by Tina Folsom
There was the slightest of hesitation before Sophia answered, “Oh yeah. You know they’re probably just regular names in Greece where they’re all from. Like John or Paul.”
“I didn’t know they’re all from Greece.”
“Oh yes, their families immigrated when they were children.”
Psyche nodded. “That makes sense then.”
When she turned, she suddenly saw the beautiful woman walk in to the kitchen and approach Penny. “Just wanted to say goodnight.”
Penny stepped away from the counter, wiping her hands on a dishtowel, and met the woman halfway. “Hera, I’m so grateful you could watch Pan and Thoas tonight.”
Hera smiled, glancing curiously at Psyche. “Anytime. Those two are just adorable.”
“And they love you,” Penny said.
“And why wouldn’t they love their—”
“—their nanny? You’re so right,” Penny cut in and hugged her.
“Well, then. I’d better be off.” Hera turned and walked out of the kitchen.
Psyche felt her chin drop. She approached Penny. “That’s your nanny? I don’t think I’d ever want a nanny as stunningly gorgeous as yours. Aren’t you worried about your husband finding her… you know… attractive?”
“Oh, almost forgot, if you want me to watch Pan on Monday, call me.”
Psyche whirled around. Hera had come back. Had she overheard what Psyche had said? If she had, she didn’t seem upset about it. No, instead, she gave Psyche a benevolent smile.
“Oh, and nice to meet you. Psyche, is it?” She offered her hand in greeting.
Stunned, Psyche shook it. “Nice to meet you, too,” she managed to squeeze out with barely any breath. Embarrassment swept through her.
“I’m sure we’ll see each other again. Bye then.” Finally she swept out of the room.
Slowly Psyche turned back to Penny and caught her exchanging a grin with Sophia.
“She likes you,” Sophia said.
Psyche frowned. “I doubt that. She must have overheard me.”
Penny chuckled. “Every woman likes to hear she’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, but I practically insulted her by suggesting that she might try to seduce your husband.”
Both Sophia and Penny laughed out loud. In fact, they could hardly contain themselves.
“What’s so funny in here?”
Psyche whirled her head to the man who’d spoken: Hermes.
“Just that Psyche thought that our nanny might seduce you,” Penny replied amidst fits of laughter.
“Our nanny?”
“Hera,” Penny said.
“Hera? That’s funny.” He turned in the door to address the guests in the dining room. “You wanna hear something really funny, guys?”
Moments later Triton, Eros, Dionysus, and Ariadne broke out in raucous laughter. Only the neighbor couple and Francesca and her date didn’t laugh, though they smiled politely. What was so funny about Psyche’s assumption that a beautiful young woman could be a temptation for a man like Hermes? Surely, he had to notice Hera’s appeal? Even Psyche, as a straight woman, had barely been able to keep her eyes off such physical perfection. A man would have an even harder time no matter how good his marriage was or how loyal he was to his wife.
“Time for dessert,” Penny said from behind her, interrupting her thoughts about the beautiful nanny.
19
Eros followed Psyche into the dark foyer of his home and closed the door behind them.
Finally alone.
While the evening at Hermes’ house had been pleasant and at times downright fun, looking at Psyche all night in her figure-hugging black dress had made him hornier than a sailor on shore leave. Now the only question was: Was Psyche interested in sharing his bed tonight?
Psyche stood at the foot of the stairs, one hand on the banister. He stepped behind her and put his hand on hers. Lowering his face to the crook of her neck, he blew a breath of air against her skin. She shivered, yet didn’t pull away. Slowly, he snaked his other arm around her waist and pulled her to him until her back was flat to his chest.
“I don’t know about you,” he murmured, “but I’m not tired yet.”
He suddenly felt her press her backside into his groin, making him moan involuntarily.
“I’m not either,” she said and rubbed herself against him.
“In that case I can think of something to pass the time.” He slid his hand down her stomach and brought it to rest over her mound. “That is, if you feel the same.”
She dropped her head back against his shoulder. “What did you have in mind?”
“Why don’t you push up your dress a bit so I can demonstrate?”
With both hands she eased her dress up inch by inch until the seam barely covered her panties. “Like this?”
“That’s perfect,” he praised and brushed his hand over her panties, then slowly slipped his fingers beneath the fabric. He combed through her pubic hair until he reached her warm folds. Wetness greeted him. “Hmm.” He stroked along the inviting slit, loving the feel of it. “I was thinking of making you come. Is that something I could interest you in?”
“That sounds good.” She tilted her pelvis toward his hand.
“Take your panties off,” he ordered.
She shimmied out of the garment and dropped it to the floor. He turned her to him, then eased her against the wall next to the stairs.
“Put your foot on the second step,” he demanded.
Watching him curiously from under her long lashes, she did what he asked, while he pushed her dress to her waist. A blush rose to her cheeks, and he had to smile. He liked that about her, the fact that there was still some innocence in her, even though she gave into his kinky desires.
With one foot braced on the second step, her legs were spread now, her pussy exposed for his viewing pleasure. Locking eyes with her, Eros lowered himself to his knees in front of her, bringing his head level with her pelvis. She didn’t break eye contact, but looked down, her eyes like molten pools of pleasure.
“I didn’t get a chance to taste you last night,” he murmured and sank his face onto her center, inhaling her female scent. He pressed a kiss to her heated flesh and felt her shudder. Gripping her thighs, he opened her wider, forcing her to lift her leg to the third step. He licked over her slit, gathering her juices on his tongue and spreading them farther up to her clit.
Psyche moaned, and the sound echoed in the foyer. “Eros, oh my god!”
Her reaction spurred him on even more, and he began to explore her in earnest. Hungrily, he licked and sucked her, swiping his tongue over her soft folds and sucking the supple flesh between his lips. He dipped his tongue into her slit and drank her honey, listening to her moans and sighs and feeling her fingers dig into his shoulders, as she ground her pelvis against his mouth for more friction.
He loved the way she let herself go and gave into her carnal needs, allowing him to pleasure her without restraint. Feeling her turn to putty in his hands excited him like nothing else. He could feel his cock grow harder with every second and his own need for release spiral out of control. But he was determined not to give into his own needs before he’d satisfied hers.
Psyche’s heart was beating faster now, and her chest heaved as she panted out her breaths as if sprinting toward a goal. He sensed how close she was, felt the swollen bundle of nerves beneath his lips and tongue and doubled his efforts to give her the release she craved. Bringing his fingers to aid, he licked and sucked and stroked, following her body’s rhythm until she finally stiffened, and a shudder wracked her frame. Her knees buckled, and he caught her, holding her up so she didn’t fall, while she rode out her orgasm.
As her spasms ebbed, he slowly slid up her body and pulled her against him.
“Eros, this was…” Her voice died.
“I know.” He lifted her into his arms and started carrying her upstairs.
She nudged her head against his chest and sighed, and the gestur
e warmed his heart. In his bedroom, he laid her on his bed and turned on one of the bedside lamps. Without saying anything he undressed her, then took his own clothes off until he was naked. His cock was pumped full with blood, curving toward his navel.
Psyche’s entire body was flushed. Her skin seemed to glisten, and she looked up at him now, an inviting glimmer in her eyes. She angled one leg and drew his gaze to her pussy, her arms stretched toward him now. But before she could pull him down to her, he gripped her by her ankles and twisted her so she landed on her front.
Her surprised gasp was muffled by the pillow. When she lifted her head, Eros was already pulling her hips up and positioning himself between her thighs.
She whirled her head to him. “Condom!”
Fuck, he’d almost forgotten about that pesky little thing. Not that he needed it. A god could decide what kind of seed he released, thus controlling whether to impregnate a woman or not. But to maintain his cover, he had to continue using a condom. He quickly bent to the nightstand and retrieved one from it. He slipped it on and returned to his previous position.
“Where were we?” he asked casually, but didn’t give her a chance to reply. Instead, he thrust forward and seated himself in her honeyed sheath, diving deep into her warm and wet center. “Oh yeah, now I remember. I was gonna fuck you until neither of us can move another limb.”
She moaned beneath him as he proceeded to make good on his promise. Holding on to her hips, he delivered thrust after thrust, plunging deep and hard into her. He was in control now, but Psyche didn’t seem to mind. The sounds of pleasure that rolled over her lips and the way she thrust her ass toward his groin every time he plunged forward, gave him indication enough that she was enjoying this as much as he was. And then there were the whispered words she uttered, words that she mumbled into the pillow, yet his sensitive hearing picked up nevertheless.
“Fuck me, Eros! Yes, take me hard!”
And who was he to deny a woman her pleasure? He increased his tempo and thrust harder, feeling how her interior muscles gripped him tightly with every withdrawal. The sensation was intoxicating. As if she wanted to keep him inside her forever. If he hadn’t been wearing the condom, which tamped down some of his sensitivity, he would have come minutes ago. But he was still hard, still plunging in and out of her, still holding on. But not for much longer. Knowing he was close, he lifted one hand off her hip and reached between her legs, finding her engorged clit with unerring precision. He knew her body so well already, knew exactly what she needed now so they could climax together. He coated his finger with her wetness, then stroked over the sensitive organ, while he continued to drive into her. Her pussy spasmed almost immediately, gripping his cock like a vice.
“Fuck!” he ground out, trying to hold on to his control for a second longer. But it was too late.
His cock jerked inside her, robbing him of every sane thought in his mind, while his climax engulfed him like an ocean wave crashing over him. Just before his knees gave out, he managed to roll himself onto his side, taking Psyche with him, so she was tucked against his front, his cock still buried inside her.
For a few seconds, all he could do was gasp for air and fill his lungs with much needed oxygen.
“Wow,” he murmured, pressing his lips to the crook of her neck. “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever touched.”
She chuckled softly.
“Just looking at you in that hot little number all night made me so horny.”
Psyche turned her face. “So you liked my dress?”
“Liked?” He delivered a thrust with his still semi-hard cock. “I don’t think liked is a strong enough word.”
“You looked pretty handsome yourself tonight,” she admitted.
Eros eased out of her and rid himself of the condom, then pulled her back into his arms and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “I enjoyed taking you on the stairs. In the dark.”
She shivered in his arms. “That was, uh… very…”
“Hot?”
“Yes.”
“Well, if you like that kind of thing, maybe next time I’ll bend you over the kitchen island.” He could already feel what that image did to his cock. Blood started pumping back into his eager appendage.
“That sounds quite decadent.” She sighed, and he caught her looking at the clock on his nightstand. “I should go to bed.” She made a move to get up, but he held her back.
“Stay,” he murmured. “Please.” He wanted her in his arms, wanted to feel her while they slept.
She turned her head to look at him, a surprised expression in her eyes. “But that’s not what we agreed. This is just sex.”
“I know what we agreed.” He ran his fingers down her arm and felt her shiver. “But what if we amended our agreement a little?” He couldn’t believe it himself, but something inside him had made him ask the question.
“What are you saying?”
“I know that neither you nor I want a relationship, because we’ve both been hurt.” He paused, worried that he might scare her off with what he was about to suggest. For Hades’ sake, he was a little scared himself, not knowing where this sudden urge was coming from.
“Yes?”
“Look at what we’re doing: for my friends, we’re pretending that we’re dating. You’re living in my house. And we’re having sex. Fabulous sex, if you ask me.” He shrugged. “So what does that look like to you?”
She gave him a cautious look. “I don’t know…”
“To everybody, even to myself, it looks like we’re dating and—”
“But it’s all pretense.”
“Did the last hour feel like pretense to you? It sure didn’t to me.” He sighed. “All I’m saying is we’re already doing everything a dating couple does. So why not be honest and say we want to date?” At least he wanted to. Although he didn’t know why. They could just as easily carry on what they were doing now, without changing the status quo.
“You want to date?”
Eros nodded. “It doesn’t have to mean that it’ll lead to anything. But I think I’d feel better about all of this, if I knew it wasn’t pretense.” Call him a hopeless romantic, but he was, after all, the god of love.
“What if it doesn’t work? Then we’ll both be disappointed again.”
“Not if we go into this with open eyes. I want us to be honest with each other. And the truth is: I like you, Psyche. You’re an amazing woman, and not just in bed.”
She turned fully to him, her eyes searching his as if looking for a sign that he was telling the truth. “I like you, too, Eros. But what if we’re destroying what we have right now?”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.” He smiled and winked at her. “Even if it means I might lose the greatest sex I’ve ever had.”
Psyche laughed. “You sure have a way of talking a woman into something she knows is gonna turn into a disaster.”
He pulled her to him and slid his hand to her ass, giving her a light slap. “Don’t be so pessimistic. I’m really not such a bad guy.”
She eased closer. “No, you’re not,” she murmured and brushed her lips over his.
“So you agree?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Good. How about we seal this change in our agreement with something a little more intense than a kiss?”
“What did you have in mind?”
He nudged his now fully erect cock against her stomach. In response Psyche dropped her hand to his groin and wrapped it around his erection. “I like the way you think.”
~ ~ ~
Zeus stared into his all-seeing eye, the large round disk embedded in the white marble floor of his study in his palace on Mount Olympus. It allowed him to observe anything taking place in the mortal world. It was early morning in Greece, but the scene he was watching took place during the night—in a bedroom in Charleston. Eros’s bedroom.
“If you think I’m gonna let you off the hook that easily, think again, my dear grandson.” Eros had insulted him
during their last encounter. “Nobody talks to me like you did. You’re gonna pay for that. And it’s gonna hurt.” He laughed. “Because you just handed me the perfect opportunity to hurt you and teach you a lesson all at the same time. Let’s see who’s the smarter god, shall we?”
Zeus made a movement with his arm and swiped the image away, turning the looking glass into shiny stone. He marched to his terrace and looked out over the mortal world of Greece at the foot of the mountain.
When he was done with Eros, the boy would beg him to let him shoot his arrows again and do his duty. And if Eros complied and showed enough remorse, maybe he would even let him have the woman. Or maybe he’d take her for himself, just to spite the god of love and show him who wielded the real power in this world.
20
Psyche spent most of the following morning in a daze. Good thing that it was quiet in the shop and she didn’t have to interact with many customers, or they would probably have wondered why she seemed so distracted. If they knew the reason for her dreamlike state, they wouldn’t be surprised. It was all because of Eros.
She still couldn’t believe what had happened the previous night. Not the sex, no, though again it had been out-of-this-world amazing and satisfying. Eros was an incredibly talented, as well as attentive, lover. It was hard to believe that a woman had hurt him and let him slip through her fingers. Didn’t she know what kind of prize she’d captured?
But what had stunned her most was Eros’s admission that he wanted more than just sex, even though they’d agreed previously that they didn’t want that kind of complication in their lives. What had changed?
She was excited and scared at the same time. Excited that a man like Eros, who was clearly successful, definitely handsome, and undeniably great in bed, wanted more than just a roll in the hay with her. But scared that their attempt at a relationship would fail. Her track record when it came to men wasn’t good. And her belief in love left much to be desired. But did these things really mean she and Eros had no chance? She hoped not, because whenever she was with him, things felt right. She couldn’t explain it, because it made no sense to her, but in his presence she felt hopeful that all the things that had gone wrong in her life would be righted.