Free Fate of the Gods 01 - Forged by Fate by Amalia T. Dillin Page B

if her body had been kissed by the sun. “You’re already doing better than any of us did.”
    It was a kindness, Eve thought, this touch. As if Hannah meant to show her she did not have to be like Adam. She could be one of them, included in their laughter, in their games.
    “Thank you,” Eve said.
    Hannah smiled, and studied her for a moment. Eve thought perhaps she would say something more, but then Adam walked toward them, and Hannah pulled her hand away. She stood up, mumbling something about having work to do, and Sarah went with her.
    “Did you enjoy your meal, Eve?” Adam extended a hand to her.
    She took his hand reluctantly. “They were very kind to me.”
    He pulled her to her feet. Kind. “They should be. They’re here to serve you.” And they should be grateful to do so. Grateful that I keep them to serve. I could have cast them out. Perhaps I still will.
    She let go of his hand as quickly as she could without offending him, hating the sound of his other voice in her head, the feeling of his thoughts twisting their way inside her mind.
    “Sarah said Seth was going to speak with you about marriage.”
    He flashed a smile and put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the caves. “Yes, I’ve been waiting for it.” He can have her. They can all have each other, now that I have you. “I expect they won’t be the only ones.”
    She walked with him, though she wished he’d drop his hand away. “Why?”
    “They were only waiting for me to choose.” Reu watched her, his eyes dark, as they passed by the men. “Now that I have, it is only natural they might do the same.”
    Adam led her through the main cave into a tunnel, which opened into a large chamber. Sweet smelling grasses were spread over the stone floor, and two large beds of fronds lay side by side. There was a crevasse in the ceiling that allowed light to filter into the room, but there was no other way out than the way they had come.
    “An improvement from the dirt, isn’t it?”
    “Should the dirt have bothered me?” She wrapped her arms around herself. There was no safety here. And Adam’s hand burned hot against her back, slipping around her waist and pulling her against him.
    “It won’t now.” He turned her to face him and lifted her chin, staring into her eyes. Images of the two of them filled her head, their bodies interlocked, moving together in the bed of fronds. “We won’t be interrupted here.”
    Her heart beat faster, and her breath caught. She closed her eyes against the images, but it didn’t help. They intensified without the backdrop of what her vision told her. Damp skin and too much warmth, his body atop hers, pressing her down. Something uncoiled inside her, and the heat of Adam’s hands spread lower, lower, lower.
    “I—I’m not bothered by the others.” Right now, she would have given anything for someone to find them in the cave. To have some need of Adam and call him away.
    His hand moved to her cheek. “Open your eyes, Eve.” I’ll not have you thinking of anything but me.
    The images became more powerful. She could feel his hands on her. Smell their sweat and something else mixed with it. Eve struggled to breathe, to separate herself from his thoughts. She looked at him, driven by the desperation to free herself more than his command. His eyes were hard and gray, lit with something she didn’t know, and then his mouth covered hers, crushing and demanding.
    She tried to gasp, to pull free, but he only forced his tongue into her mouth as her lips parted and pulled her more tightly against his body. He pressed against her, hard and lean and searing, his thoughts burning behind her eyes, impossible to escape. She sobbed and turned her face away, but his mouth only moved along her jaw instead, his fingers digging painfully into her waist.
    She felt his distaste a moment before he shoved her from him, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. It was enough to keep her from stumbling to