He wanted that to be a lie more than he wanted to take his next breath. Which he didn't understand. She was doomed to spend eternity hidden away, which meant they could not have any kind of life together. Not even if he freed her. He would then be locked away or put to death.
For a week, Atlas lamented his plight and pondered what to do. All the while, he stayed away from Nike's new cell. That didn't stop him from thinking about her, however. What was she doing? Did she think of him? Did she dream of him and that shattering kiss?
He did. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the passion glowing from her face. A face that was exquisite. From barely passable, to pretty, to exquisite, all in a week's time. He shook his head in wonder. But she deserved the praise. Her lashes were long and as rich as black velvet. Velvet that framed sensual chocolate eyes. Her cheeks were smooth, perfect for caressing, and her lush, red lips were sweeter than ambrosia. And all that strength...his shaft filled and lengthened just remembering it. She'd gripped and scratched him with savage abandon. He still bore the marks.
They definitely weren't done. Not even close. He had to experience that again.
Finally, he could stand the separation no longer. Thankfully, his shift was over. A shift that had consisted of walking the prison halls, watching the prisoners inside their cells and ensuring everyone remained calm.
That should have bored him. After all, he was a warrior. But bore him it didn't. And that should have irritated him. After all, he'd spent countless centuries in this place and had sworn never to return once he'd escaped. But again, irritation was not what he felt. He'd wanted this job to be close to Nike. To have his vengeance, he'd once told himself. Now, he wasn't so sure. Today, and all week really, he'd walked the halls invigorated, knowing all he had to do to catch sight of her was turn a corner.
He hadn't allowed himself to do so. Until now. Finally, he would see her.
The moment she came into view, his blood heated, blistering. His breath followed suit, flaming his lungs to ash. She sat atop her cot, arms gripping the rail, knees drawn up while she leaned slightly forward. Her hair was finger-combed to perfection, and her eyes were narrowed, shielding her irises and the emotion banked there, but at least he could see the shadows her lashes cast over her cheeks. Shadows he might trace with a fingertip.
Oh, yes. She was exquisite.
"Where's your girlfriend?" Her voice was smooth as silk. Just beneath that silk, however, he thought he caught a tendril of fury.
Was she mad that he'd come? Or mad that he'd stayed away so long?
"I don't have a girlfriend."
She shrugged. "Too bad for you that whores never commit."
He knew he was the whore that she spoke of, and popped his jaw. But he deserved that, he supposed. "I did what I had to do to escape, Nike. That doesn't mean I didn't feel--" No. Oh, no. He would not go down that road. He hadn't wanted to feel anything for her, but he had. That hadn't stopped him from using her, so she'd never like what he had to say about the matter. "I'm sure you'd do anything to escape, as well."
Her expression darkened, but she did not refute his words. "So, did you come to free me?"
"Hardly."
"Then why are you here? We have nothing more to say to each other."
Because you're all I think about anymore. He never should have marked her.
This might have been avoided. Or not. He might have slept with others all those years ago because he'd been desperate to flee this place, but it had been her face he'd imagined when he'd done so.
Without looking away from her, he leaned back against the bar behind him and crossed his arms over his chest. "There's plenty to say. About the kiss."
She yawned, patting her beautiful mouth. A mouth he wanted all over his body. "I'd rather sleep."
So. She still wanted him to think she had been unaffected. Part of him believed it. An insecure part of him that had never really known how to deal with her, his equal in every way. Yes, even strength, though he often liked to deny it. The other part of him, the masculine part, knew she had liked everything he'd done. She'd shouted his name, for gods' sake, and he hadn't even made her climax.
"You're saying you don't want me?" he asked as silkily as she had.
"Not even a little."
"Really?" He rested his fingers at the waist of his pants, twisting the button, and her eyes followed the movement. His cock was already hard, already straining, rising over the top. Moisture glistened there. "Not even a tiny, tiny bit?"
She gulped. "N-no." The word was croaked. "But you are. Tiny, that is."
Liar. She did. She wanted him. And he was huge, thank you very much. The sense of possessiveness returned, all the more intense because it was joined by satisfaction. "I'll have you yet, Nike. That I promise you."
"Just...go away," she said, suddenly sounding almost...dejected. She eased to her side, then rolled to her back, facing away from him. "We're done with each other. Remember?"
Wrong move. Seeing her back, even covered by that baggy robe, reminded him of what he'd done and that set fire to his blood anew. Whatever he had to do, he was going to have this woman.
"I guess we'll find out," he told her before walking away.
CHAPTER SIX
Atlas pushed past the double doors that led into Cronus's throne room. Armed guards, immortal warriors Cronus himself had created, were stationed along the edges of the walls. Each held a spear, and swords swung from the sheaths at their waists. They stood at attention, waiting for an order or a threat. They would spring into action for both.
Of course, there were also warriors lining both sides of the purple lamb's fleece carpet that led to the bejeweled dais, crowding Atlas as he made his way forward. His weapons had already been removed, but they were taking no chances, eyeing his every movement with distrust.
He wondered if, when she had been a free woman, Nike had ever been summoned to this room, albeit to meet with Zeus, her king. And if she had, had it been for a reward or a punishment?
Stop thinking about her. Concentrate on Cronus. He's wily, that one. The god king was not the same man he'd been before his incarceration. The thousands of years inside Tartarus had changed him; he was harder, harsher. Utterly unforgiving. Any weakness, he pounced upon.
Nowadays, Cronus refused to stay in the heavens without an army to shield him. But then, a man at war with his own wife couldn't be too careful. Especially when that wife was a queen with powerful abilities and allies of her own. A wife who--
Dizziness spun through Atlas's head, fragmenting his thoughts, and he frowned. Frowned but didn't stop until he reached the end of the fleece. He kept his attention, foggy as it was, fixed on Cronus.
The king was seated atop a throne of solid gold. Dark strands were threaded through his silver hair, and his beard had thinned since the last time Atlas had seen him. Some of the age lines had even disappeared from his weathered features. He wore a long white robe, much like the prisoners of Tartarus. Why? He'd often wondered.
Only two explanations made any sense. He'd worn the garment for centuries and now felt most comfortable in it. Or he did not want to forget what he'd once been--and could be again if he weren't careful. Atlas had been more than happy to shed his own robe. Would Nike do the same, if ever she gained her freedom? Not that she would.
You're thinking about her again.
A woman stood beside the throne. She possessed one of the plainest faces Atlas had ever seen, and had pale, freckled skin. She was reed thin, with dark, curling hair and delicate shoulders. Power did not hum from her. Rather, she seemed...insubstantial. Ethereal, as he imagined a ghost might look. There, but see-through. There, but wavering. Her eyes were shadowy, vacant, as if no one was home.
When she reached up and brushed a lock of hair from her brow, he could only gape. The elegance of the movement was awe inspiring. More graceful than a dancer, more delicate than a butterfly wing. Someone was indeed home, she just didn't care about what was happening around her.
&nb
sp; Atlas pulled his attention from the female and studied the chamber. There were thousands of chandeliers overhead, each dripping with glistening teardrops. Multihued glitter sparkled in the air. Odd, he thought, head tilting to the side for a better view. That air was even sweetly scented with...He inhaled deeply. Ambrosia. Ah. Now he understood the dizziness and the glitter. Dried ambrosia was being pumped through the room. To keep him docile?
"Atlas, god of Strength," Cronus said with a nod of greeting, drawing him from his musings.
Atlas bowed, as was proper. "My king. It's an honor to have this audience with you."
Cronus leaned forward, silver eyes bright with anxiety. "All is well in Tartarus, yes?"
"Most assuredly."
Relief instantly replaced the anxiety. "Why, then, did you request this meeting?"
There was no one who hated the Greeks more than this man, this Titan sovereign, and with very good reason. They'd stripped him of his power, humiliated him in front of his people. Even Nike had been a participant.
Just tell him. Get this over with. "I want to remove a woman from the prison and set her up--"
"Stop. Stop there." Scowling, Cronus raised a hand. "There will be no removing anyone from Tartarus. It is too dangerous."
He'd expected that answer. However, he persevered. "Perhaps the reward is worth the danger. I would keep her locked inside my home, Majesty. I would never remove her collar--" well, except to whisk her to his home, for she couldn't be flashed out of Tartarus with it on, but he would recollar her the moment they reached their destination "--and she would be my personal slave. I would ensure her misery." His first lie of the day, but probably not his last. He only wanted to give Nike pleasure.
Had he forgiven her for what she'd done to him? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he no longer wanted to kill her when he thought about it. He would tire of her eventually, and he looked forward to the day. Until then, this was his only recourse.
The king ran his tongue over his teeth. "Of which her do you speak?"
"Nike. Greek goddess of Strength." He did not allow a single bit of affection to lace his tone.
The king's eyes widened. "The one who..." Now those eyes dropped to Atlas's chest, where his shirt covered his tattoos.
"Yes. The very one." Hear my anger, only my anger. Except, what she'd done no longer angered him. The marks were as much a part of him now as his were a part of her.
"Interesting." Cronus leaned back in the throne, the picture of contemplation. "Do you not think she is being made to suffer enough inside Tartarus?"
Time for his second lie. "No. I do not." In truth, as dejected as she'd sounded at their last meeting, the goddess was suffering. And he didn't like it.
"And what will you do to increase her suffering?"
"Much as she hates me--" desires me, he added inside his head, so that he wouldn't reveal the depths of irritation thoughts of her possible loathing elicited "--she will take particular displeasure in cleaning my home, preparing my food and warming my bed."
The king smiled up at the ghostly girl. "What you'd like to do to your Paris, eh, my Sienna? Make him your slave."
Her expression never changed. She offered no response, either.
Paris who? Atlas wondered, and then shrugged. He didn't care. Nike was his only concern at the moment.
"My king?" Atlas prompted. "I lack only your permission to begin Nike's torment. My determination is unparalleled."
Cronus faced him once again, his smile falling away. A minute passed in silence, then another. Then the king sighed. "I'm afraid my answer has to be no. While I like the thought of Nike's anguish intensified at your hands, I'm unwilling to risk the removal of her collar, even for the few seconds required to flash her. She is Strength, and were she to somehow escape you and free her brethren, another heavenly war would erupt. I cannot afford to have my attention divided now. Well, not any more than it already is. I find I spend most of my time observing the Lords of the Underworld."
The Lords of the Underworld? Who were they? Didn't matter, really. As he'd spoken, Atlas's own sense of dejection had bloomed. He wanted to stalk up that dais, grab the king and shake him. How dare his request be denied? How dare his desires be discarded? Instead, he said, "Very well, my king. I thank you for your time," and pivoted on his heel. He strode from the chamber before he did something foolish, as he had done with Nike in his office. Only, his goal would not be climaxing.
He'd already decided that nothing would keep him from claiming Nike. Now he realized that not even this would do so. The king's will be damned. He would have his woman, just as he wanted.
CHAPTER SEVEN
"Come with me."
Nike's heart raced at the sound of that deep voice. Hesitant, she rolled over on her cot. Sure enough. Her skin tingled when her gaze found Atlas. Gorgeous as ever, he stood at the bars--bars that were now open. His hand was extended, and he was waving her over. There was fury in his too-tight expression.
What had she done this time?
She'd tried to ignore him. She'd tried to pretend that she felt nothing for him. Anything to stop the madness. But gods, she couldn't stop thinking about their kiss. She couldn't stop wishing she'd allowed him to take her all the way. That she'd have experienced everything before being taken back to nothing.
So what if he would have tired of her afterward? So what if he would have been smug about her capitulation? So what if he found someone else and paraded her before Nike? For a few blessed hours--who was she kidding?--for a few blessed minutes, because it wasn't as if either one of them would last beyond that, she would have known the joy of being with him again. Of simply feeling, giving, taking, sharing...loving.
Have all the rest, common sense piped up, but deny the love.
That would be my pleasure. But I have to get him to offer me the rest first.
"Come," he repeated.
What did he have planned?
Slowly she sat up. Her hair was in desperate need of a brush, and gods, the rest of her needed a shower. How long since she'd had one? Prisoners were given a bowl of water each day and that was it.
"Why?"
A muscle ticked in his jaw. "Do you want to spend a few hours outside the prison or not?"
Wait. What? Leave Tartarus? She was on her feet before her brain could process what she was doing. Her knees almost buckled, she'd spent so much time prone, bored, but she managed to stay upright. She even reached out and twined their fingers together. The heat of his skin should not have shocked her, but it did. The calluses should not have ignited a fire in her blood, but they did.
"You're taking me outside?"
"Yes. But do not say a word when we reach the guard's station. Understand?"
"Yes." This could be a trick. A trick to build up her hopes only to dash them cruelly, but she didn't care. If there was a chance, slight though it was, that he would actually stay true to his word, she would do anything he asked.
Without a word, he led her from the cell and down the hall. Other prisoners spotted her and gasped. Some began to murmur amongst themselves, gossiping as they'd once enjoyed doing in the heavens. Some gripped their bars and simply watched her through wistful eyes.
Erebos even shouted, "Hey, where are you going with her now?"
Atlas ignored him, and Nike followed suit. A sense of urgency pounded through her. If Atlas did this, took her outside, even for a few hours...Why would he do such a thing?
"Did you get permission for this?" she asked. "And we're not at the guard's station yet, so it's okay that I'm talking."
"No. I didn't get permission." His words were curt, clearly meant to end the conversation.
As if she'd ever done what was expected of her. "Then why are you--"
"Just be quiet."
"Or what?"
"Or I'll shut you up my favorite way."
Her mouth fell open. Did he mean he'd shut her up with a kiss? Or by pushing a button on her collar and shooting painful lances through her brain? It
was fifty-fifty, she thought. His proclamation had the desired results, however. She was too busy pondering his meaning to talk.
In the guard's station, two Titans were laughingly making bets about the prisoners. They looked up at Atlas and nodded politely in greeting--only to freeze when they spotted her. As promised, she remained quiet.
"She try to escape?" one demanded, obviously ready to beat her for doing so.
"No. But I'm taking her out for a bit," Atlas replied.
"Why?" the other gasped out. "There's nothing out there."
"I plan to taunt her with what she cannot have."
The very words she'd once offered Aergia, the goddess of laziness. He'd remembered.
Still the guard persisted. "Has this been cleared with--"
"I'm in charge of this prison and the people inside it. Now shut up and do your job." With that, Atlas ushered her out of the building and into the daylight. No one else tried to stop him.
As the first ray hit her skin, she jerked free of his hold and stopped, simply basking in the moment. Clouds. Sun. She closed her eyes, head thrown back, arms splayed. The warmth, followed by a cooling breeze...the brightness--her skin soaked them up greedily. Oh, how she'd missed them. She would have loved to have seen temples and golden streets and people, as well, but she would take what she could get without complaint.
Strong arms suddenly banded around her. "You're beautiful," Atlas whispered, his nose nuzzling her ear, practically purring. "Do you know that?"
"I know what I look like." Her lashes fluttered open. Her heart was hammering against her ribs, and she couldn't have stopped herself from flattening her hands on his chest to save her life. His own heart was racing, she realized with astonishment. Was he...could he be as affected by her as she was by him? The clouds enveloped him, creating a dream haze. "And beautiful is not a word that describes me."
His head lifted, and he gazed down at her. Tenderness softened his expression, and she thought he'd never been more appealing. "Then you don't see yourself as I do."
How did he see her? As much as he hated her--but did he hate her still? How could he, when he'd just escorted her to paradise?--she would have guessed he pictured her with horns, fangs and a tail.