by Cat Johnson
With a sigh, Eros released his hold on the girl and allowed her to refill the cup belonging to his friend, Erato.
“What plans have you for Valentine’s Day, Erato? Surely the muse of erotic poetry has some sinful fun planned down below amid the mortals.” As Eros spoke, he noted Erato, the darkly handsome counterpart to Eros's own golden good looks, never even glanced at the tasty tidbit offered by way of the serving girl’s bared breast.
Fine, all the more for him then. Eros signaled the girl back over to his side, indicating she should rid her hands of the wine and instead put them to better use when he flipped back the hem of his toga and exposed himself to her.
Erato raised a brow as his gaze dropped briefly to observe the serving girl who dropped to her knees and took Eros's hardened length into her mouth.
Grinning at his friend, Eros swept a hand before him in invitation. “Join me, Erato. There is plenty of this lovely for both of us to share.”
“Thank you, no, Eros. I’m good, but please, feel free. And I won’t be going below for the celebrations. Acantha and I have sinful plans of our own, this being our first Valentine’s Day together.”
Eros pushed himself deeper into the girl’s throat and let his eyes drift shut, enjoying the feel of her muscles contracting as she swallowed around his shaft. She was good, a natural talent at his particular act. He'd remember that for future. Opening his eyes again, he found Erato slowly shaking his head. “What bothers you, Erato?”
“I was just thinking how since Acantha, others don’t hold even the tiniest bit of temptation for me.”
“Yes, so I see.” Eros joined his friend in pondering that thought. There'd been a time, not long ago, when Erato would have been buried hilt deep in this girl at the slightest invitation. “And I agree with you. 'Tis a sad day when a man falls in love, Erato.”
Erato belted out a laugh at that. “No, 'tis a sad day when the god responsible for that emotion feels such as you do. Don’t you want to be in love, Eros?”
“By the gods, no. Are you crazy, Erato?”
“But how can you do what you do, be who you are, and not believe in the most wonderful of all emotions?”
“Oh, I believe love exists. Of course, it does. I have a quiver full of golden arrows that will inflict the cursed emotion on whatever unfortunate mortal I choose. I simply don’t wish to be so afflicted.”
As the girl kneeling between his legs redoubled her efforts with both mouth and hands, Eros felt himself nearing completion. With one palm he pushed and held her head down over him, closed his eyes and came deep in her throat.
Opening his eyes again, Eros dismissed her with the flick of one wrist and then took another sip of wine, only to find his friend once again shaking his head.
“What now, Erato? What do I do that displeases you so? Is it the girl? You said you didn’t want her. I’ll gladly summon her again if you wish.”
“Do you not feel any emotion at all, Eros? Do you no longer feel passion for anything?”
Eros considered that a moment. “Of course, I do. I hate Apollo fairly passionately.”
Visibly setting his jaw, Erato nodded. “I agree with you there, but there is naught I can do about him. But you, Eros, you I can do something about. It saddens me that you have become so…”
Eros watched his friend search for the words he wanted before supplying his own. “Bored to tears from an eternity of dispensing love to the pitiful mortals?”
Jumping on that last statement, Erato nodded his agreement. “Perhaps that is it. You're bored from an eternity of choosing love for others from a safe distance. Don’t stay so safe, Eros. This time when you go to the mortal realm, dare to get a little messy. Feel what the humans feel. They have an enormous capacity for emotions, the mortals. It comes I think from knowing they all face death. That life is fleeting. It’s something we miss here on Mt. Olympus, I fear.”
Though Eros refused to envy the humans their fragility and ability to die, he would allow them the capacity to feel, but that was not to say that he particularly wanted to share in their emotions. In fact, he always took great pains to shield himself from emotion while in the mortal realm. Eros's doubts about the merit of Erato's suggestion must have shown on his face, because Erato let out a frustrated puff of air, set his cup on the floor and stood.
“Think about it, Eros. That’s all I ask of you, but as for now, my love is awaiting me in my chamber and I have a feeling I don’t want to miss a moment of whatever she has planned.”
“Enjoy, Erato. Oh, and please tell the lovely nymph Acantha she may feel free to envision me as you mount her.” Eros grinned.
“Keep it up, my friend, and you may find that quiver of yours stuffed somewhere you’d rather it not be.” Erato shot Eros a warning glance on his way out the door.
Eros laughed, knowing full well his friend was as serious as Eros was jesting when it came to the subject of his new lover.
“May the gods preserve me from love’s foolishness,” Eros mumbled to the empty room as he rubbed from his chest a strange feeling that seemed a bit too reminiscent of envy.
*
Valentine’s Day in the mortal realm. Why these lowly creatures insisted on taking ancient traditions and dressing them up in modern trappings until there remained little or no resemblance to the original was beyond Eros's comprehension. The worst was the bastardization of his own image. He, the mighty Eros, had been turned from skilled archer to chubby cherub. In the image of a child no less, with fat cheeks, wearing a diaper!
Where had the days gone when Eros was respected, feared even? Gone with the invention of greeting cards and pink and red paper heart decorations. It made him ill, and if Eros hadn’t been ordered to visit the mortal realm on this specific date annually, he sure as Zeus wouldn’t be there now in some hotel lobby bar amid the pitiful creatures.
Glancing around him, Eros spied the expected. Lovers forcing themselves to look extra blissful because it was required of them on this day. Others alone, feeling even more miserable than usual for the lack of love in their lives. Still others, strangers, coming together for one night simply because it was better than admitting they were alone on Valentine’s Day. Mortals often confused sex with love, something the Gods didn’t suffer from on Mount Olympus.
Eros sighed and signaled the bartender for a glass of wine. He’d down one inferior, mortal-made beverage, find a likely target, shoot the poor creature and be gone. It wasn’t like he had a quota to fill. He merely had to be present and bring love to some lowly being. Besides, the denim jeans he wore while among the mortals may warrant much attention from the females, judging by the looks he received, but they were some of the most uncomfortable things he’d ever put on his body.
The bartender, a surly old man who wore an expression that said he believed he was doing Eros a favor by simply serving him, slid the wine across the bar. Eros missed the serving girls up on Mount Olympus even more sorely. Though the man did look a bit happier when Eros slipped a large denomination bill across the bar and told him to keep it.
With every passing sip of the mediocre liquid, Eros's malaise grew. Finally, with a sigh, he decided to try Erato’s suggestion, if only to alleviate the boredom. Considering his choices, Erato took in the scene in the bar until one women sitting by herself caught his eye. She was lovely, as far as mortals went, which is what made it even stranger that she was alone. Though she was waiting for someone, judging by the way she continuously peered over her shoulder at the entrance, when she wasn’t consulting what Eros recognized as a cellular phone.
With a huff, she observed her watch, and then the phone, followed by the door one more time, just as Eros opened his mind to her. The moment he dropped the mental barrier he usually kept in place, the waves of emotion that radiated off her struck him like a physical blow. The rich tapestry of feelings drew him to her, and before he knew it, he had risen and was seated next to her. Her deep eyes were trained upon him as all she felt filled his body. Anger. Hurt. Jealousy.
Doubt. Insecurity. And below that all, the underlying cause, the unfulfilled desire to be loved.
“I'm really not in the mood for a pick up line, so if that was your plan, save it.” Then she laughed. “Although, I should take you up to that overpriced hotel room I just paid through the nose for and fuck you until neither of us can walk. That would teach him.”
Eros raised his brow and considered that. “I’m afraid I don’t know anything about pick up lines, but that second part you mentioned I’m very well versed in.”
Her cheeks colored a charming pink. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate. I apologize.”
“No apology necessary. I'm not at all offended.” Eros felt the deep pain within her, but now, it felt different. There was a nuance to her emotions, as if they were mingled with something else. Interest? Desire? For him. Erato had been correct. Emotions were fun.
She shook her head. “No. It was an extremely stupid thing for me to say.”
Eros wondered what her satin brown hair would feel like draped over him. He shook his head. “You’re not stupid.”
She turned her body fully to face him now. “I’ll tell you how stupid I am. When my boss, my boss, which reaches a realm of stupidity all on its own, told me he was leaving his wife so we could be together and that he just had to wait for the holidays to be over because of the children, I actually believed him. And so I was alone on Christmas, and he was with her, and I was alone on New Year’s Eve, when he was with her. And what do I get? One text message over the holidays. A single text message.”
Eros wasn’t exactly sure what that was, but it was apparent from the feelings he felt coming off her a text message in this case was not a good thing.
The woman continued, “He swore to me, swore that he would ask her for a divorce and we would be together on Valentine’s Day. And look. Here we are, Valentine’s Day, and guess what? I’m alone. Again. And stupid.”
“Not stupid. You chose the wrong man to love. It happens.” Not to Eros, it didn’t happen. His aim was true and the love he wrought never ending. But to mortals, who wandered around blindly searching for love, mistakes happened. Often. Perhaps he did need to spend more time in the mortal realm helping the poor creatures.
“Love.” She indelicately snorted out a laugh. “I’m not even sure anymore that love is real.”
“It is. Yours was.” At least to her, in her mind and heart, it was. Eros felt that much. “And you’re hurt now, but you’ll heal. And then you’ll find the one you were meant to be with.”
She laughed again, but there was no joy in the sound. “And who would that one be? You?”
Eros couldn’t control his laugh at that suggestion. “No. Definitely not me.” He shook his head to reinforce the point and then downed some more of his wine as he felt her watching him.
“You really didn’t come over here to try and pick me up? Or get me in bed?” she asked.
“I came over because you looked like you needed someone to talk to before your emotions made you burst into flames.” He grinned, even though he’d actually seen someone burst into flames after they’d angered Zeus.
A strange expression crossed her face. “Ah. I get it now. Gorgeous. Nice. Drinking wine instead of beer. I should have seen it before. You’re gay. Of course.”
Eros was familiar with the mortal terminology she'd used for men who preferred other men to the exclusion of women, and raised a brow in response. “I assure you, I like having sex with women. Very much, in fact.”
“Oh. Then you just aren’t attracted to me.”
Another wave of sadness and insecurity flowed from her, broadsiding Eros. “First of all, I thought you didn’t want me to try and woo you. In fact, you said exactly that.”
Her mouth twisted at that. “Well, not exactly. I don’t believe I ever used the word woo. And are you sure you aren’t gay?”
“Quite sure. Stop interrupting. Now if I may continue. Second, I find you very attractive and I don’t know where your insecurity stems from.”
She looked at him accusingly. “You don’t? Just look at me.”
He did look at her. Silky hair the color of chestnuts. Lips, full and pink and in the perfect shape of a bow. Large breasts that he would gladly spend hours feasting upon, which now that he thought about it, he itched to reach out and test the weight of with his palms. Thighs, round and shapely, which would wrap around his back quite nicely when he rode her. “Yes? And?”
“And? I’m fat.”
“Fat? No. Pigs are fat. Cows are fat. Women are well rounded, and beautifully so, I might add.” Eros let his eyes roam her body one more time and felt his cock stir as a result. More than stir, actually, a movement that she noted also as her eyes dropped to his crotch. He was well endowed in that region, and the tight denim was no match for what had risen beneath it.
The amazement clearly showed on her face. “You really mean that. You do find me attractive.”
Eros didn’t even have to lie. “Yes, I do. Extremely.”
This flirtation with the mortal felt…different. Here, there was no snapping of his fingers to have a girl drop to her knees and service him. Throw in the onslaught of the mortal’s emotions and Eros found himself more aroused and—dare he say it—more desperate for release than he’d felt in a very long time.
Eros swallowed hard, his throat dry and tight. He felt the uncertainty coming off her, but it was mingled with a wanting that nearly matched his own. Eros covered her hand with his, knowing the mere touch of a god could melt a simple mortal. It would definitely dispel her lingering doubts.
Her eyes softened immediately at the contact, the lids growing droopy with desire. “Am I a whore for wanting you? A man I just met?”
Eros shook his head. “No. You’re a woman in pain, and I alone have the ability to heal you.”
Little did she know how true that statement was.
“I could use some healing. Lots of it, in fact. Did I mention that bastard, my boss, had erectile dysfunction?”
Eros smirked. “No, you didn’t.”
“You don’t suffer from anything like that, do you?” Her gaze dropped again to his erection, clearly outlined by the stiff denim.
He followed her gaze and grinned. “No, I certainly do not.”
“What’s your name?”
Hmm, Eros didn’t have a mortal name ready on the tip of his tongue. He scrambled to avoid the question. “No names.”
“Okay, fair enough.” Still holding his hand, she stood. “Let’s go.”
They entered the lobby elevator, and as it rose with them inside, so did both her anxiety and excitement. With his mental shields still down, Eros felt every ounce of it.
He slid his hand along the back of her neck and lowered his mouth to hers for a deep, soul-searching kiss. The emotions streaming from her hit him twofold at that intimate contact, but he knew the effect he had on her was far greater than hers upon him.
Her body leaned into his as her breathing quickened and she was his for the taking.
“Stop worrying,” he whispered, breaking the kiss to speak. Though she was already under his spell just from the kiss, she needed this reassurance. The time would come when he was no longer there with her, and Eros wanted her strong and confident when that time came. “You are a beautiful woman. I need you at this moment more than I need the very air I breathe. Show me to this room of yours before I take you right here.”
Awash in her feelings, Eros meant every word he spoke, and judging by the expression in her eyes as she looked into his, she believed him, trusted him, completely. The elevator opened and there was no more talk, just fumbling, first with the door and then with their shoes until they landed on the bed, still dressed, in a tangle of lips and limbs.
Eros had forgotten how good mortals tasted. Her mouth was like honey, and if he remembered correctly, the flavor would be even more intense between her legs. He yanked up the hem of her dress in search of a taste, and found she wore only stockings held up by a strip of lace
around her waist, and nothing else. It appeared she had dressed especially nice for the married, bastard boss with erectile dysfunction.
Though Eros appreciated the comfort and ease of access of the togas typically worn on Mount Olympus, particularly now as his erection pressed painfully into the seam of his jeans, he had to admit there was something intriguing in this mortal female’s attire.
Looking for more of the tempting lace, he raised the dress completely over her head, dropped it to the floor and enjoyed the garment holding up her generous breasts. He popped first one peak out of the garment and took a taste, letting the flat of his tongue run over the hardened nipple. Then he moved to the next before working his way down her body.
She pulled at his clothing and he stilled her hands. “Lie back, relax and enjoy.”
Eros spread her temptingly rounded thighs and revealed what he sought, framed beautifully by white lace. His mouth watered in anticipation. Why hadn’t he indulged in this particular pleasure recently? He certainly could not remember the reason as his tongue reached out and stroked the woman, eliciting a jolt that sent her hips off the bed.
He’d forgotten how easily mortals responded. He repeated the action and felt her hands tangle in the curls on his head as she moaned. Smiling, he went to work, dipping his tongue deep inside her and gathering her honey, enjoying her as much as he felt her enjoying him. Eros was so hard he ached but he was in no rush to end his feast, especially when she came beneath him and flooded his mouth with even more intense flavor.
He worked her until she lay limp on the bed, twitching from his touch, exhausted. Then and only then did he remove his own clothes to crawl between her legs and slide inside her. He felt her tremble beneath him as strongly as he sensed the sheer relief she emitted from having him inside her. Relief that he wanted her. Her feelings of insecurity still baffled him and made him hate the bastard boss even more for the damage he’d done to her. With a vow to set it all right before he left this realm, Eros made love to her, slowly at first, healing her from the inside.