Free [Phantom Warriors 01] Bacchus by Jordan Summers

elbow. A minute
    later, they’d rented a room using Jill’s ID and the cash he’d borrowed from the Atlanteans.
    He led her down the hall past Ryan’s old space, not able to sense the man or his new
    love. Bacchus hesitated for a moment, then continued on. He walked to the door
    numbered 17, opened it and stepped aside, waiting for Jill to enter. She turned and faced
    him, her hand resting upon his chest, her fingers rubbing carelessly over the loose
    button on his green shirt.
    “I’m not sure we should be here.” Her blue eyes widened and her gaze darted in
    and out of the room in indecision.
    Bacchus lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles one by one. “We will not
    do anything you do not wish.” He lied, knowing he could make her want until her only
    option would be surrender.
    Her mouth parted as he kissed her fingertip. “It’s been a long time,” she said, her
    voice breathless.
    “We can take things as slow as you like,” he said, praying to the Goddess for
    strength to follow through with his promised words.
    Afternoon sunlight spilled through the window, bathing the carpet in a buttery
    glow. The clean room housed fresh linens and crisp white towels. Even with the balcony
    doors closed, he could still smell the ocean air.
    Jill glanced into the room once more, before meeting his sunglass-covered gaze. She
    reached up a second later and removed the shades from his face. Bacchus stiffened, not
    sure how she’d react. Jill blinked as her eyes locked onto his face.
    “Your irises are red. Really red. In fact, they’re almost glowing. I could’ve sworn
    they were a different color earlier. Are you having an allergic reaction of some kind?
    Was it the dogs?”
    “No,” he said, afraid to move. It wasn’t the dogs causing the sudden change. The
    mating frenzy was upon him. Bacchus’ jaw clenched as he battled for control over his
    thirst for blood. “I wear contact lenses,” he groaned.
    “Red’s an unusual choice.” She stared in wonder, not fear. “Not a look I’d have gone
    for, but you can pull it off.”
    Bacchus released the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. “Like I said earlier,
    I’m an unusual man.”
    She smiled, her blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “So you keep telling me.” A maid
    passed by them in the hallway. Jill’s gaze followed the woman until she was out of sight,
    then she turned back to Bacchus. “I guess it’s now or never.”
    “That is more correct than you know.” He could sense a ship nearing the planet. It
    was one of the many genetic defense systems built into his people. At first, he’d thought
    it was the Atlanteans, but now Bacchus knew that wasn’t the case. The signature was
    different in Atlantean transports. His people had lost patience, like he’d feared, and sent
    a crew to check on him. They must have left a day after his ship had departed.
    The Phantoms would be upon them in a matter of hours. He had this afternoon, or
    perhaps less, to convince Jill to come with him. That is, if she turned out to be as
    compatible as he hoped. There was only one way to make that determination. Bacchus
    sent up another silent prayer to the Goddess to make it so.
    * * * * *
    Jill slid her hand down his chest until her fingers curled into the waistband of his
    pants and then stepped into the hotel room, tugging him behind her. She still couldn’t
    believe she’d allowed Bacchus to bring her to this place. Maybe Ryan was right. It had
    been a year since she’d taken her needs into consideration and she really wanted this
    man.
    Bacchus intrigued her more than anyone she’d met. It wasn’t just his snakelike
    qualities, even though they appealed to the herpetologist in her. It was something more,
    something deeper that she saw burning in his red eyes. Bacchus looked at her as if she
    were truly precious to him, not just a warm, willing body that he could fuck and forget.
    That look and the emotions driving it was what propelled her