There was also the possibility of his future getting cut short. I refused to allow that to happen, but wasn’t yet sure what I could do to stop it.

And I was also pretty sure that my father kind of wanted to murder him.

I really needed to stop thinking about all of that.

“You know what?” he said.

“Hmm?”

Folding his other arm around my waist, he rolled me onto my back and slid on top of me. His weight did crazy things to my senses—amazing, crazy things. “You’ve already given me enough.”

My brows rose. “I haven’t—”

“You have.” He lowered his mouth to mine, and when he kissed me there was nothing soft or slow about it.

Seth kissed like a man coming out of an extreme drought. He sipped and he savored, drawing each kiss out of me. He was a man who thoroughly enjoyed kissing, took the scenic route and was absolutely in no hurry to get to the destination.

But I really wanted that destination.

You know, him and me, naked, bodies twisting together and me tossing virginity to the wind.

Seth nipped at my lower lip, eliciting a sharp gasp from me. “Mmm,” he murmured, dragging his hand down my arm, catching the strap from my top. “You give me that sound.”

My breaths came out in short bursts as he shifted his weight onto his left arm and rose just far enough that there was the smallest space between us. Those agile fingers worked at the straps of my top until they circled my wrists.

Cold air spread tiny bumps across my bare chest. I watched, in a daze, as he lowered his head and kissed the odd scar that remained after Apollo had unbound my powers.

Seth lifted his lashes, and I saw the smug, daring grin a second before he lowered his head again. The tip of his tongue traced the straight, five-inch line from the bottom to the top. He didn’t stop there. Oh no, those tiny licks followed the two lines looping around it. He even got what reminded me of wings on either side of the strange scar.

Heat zinged through my veins as he kissed his way from the scar, discovering very, very sensitive areas. Moaning, I skimmed my hand over the shorter strands of his hair, finding the longer ones to curl my fingers around. My back arched, and he settled his hips between my legs.

“You gave me these,” he said. “And they’re the gift that keeps on giving.”

I giggled. “You’re a perv.”

“I’m just speaking the truth.” His mouth closed over a tip and his tongue did wicked, delightful things. “Best damn birthday gift I’ve ever gotten.”

“Seth—”

He moved up, swiftly and with startling precision. His mouth closed over mine, cutting off my words. Wasn’t complaining, not when his tongue moved along mine. Not when my chest was suddenly flattened against his. And definitely not when he did this thing with his hips, rolling them into the perfect spot that really, really made me want to bypass the scenic route and get right to the promised land.

I lifted my leg, draping it over his as I lifted my hips, following his lead. Seth moaned into my mouth, a hot masculine sound that sent a rush of sensations pounding through my body. His hips moved again, and I thought maybe this morning, because it was his birthday, we’d—

The alarm on the nightstand went off, shrill and jarring. It screamed that it was time to get up and get to training.

Seth lifted his mouth and groaned. “Damn.”

My grip in his hair tightened. “We can ignore it.”

“That would make me a very bad trainer if we did,” he replied, his lips brushing over mine. “And I’m trying to be a very good trainer.”

“It’s your birthday,” I reasoned. “We can get a late start.”

His palm brushed over the tip of my breast. “Not a good enough reason.”

“It’s Monday.”

He chuckled. “Josie.”

“What? That’s a damn good enough reason.”

Seth kissed me as he pulled the straps of my top up. I was officially shut down. “You’ve improved in the last couple of weeks, but you still have a lot of work to do.”

I started to frown. “Gee. Thanks.”

Laughing, he rolled off and swung his legs over the bed, standing. He did this with such little effort and with so much grace that I wanted to throat punch him. “Get that sweet ass up and ready. Time to get to work.”

I lurched out of the bed, moving like a slightly high Godzilla. “Just because you’re a Pollyanna, Sethie, doesn’t mean you can boss me around.”

He shot me a bland look. “Apollyon, Joe. Repeat after me. Apollyon.”

I grinned.

His eyes narrowed. “You drive me crazy.”

Sidestepping him, I looked over my shoulder as I headed to the small adjoining bathroom. “In a good way?”

“Undecided.”

“Ass.”

Seth’s lips curved up on one corner, making him look downright wicked. He was lucky it was his birthday, so I was going to let the whole “Joe” thing slide. I opened the bathroom door.

“Josie?”

“What?” I turned, startled to find him standing right in front of me. I still couldn’t get over how quickly and quietly he could move.

“I . . .” He trailed off and then lifted his hands, gently clasping my cheeks. He kissed me, and it was sweet and tender, and so powerful. “Thank you for remembering my birthday.”

And then he was gone.

Out of the room and next door, probably already in the shower, while I was still standing there, staring at the spot where he’d stood, wondering if no one had ever remembered his birthday before.