Acheron

It wasn't Ash who brought Tory's clothes to her later. He sent them up via Aimee which was a bit disappointing, but if he wanted to be a coward after locking her in, so be it. Besides, she liked Aimee who had a biting sense of humor and a very keen wit.

It also gave her time to plot revenge on the tall Goth who irritated her to distraction.

With nothing better to do, Tory took a shower in the small bathroom, careful not to get her sutures wet. She was extremely bored with her bed rest. She didn't understand how she could feel so good given what had happened to her. Honestly, she was only a little sore from the almost fatal wreck.

It was so strange.

Not wanting to be alone where thoughts of Dimitri and worry for her team made her ache, she left the room and headed into the bar area, seeking distraction. As she came out, Justina and Katherine got up from a small round table where they'd been sitting-Justina facing Tory's door and Katherine scanning the bar around them.

She didn't know where the other priestesses were, but the fact that those two were still here made her arch an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" she asked them, curious about their nervous twitching.

Katherine looked away sheepishly. "We were watching you to make sure no one disturbed you."

Well at least the man hadn't made them keep her locked in the room. She should be grateful for some small liberty. "Ash's orders?"

Justina smiled. "I finally found someone even bossier than you. Who knew? Not to mention he's a lot more fierce."

Ha, ha, Tory thought sarcastically. She didn't really find that particularly funny-most likely because she was on the receiving end of his bossiness. "So where is he?"

Probably out chasing the redhead or some other woman.

Katherine pointed over the banister down to the stage area. Tory looked below, then gaped as she saw the one man at the back of the stage who didn't have a spotlight on him. There was no mistaking the giant dressed only in black as he played a black guitar emblazoned with red flames.

Justina joined her at the banister. "The band's guitarist jammed two fingers right before they were supposed to play so they begged Ash to cover for him."

Tory was absolutely stunned as she watched his long fingers fly over the neck into perfect chords. "Get out."

Justina grinned. "Yeah, I know, he's impressive isn't he?"

No, he careened past impressive and went straight into the realm of guitar god. Because she played herself, she could easily appreciate the talent it took to make what he did look and sound so effortless. He didn't make a single mistake.

And when he broke into a screaming solo that rivaled Hendrix, Rhodes or Van Halen, the crowd went wild.

Before Tory even realized what she was doing, she was heading down the stairs to watch him play at closer range.

Ash didn't normally look at the crowd what few times he'd filled in with the Howlers-which was only during practice sessions or when the bar was closed to anything not preternatural, but for some reason he felt an uncharacteristic compulsion to do so now. He immediately saw Tory in front with Justina and Katherine behind her.

Time seemed suspended as he met those beautiful brown eyes that always seemed to see through him, straight into his soul. As he stared at her, he forgot everything else, especially when he finally heard her thoughts above those of the people around him.

Why do you live in the shadows away from everyone else? You should be out front and shining with that talent. I've never heard a better guitarist. How do you do that? Were you born with a guitar in your hands?

She looked at him in awe. You are so beautiful, Acheron. All of you. Why do you hide from the world and from me in particular? I would never hurt you . . .

The sincerity of those words reached out to him in a way nothing had before. But more than that were the other glimpses he finally had into her. Some of them he would never have guessed. Her soul was beautiful. Her heart unbelievably kind. He was used to dealing with those who, like him, were jaded. Those who expected only the worst from other people and the world.

But not her. She saw even the evil around her with a childlike hope.

Gods, how he wanted to touch that purity. To feel the magical way she saw the best in people, even when they didn't deserve it. Most of all, he wanted to see himself the way she did. To be the person she thought he was, instead of the animal he knew himself to be.

Just for one minute.

This had to be the greatest gift anyone had ever given him and she hadn't even realized she'd done it. It was just who and what she was. That was what made it perfect.

And he wanted to return the favor to her as they ended the God-smack cover they were playing. He went over to the lead singer of the band, Angel Santiago, who had long brown hair and a cocky grin, and whispered to him.

Angel shook his head, laughing. "For you, man, anything." Angel went to the others while Ash adjusted the mike in front of him to accommodate his height.

An instant later, Ash cringed as a spotlight was turned straight on him. He'd never craved this kind of attention and every part of him wanted to run for cover.

But Tory had a stupid fantasy and the part of him that she'd unknowingly touched wanted to give it to her.

His throat dry from embarrassment and fear, he met her gaze. "This is for Soteria." He went into the opening strands of Nickel-back's "Savin' Me." The moment he did, he wanted to die as he realized how badly he'd just screwed up-in public. The club was filled with people and animals in human form who knew who and what he was. Beings who would be dying to know who Soteria was and why he'd dedicate a song to her when he never did such a thing.

More than that, he'd most likely angered Tory by linking her name to his. Damn it. He knew better. No one wanted to be seen with him. Ever.

When was he going to learn that one basic fact? Decent people only wanted to interact with him in private. He was an embarrassment. A freak.

But it was too late now. All he could do was see this through and hope she didn't publicly bitch-slap him for the affront when it was over.

I'm such an idiot.

Tory couldn't breathe as she heard Ash sing. He had the most amazing voice. Low and deep, it sent shivers over her.

Good gods of Olympus . . .

She'd never heard this song before but the lyrics were beautiful . . .

Heaven's gates won't open up for me.

With these broken wings I'm fallin'

And all I see is you.

Those lyrics brought tears to her eyes. All her life, she'd had a fantasy about a great-looking guy in a band singing to her. She knew how stupid it was, but to be here right now having Ash of all men sing to her.

It was surreal and it was wonderful. Most of all, it made her want to cry.

And when the song ended, the spotlight was turned off. Ash set his guitar on the stand by the drum set and jumped down from the stage.

"We'll be taking a twenty-minute break," the lead singer said.

Tory barely heard him as Ash approached her slowly and for the first time she saw hesitancy in his powerful gait. Unsure, he stopped in front of her.

Ash cringed, dreading her reaction. "I'm sorry if I-" He was going to say embarrassed you, but before he could get the rest of the sentence out, she pulled the sunglasses off his face and grabbed him into the fiercest kiss he'd ever known.

Everything around him receded as her lips set fire to his entire body. It wasn't demanding or painful. It was a kiss of commitment. Of caring.

One that made him growl with need as she cupped his face with her hands, then trailed them down his body to hold him so close to her that his head spun with disbelief.

And in that moment, all he wanted was to be inside her. To have her hold him like this while there was nothing between them. Just bare skin to bare skin.

Tory couldn't breathe as she tasted Acheron. His body was so incredibly hard. She doubted there was a single molecule not muscled and ripped. Except for his lips. They were as soft as a whisper and tasted of raw masculine power.

"Damn Ash, get a room."

Ash tensed at the sound of Dev's voice as the bear walked past him. But he was still incredulous that Tory had grabbed him like this in public. No woman had ever done that before. He'd always been relegated to the shadows-to places where no one could see them together.

The fact that she'd kissed him openly . . .

It was heaven.

Biting her lip, Tory pulled back to see his face mottled with red. Whether from anger, exertion or embarrassment she couldn't tell for sure. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't offend you."

Ash shook his head as he laid his hand to her cheek. Pulling her against him, he buried his face in her hair and inhaled the sweetness of her scent. It was a scent he wanted to bathe in until it coated every inch of his flesh and branded him as hers.

Tory closed her eyes at the tightest embrace she'd ever had. She hugged him back and just held him while people walked around them. She'd never really been one for public displays of affection, yet with him it was different.

Nothing seemed to matter except being with him right here and right now.

Ash squeezed his eyes shut as raw emotions tore through him. Let her go. Shove her away. It was the sanest thing to do. The safest thing to do.

But he couldn't. He'd lived his entire life for other people, trying to please them and failing with every attempt. First it'd been his human father, then his uncle. The clients he'd taken.

And then Artemis.

He'd never been good enough to earn their love. Never good enough for them to make him feel the way Tory did. To her he was neither whore nor god. Neither property nor a source of shame.

He was just a man.

And that man wanted to make love to her.

Don't be stupid. Don't. You'll only get hurt, Ash. You know better.

Artemis will make you suffer until you beg for death . . . and then she'll torture you even more.

Yet when he looked into those deep brown eyes that saw him as a human with feelings, he was lost. Most of all, he was tired of taking nothing for himself. Of sacrificing himself for other people's happiness while he had no one who made him feel like he mattered.

Surely he deserved to have someone hold him close and soothe him. Would that be selfish?

His resolve bucked under the weight of conscience. Fuck it if was.

If he had to pay for this later, he would. He'd suffered unbearably for a lot less than Tory. And she'd be worth every scar.

Stepping back, he took her hand and led her to the stairs and up to her room. He closed the door, isolating them from the sounds and people downstairs, then turned to face her.

Tory was unprepared for the ferocity of his kiss as he pinned her to the wall. He'd always been so reserved and cool that she'd never suspected how sexy it would be for him to lose control like this.

The fact that she was the one who drove him to it only made her hotter. His lips tormented her as his hands began unbuttoning her blouse. She swallowed at the heat pounding through her. She'd never been with a man before.

And she barely knew him.

Yet she realized Pam was right. If she didn't sleep with Ash, she'd regret it for the rest of her life. There was something about him that made her restless and calm. Something that touched her heart in a way no one ever had before.

She wanted to be with him. To hold him close and never let him go.

Ash pulled back from her lips as he opened the last button of her blouse. Her breasts, covered by purple lace, were small and inviting. Adorable and perfect. He kept waiting for her to push him away and reject him.

She didn't.

Taking a deep breath, he reached to the gold clasp between her breasts. He met her gaze and the raw hunger there set fire to him as he opened her bra and spilled her breasts to his gaze. He cupped the right one in his hand, amazed by the softness of her skin as her taut nipple teased his palm. Dying for a taste, he dipped his head down to gently suckle her.

Tory gasped as he flicked his tongue over her nipple. With every lick, her stomach contracted sharply. His mouth was so hot as he sucked and played. His breath scorched her skin. She cupped his head to her, unable to believe how much pleasure he gave her.

He moved to her other breast as he unzipped her pants. Tory felt herself getting wet already. "Touch me, please," she begged, dying for something to sate the fire inside her.

Ash obliged her as he slid his hand under the waistband of her panties. He let the small hairs tease his fingers as he sank his hand down further until he could separate the tender folds of her body and run his finger down her cleft.

She made a strangled cry of pleasure. Smiling in satisfaction, he dipped his hand down lower to let her moisture coat his fingers before he moved his hand up to massage her.

Tory cried out as she felt her body exploding with pleasure. She'd never had an orgasm before. It was raw and it was unbelievable and even a little frightening. Words couldn't describe what she felt. She clung to Ash as he continued to heighten the ecstasy. He sank to his knees in front of her.

Still shaking and weak, she looked down to meet that hungry silver gaze. He reached up to pull her jeans down her legs with a feral intent that made her even more breathless. She lifted one leg and then the other so that she was completely bare from the waist down. Her shirt was open.

Ash couldn't breathe as he took in the sight of her like that. She was so beautiful and all he wanted to do was please her-to have her hands on his body, not hurting him or demanding he submit to her to make her feel more powerful. Just simply pleasing him. Soothing him. He brought her delicate hand to his lips so that he could taste her fingertips. The scent and sweet taste made his cock so hard it was all he could do not to attack her where she stood. But he wanted to savor her slowly.

The one thing in the universe that he excelled at was this and he wanted her to know the height of his skills.

She reached down to brush his hair back from his forehead. Ash buried his face against her thigh and nipped the tender flesh there as her hand touched his cheek.

"Please don't pull my hair," he breathed in a ragged whisper, not wanting anything to spoil this moment.

"I would never hurt you, Ash."

And that was why he was willing to risk the wrath of a goddess to be with her. For once in his life, he wanted to make love to someone who didn't make him feel like shit for it. Covering her hand with his, he turned his face so that he could kiss her soft palm.

Tory was stunned by his tenderness. He reminded her of a skittish fawn as he suckled her fingers. And when he looked up at her, she saw the unadulterated pain and torment inside him. His soul was as naked to her as her body was to him.

He licked her palm in one sensual swipe before he rose up to bury his lips against the center of her body.

Tory cried out as pleasure blinded her. She reached for his hair, only to catch herself. Instead, she clasped the door knob with one hand and bit her knuckle on the other one.

Her body took on a life of its own as he licked and teased her with his tongue. He lifted his hands to spread her wider so that his tongue could flick and delve deep inside her.

Ash reveled in the taste of the most private part of her body. The remnants of her last orgasm made him hungry for his own, but more than that, it made him want to hear her scream out his name.

Dying to be inside her, he slid his finger in, then froze as he found the last thing he expected.

He went cold inside.

"You're a virgin?"

Tory scowled at the venom in his voice as he spat the word out as if it were disgusting to him. "Is that a problem?"

He jerked away from her as if he'd discovered leprosy. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it would matter."

He cast her a feral look that made her pull her blouse closed. "It matters. Damn it, woman!"

She was completely baffled by his unexpected response. Why would he be so angry over the fact that she'd never been with another man? "I thought men liked having virgins."

Ash raked his hand through his hair as he struggled to keep his temper in check. But it wasn't just anger he felt. There was shock, guilt and a hunger for her so profound he wasn't sure how he kept himself from her.

"I'm not most men." He picked her jeans up from the floor and handed them to her.

She gaped at him. "So that's it? You're just going to leave because I've never been with anyone else?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to do." He tried to reach the door, but she put herself in front of it as she raked him with her own furious glower.

"Oh the horror of this situation," she said, her tone so thick with sarcasm he'd need a chainsaw to cut through it. "So what you're telling me is if I go downstairs and get laid by some other man first, I'll then be good enough for you?"

Jealousy ripped through him at the mere thought.

She narrowed her gaze suspiciously. "You don't like that idea either, do you?"

Ash struggled to breathe as images of her with someone else tore through him. No, he didn't want her with anyone else, but at the same time he didn't want to be her first. He didn't want to hurt her and honestly, he didn't want her to remember him or have any regrets. She deserved better than that. Someone better than him to sleep with her. "How can you be a virgin at your age?"

"I'm not ninety, Acheron. Good grief. I told you, I have a bad history with men. Every time I ever tried to sleep with one, something happened. Either someone came in on us or . . . in one case the guy fell off the bed as he climbed in and broke his collar bone."

She took his head in her hands and forced him to look at her. "I want to be with you, Ash. No strings. No commitments. I'm a big girl and I'm not going to turn into a stalker. I just want to love you for a little while."

Those words seared him and at the same time he wanted to curse because they made it impossible for him to walk away from her. "You don't deserve to be laid in a room in a bar for your first time."

"And that right there is why I want to be with you. You're the only man I've ever met who would even think about that."

Because he knew what it was like to be ruthlessly violated and to be haunted by it. For some reason, the first encounter lingered in everyone's memory. It was why he'd always made sure to take special care with virgins and why he'd been so good at what he did. No one deserved to be humiliated the way he had been. To cry from the pain of it and be laughed at while he begged for mercy.

Stop your damn blubbering, whore. It'll be over when I'm finished with you. He'd then been backhanded so hard, it'd broken his nose. There now. That pain'll get the other off your mind.

Why with all the powers that he had could he not purge his own memories? Why was eleven thousand years not enough to make the pain turn dull?

All he wanted was one moment free of those memories. One safe place where no one reminded him of what they'd made him. Of what he'd done to himself.

Tory frowned at the shadows she saw in Ash's eyes as if some painful memory tortured him. She wanted to soothe that ache more than anything. Why wouldn't he let her? "Ash?"

He reached down to put his hand on the scar where they'd operated on her. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

"I'm not in pain. I don't understand it, but I'm not. And I don't want to go to bed alone. Are you going to make me beg?"

Anger curled his lips. "You don't ever beg for anything."

She pulled his head down so that she could kiss him.

Ash growled as she stirred inside him an animal part that scared him. But he refused to give in to it. "I won't tup you like a whore in a backroom, Soteria. Let me finish playing with the Howlers."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Then you'll be back?"

The hesitation in his eyes made her hurt for him. He drew a deep breath before he spoke. "I'll be back."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She kissed the tip of his nose, hoping he was being honest with her. "I'm going to hold you to that."

Ash swallowed. She didn't have to. Once he made a promise, he was bound by the laws of the universe to see it through or die. "Rest until I get back." He gave her a deep kiss.

Tory melted at the feeling of his arm around her while he cupped her cheek with his other hand and ravaged her mouth.

He pulled back and drew another deep breath as if fighting for the strength to leave her.

She smiled at him. "Don't make me wait too long."

He nodded as he left her to dress.

Tory pulled her clothes on before she went outside again to find Justina and Katherine back at their chairs. Heat rushed over her cheeks until she remembered that the room was completely insulated from noise. "Can I borrow your cell phone?"

Justina pulled it out and handed it to her.

She called Pam. "Hey sweetie . . . no I'm fine. I'm at the Sanctuary Bar over on Ursulines. Any chance I can get you two over here?"

"Sure. We'll be right there."

Tory hung up the phone and returned it to Justina. "Just FYI, I'm going to head out for a few minutes, but I'll be right back."

Katherine's expression turned stern and immovable. "You're not going anywhere without us. We're under strictest orders to keep you safe at all costs."

Ash . . . she could almost beat him for it, but then again that protectiveness was part of what she adored about him the most. At least sometimes.

Unwilling to fight, Tory held her hands up. "Fine. Just don't tell Ash. We'll slip out and be back before he finishes the next set."

Katherine didn't look convinced. "I'm not so sure about this."

"Oh, come on. It's just around the block a bit. We'll be fine. Besides forewarned is forearmed. We know to watch for them."

Katherine was still resisting.

"I trust her," Justina said. "She's stubborn, but not stupid. Tory wouldn't do this if she really thought there was a problem."

Katherine finally relented. "All right. So where are we going?"

Tory grinned. "It's a surprise."

Tory hesitated in the doorway of the overly bright store. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all . . . She looked over her shoulder at Pam who was proudly sporting her most prized possession, her vintage 1984 Duran Duran tour T-shirt.

"I don't know about this place. Isn't there another, less . . . um, extreme place to shop?"

Pam pushed her forward, into the store. "Oh shush, get inside. This is one of my favorite places and it's perfect for what you want."

Which didn't really endear it to Tory since Pam's fashion sense was the polar opposite of her own. While she was sedate, Pam was outrageous.

Kim pushed her from behind while Justina and Katherine opted to stay outside on Bourbon Street. "Come on, people, we're blocking the exit. Fire hazard here."

Tory's eyes widened as she went deeper into Pandora's Box, which was covered with spiked black leather corsets and teddys. All kinds of sex toys and pasties. Oh my word! She might be adventurous, but really, some of this stuff was just too much for her . . . like the men's bikini briefs that held an elephant's trunk where a certain piece of male anatomy would be. "I thought we were going to the little lingerie store on the corner."

"This is so much better." Pam pulled her to a display of edible panties.

Tory cringed at the thought of putting something like that on-would Ash even like it? "I'm not ready for all of this. Can't we ease me in slowly?"

Pam scoffed. "You're such a prude! How can a woman who lives to base jump cringe over edible panties?"

"Cause no one sees my panties when I base jump and they certainly don't eat them off me."

Pam gave an evil laugh. "Believe me, the panties are a lot more fun than base jumping. And given Ash's height, think of it more like pole vaulting." She wagged her eyebrows playfully.

Tory rolled her eyes.

"How about this?" Kim held up a pair of pink fuzzy handcuffs. "These could be fun . . . ooo and look at the sex dice. You get to roll for positions and acts."

"Hi, can I help you guys?"

Tory turned around to find a woman not much shorter than her with long auburn hair and a very round, pregnant body. Dressed all in black, she had a spiked purple collar that was decorated with chains and amethysts. She smiled as Pam turned to greet her. "Hey girl, how did those whips work out for you?"

Pam beamed with pride. "Like a charm, until we broke up. Men suck."

The woman winked evilly. "Yes, but that's when we love them best."

Pam laughed. "Tabitha Magnus, meet my best friend Tory Kafieri."

Tabitha sucked her breath in sharply as she wrinkled her face up and waved her hand in a kill gesture at her throat. "Ex-nay on the Greek ame-nay. Hubby's in the backroom doing taxes and he has a mental problem with all things Greek."

Kim looked shocked. "Really? I thought he was Italian."

"He is. It's that whole Rome versus Greece thing that he never really got over. He's a nutcase, but I love him."

Pam gestured to Tabitha's belly. "Obviously, and considering your condition and the store you own, I'd say you love him often."

Tabitha laughed insidiously as she placed a protective hand over her distended belly. "Honey, if you ever saw that man naked, you would, too." She grinned. "So what can I do for you guys?"

"Tory is planning on having sex."

"Pam!" Tory would have crawled under the nearest rack except for the fact it contained sex swings and other items she didn't want to think about.

Pam gave her an innocent blink. "Well you are, aren't you? It's not like Tabby can't tell from the mere fact that we're here. Not to mention you can see that she's had some herself." She pointed to Tabitha's stomach again.

Tory growled at her as she shook her head, then spoke to Tabitha. "I apologize for Pam. I accidentally hit her in the head with a baseball when we were in fifth grade and knocked her out cold. She's never been right since."

Tabitha laughed. "You can't embarrass me. Believe me. Pam and I are cut from the same cloth. So tell me a little bit about this guy and I'll find you the perfect thing for him."

Tory smiled at the mere thought of Ash. She didn't know why but it made her giddy and warm. "Well he's tall and dark-haired."

"Tall, please," Pam scoffed while Kim laughed. "The man is a giant. She found the only six-foot-eight guy I've ever seen. Ooo and Tab you ought to meet him. He's Goth and gorgeous."

"And Greek," Kim whispered.

Tabitha frowned as she looked at them suspiciously. "Really? He sounds just like a friend of mine . . ." Wrinkling her nose, she shook her head, "But no, it couldn't be him."

"Him who?" Tory asked.

"Ash Parthenopaeus."

Tory's eyes widened.

Then so did Tabitha's. "NO!" she breathed in total disbelief. "You're getting a piece of Ash? Oh my God, girl, you go!" Tabitha started waving her hands and cackling excitedly. "If you want to make some real money, make pictures. I know women the world over who would pay big to see him naked, myself included!"

Pam high fived her.

Tory buried her face against Kim's shoulder while Kim patted her on the head. "There, there, baby. We'll hide her body in the trunk later."

Tabitha began running around the store, pulling things down from racks and shelves. "Ash definitely requires something black . . . no wait. Red. Racy red." She held a red furry teddy up, made a face and shook her head before Tory could even comment. "Not really your color. Oh wait!" She ran to the back room, then came out with a sheer black babydoll that had small skull and crossbones with tiny pink bows on their heads. "Perfect for Ash. He'll love it."

Tory had to agree. But it made her wonder just how well Tabitha knew him. "Tabitha have you and Ash ever . . . ?"

"Please, no. Don't I wish." She leaned over to whisper in Tory's ear. "And don't tell my hubby I said that cause it would just make him mental. But before I met my baby, I dreamed many a dream of taking a bite out of that man if you know what I mean and since you're here I know that you do."

Tabitha went to a bookshelf at the back of the store and grabbed two books down. "You'll want these too."

Tory frowned at the one on top that featured a woman in a corset holding a cucumber. "How To Tickle His Pickle?"

Tabitha nodded proudly. "My personal fave. It's all you'll ever need to know to make a man go crazy."

The next book was even stranger. This one was even shrink-wrapped. Tory looked at it suspiciously. "Manga Sutra?"

"Ash loves manga." Tabitha patted the book and grinned. "He'll be very interested in that one, not that I think he doesn't know everything in it. But . . . could come in handy." Tabitha went to the front of the store and opened the glass cabinet near the register before she started pulling other things out.

Tory's face flamed at the items Tabitha piled on the counter. "They make flavored nipple cream?"

"Oh yeah, great stuff. It's not only flavored, but tinted to make you a bit rosier and best of all, it has a dab of menthol to make your nipples really hard so they're extra sensitive and men go wild for it. They just love stiffened nipples."

Kim and Pam laughed.

Tory covered her face with her hands and wanted to die of embarrassment. It was bad enough to have this stuff, but the fact that Tabitha knew Ash just made it all the more horrifying.

She was sure he'd be mortified to know that a friend of his had helped her pick this stuff out. And by the time she was being rung up, Tory was almost too embarrassed to go back to Sanctuary and face him.

As she dug out her credit card to pay for it, a tall extremely good looking man came out of the backroom. Dressed in a black turtleneck and slacks, he frowned at Tabitha who was still chattering away with Pam.

"You okay, baby?" he asked Tabitha, his eyes dark with concern as he came up to place a hand against her cheek. "You're extremely flushed."

Tabitha turned to him with an impish squeal. "Oh brace yourself, Val. Ash is getting laid tonight!" She pointed with both hands at Tory who wanted to crawl inside her purse and hide until old age claimed her.

To Val's credit, he didn't so much as blink. He offered Tory a commiserate smile. "It helps if you don't react to her comments. Tabitha lives to get a rise out of people. Just go with it and don't encourage her."

Tabitha snorted. "Be that way." She handed Tory the bag and thanked her.

"Thank you," Tory said.

"Good luck, hon, and remember . . . pictures!" Tabitha waited until they were gone before she whirled on Valerius. "Can you believe our Ash is getting laid?"

Val snorted. "Call me provincial, but I don't really consider him mine. And yes, I can believe the man has sex. What I find surprising is that this is the first time we've met the woman involved." He reached for his phone. "Maybe I should call and warn him."

"Oh put that away." She pushed it toward his pocket. "Our baby is growing up. I'm so proud!"

Tory had barely put the bag in the room before the band took another break. She'd just lain back down in bed when Ash opened the door with a tray in his hands.

"What's that?"

"I thought you might be hungry. I ran the options past Kim and she picked out what you should be eating." He set it down on the table beside her.

Tory smiled at his thoughtfulness. "Efharisto."

"Parakalo."

She melted at his unique accent as he said "you're welcome" in Greek. "I love the way you speak. I could listen to your Greek all day long."

He handed her another bottle of apple juice while he took a swig of his beer. "Are you completely bored?"

She reached up and pulled his sunglasses off so she could see his eyes. "Not entirely. How's the set going?"

"It's all right. I could kill Colt for hurting his hand. I don't really like playing in public."

"But you play so well."

"Yeah, but I'd rather play with myself." There was an evil glint in his eyes at the double entendre.

Laughing, Tory shook her head at him. "You and Pam, always trying to embarrass me."

"In my defense, it's because you're adorable when you blush."

She wrinkled her nose at him as she swallowed her bite of apple-sauce. "You want some?"

"Ochi." No, in Greek.

"You sure?" She tried to tempt him again.

"Positive." Ash remembered the last time he'd eaten an apple. It'd been that day in the orchard with Ryssa when he'd begged his father not to send him back to Atlantis. Ever since then, he'd despised the fruit. The mere thought of it turned his stomach.

"So how many more sets do you have to play?"

"One more."

She bit her lip in a way that made him harden for want of her. "Then I get to play with you . . ."

His cock jerked, ready for action even while his brain knew better. "You should reconsider."

She reached out and took his hand in hers. Her thumb swept against his palm in the gentlest of caresses. "When was the last time you made love to someone, Ash?"

Ash looked away as painful memories surged. Honestly, he couldn't remember. Had he ever really made love to Artemis? Maybe in the very beginning. But it was so long ago and it hadn't lasted.

All he could remember was the pain of her criticisms. The sheer agony of being nothing more than her boy-toy, there only to please her while he wasn't allowed to have any feelings or opinions of his own. Only she could show her pain and displeasure while he was permitted nothing. Not even his dignity.

What they had was sex. Basic and primitive. There was no emotion involved really, unless it was anger.

Like all the others before her, she hated the fact that she craved him and she sought to punish him for the fact that she slept with him. They merely used each other. If there had ever been any real tender feelings, they'd been shredded centuries ago. Nothing was left now except tattered remains of a yesterday neither could recapture.

"Can't you remember?" Tory asked.

"Not really," he answered truthfully.

Tory's heart tugged at the way he said those words. She touched his whiskered chin and turned his head until he was looking at her. "I'm going to make love to you, Ash. Tonight, I will rock your world."

Ash pressed her hand to his lips and nibbled her fingertips as fear and trepidation filled him. This night would cost him dearly.

No one should pay for love with blood and bone.

Yet he knew no other way. He'd always paid for every caress and every kindness. Nothing was ever freely given. The only question that ever mattered was, was it worth it?

Would Tory be worth the cost?

He hoped so. He returned the sunglasses to his face. "I'll be back."

Tory watched as he left and her heart was heavy for him. What were the secrets that tortured him so? Why did he look so afraid of touching her?

Finishing up her food, she went downstairs to watch him again. Pam and Kim were standing in the front, smiling. She came up behind them and goosed them on the bottom.

Pam goosed her back. "He's amazing, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is." Tory waved as Ash looked at her.

His answer was a sincere yet shy smile that warmed her heart and made her hot all over. The man was so choice . . .

She stayed there for several songs to watch and listen to Ash. When they started their final song, she went back upstairs so that she could get ready.

Ash frowned as he watched Tory leave the stage. Is she all right? he mouthed to Pam.

Pam nodded reassuringly.

Relieved, he couldn't wait until the song was done. The instant it was, he slung his Fender over his back, unplugged it, and jumped off the stage.

"You guys have fun," Pam said to him while Kim giggled. "We'll see you two later. Tell Tory to call me tomorrow."

"Will do." Ash cut through the crowd as he made his way back upstairs.

Justina and Katherine also took their leave with a promise to return in the morning.

Ash closed the outside door and locked it before he opened the one with a scanner. The moment he saw Tory, he froze. Dressed in a sheer black teddy that showed every curve of her body, she was dazzling. She'd brushed her hands through her hair, making it look rumpled.

Making her look delectable.

"Let me go shave real quick."

She frowned at him. "Shave?"

He ran the back of his fingers down his jaw, feeling how rough it was. "I don't want to give you whisker burn."

Tory was touched by his thoughtfulness. Until he tried to walk into the bathroom with the guitar on his back. He cursed as it caught sideways in the doorway. His face mottled with color from his embarrassment. "Guess I should take this off." He shrugged it over his head before he leaned it against the wall.

She covered her smile with her hand as she struggled not to laugh. He could be so adorable at times.

While he was in the bathroom, she thumbed through the quick notes she'd made in Tabitha's book. When he turned the water off, she put the book in the nightstand and tried to pose seductively on the bed.

Ash paused the towel against his chin as he caught sight of Tory on the bed with her legs tucked under her. She was trying to look seductive, but with her glasses on, it was a strange combination of the serious Tory and vixen.

And it made his cock hard. Tossing the towel aside, he dropped his coat in the doorway, then pulled his shirt off over his head.

Tory was stunned by that body and the muscles that rippled with every move. He knelt on the bed and crawled toward her on all fours like some lumbering, hungry predator.

He paused over her as his long black hair fell forward to frame his face. Their bodies weren't touching, but his swirling silver eyes seared her with heat. The muscles of his arms bulged from supporting his weight as he met her gaze. It was open, honest and at the same time she saw the fear in the back of those eyes and wondered what caused it.

The scent of leather and masculine skin made her instantly wet. He dipped his head down to hers and she shivered as only his lips made contact with hers. Then ever so slowly as he deepened that kiss to one of extreme potency, he lowered himself down on top of her until his weight pressed against her.

Tory sighed at the incredible sensation of his body on hers, of his lean hips resting between her legs. Her heart pounded at the bulge in his pants pressing against the center of her body. There was just so much of him. She reveled in the way he surrounded her with warmth and strength.

She ran her hands over his perfect back, feeling his muscles contract and tense as his mouth plundered hers. Wrapping her body around his, she rolled him over until he was pinned under her.

Ash didn't move as she pulled back to kiss her way down his chest toward his navel. The sight of her so hungry for him made him ache not just from lust but from some inner part of him that wanted, just once, to have someone really love him. She cupped him through his pants, making him growl in pleasure. Looking up, she smiled at him as she nipped his stomach. Her playfulness was so charming and sweet. So very precious.

He cupped her face in his hands and returned her smile as he sought to burn this memory into his heart so that he'd always have it close.

She moved to take his boots off. He held himself perfectly still as she unzipped his left one and removed it. She tossed his boot to the floor.

She pulled the other boot off and tossed it over her shoulder before she moved toward his pants. Ash sucked his breath in and held it as she reached for his zipper. The sight of her head poised over his fly . . . It was almost enough to make him come.

She pushed her glasses back up on her nose. Smiling at him, she unbuttoned his pants. Ash waited, his heart pounding as she slowly slid the zipper down to expose him.

Tory bit her lip in satisfaction as she freed him from his pants. The man was completely commando and he was huge. Not that she was surprised. Her earlier encounters with that bulge had given her some idea of its size, but this . . .

She pulled his pants off and took a minute to just soak in the beauty of his naked body. Tabitha was right, she could be rich if she took pictures of him and posted them online. He was flawless. Absolutely flawless. From his wide shoulders to the narrow hips all the way down those long, muscled legs that were dappled with black hairs.

And she wanted to please every bit of him.

Taking her glasses off, she placed them on the nightstand, then returned to stroke his hardness.

Ash leaned his head back as pleasure assaulted him. He watched through hooded eyes while she studied his cock. Opening her lips, she started to take the tip into her mouth then pulled back and frowned. She tilted her head and opened her lips as if trying to think of the best way to taste him.

She moved toward his cock again, then pulled back . . . again.

"You're killing me, Soteria."

"I'm sorry." She scurried away from him, and put her glasses back on before she opened the drawer and pulled out a book.

Ash scowled while she thumbed through the pages to a section that had a small makeshift bookmark and notes in the margin. "What are you doing?"

She ran her finger down the notes. "I just want to make sure that I do this right."

Leaning up on one elbow, he nipped her shoulder then gaped at the graphic drawings of a woman going down on a man. He pulled the book out of her hands and frowned at the title. "How to Tickle His Pickle?"

She shrugged adorably. "You know I don't know what I'm doing. I wanted to make sure that I pleased you, too."

Those words struck a chord so deep inside him that for a solid minute he couldn't breathe past the swell of emotion he felt for her. "There's nothing you could do that wouldn't please me." He kissed her gently as he dropped the book to the floor. "You don't need that, Tory." He took her glasses off and put them away before he returned to her lips. "All you have to do is touch me and I promise you I'm in ecstasy."

Tory swallowed as he led her hand to his cock and showed her how to stroke him. Wanting to make him happy, she dipped her head down to taste the moisture that was leaking from his tip.

Ash stopped moving the moment her lips closed around his cock. Not wanting to hurt her, he didn't so much as breathe while she explored him with her mouth. "You have the sweetest tongue," he growled.

She ran her hands over his thighs until she cupped his sac while she tasted him. Ash was blind from the pleasure of her touch. Unable to stand it, he pulled himself away from her. "I have a lot of control, Tory, but not with you doing that and I want to be inside you too badly to spoil it."

"Okay." She leaned to her side and pulled her sheer black panties off. Ash watched as she slid them down those long, graceful legs. His mouth literally watered as his body turned so hard he could drive a nail in with it.

She dropped her panties to the floor before she pulled a condom from the nightstand. "So how do we do this?"

As he unwrapped it and put it on, a thousand different positions played through his mind of how he'd like to take her. And just the thought of being inside her was enough to make him whimper.

But sex always hurt the first time and he was big enough to make it excruciating for her. That was the last thing he wanted.

"First, we have to get your body ready for me."

"I'm ready."

He laughed at her eagerness. His body burning, he sank his thumb inside her. She bit her lip and jerked in response. "You are wet." He dipped his head so that he could tongue her and make her even more slick.

Tory spread her legs wider wanting to feel as much of him as was possible. "You're killing me, Acheron."

"Patience, love, patience." He slid one long finger deep inside her. She shivered in response as his tongue swirled and teased. That finger was followed by another. He slid his chin against her. "Come for me, Soteria. I want to taste you."

When he returned to her, she had no choice except to obey. Her orgasm split through her until she was sure she'd die from it. Wave after wave cascaded over her and still he didn't enter her.

Instead, he rolled her over, onto her stomach. Before she could ask him what he intended, he began massaging her. Not just a regular massage, but one that loosened every muscle in her body.

"I don't want you to tense," he explained, his voice thick with his melodic accent.

"Oh trust me, I'm putty."

His deep laughter filled her ears before he slid his fingers into her again.

Ash bit his lip as his body ached, wanting inside hers. She was even wetter now. One more orgasm and he'd be able to enter her without too much pain.

Leaning down, he nipped at her buttocks.

Tory yelped at the pleasant pain that was followed by his hands delving even deeper inside her as Ash moved his mouth to kiss her at the base of her spine. He pushed her sheer gown up to her shoulders with his face while his hands worked magic on her body. Then he moved his hand so that he could rub his cock against her without entering her. She gasped at the sensation while he moved his hands to cup her breasts.

It was more than she could stand. Before she could draw another breath, her body climaxed again.

This time, he drove himself deep inside her body as her orgasm mounted. Tory groaned at the foreign sensation of his body inside hers. The thickness only made her orgasm all the more intense.

She cried out from the blind pleasure of it.

His throat dry, Ash didn't move as he felt her body clutching his. It took all of his strength not to thrust, but it wasn't time yet. Her body was still stretching to accommodate him. "Are you all right?"

"Are you kidding?" She slid herself further down his shaft.

He gasped as pleasure almost overrode his control.

"Is this right?"

"Yes," he breathed, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as his entire body shivered.

She rocked herself against him even harder.

"Stop!" Ash cried.

Tory froze, afraid she'd hurt him. "What's wrong?"

He pulled out of her and rolled over onto his back to look up at her. He brushed the hair back from her face before he ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. "I want to come while looking at you."

She kissed him as he pulled her over his body. She straddled his hips while they kissed.

Ash trailed his hand down her back until he touched himself so that he could guide his shaft back inside her. They gasped in unison as she sank herself down on him.

As she did so, her thoughts whispered through his head. Am I doing this right? I hope he's not disappointed. Why can't I do this with my glasses on so that I can see him better? Please don't be disappointed, Ash.

Those doubts tore through him. Most of all the sincerity of them, the concern for him brought tears to his eyes. "You're wonderful, Tory. Perfect."

She paused to squint at him. "Really?"

"Yes," he breathed, reaching down so that he could stroke her while she rode him slow and easy. His throat tight, her gentleness succeeded in breaking him where the beatings never had.

One small tear slid from the corner of his right eye. Slamming them shut, he surrendered himself to her. Right now, this moment, she owned him in a way no one ever had before.

No, she didn't own him.

He gave himself to her and for the first time, he understood the difference. He understood what it meant to make love. To share his body with someone not out of obligation or fear, but because it made them closer.

In this one heartbeat, he was hers and she was his.

Tory burned at the sensation of Ash deep inside her. All her life she'd wondered what this would feel like. But her imagination had nothing on this reality. Nothing on the beauty of feeling the restrained strength of Ash lying under her.

He was so hard and fierce and yet so gentle. She wished that she could crawl inside him or more to the point that she could wrap herself around him and keep him from harm forever.

If only he'd let her.

Ash cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately an instant before he came with a force so strong it rendered him temporarily senseless. Growling, he pulled back to stare in her eyes as he tasted the first real bliss he'd ever known.

And it was followed by a fear so profound that his heart stilled. Now that they were finished, how would she react?

Would she shove him away? Would she cry? Hit him? Curse him?

He held his breath, waiting.

Smiling, she leaned herself against his chest and cuddled there like a kitten while their bodies were still joined. She let out a deep sigh as she stroked his shoulder and arm. "That was even better than I'd ever dreamed."

Ash flinched, still expecting the worst. "You're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be?" She took his hand in hers and brought it to her lips so that she could nibble his knuckles.

Ash relaxed as he realized that she wasn't angry or upset at him for what they'd done. And the more he relaxed, the more he enjoyed the sensation of her naked body lying against his. "I could stay like this forever."

"Wouldn't it be nice?"

He nodded as he leaned his head against hers and inhaled the scent of her hair. Unfortunately, he felt himself sliding out of her. Damn.

"I better take care of this." He reluctantly moved her to her side so that he could pull the condom off.

Tory watched as he left the bed. Hating to not see him, she reached over to get her glasses. After they were in place, she opened the Sprite that she'd left there and took a sip.

Ash returned with a wet cloth for her. "Sorry it's so messy."

She fingered his lips. "I like your mess. I think you taste wonderful." She exchanged her drink for his cloth.

Ash had never tasted a soda before. Curious, he took a drink of it and was surprised by the sharp tartness. "Wow, this is actually good."

"Haven't you ever had a Sprite before?"

"No."

She rolled her eyes as she cleaned herself. "I know, you stick to beer."

Ash didn't answer as he took a deep draft of it again. He frowned as a strange wave of dizziness went through his head. If he didn't know better, he'd think he was getting a buzz from it. But that was impossible. As a god, he didn't get drunk. And even if he did, there was nothing in soda that would intoxicate him.

Tory frowned as she watched Ash down the whole twenty ounces of Sprite in one gulp. "Ash?"

"Is there more of this?"

He was acting peculiar. Like he was drunk.

"There should be another bottle in the fridge."

He licked his lips as he cupped her chin in his hand. "You know, you are beautiful for a human."

"What else would I be?"

He laughed before he kissed her. "You could be a goddess, but you're not bitch enough for that. Then again, Katra isn't a bitch. She's beautiful like you." He cocked his head as if another random thought occurred to him. "I need to see my daughter soon. She's going to have a baby. A girl like her only not like her. It'll be a baby her with a lot more power. I just hope she has enough of her father in her not to be a goddess of destruction. There are already too many of us. We need more who are innately good."

Tory was baffled by his rambling tone that was half Greek and half English. "What in the world are you talking about?" There was no way he was old enough to have a daughter old enough to give birth to a baby. "Are you screwing with me, Ash?"

He nipped her breast. "I've already done that, Soteria, and I enjoyed it like nothing I've ever enjoyed ever. Where's that drink?"

She handed him another bottle. "Are you drunk?"

"I feel drunk." He looked up at her and smiled brightly. "I'm drunk on your beauty. Look what you've done to me, human." He took a drink of Sprite, then set it aside and reached for her. "Touch me, Soteria. I feel so clean and whole when you touch me." He rubbed her hand against his chest, raking her nails against his nipple and as he did so, she saw a scar appear that ran from his throat all the way down past his navel. Another scar, a hand print, appeared around his throat as the hair on his entire body changed from black to blond.

"Ash?"

His eyes turned a dark, fiery red.

Terrified, Tory got up to run for the door.

Somehow Ash appeared in front of her. "Where are you going?"

Terrified and unsure of him, she gulped. "What are you?"

"I'm a god, Soteria. The last of the Atlantean pantheon."