Pandora's Pain

by A. K. Koonce

  “Why? What’s the worst that could happen to me?” I asked, sorting through my clothes and taking off the tags.

  “You could die?”

  “That’s a very godlike answer. Has it ever crossed your mind that living forever isn’t most people’s goal?” It hadn’t been mine. Even before being locked in eternal torture. Though, that had certainly helped put an end to any wishes for immortality.

  “Why wouldn’t anyone want that?” He seemed to genuinely believe in what he was saying, which was almost endearing. But at the same time, it only led to frustration for me.

  “People get tired, Alex. Especially if they’re alone for a long time.” I came across as wistful. Wow. Less than three days back on Earth, and I was already realizing what I’d been missing. I’d thought my powers of denial were stronger.

  Seemed I was wrong.

  “Did you say something when you came in last night?”

  I scowled, pissed he was changing the subject, but kind of understanding it. Unless they really annoyed Zeus, most gods lived forever. If he started questioning whether there was something missing in his life, he’d have a really long eternity.

  Having been in his position myself, I knew it wasn’t a great concept.

  “Yes, I told you I had another date.” I set aside the jeans and shirt I’d chosen for tonight and proceeded to put my other clothes away. I’d have to check if the hotel had a laundry service later. Otherwise, I’d need to shop again. Short of a bitchy model, it hadn’t been a bad experience at least.

  “With Ashton?”

  “Zavier.”

  “Would it not be better to focus on one of them at once?” he asked.

  “And draw this out longer than I have to? No, thank you.”

  Finishing in the closet, I gave one glance to where my box was hidden, before returning my attention to the annoying god blocking my path to the bathroom. I had a plan to pamper myself, and I’d bought the goodies to do it. No one, not even a moody protector god, was going to get between me and a nice hot bath.

  “Excuse me, please.”

  He didn’t step aside immediately. Just looked at me with a heated gaze which made me start to think thoughts I shouldn’t. I pushed them aside. Not only would he never reciprocate anyway, but he was off limits as my protector.

  Judging by his sour attitude he’s probably a poor lover. Probably all one sided. Not very giving.

  Yes, that was what I’d continue to tell myself.

  Not even going to think about how good his body would feel held over mine.

  Nope. Not going to think about it.

  Only when we were face to face with a fraction of an inch between us, did he step aside.

  Just in time too. I’d been tempted to kiss him. I’d probably better get my bath now.

  Or a cold shower.

  Chapter Ten

  My reflection looked back at me, surrounded by harsh white light. My hair tangled around my face. Big eyes looked far more innocent than they were. High cheekbones reminded me of what little nourishment the gods offered me during the long lifetime I’d lived.

  I was definitely no Kiki.

  Ugh! Why was I even comparing myself? I’m the only woman on Earth surrounded by beautiful men and whining about the situation.

  Banging shook the door, making me jump back from it.

  “Almost done?” Alex’s stern voice boomed around the white tile bathroom.

  I pushed open the door and came face to face with him once more. What did Alex have to be so moody about? His godly authority was too respected? His face was too perfect looking? His muscle tone was too sexy?

  My gaze lingered a bit too long on the planes of his chest. I swallowed hard just as his eyes opened. They narrowed on me as my eyes swooped up from the chiseled lines that veered down into his briefs.

  “I’m going on this date.” His words distracted my attention.

  “What? No.”

  “Yes.” His stare dipped to my tight black pants before meeting my eyes again, “It’s been two days and your little box of miseries is miseryless.”

  Miseryless.

  Who did he think he was making up words? Shit, he wasn’t Shakespeare.

  “Fine. But try to stay out of my way.” I stood with an arrogant stance, but he brushed past me, his smooth chest skimming against my breasts.

  The friction of it made a shiver shake through me and suddenly my confidence wasn’t nearly as strong as it was a moment ago.

  “I’m dressing you, too.”

  “What? I think I can dress myself.” I’ve done just fine. My fingers pushed down the front of my see-through blouse.

  With a flick of his wrist my clothes were gone and replaced with a tight black dress that pushed my chest up and revealed the long span of my bronze legs.

  “Perfect.” It was a quiet rasping sound that left his lips parted as he stared intently at me.

  “You think I look perfect?” My hips swayed as I stepped closer to him.

  His pale eyes became frosty as he glared down at me. “As close to perfect as we’re going to get.”

  With another flick of his wrist his clothes were on as well. A tight black shirt covered his wide shoulders, and snug jeans clung to his lean hips.

  A mimicking and mocking voice filled my thoughts as I repeated his words in my head.

  Why did the gods have to give me the most annoying arrogant asshole in all of Olympus?

  “Taking this with us as well.” Another magical wave, and there was that damn box again. He picked up the intimidating box that might forever haunt my dreams. He flicked his wrist again and it disappeared.

  It was gone from sight. And yet, I could still feel it. It was a stinging pain that tingled through my nerves.

  Alex looked at me for just a second as he shoved his boots on. Emotion softened his eyes, and as he stepped closer to me, I realized I didn’t trust him.

  I didn’t trust the pitying look in his beautiful gaze.

  “You can do this.” His warm breath fanned against my neck as his palm pushed to the small of my back.

  What I wouldn’t have given to lean into him. To let him hold me. To find comfort in his kind words. A god could never have offered me those things. And so, Alex was not to be trusted.

  I stepped away from his gentle touch.

  A knock rapped against our hotel door. It was a quiet sound, not at all like the intrusive way Alex knocked.

  We stared at each other for a long moment.

  For some odd reason fear trickled through me. My thoughts instantly went to the gods. As if they’d politely knock on our door and escort me back to my imprisonment.

  Long strides took Alex to the door, and he opened it with caution.

  “Um, shit. Do I have the wrong room?” Ashton’s voice drifted into the room, and in no time, I was shoving past the god before he could say something to ruin my perfect image.

  “Hey.” A smile pulled at my lips the moment I saw him. A weird and quick beat began to strum through my heart.

  He didn’t smile back. “Who’s your friend?” He nodded to the overbearing god lingering behind me.

  Well, he’s not my friend for starters. Not that I could have led with the fantastic explanation.

  “This is Alex.” The strange phrase friend zone swirled through my mind. “He’s my best friend. We do everything together. He helped me pick out this outfit, even.”

  Best friend. Someone alert the gods that this arrogant asshole was just promoted to my best friend.

  What did that say about me for having such slim choices for best friends… ? There really wasn’t anyone else I could even call my best friend, even if I wanted to.

  Oh my gods, he was my best friend. Damn it. How did this happen to me?

  Deep laughter rumbled through my thoughts and it took me a moment to realize it was Alex.

  You should be so lucky to have me as a best friend.

  “Alex, this is Ashton.” I nodded a little less enthusiastically, almos
t grimacing actually.

  The two men gave quiet nods to one another.

  “Zav wanted to know if you and your friend wanted to come hang out for a while before dinner. My friend just got to town, and we didn’t want to cancel, but we didn’t want to ditch him either.”

  “Yeah, that sounds great.”

  The elevator ride up to Ashton’s room felt cramped. It felt chaperoned. Only the chiming of the little numbered floors sounded through the small space.

  “What do you do for a living?” Alex looked to Ashton as if he really had no idea.

  A smile that could melt hearts tilted Ashton’s face. “I’m in the entertainment business.”

  I shot Alex a menacing look, but he promptly ignored me and my little scowl.

  “Really? I don’t think I’ve heard of you. It’s hard to hit mainstream though. Give it a few years, it’ll take off before you’re thirty I’m sure.” He nodded to himself while Ashton’s confused attention shifted to me for a moment.

  Mainstream? Why are you being an ass? I glared at him in the shining metal reflection of the elevator doors.

  Just making polite conversation. Just because he’s won five awards this year doesn’t mean everyone’s heard of him. Artist of the year isn’t that big of an accomplishment, Dora.

  I exhaled a sigh of annoyance, and as the doors pulled open, Ashton slipped his fingers through mine. The warmth of his hand calmed me, and suddenly I wasn’t aware of the insufferable god trailing behind us at all.

  My heels clicked nicely against the glossy tile, and with a flash of his key card, Ashton pushed open the door to the largest hotel room I’d ever seen.

  It was like a small house rather than a room. White furniture filled the space, and Zavier sat at a shining desk. His serious features tipped up into a small smile when he saw me, but he continued with his phone call.

  And there, against the far wall, was something I was not expecting.

  A man with lines of hard muscle cutting across his body soaked up the dusty evening sunlight. A woman knelt on the floor with a camera tilted up to the beautiful man’s perfect features.

  He. Was. Completely. Nude.

  And you said I had to wear clothes.

  I smirked up at the glowering god. He creased his brows as he looked quickly away from the naked man and his glorious… cock.

  I, on the other hand, took a slow inventory of every inch of his body. His pale hair was tied back from his face. Piercing eyes looked into the heart of the camera. His broad shoulders leaned against the glass window in a lazy look of sexual exhaustion. And there, just below his narrow hips was a fantastic sight I had yet to see during my time back on Earth.

  This. This was the welcome home party I’d been expecting.

  At least someone knew how to greet a lady.

  “Brock, this is my friend, Hope.” Ashton waved a hand between the two of us.

  I met his intense eyes, and a posed half smile tipped his lips. His teeth were perfect. Not a single flaw graced his body.

  “Why is there a naked dude in your room?” Alex seemed to be the only one questioning the luck I was having right now.

  “Um,” An awkward smile filled Ashton’s face, “Brock’s a model.”

  Ashton paused as if there was further explanation but then he simply walked away.

  “He’s a model, Alex. Makes perfect sense. Remove the stick from your ass, and maybe we’ll all be naked tonight.” The idea of Alex being naked caused a strange feeling to tangle through my fluttering stomach.

  “That’s not going to happen, I can assure you.”

  Zavier jotted down another note before ending his call. He passed his naked friend before making his way toward me.

  “I’m so sorry my friend’s … fucking naked right now. He wasn’t naked ten minutes ago I swear. I wouldn’t have asked you to meet him if I knew his dick would be out.”

  I bit my lips as I took another peek at said dick.

  I’m not sorry.

  Sorry. Not sorry.

  “That’s okay. We’re all naked underneath, right?” My attention fell to the many buttons along Zavier’s white shirt that was tucked neatly into his pants.

  I sincerely doubt this guy’s ever been naked in his life. A cough rumbled through Alex, disrupting his judgmental thoughts.

  Shut. Up. Alex.

  “This is my friend, Alex. Alex, this is Zavier.”

  Zavier held out his hand to the god, and the two men stared one another down for only a second while they shook.

  “Do you want a drink? Wine?” Zavier began walking toward the bar before I’d even said yes.

  “Wine sounds great.” And it did. The first, second, and third glass I had all sounded great.

  It was the fourth one that was a little … more than great.

  I felt fantastic despite the protests of my unsteady balance.

  My cheeks heated as I laughed hard at Ashton’s words. He pulled at my hand, and I held tightly to my glass as I landed in his lap.

  Once again, I was in the arms of a rockstar, looking up into his pretty eyes and seeing pure lust there.

  My hand drifted down his chest.

  “What’s something people say to describe you?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, that stupid smile still clinging to my warm cheeks.

  “If someone was trying to describe you to a friend, what’s something you think they’d say about you?” Alex’s hands pushed low on my hips as I straddled him.

  No one had given much thought to me at all. Why would they even describe me?

  “Beautiful lips,” Zavier said from his spot on the couch next to us. His hooded eyes looked up at me, his attention drawn to my parted lips.

  Ashton nodded in agreement as my fingers played across my mouth.

  “What’s something someone would say to describe you?” I asked, studying every perfect detail of the man beneath me.

  “Uh.” He looked away, as if it wasn’t something he liked to think about.

  “Pierced dick,” Brock said from behind us. Rumbling laughter accompanied his words.

  Ashton’s eyes closed slowly as if he could just disappear.

  I shifted against his hips. “What?”

  Zavier started to hum with laughter as well.

  “When… I was nineteen, I… was a little obsessed with piercings.” A delicate scar through his left eyebrow drew my attention.

  “A little? It has to be more than a little for someone to shove a needle through my junk.” Brock tipped his beer bottle to his full lips. He’d put his jeans on but still remained shirtless.

  “What’s it look like?” I hoped with all my hope that the gods would gift me with some images of this unknown information but nope. Nothing. They never give me anything good to look at.

  “Um.” His smile was growing by the minute. “It’s interesting, I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”

  “According to the tabloids, there are four metal piercings running down the shaft of my friend’s dick. Not that hard to explain, Ash.” Brock’s words seemed to repeat in my mind like a sexy chant.

  It was difficult for me not to shift against his cock.

  It was even more difficult for me not to ask to see it.

  Get your mind off his dick, I don’t want to visualize that.

  I turned slightly to scowl at Alex. Why the fuck was he ruining my fun by brooding in the corner and intruding in my thoughts? Piss off.

  Not going to happen, Dora. His displeasure felt like it was permeating the room.

  Ignoring it, I turned back to Ashton and his pierced cock. Maybe if I rubbed against him enough, he would let me see it. And do more. I wondered what it’d feel like inside me. Was it any different than normal…?

  I really don’t want to see this.

  Then go away and get yourself laid.

  I hardly need to get laid, Dora.

  Why? Did you get some while I was out earlier?

  His silence was very telling. There was no w
ay he did anything with anyone, and we both knew it. Unfortunately, his rule seemed to be that if he wasn’t getting any, then I wasn’t either.

  “What else did you have pierced?” I was intrigued to find out and hoped he’d say something else sort of sexy.

  Ashton smirked. “My tongue, but I don’t wear the bar every day.”

  “Oh.” I sounded disappointed, even to myself.

  “I can still wear one,” he consoled. “I have one in my room.” I almost expected him to wink with that, but he didn’t. How disappointing.

  “Will you show me?” I asked, already excited by the prospect. Piercings in tongues and cocks hadn’t been common before. I was eager to discover how they changed things.

  “Maybe sometime.”

  “Ashton isn’t really the dine and fuck type,” Brock teased.

  I didn’t turn to him, I was more interested in the look which crossed Ashton’s face. He didn’t seem happy with his friend.

  “Dine and fuck being…” I prompted.

  Zavier laughed. “Taking someone out for a meal and then taking them back to your room for sex,” he said matter of factly.

  “That’s a thing?” I couldn’t believe that. It seemed so dishonest. If you wanted to have sex with someone, you just should. Why hide your goal behind a fake motive? Nope, not for me.

  “Yes?” Zavier’s shocked voice suggested this was something I should know. Apparently, the gods’ guide had failed me.

  “If it wasn’t, Zav’s app would never have taken off,” Brock added.

  I liked him. Brock was very say it as it was. I could respect that, from what I’d seen so far, this new world wasn’t exactly known for that.

  “Right. I’m not really that kind of woman.”

  “Good,” Ashton answered, leaning forward. “I don’t want you to think you’re just a fuck,” he whispered, his voice just low enough that I was the only one who’d be able to hear.

  A little part of me hummed in response. I didn’t want to admit how much I loved the idea of being more than just sex for him. There was something reassuring about him. Mostly that Alex’s assessment of the rockstar was completely off base.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, our lips were almost touching. I wanted this so badly.

  “We should get you back to your room.” Ashton’s breath fanning against my lips only just overrode the disappointment coursing through me.