by Tina Folsom
“Psyche, you can’t mean that. You’re just playing hard to get.”
She tried to break free of his hold, but he gripped her harder and suddenly pushed her against the wall. “Let go! Now!”
“Don’t be like that. I know you still want me.”
“I don’t! Let go of me!” she protested louder. “Or the entire stadium is going to hear me scream.”
Instead of releasing her, he pushed his groin against her. “So this is how you wanna play it, baby, a little rough, huh?”
“No!” she shouted. “Don’t touch me!” She jerked her knee up, but before it could connect with Wayne’s balls, he was ripped back.
“I think you should listen to the lady!” Eros, who appeared behind Wayne, said in an icy tone.
“Who the fuck—” Wayne whirled around to face his attacker and instantly interrupted himself. “You?”
“Yeah, me.”
One thought shot through Psyche’s mind: they knew each other?
“It’s none of your fucking business, what my girlfriend and I are doing,” Wayne protested.
“She’s my girlfriend, you fucking asshole. And she told you not to touch her.” Eros swung his fist and delivered a devastating blow to Wayne’s chin. Wayne staggered and lifted his fists in defense, but before he could swing at Eros, Eros hit him once more, slamming Wayne against the wall, his nose bleeding.
“Get the fuck out of here,” Eros warned. “And if I ever see you near Psyche again, I’ll finish you off.”
Stunned and disoriented, Wayne stumbled as he pushed himself off the wall and made his retreat. Only when he’d disappeared around the corner did Psyche dare to breathe again. If Eros hadn’t found her in time… She didn’t want to finish that thought and instead trembled as shock and relief collided.
“Are you hurt?” Eros asked and came closer.
She shook her head, but her body wouldn’t stop shaking.
Eros gently put his arms around her and eased her into an embrace. “You’re safe now. Wayne won’t dare come near you again. I’ll make sure of that.” She felt his soothing hands rub over her back to calm her.
“If you hadn’t come…”
“But I have,” he stopped her. “It’s alright now.”
She wrapped her arms around him and held on for dear life. “Thank you.” Slowly, her breathing returned to normal, and her body stopped shaking.
Eros pressed a kiss to her forehead, when she remembered something she’d noticed during the short confrontation.
“How did you know it was Wayne? He seemed to know you.”
Eros sighed, and a regretful expression crossed his face. Instinctively, Psyche pulled out of his arms.
Eros ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Psyche. I saw the text message he sent you.”
“What? You’ve been spying on me?”
“No.” He cursed. “Yes, but it’s not what you think.”
She stared at him in silence.
“You were in the shower that day, and I was just getting ready to join you when your cell phone pinged. I looked at it. It was a reflex, and I would have never read the message, but I saw the sender’s name. It said Wayne. You’d told me about him. I didn’t know what to make of him contacting you out of the blue. So I read the message.” He lowered his gaze to the ground. “And it indicated that you’d seen him that day. I was jealous. And when you didn’t mention anything about seeing him when I asked you about your day, I thought you were hiding something from me.”
Psyche let out a breath. “Oh god.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured.
“I didn’t tell you anything about him, because…” She hesitated, not knowing how to explain it.
He looked up then and his gaze met hers. He was waiting.
“… because you’re fixing everything for me already. My truck, my condo, everything. I don’t want to feel like the damsel in distress who needs her knight in shining armor to fix all her problems.”
“But I like helping you.”
“I know that. But I needed to do some things by myself. I was handling Wayne. I told him I had no interest in getting back together with him. I thought that if I ignored him long enough he’d eventually go away. That’s why I didn’t tell you. Are we good now?”
He nodded. “There’s something else. The reason Wayne recognized me.”
“Go on.”
“I went to the car dealership where he works and pretended to be a customer. I struck up a conversation with him.”
“What kind of conversation?”
“We talked about women. He boasted that he was getting back together with his ex, and that the way he’d achieved that was by groveling, so she would believe that he’d changed and he was sorry for everything he did. But he wasn’t sorry. And he hasn’t changed.”
Psyche nodded. “I never believed him for a second when he said he was sorry.” Then she reached for Eros’s hand. “Did you believe him when he said he was back together with me?”
Eros hesitated. “For a very brief moment, I had doubts. They were eating me up. I was scared that you were like Gloria. That you were playing me. But then I talked to Aphrodite. That’s why she was there that day. She helped me see what I should have seen on my own.”
“And what’s that?”
“That I could trust you.” He squeezed her hand then reached for the other one and pulled both to his lips to kiss her knuckles. “Will you forgive me?”
“Will you stop being jealous if I tell you that I’m not interested in any other guy but you?”
A smile spread on his face. “I can do that.”
“Then I forgive you.” She leaned closer, bringing her mouth to within an inch of his. “Kiss me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She had to chuckle at his response, but Eros instantly silenced her by pressing his lips to hers, first gently, then with more pressure. She parted her lips to invite him in. He tasted of possessive male, but there was an underlying gentleness in his kiss that told her that he cherished and respected her. He would never do anything against her wishes.
Psyche pulled him to her, wanting to feel his body. She ran her hands down his back, feeling his toned muscles, then continued farther south and gripped his butt with both hands.
Eros released her mouth and looked over his shoulder then back at her. “I don’t think this is the right place for what’s gonna happen in a few seconds if you touch me like that.”
Psyche chuckled, giddy that she could ignite Eros’s passion so quickly. “Well, aren’t you easy…”
“Easy, huh?” He looked around then pulled her toward the door to the sports center. “Well let’s see how easy you are once I get us a little privacy.”
He was already opening the door, when a voice called out, “Mr. Eros, Mr. Eros.”
Psyche recognized it as Justin’s. She froze, as did Eros, who gave her a mock-serious look. “Don’t think that means you’re off the hook.”
She chuckled and turned around.
Justin came running, Eros’s bow in his hand, his parents on his heels.
“Hey Justin,” Eros said and walked toward him. “You were great! Congratulations on your win!” The boy hugged him.
Psyche smiled at them. Eros was great with kids. She could see that, and it filled her heart with warmth. She looked at Justin’s parents, and walked toward them, her hand extended. “Hi, I’m Psyche. We haven’t been introduced yet, but I’ve heard a lot about Justin.”
She shook Mr. and Mrs. Clayton’s hand.
“So nice to finally meet you,” Mrs. Clayton said and her husband agreed.
“We’re glad we caught you, Mr. Eros,” Mr. Clayton added, “so Justin can return the bow. It made all the difference.”
Eros took the bow from Justin. “I’m glad it helped. I guess next time when we practice, we’ll use your bow, alright, buddy?”
“Yes, Mr. Eros,” Justin agreed.
“Well,” Mr. Clayton said, “we’ll leave you t
o it. Thanks again!”
When the Claytons were gone, Psyche turned back to Eros. Something in the conversation had struck her as odd.
“You know it’s funny how they call you Mr. Eros. As if you don’t have a last name.”
Eros shot her a surprised look. “Oh. Yeah.”
“And now that I think of it, I don’t think I ever heard anybody say your last name. You must have one.”
“Of course,” Eros said quickly. Maybe a little too quickly. “It’s Aresopoulos. Most people find it too difficult to pronounce.” Then he changed the subject. “Come, let’s get out of here.”
He took her hand and she let him guide her toward the exit. But her mind was still processing what he’d said. So he had a Greek last name. Not surprising considering that he’d emigrated from Greece as a child. But there was something else. Something she wasn’t seeing yet. Or maybe something that she didn’t want to see, because it couldn’t possibly be true.
30
Son of Ares. That was what the surname he’d given Psyche meant. It was a name Eros had used before, whenever he needed to give a last name while residing in the mortal world. The fact that Psyche had asked him what his surname was, wasn’t in itself unusual. But it reminded him once more that he hadn’t told her the truth about himself. He wasn’t quite ready for that. In order to share his secret with her, he had to be absolutely sure about his, as well as her, feelings. Being a god wasn’t something one disclosed to a casual girlfriend. Which begged the question: how serious was their relationship? To get to the bottom of this question, he knew he had to take the next step.
“I have a surprise for you,” Eros said, as Psyche sat down in the passenger seat of his car.
“What kind of surprise?” she asked curiously and with a touch of anxiety in her voice.
He reached for her hand and squeezed it to reassure her. “Don’t worry, it’s a good surprise. But I can’t tell you anything else, or it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”
“Okay.”
“Good, now open the glove compartment and pull out the sleeping mask that’s in there.”
“Sleeping mask?” she asked suspiciously.
He nodded. “So you can’t see where we’re going.” When Psyche still hesitated, he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Trust me?”
Psyche finally nodded and opened the glove compartment. She pulled the black sleeping mask from it and slipped it over her eyes.
Fifteen minutes later Eros pulled the car into a spot in front of Psyche’s condo building. “We’re here. I’ll help you out of the car.”
Eros walked around the convertible, opened the passenger side door and helped Psyche out of it. He closed and locked the car, then led her up the short path to the building.
“There’s one step up,” he warned her, then paused as he unlocked the door. He held it open for her and put his arm around her waist, while holding on to her hand.
“Where are we?”
“You’ll see in a minute. Patience.”
Eros guided her up the stairs, until they reached the door to her apartment. He unlocked it and pushed the door open. Then he guided Psyche inside and closed the door behind them.
“You can take the mask off,” he said.
Immediately Psyche lifted the sleeping mask off her face and took in her surroundings. “It’s my place.”
She spun around and looked at everything, walked toward the bathroom and looked inside, then ran to the bedroom and did the same there. “Oh my god!” She pivoted and ran into his arms. “It’s all fixed. And everything is back in its place. I can’t believe it.”
Eros smiled. “The carpenter called me yesterday to tell me he was done, so I spent yesterday afternoon here, putting all your furniture back where it belongs.”
“You did all this for me?” She kissed him. “And it looks so clean! Did you clean the place up for me, too?”
He shrugged. The fairies had done the cleaning, but they weren’t here now to receive Psyche’s thanks. “I hope I put everything back in the right place.”
“It’s perfect.” She hugged him tightly, then eased back, a contemplative look on her face now. “Well.” She swallowed.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“No, of course not. But, I guess it’s time to pack up my stuff and move back here. There’s no more reason to stay at your house.” She smiled at him, but he knew her well enough by now to know that her smile wasn’t genuine. She looked toward the bathroom and bedroom.
“Actually, there is a reason,” he said.
Psyche spun her head back to him. “Did something else break?”
Eros quickly shook his head, then took a strand of her hair and brushed it behind her ear. “No, it’s definitely livable again. But what if you rented it out?”
“But where would I…” She stopped herself in mid-sentence. Surprise registered in her beautiful green eyes.
“I’ve emptied one of the walk-in closets in my bedroom. It’ll fit all your things. Psyche, I like having you around. I enjoy your company.” He felt oddly nervous, not knowing whether Psyche would accept, and looked away. “And let’s face it, even if you moved back here, you’d be spending every night at my house anyway. It would save you from having to constantly run back to your place to get clean clothes.”
“Eros, I—I don’t know what to say.”
He lifted his eyes to look at her. “I know that what’s between us is moving fast. And I don’t want to scare you. But I really, really, really, really like you, Psyche. And I think you like me, too. I want the chance to find out if we could like each other even more.”
“Are you sure? After everything that’s in our pasts?”
“I’m sure.”
She threw her arms around him, and he didn’t miss the opportunity to kiss her deep and hard, before releasing her lips again. “Does that mean you’re moving in with me?”
“Yes.”
Eros released her from his embrace and gave her a friendly slap on her backside. “Then go and pack a few more clothes, and we’ll go back home. We’ll get the rest of your personal stuff another day.” He pressed another kiss on her lips. “You’re making me very happy. I hope I can do the same for you.”
Her eyes sparkled when she answered, “I’m sure you can figure out how.” Then Psyche walked into her bedroom and started packing.
~ ~ ~
Hanging up her clothes in the closet in Eros’s bedroom felt almost like a dream. Psyche felt her head spinning. But it wasn’t a dream. Eros had really asked her to move in with him. And she had accepted without thinking about it for too long. She’d followed her gut. Being with Eros was right, and the incident with Wayne this afternoon had strengthened her in this belief.
Psyche closed the closet, then moved her bag of toiletries from the guestroom to Eros’s bathroom. She opened the bag and reached in, pulled out her pills, then walked into the bedroom and placed them on the nightstand.
“What’s that?”
She spun around and found Eros standing only a few feet from her. She hadn’t heard him come in. He walked up to her and pointed to the small blue package on the nightstand.
“Contraceptives,” she said and met his gaze.
A smile formed on his face, and he pulled her into his arms. “Does that mean we can dispense with the condoms?”
“Oh I think since it’s clear now we’re exclusive, we won’t need condoms anymore.”
“Psyche,” he said, his eyes sparkling with joy, “we’ve been exclusive from the day we met.”
She folded her hands behind his neck. “Well then, did you want to try it out without condoms?”
“Now?” The glint in his eyes turned to interest, while his hands lowered to her behind.
“Unless you’re not in the mood right now,” she hedged.
“Not in the mood?” he echoed and rubbed his growing erection against her. “Let me make one thing clear once and for all: when I’m with you I’m always in the mood, g
orgeous.”
She loved the way he said the last word, with so much affection and passion that it overwhelmed her.
“In fact, I’ve been holding back, because I didn’t want to push you or seem like all I want is sex. But just so you know: if you’re ever in the mood for sex, just let me know and I’ll follow your lead. I’m not intimidated by a woman who takes the initiative. On the contrary: it turns me on.”
“It does, huh?” she asked, suddenly feeling daring. She lowered her gaze and drew back a little, then slowly and deliberately slid her hand down to his groin, until she could cup his erection. It was growing at an alarming rate.
Eros sucked in a breath and pressed himself against her palm. “Go ahead, gorgeous. Do what you want with me. I’m not gonna put up any resistance.”
“Such an easy mark,” she murmured and squeezed his cock through his pants.
“Nothing wrong with easy,” he replied.
“I like easy,” she said and stepped back. “Get undressed and lie down on the bed. I’ll be back in a moment.”
She turned around and stepped into the walk-in closet, closing the door behind her. Quickly she rummaged through a drawer with lingerie and pulled out what she was looking for. She changed quickly, then took a deep breath. She’d never dressed up for sex before, but Eros claiming that she turned him on had given her courage. She’d bought the red and black corset that presented her breasts as if on a silver platter on a whim, yet never worn it. With matching garters, stockings, and high-heeled sandals, she felt sexier than she ever had.
When she walked out of the closet, Eros lay on the bed, naked. She approached and noticed his eyes devouring every inch of her. Just like she was now running her eyes over him. His body was perfect. Smooth, tanned skin stretched over toned muscles. Dark hair graced his strong legs, and amidst a nest of black hair his cock stood fully erect.
“Oh my god,” he murmured and reached for his erection. He tugged on it, looking at her with an open mouth.
She pointed at his cock. “I thought that was my job.”
He released it and smirked. “Then you’d better get to it before I explode. Because you, Psyche, are the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”