Eternal Rider - Larissa Ione [144]
He flipped the box open with his thumb. “Will you marry me?”
Cara’s sharp breath filled him with terror. Absolute, mind-numbing terror. He’d rather be bitten by one of her hellhounds than have her say no.
“Ares… oh, that’s a beautiful ring.”
It was a three-carat diamond set into the only thing he had of his human mother’s—a bronze band he’d had coated in platinum to strengthen it while keeping the original, uneven character. “I can get a different setting, or a bigger stone—”
“No.” She sank to her knees to face him. “It’s perfect.”
He swallowed. “Is that a yes?”
She threw her arms around him and planted a big one on his lips. “Yes. Absolutely yes!”
“Thank you, God,” he breathed, as she pulled back just enough to allow him to take the ring from the box and slip it onto her finger. It fit perfectly and looked right on her. So right.
Cara wiggled her fingers, admiring the diamond as it glinted in the golden sunlight. Then she gave him a smile infused with sinfulness. “How secluded is this cove?”
“Very.”
“Then make love to me.”
“So demanding,” he murmured, but he pushed aside her shoulder strap and licked her there, intending to work his way down.
“I can be demanding,” she sighed, “when I know what I want.”
“And what you want is me.”
She pushed her dress down, exposing her breasts, and his breath caught. He doubted that would ever stop. “Here’s your answer.”
“Good answer.” He groaned when she cupped his cock through his cargos.
“It’ll always be my answer.”
“Mine, too.” He framed her face in his hands and held her with his gaze. “Cara, you maneuvered your way into my life. My heart. I always believed that love crippled a warrior, but I fought harder for you than I’ve fought for anything else. You made me stronger. You conquered me, and now I want it all with you.”
She gave him a naughty smile. “Checkmate. I win.”
“Always.” He was lost to her.
And he’d never been so happy to concede a battle.
Half angel, half demon… She’s not for just any man.
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One
Arik Wagner had to hand it to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; they threw one hell of a party.
Three of them, did, anyway. The fourth, whose name had been Reseph before his Seal broke and he became Pestilence, had been laying low since his defeat at the hands of his siblings a month earlier. The asshole and his demon army were regrouping, no doubt, but for now, everyone was breathing a sigh of relief.
Hence the party, which was part celebration for the victory, and part engagement party for Ares, also known as War, second Horseman of the Apocalypse, and his fiancée, Cara. Everyone who’d survived the battle had been invited to Ares’s Greek mansion, and Ares had also extended an invitation to the Underworld General staff, so most of Arik’s demon in-laws were here.
Thanatos, the fourth Horseman—who would be Death when his Seal broke—bumped into Arik as he dove for a football someone had tossed from across the huge great room. “Watch it, asshole,” Arik muttered.
“What’s the matter, human?” Thanatos punched him in the shoulder with the ball hard enough to make Arik step back. “Ping-Pong more your speed?”
Arik shot Kynan Morgan, an old Army buddy who was now in charge of The Aegis, an ancient demon-slaying organization, a you-ready-to-go-or-what look, and Ky, who was deep in conversation with Ares, held up his finger. He and Arik had intended to stay no more than ten minutes, since Ky wanted to be with his wife, Gem, and their new baby. That was more than fine with Arik.
If Arik spent another minute inside with these supernatural, superior asshats, he was going to slit his own throat. Also, if Limos, the drop-dead-gorgeous female Horseman, caught him leering at her one more time, she’d likely slit his throat for him.
No one seemed to be paying any attention to him, so he strolled out of the house and into the cool night air. He’d always liked Greece, had visited a couple of times on military assignments. The