Eternal Rider

Twenty-eight

Ares stood in the sand near the sea’s edge, a warm breeze caressing his face. The secluded cove was several hundred yards from his house, at the base of a trail Cara would be trekking down right now. He’d told her he wanted to have a picnic to celebrate their month anniversary, so he’d come ahead of her, had laid out a blanket and a basket containing chocolate, fruit, and champagne. In his hand, he clutched a box with a white-knuckled grip.

He heard Cara’s soft footfalls behind him, and he smiled when she wound her arm around his waist and leaned against his back. “Where’s your mutt? I half expected him to come with you.”

“He made it about a third of the way before he took off after a rabbit.”

“Damned thing is supposed to be hunting rats,” he muttered, but his gruffness was feigned. With the exception of one accident when Hal played a little too rough and nipped Ares, freezing him up for about fifteen minutes, they got along well. They both understood that Cara’s safety and happiness were paramount, and that was perfect common ground.

Ares did get a little nervous when too many other hellhounds roamed the island, however. On the plus side, Pestilence hadn’t returned. The presence of so many of the beasts was a huge deterrent. Especially since he’d made mortal enemies of them by putting a bounty on their heads.

Bad move, brother. One hellhound hating you sucked enough, and Ares knew that for a fact. Having them all hate you? Yeah, Ares wouldn’t want to be in Pestilence’s boots right now.

Ares turned around, devouring the sight of his little hellhound queen. Though he could probably call her a horse queen, given how Battle, Styx, and even Bones worshipped her, and definitely a Ramreel queen.

While Cara was feeding Rath, whom they’d brought into their home, they’d discovered that Cara’s gift worked on animal-based demons. The Ramreels were all over that, and he suspected some of them were intentionally banging themselves up just so Cara would heal them.

She looked down and curled her toes in the sand. “I love being barefoot.”

“Limos must be rubbing off on you.”

Cara grinned. “She gave me this dress, too.”

“Her taste is questionable sometimes, but you look damned fine in ancient Greek fashion.” He trailed his finger over the curve of her one bare shoulder. “Like a goddess.” Unable to resist, he bent and kissed her there, tasting the tang of salt air and the warmth of the sun.

“Mmm… you can keep doing that.”

He smiled against her skin. “Oh, I plan to.”

“So, what were you doing staring out into the sea?”

“Thinking about how lucky I am.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He lifted his head, feeling nervous and weird and flustered. Definitely not like him, but since meeting Cara, he’d felt a lot of things he wasn’t used to. “This has been the best month of my life.” Even though they were still seeking Limos’s agimortus while putting out Pestilence’s fires all over the globe, he and Cara had made this island their paradise, their sanctuary.

And Cara had turned his life upside down in the best way possible.

“I’ve never been this happy,” Cara murmured.

“Good. Because I have something to ask you.” His mouth was so dry he barely got that last part out. Before she could say anything, he dropped to one knee. “I always thought this was a stupid custom, but I want to do it. I want to honor your time and traditions.”

Her hand came up to her mouth, and her eyes glistened, and he hoped to hell it wasn’t because she was horrified or upset.

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.