Her breath was quick and shallow. “I’m going to have to agree with you. Just this once.”
“Oh, I think it’s going to be more than once.” Grinning, I lowered my mouth to the taut nipple. Her back arched as her hips pushed up against mine, tempting me to skip all of this and just sink deep into her. I wanted nothing more than that, but I took my time, because today, this lazy afternoon, we had time. I made my way over to her other breast. Wouldn’t want it to feel lonely.
I was considerate like that.
Sliding my hand down her stomach, I slipped it between her thighs. Her sharp cry was like a supernova exploding in every direction. I traced the mark between her breasts, the one left behind by Apollo when he unlocked her abilities, and then I started making my way down over her stomach, stopping to nip at the skin just below her navel. Her fingers tangled in the edges of my hair again, and I hoped she pulled.
I loved it when she pulled.
Using my shoulder, I nudged her legs apart as I settled there. I looked up, thrilled to see that her eyes were open.
And I loved it when she watched.
What I loved more, though? What I saw looking up at her. Such a damn beautiful sight. Her chest was rising and falling in deep, quick breaths, her nipples hard and glistening, and those lovely lips parted, eyes gleaming with desire.
I couldn’t help but tease her. “Do you think we should get out of the bed now? You said there were important things to do.”
She bit down on her bottom lip.
“That’s not an answer, Josie.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I think you can find a better use for your mouth instead of talking.”
I laughed. “Damn, girl.”
She grinned at me as she rose onto her elbows. “Just speaking the truth, Sethie.”
“That you are.”
And so I did.
Josie didn’t stay up on her elbows for long. She was on her back, arching and twisting as I took her with my mouth. I drove her to the very edge and then tossed her right over with a curl of my finger on that one spot. Her body was still trembling when I rose, and her hoarse shout was drowned out by mine as I thrust into her, seating myself deep.
I held myself still for as long as I could, barely able to get air in and out of my damn lungs. Muscles in my arms trembled and my stomach clenched. All I could focus on was the way she felt. No matter how many times I was right here, this moment would always be the best, even if I thought that every single time.
Josie folded her arms around me as she stretched up and kissed me softly. “I love you.”
“Gods,” I growled, kissing her deeply, thoroughly as those three words echoed. I couldn’t remain still for a second longer.
I began to move, relishing every second of the way she tightened and pulled at me. What started off slow quickly escalated. I slipped my arms under her shoulders, anchoring her to me as I thrust deep and hard.
She matched me in every way possible, and when I felt it hit her all over again, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I followed, dropping my head to her shoulder as a hoarse cry of release shook me to my very core.
“I love you,” I said against her heated skin.
She whispered those three words again and they mingled with my pounding heart and roaring pulse.
Neither of us moved for what felt like forever. Hell. A damn Minotaur could’ve strutted naked into the room and I would’ve been lying there, but my weight had to be crushing her, so I rolled my ass off, but I didn’t go far. I brought her with me, positioning her so she was lying across my chest. I liked her like that. No space between us, hands free to touch her. One found its way to her hair.
So damn lucky.
Another three words that kept replaying over and over. The thing about luck, though? It was bound to run out. Always.
I closed my eyes, clearing my throat. “Boy or girl?”
This was a question we’d been shooting back and forth many times over the last week. You’d think we’d get tired of it by now, but we hadn’t.
Josie’s fingers skimmed along my sides. “Girl.”
“Okay.” I blew out a long breath. “How about Agatha? It means good-hearted.”
“I like it, but I think it’s a little old-sounding.”
“You’re right. Let me see. What about Aileen? It’s like Eileen, but special.”
She laughed and her breath puffed against my chest. “What does that mean?”
“Torch of light, I believe.”
“I like that.” She yawned. “What about…Serena? I don’t know what it means, but I’ve always thought it was a pretty name.”
“That is a good name.” I started to trace glyphs across her back. “We’ll put that one on the table.”
Josie kissed the space above my heart. “What if…?”
When she didn’t finish, I tipped my chin down. “What?”
She didn’t answer for a long moment. “What if something happens? Like, to the baby?”
“Nothing will happen to the baby. I swear it on my—” My heart lodged somewhere in my throat, and I moved without thinking. Sitting up so we were at eye level, I clasped her cheeks. “Wait. Do you think something is wrong?”
“No. Not at all. I mean, I think everything is fine. I feel fine, but it’s early.” She wrapped her fingers around my wrists. “Like way early, and I know that anything can happen in normal pregnancies and we…we don’t know if this will be normal. We don’t know anything about this pregnancy.”
My heart started to slow down. Not by much, though. Christ, I thought I was going to have a heart attack right then, and I was pretty damn sure gods didn’t have heart attacks. But what Josie had just said was a hundred percent right. We didn’t know much about this pregnancy at all. There had to be a god and a demigod at some point that got pregnant, though. There was no way we were the first.
Crazy how having a kid was something I’d never thought I’d ever want until hearing Josie say those words. I’m pregnant. From that very second, this kid—our kid—was what I wanted with every fiber of my being. The mere thought of losing this child was like being doused in ice water. I experienced the kind of terror I’d never tasted before.
Scared the shit out of me.
But I didn’t want her to stress, though, and if that meant swallowing my own concern, then that was what I would gladly do.
“I’m sure it’ll be normal.” Wrapping my arms around her, I pulled her to my chest. “It’ll be the most boring pregnancy ever.”
She laughed as she wiggled her shoulder under my arm, getting as close as possible. “I don’t think any pregnancy is boring.”
“Ours will be. It’ll be so normal, you’ll even forget you’re pregnant.”
Josie shook her head. “Even if the pregnancy is normal, we’re not normal. I’m not normal.”
Knowing where she was going with this, I closed my eyes as I kissed the top of her head.
Her hold on me tightened. “I still have to entomb the remaining Titans. We still have that to deal with and…they aren’t going to go quietly into the night. It’s going to be a fight, a knock-down, drag-out fight.”
I didn’t say anything at that moment, because I doubted she’d want to hear what I had to say about her fighting the Titans.
Today had been too good to ruin.
And this afternoon had been so…normal. How I imagined mortal couples spent their time when they had nothing but each other to explore and spend time with.
This moment of normalcy was over, but there were going to be more moments. I’d make damn sure of it, starting with something I wanted to do, something that had been sloshing around in the back of my head ever since I found out she was pregnant.
I wanted to make Josie my wife.
And I was going to.
Chapter 3
Josie
Freshly showered, I toweled my hair dry and then changed into a pair of sleep shorts and one of Seth’s shirts, because I didn’t expect to be leaving the room and peopling any time soon.
Roaming through the small bedroom, I made my way to the window and pulled the curtain back. Night had fallen and stars blanketed the sky. It really was beautiful out here, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, but I actually missed Andros, the island Seth had grown up on.