Free The Ruins (An Avernus Island Tale) by Jennifer Kohout Page B

go in search of her wayward host.
    But first, the bathroom.
    A light breeze, ventilation made possible by the porticos, brushed her naked skin as she crossed the bedroom floor and stepped into another world.
    “Oh. Wow.” Julia recognized the traditional octagon shape of the balaneion . The thermal bath was sunk into the floor and filled with steaming water from hidden grates. The entire thing was tiled in an underwater mosaic of marina animals and seaweed.  
    The rest of the bathroom was just as impressive. Everything, from the floor to the ceiling, including the four columns in between, was done in tiger marble and glittered with gold accents.  
    The scent of rosemary perfumed the steam in the air, and Julia saw a bundle of fresh herbs floating in the water.
    “I was coming to wake you,” Asterion said, entering through another door.  
    Buck-ass naked and suddenly very aware of it, Julia fought off a blush as she tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.  
    Asterion watched Julia, saw the nervous gesture. Setting aside the wine he’d gone to fetch, he circled the tub and drew her into his arms.  
    The kiss he offered was soft and sweet, a greeting meant to put her at ease rather than stir her passions.
    There would be time enough for that later.
    “Come,” he said and led her to the stairs. She followed him into the bath, groaning as the water reached her thighs in a way that had him kissing her again.  
    And he kept on kissing her until she clung to him.
    Reluctantly lifting his head, Asterion stared down into the face that was quickly becoming familiar. “Are you hungry?”
    “Ravished,” Julia said and smiled.  
    Asterion chuckled and guided her to the underwater bench that circled the tub. They sat, talking quietly and sharing a plate of food. There were sweet dates, creamy cheeses, and salty olives, all with crusty bread and rich wine. Julia wondered what made this possible–the food, the wine, all of it–but decided not to ask. In the end, she didn’t want to risk breaking whatever spell had been cast.  
    Julia told him about her work and her father. Asterion understood the curse that was a disease that would rob a scholar of his mind. He talked of his mother, of the years spent trying to make up for the accident of his birth, and of the final curse that brought him to the labyrinth.  
    By silent agreement, they avoided any mention of the coming morning.
    Asterion watched Julia sip her wine, catching her hand to stop her from wiping her mouth and replacing it with his lips. She immediately opened for him, and he tasted the food they had shared. His response was visceral, a tightening of his gut that had him moving between her legs and pressing closer.
    She stripped his control from him when she reached for him, tore at his good intentions. He felt a hard slap of lust when she lifted her legs, squeezed his hips with her knees. He wasn’t surprised to realize he wanted her again, his cock seeking out and finding the entrance to her body.  
    The shock came when he realized that her pleasure was more important to him than his own.  
    He dragged his mouth away from her lips to trace the edge of her jaw. Her head fell back and he took advantage, sucking the skin over her pulse between his teeth and biting. She hissed, arched, and her fingers dug into his arms where she grasped him.  
    Asterion liked the way she clung to him.
    He released her neck, bent lower and took her nipple into his mouth. She still tasted sweet, her nipple ripe and plump between his lips. Urged on by her moans, he sucked harder, drew her deeper into his mouth, and bit down gently.
    Julia shuddered, the pain/pleasure a pulse that beat under skin. Instinct warned her to hold still, her tender flesh trapped between sharp teeth. But higher reasoning warred with her body’s desire to move, and she lifted her hips. She felt her nipple stretch, the bite of pain that increased the pleasure, and ground herself against