Immortal Rider_ Lords of Deliverance Series_ - Larissa Ione [108]
People surrounded them, offering congratulations, hugs, and pats on the back. It seemed like everyone from Underworld General had come, and the marked absence of Arik’s R-XR and Aegis colleagues gave him a moment of surreal clarity; his world truly had changed.
He did wish Ky and Decker had been able to make it, but they were dealing with yet another attack on an Aegis cell as well as a sudden outbreak of demon attacks on human hospitals. Pestilence was clearly trying to cripple humans’ ability nsize="3">Heto repair the damage he was causing. The bastard.
Eventually, everyone moved off to dive into the food and drink, giving Thanatos and Ares a chance to accost them. Sudden tension rolled off Limos.
“Hey.” She squeezed Arik’s hand so hard he thought he heard his joints crack. “What I said during the ceremony—”
“It wasn’t easy to hear,” Than interrupted. “But we all have things in our pasts we aren’t proud of. We can’t hold something you did thousands of years ago against you.”
Ares nodded. “You aren’t the person you were in Sheoul. We love you no matter what, Limos.”
Ares’s words should have comforted Limos, but as her brothers enveloped her in hugs, Arik caught a glimpse of worry in her expression, a falter in her smile. But maybe he imagined it, because by the time they sauntered off, she was back to her playful self, going up on her toes and putting her lips to Arik’s ear.
“We could slip away to one of Than’s empty rooms.”
He groaned, and his cock twitched, and he was so on board with that suggestion. Too bad everyone was watching them. “As much as I’d love to, I think people would notice.”
“So?”
“So… I happen to know how protective brothers are—” he snared two flutes of champagne from a passing vamp with a tray “—and I don’t want yours to kill me for making your first time nothing more than a boff in a closet.”
“Boff?” Her laughter rang out, the beautiful sound suiting her.
He handed her one of the glasses. “Yes, boff. And if this doesn’t work, I don’t want everyone in the damned building to hear me yell when my fingers are chopped off.” The idea settled his errant cock down, right quick.
“It’s going to work,” she said. “It better. I’m horny.”
Arik choked on his champagne, then choked again when Ares clapped him on the back a few times.
“You okay, man? No dying before you can get Limos out of her chastity belt.”
More choking. When had Ares developed a sense of humor anyway?
“Agreed,” Limos chirped. “I’ve been looking forward to losing this hymen for five thousand years.”
This time Arik didn’t choke. He just stopped breathing.
Ares gripped his shoulder. “Maybe you two should get going.”
Jesus. Ares was practically undressing Arik and shoving them toward a bedroom. “I, ah…”
“Until you two consummate your marriage, Limos is still under contract,” Ares reminded them gravely.
As much as it was a relief wamate yto know Ares wasn’t just anxious for his sister to get laid, the reality of the situation sucked. “We’ll sneak away in a little while,” Arik said. “This is Limos’s party, and I want her to enjoy it.”
Ares threw his arm around Limos and gave her a brotherly squeeze. “I think you did good with this human.”
Limos grinned. “Duh.”
Ares strode away, parting the crowd to get to Cara, who was scolding Hal for something. The hell mutt was looking at her with big, sad eyes, his ears drooping, but his tail was thumping on the floor. Arik hoped Cara knew she was being suckered.
“I’ll be right back,” Limos said, giving him a peck on the cheek. “I need to thank Idess and Runa for everything.”
He watched her glide away, his fingers itching to let down the hair piled loosely on top of her head. The style was stunning on her, revealing her slim, shapely neck, but he wanted her hair down and her dress off, and soon. Really, seeing her naked would be worth a severed digit.
“Congrats.” Regan sidled up next to him with a bottle of water