Page 23 of Blood of Olympus

An unabashed howl of laughter escaped me, ricocheting down the side of the mountain. Caelus’ grin slid off his face faster than a flash of lightning. Its disappearance struck deep, stealing the hilarity of the moment as he set me back on my feet — lizards mercifully gone.

“What?” I asked, unable to decipher the emotion flooding our bond. “What is it?” I asked again when he refused to answer.

He cupped my cheek and I leaned into it, tilting my chin up as I stared at him. His eyes swirled furiously, power sparking and igniting within those irises, though I knew he was fighting to control it. “I’ve missed that sound so damn much,” he admitted softly, his gaze dropping to my lips as his eyes settled back into that liquid mercury normality.

“Keep telling me about Aros’ sexcapades and I’ll have plenty to laugh about.” The joke fell flat — Caelus frowned, and a strangling feeling constricted my chest.

“Oh? And why would you be interested in Aros’ sexual encounters?” he grumbled.

There’s no way…

My brows shot up my forehead. “Are you… jealous, Golden?”

His frown deepened and his lower lip stuck out so much I had the most intense urge to kiss it.

So, I did.

Standing on the tips of my toes, I closed the gap between us, relishing in his groan as our lips finally, deliciously met. His hand snaked around the back of my head, the other sliding down my body to rest against the curve of my ass.

With no warning whatsoever, he lifted me wholly off the ground again and pressed me up against the rough stone door. My legs instinctively tightened around his waist and my hands wandered to cup his unshaven cheeks. I opened to him and he did not hesitate to deepen the kiss. Our tongues met and twined around each other, even as his hips ground against the needy ache between my legs.

He tasted of strawberries and wine; of faint, lingering caramel, and something less tangible. He tasted of promises and pining, and like the next thousand years of my life, if we were so lucky.

He groaned, his cock twitching against the confines of his black leather breeches as we both reached new heights of shared desire.

It was both too much and not enough, and a moan slipped free — I felt as if I would combust any moment.

I’m going to need so much longer than five minutes if she keeps making those sounds.

I laughed, breaking the kiss to answer him. “We have two,” I said, unable to help rolling my hips once more, chasing the ecstasy I knew we both craved.

He pressed tiny kisses down the side of my neck. “Two what?”

“Two minutes. Although, if you keep making those sounds, I may be forced to strip naked and let you have your way with me against this mountain instead.”

He groaned. “As loath as I am to deviate from that particular line of thought, do you realise what you just did?”

I pulled back, suddenly terrified. “Did I do something wrong?”

He smiled softly as a warm, gentle emotion untangled the new knots in my chest. This one I knew, because I felt it for him, too: adoration.

“No, Nightshade. Nothing about this is wrong,” he murmured. “But… I didn’t say those words out loud.”

My brows furrowed as I replayed the last minute, my core clenching at the memory of his searing kiss.

Wait.

My gaze crashed back to his in equal parts horror and awe when I realised he was right: I’d heard his godsdamned thought.

Holy fuck. Can you hear mine too? My eyes flitted between his, impatience making me jittery.

Caelus remained silent, however — showing no signs of having heard me.

I snapped my eyelids shut, focusing harder.

“Nightshade? Are⁠—”

“Shh!”