Eden

"I'm starting to think you don't know where we're going." Damien says, annoyance laced in his voice.

"I know damn well where I'm going." Jericho insists.

"We've been walking since the sun started to rise! All we've done is get lost in this god damn swampy forest! We already run hot, being in this humidity is making me sweat like a fucking pig. We need to at least rest." Damien complains. This isn't the first time he's started on a rant about the heat and humid air, and I doubt it'll be the last.

I have to try my best to hold back a grin as I look at Damien's sweat covered face, his dark hair sticking to his forehead. Who knew Reapers could be so.. normal?

I'm not doing much better, I'm walking around in a tank top and leggings made of a light breathable material. But I won't lie, I've thought about cutting them up into shorts, no matter how breathable these are my legs are still sweating.

I probably smell bad, too. I know these men do, that's for sure.

My face heats as I realize they can smell me better than I can smell them. I probably stink way worse to them. Well that's an unnecessary thought I didn't need floating around in my mind.

Stupid heightened senses.

Ajal huffs, seeming just as annoyed with this heat as everyone else is.

"I really wish you'd just shut the hell up." Jericho says, sounding sick of Damien's endless whining.

"You know what Jericho-"

"Oh goddess!" I shout, interrupting Damien, in turn causing a smirk to appear on Jericho's face.

"There's a pond up ahead, can we please stop to cool off?" I ask excitedly, the idea of getting out of these sweaty clothes and into some cool water is all too tempting.

Damien's face breaks out into a large grin at the idea, obviously on board with it.

Jericho looks sternly at Damien as he answers. "We can stop for a quick swim, if Damien agrees to shut the fuck up about how hot it is."

Damien mock salutes Jericho as he replies. "I promise to behave, mom."

Damien's comment already sent me into a laughing fit, but the look on Jericho's face is what really sends me over the edge as I begin laughing so hard tears run down my face.

"It wasn't that funny." Jericho huffs, before walking in the direction of the pond that I can see peeking through the trees.

I happily follow him, my excitement growing as I make it to the edge of the pond, the water is surprisingly clear. I can make out small fish swimming within it, and even some turtles. But as far as I can tell, nothing that's gonna come up and bite me in the ass.

Good.

Ajal is the first to jump in, not waiting a second longer before leaping in happily, creating a large splash as the massive beast hits the water.

I turn to say something to Jericho but my words instantly die in my throat as my eyes are met with not just one naked Reaper, but two.

I quickly turn back around, my face heating uncontrollably. "What the hell?!"

Jericho walks up beside me, completely bare. "Are we supposed to be swimming in our clothes?" He smirks as he asks me.

"No, but I figured we'd at least keep undergarments on. Good goddess above, trying to give me a heart attack." I mumble.

"In a good way?" Damien asks from afar, laughing loudly at my reaction, furthering my embarrassment.

"No, not in a good way." I say, rolling my eyes. Jericho smirks down at me, waiting for me to undress.

He leans down to whisper in my ear when he sees me hesitating. "Damien isn't going to do anything, you're safe with us." He reassures me.

I gaze out at the water as I take off my boots and socks before slowly dipping my toes in. I smile at Ajal as he doggy paddles around, cooling off.

The water is practically calling my name as I decide to quickly remove the rest of my clothing before jumping in, submerging my whole body.

I swim around beneath the surface before popping back up, a smile present on my face as the cool water relaxes my body after walking almost all day.

Both men are now in the water as well, they must have jumped in as soon as I did. Damien keeps his distance, relaxing on the other side of the pond, much to my relief. They're both much more comfortable with this scenario than I am.

Jericho dips his head under the water a little bit away from me, before popping right back up next to me. My feet can barely touch the bottom before my head goes under, whereas Jericho's tall enough it barely reaches his chest.

He scoops me up into his arms, his hands underneath my ass as I wrap my legs around his waist, gently resting my head on his shoulder.

He kisses my neck and shoulder softly. "I love you." He whispers against my skin, making my skin pebble up in goosebumps.

"I love you, too." I reply happily, content in this moment with Jericho.

"Let me make love to you." He growls out seductively.

I laugh, trying to defuse the sexual tension I can feel building. "We're not alone." I say in a hushed tone.

"Damien won't care." He insists as he begins softly massaging my ass.

I laugh nervously. "He might not but I've never done something like that before, I don't just have sex with other people around." I say, unsure of why Jericho would suggest something like that.

"He's not going to join, and he knows that." He reassures me as he begins rubbing his hardened cock against my entrance, making my body heat in response.

"I-i don't know.. plus I'm not letting you fuck me in dirty pond water, whether we're alone or not." I say sternly.

He chuckles in response. "Then I'll be patient and wait for tonight in our tent, if that's what you wish." He whispers as he continues to pepper my neck in kisses.

I lean my head back to look up at the blue sky as Jericho kisses my collar bones. I close my eyes, enjoying the sun on my face and Jericho's heated kisses against my skin. If we weren't on a mission, I think I might stay like this for a while.

I smile as he hoists me up higher onto his body so he can kiss my breasts that are exposed by the water for a moment, before lowering me back down, trailing kisses up to my face before he starts attacking me with kisses, causing loud giggles to leave me. "What are you doing?" I ask through my laughter.

"I will kiss every inch of you before the night ends, I figured I'll start here." He says seriously, though I can tell he's fighting a smile back as he begins kissing me again.

My laughter fades as I peer over Jericho's shoulder to find Damien watching us intently, a look on his face I can't quite place. But I don't miss the look in his golden eyes. The eyes of a Reaper always seem to portray their emotions, whether it's welcomed or not. His golden gaze is boarderline molten. Only Jericho looks at me in such a way.

Only Jericho's eyes long for me in such a fashion.

I turn away first, not liking how once we locked eyes he refused to look away. This is something that can't happen, this is the last thing that needs to happen.

Damien can't become jealous of Jericho and I's soulmate bond. Definitely not at a time like this, either.

We each must stay focused, we don't have time for distractions like that. Not to mention the wedge it would drive between the two men. Would Jericho even forgive Damien if he overstepped boundaries when it comes to me?

"We've lingered long enough, we need to dry off and get back on track." Jericho says, breaking me out of my train of thought.

I pull back so I can look him in the eye before nodding slightly before I move in for a kiss, he takes no time at all and meets me halfway, kissing me tenderly.

He pulls away first and begins moving towards the waters edge with me still wrapped within his arms.

He pulls us both out of the water, not stopping as he walks us behind some trees, blocking Damien's view of us.

He kisses my head as he sets me down on my feet, dripping wet and naked. "Shit, I forgot our clothes. I'll be right back." He says as he turns around and quickly makes his way back to gather our belongings.

I look down at myself and frown. I don't want to get dressed while still wet, I'll be uncomfortable the rest of the day. The humidity will make it impossible to dry properly.

"Veni ad me ventus." I whisper, calling upon the wind with my magic.

A gust of wind appears, wrapping itself around me, drying my bare skin soft and swiftly.

"Damn." I turn my head in the direction of Jericho's voice as he openly stares at me. "I could watch that all day long." He breathes out.

I smile at him, trying not to let my self consciousness show through by covering myself instinctively. Instead I let my mates eyes wander as they please, his heated stare making my heart race.

Slowly he walks towards me. Wrapping me up in his arms swiftly, he begins kissing and biting at my ear, knowing it drives me wild. "Jericho." I gasp out as his hand finds it's way to one of my breasts, pinching my nipple softly between his fingers.

"I'm having a hard time trying my best not to bend you over right now and take you." He says in a low voice, sending chills down my spine.

I say nothing as he begins moving his hands down my body slowly, savoring every inch of me. This man makes me feel like I'm the most amazing thing he's come across in all his existence.

He slides his hand between my thighs, slowly sliding his fingers through my wetness. "Jericho.. I don't know if we should.. Damiens just on the other side of the trees. If he doesn't see us, he'll definitely hear what's going on."

He stops his movements and pulls away to look at me. "Damien truly wouldn't care. But I respect that you would rather wait for a better time to continue." He kisses my forehead before pulling away, grabbing my clothes and tossing them to me.

I pull my top on before realizing I should have offered to dry Jericho. When I look at him to offer I see he's already dressed, clothes damp and all.

I finish dressing just a moment before Damien and Ajal make their way to us, making it feel as if he was listening and waiting for an appropriate time to rejoin us.

I don't know whether to be annoyed or not.

"Not too much longer and the sun will begin it's descent in the sky. How much longer are you wanting to venture?" He asks Jericho.

"As long as we're able to, the sooner we reach the center of this place the better. I can feel that we're drawing near." He states.

"We need to rest for the night so we can be on top of things when we come across Aries. Traveling through the night because you're impatient will cost all of us valuable hours of rest." Damien tells Jericho, making it clear he's not fond of traveling through part of the night to save on time.

His argument is reasonable, but that doesn't seem to make Jericho any less happy about the idea of taking longer. I know he must feel burdened with the outcome of our last encounter with Aries, but he can't let it drive him to rush back into things.

Plus, he promised me some training.

"We will only travel till dark, then we will rest for the night and begin our journey upon sunrise." Jericho grumbles out.

I lace my fingers with his, leaning in closely to him as we walk. "It'll give us a chance for some time together." I whisper seductively to him.

His mood seems to change a bit after I tell him this, just as I was hoping it would. I laugh softly at his reaction to my words, enjoying the fact that I can change his mood so quickly simply with the promise of time alone with me.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't the same way though. I enjoy my time with Jericho, but I especially enjoy alone time with him.

We only walk for another three or so hours before the sun's light has officially disappeared from the sky, casting us into the darkness of night.

We set up both tents in silence, tired from the day of walking in the heat. Damien is the one who insists on cooking tonight, frying up some rabbits he managed to snare. I couldn't look when he began showing off his kill to Jericho, not to mention tossing a full one to Ajal to eat.

The sound of tiny bones crunching wasn't pleasant. But still, I'm thankful to have something to eat tonight other than the dry foods we packed.

After eating and cleaning up everyone goes to their tents. I don't bother to hold back my smile as Damien welcomes Ajal into his tent for the night after stating he could smell rain in the distance and wasn't going to let poor Ajal be forced to sleep in the rain.

I begin to undress once me and Jericho are alone inside, he's quick to follow, taking his clothes off quickly before snatching me up into his arms before he swiftly removes my bottoms and underwear, leaving me bare for him.

"I've been waiting all day to have you this way, my Eden." Jericho growls out quietly into my ear.

2,378 words.
The next chapter will contain spice.
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