Page 140 of Between Two Kings
Tem snorted. “You came. I saw it, remember?”
“Yes,” he said, his mouth twisting in a smile. “I remember.”
The last time they were face-to-face, Caspen had ordered them to kiss each other. Tem wondered if Apollo was thinking of it now. She studied his full lips, imagining them on hers. Tem had been naked around Apollo before, but somehow this time was different. Now they were alone, outdoors, and Tem was finding it hard to concentrate on anything except for how perfect his body was.
There is no need to be shy, Tem. You are welcome to look.
I don’t want to look.
Lie.
She rolled her eyes.
You are also welcome to touch.
I don’t want to touch either.
Another lie.
It was an empty protest. He was inside her mind and knew exactly how much she wanted to touch him. To make matters worse, he wanted to touch her too. Tem could feel the way his gaze traveled hungrily over her body, lingering on her hips, her waist, her breasts. There was an animalistic urgency to his stare. It felt different than when a human man looked at her—different than Leo. Basilisks were harsher in their pursuit, more honest in their intentions. It was something Tem should have been used to by now. But she wasn’t.
“Stop looking at me like that,” she said out loud.
Apollo smiled, flashing his brilliant teeth. “Like what, Temperance?”
“Like you want to fuck me.”
His smile widened. “I do not know how else to look at you.”
Tem stared up at the stars—anywhere but at Apollo.
“You are right in front of me,” he continued smoothly, his voice laced with amusement. “Where else would you have me look?”
“The ground. The sky. Anywhere.”
“Those are not nearly as delectable as you.”
Tem bristled, ready to insult him again. “Why do you have to be such a—”
But Apollo pressed a single finger to her lips, cutting her off. They stood there silently, nothing but the murmur of the forest around them. Tem wanted to pull away. She really did. But his finger was warm and soft on her mouth, and she found herself leaning into it, pressing the plump flesh of her lips even farther into his skin. Apollo smiled wider.
What is on your mind, Temperance?
You know what’s on my mind.
Yes. But I should like to hear you say it.
Tem sighed. He wasn’t going to make this easy for her. He was going to make her admit, to his face, that she wanted him. It was an age-old game, and it was one she had played before. Tem was no stranger to the power struggle, to the way the advantage could switch from one person to another in the span of a heartbeat. He shifted closer, closing the distance between them. He was so tall. Tem craned her neck to look up at him.
Tell me, Temperance.
His presence probed her mind, seeping between the layers of her consciousness and settling at the base of her neck. It felt as if he were holding her head up to his.
Tem still didn’t answer. She was too busy adjusting to how close he was standing, how overwhelming he was when he was just inches from her face. He smelled like smoke, just like all basilisks did. But there was an undertone of something else layered within Apollo’s scent—something fresh, like the forest. He smelled like wood, like trees. It was intoxicating, and it was all Tem could do not to press her nose to his chest and breathe him in. At the thought, a wave of his hunger crashed into her mind. Apollo wanted her. But more than that, he wanted her to want him. Tem understood the distinction. It wasn’t enough for Apollo just to sleep with her. He needed Tem to initiate it—to need it as much as he did. She felt his desire for her grow the longer they stood there staring at each other. She almost wondered whether there was a limit to it.
It was different than Caspen’s desire. His was laced with emotion: deep, intimate feeling and care. Apollo’s was animalistic, bordering on predatory. He wanted to dominate her, to possess her—to take her. Sex with Apollo would not be gentle. It would not be loving or intimate. It would be rough and raw and turbulent, and Tem wasn’t entirely sure she’d survive it.
It was intriguing, to say the least.
