Lure of the Jaguar: Hades' Carnival, Book 7 by N.J. Walters Page B

going.”
    Stavros inclined his head to the woman and shot Hades a deadly glare. “We’re done. The curse is finally finished.”
    Hades didn’t acknowledge Stavros at all. He simply wrapped one arm around the woman and ushered her into the swirling portal. It disappeared in the next breath, leaving nothing but a residual energy that made the short hairs on her arms stand on end.
    The sword in Stavros’ hand disappeared. She wondered where all that stuff went. Did he have a home somewhere he sent it to? Or did he have a cosmic closet? There was so much to consider. Her life had completely changed.
    Toni moved away from Stavros, turned and faced him. She wished she was wearing a little more than a blanket but would have to make do. She was good at that.
    He stood with his hands on his hips, tall and powerful, and—uncertain. She could see it in his eyes. He wasn’t sure what she was going to say or do. That was to her advantage.
    Toni stared into his dark eyes. They were black like Hades’ but so different. Stavros’ eyes held the secrets of the night and a sensual promise. She walked up to him and placed a hand on his chest. His heart raced beneath her palm.
    “So you love me, do you?”
    Stavros tried to gauge Toni’s mood, but it was impossible. Her expression was inscrutable, and his own emotions were all over the place. His blood pumped through his veins thick and hot. He wanted to scoop Toni into his arms and drag her back down to the bed. But he wasn’t sure of his welcome.
    He’d changed Toni in the most fundamental way and without her permission. Not only that, he’d blurted out that he loved her. He knew she wasn’t ready to hear that. Might never be. The woman had trust issues, and he’d violated that trust by making her immortal without her permission.
    He nodded in answer to her question, not trusting himself to speak yet.
    Toni’s palm was hot against his skin. She still smelled of sex, of him. His cat yowled his dissatisfaction. The jaguar wanted him to touch Toni, wanted to rub its body over her until it marked her as his own.
    She tilted her head to one side, making her hair fall in a thick curtain. “Why?”
    “Why?” He wasn’t sure he understood her question.
    “Why do you love me?”
    Stavros couldn’t stand their separation any longer. He scooped her into his arms, ignored her startled gasp and sat on the bed, resting his back against the headboard. Cradling her in his arms, he sought to find the words to make her understand.
    “I have been alone for many years.” The five-thousand years he’d spent imprisoned were the worst of his entire existence. Toni rubbed her hand over his chest as though to comfort him. He caught her fingers in his and brought them to his mouth and kissed each of her knuckles one by one.
    “I was created, not born. I came into being exactly as I am—a warrior of the Lady of the Beasts.” He sought to share some of his history with Toni. “I have existed since the dawn of time, since the birth of the world.”
    “That’s incredible.”
    He lost himself in her eyes. So blue, so warm, like the sky on a summer’s day. It would be so easy to sweep her beneath him and make love to her. But she deserved to know exactly who and what he was.
    “The seven of us warriors lived to serve our goddess. She is kind and benevolent.” He paused and gathered his thoughts. “It was a good life until the rise of the Greek gods and goddesses. They were a troublesome bunch from the very beginning.”
    “And then came the curse,” Toni prompted.
    Stavros rubbed his hand up and down Toni’s arm, enjoying the warmth and the smoothness of her skin. “Yes, then came the war and the curse. I didn’t believe we’d ever go free. I think it changed all of us.”
    “In what way?” Her concern was a balm to his soul.
    “When I was freed, I was confused. I watched over the woman who’d freed me. I felt a debt of gratitude to her but nothing more. Eventually, I made my way