can’t leave. He won’t leave. It’ll have to be both of us.”

I didn’t really know what that meant—I knew what it meant, but I didn’t know how it was possible. I nodded anyway, because right now I needed both of them. Yael’s fingers slipped lower, until he brushed across my centre, touching me right where my body ached. I moved against his fingers, and he groaned into my shoulder. Rome stole the sounds that I might have made by taking my mouth again. The kiss was wild, almost desperate, and I started to wonder if I might be in over my head.

There was a lot of build-up in our relationship. A lot of need and frustration and desire—I wasn’t sure how I was going to handle one of them in this state, let alone two of them. I pulled back again to voice my concerns, but then Yael’s fingers slid inside me, and I decided I really, really didn’t care anymore.

I pushed up into his touch again, my hands gripping onto Rome’s shoulders as a tingling sensation built inside of me. Starting low and spreading through my body until I couldn’t take any more; everything welled up, exploding out in a sudden detonation that left me shuddering and falling against the expanse of Rome’s chest. He was breathing hard—almost as hard as me—his entire body clenched beneath mine as Yael pulled his hands back, setting them at my hips again. Rome pressed into me then, his hardness sending another shockwave through my body. His growl of possession had me clutching at him, Yael still supporting me from behind.

“Still okay, Will?” Rome’s voice was a rumble of need, and I could do nothing but nod and hold him tighter.

I needed this, Yael’s magic fingers had only left me craving more. Rome must have read that need in my eyes because he shifted my body slightly, and then that impressive length of his was pushing inside of me. Slowly, allowing my body to adjust as he filled me.

I groaned. Rome was big. Almost too big. I wasn’t sure I could take any more of him.

“Relax,” he tried to tell me, almost through gritted teeth. “Breathe, Will, relax. Please. Fuck.”

Somehow the sound of my nickname growled out of him was enough for me to relax, and then suddenly I was full, complete, and almost coming apart again already.