by Cat Johnson
The three flew to the end of the hallway’s second story balcony. Bliss arrived outside first to see Psyche standing on top of the next balcony’s stone balustrade. “No!”
Psyche turned her pain-filled face toward them. “This will be better for all of us. You can go home once I’m gone.”
“You can’t do this. Please don’t.” Adelfa’s voice broke with tears.
“Psyche. Come down and we’ll talk about this.” Bliss’s voice sounded far calmer than she felt. Her heart raced as she dared not look down at the height that would more likely cause a very slow, painful death rather than the quick one her sister sought in her desperation.
“You’re not like me, Bliss. You can’t understand. I can’t bear the thought of any man touching me, but especially not a monster who considers himself too hideous to be seen.”
The long parade of Psyche’s shunned suitors finally made complete sense. Bliss understood. Her sister wouldn’t willingly accept the physical attention of any male, but being forced to bear those of a monster made death seem preferable.
Bliss drew in a deep breath. “Then you won’t have to.”
Psyche’s face showed no hope, only despair. “There is no choice. I am to be taken to him in an hour.”
Bliss swallowed hard, and then said the words she suspected would change her life forever. “I’ll go in your place.”
Psyche surprised her and smiled. “My beloved Bliss. Always taking care of me. I do love you for it, but no. I won’t let you.”
One petite foot left the balustrade amid the screams of the women watching. Bliss leapt forward, leaning over the stone rail to grab her sister’s hand in a death grip. “Stop. Listen. I don’t mind going in your place.”
Psyche’s foot returned to its tenuous perch. “How can you say that?”
“You’re right. I’m not like you. I don’t cringe at the touch of a man. In fact, I crave it.” Her cheeks heated with the truth of the statement. Of course she’d never actually felt the touch of anyone, man or woman, save her own hand when she’d explored in the darkness. She’d never imagined her first experience would be with an unseen, possibly monstrous being, but of the two of them, she could bear it far easier than her sister.
“Psyche, it could work. It’ll be dark. He’ll never know.” Adelfa joined Bliss along the railing and fisted her hand in Psyche’s gown, not that their grips would prevent Psyche from falling should she choose to jump.
Hagne nodded next to Bliss. “You’re similar height. I packed headscarves. The servants who come to take you to him will never know with your face covered.”
Psyche’s expression turned slightly more hopeful, before it fell again. “What about my voice? If he asks a question and Bliss answers, he’ll notice the difference then punish us all for the deception.”
Adelfa shook her head vigorously. “I’ve mistaken Bliss’s voice for yours on a number of occasions. He thinks he can tell a difference because he believes he loves you, but if Bliss speaks with less boldness, if she acts more timid, he’ll never know. I’m sure of it.”
“I think so too, mistress. I’ve often mistaken your voices for one another.” Hagne nodded her agreement.
“It’s settled then and there’s no more time to waste. Psyche, get down and unlock the door. We need to prepare before they come for me.” For a moment Bliss feared she wouldn’t comply, then, thankfully, Psyche bent down. She braced her hands on the stone and lowered her feet to the safety of the balcony and Bliss took her first full breath since seeing her sister poised to jump.
This horror was over, but the next, for Bliss at least, was yet to begin.
Chapter Three
She waited for him inside. The woman with the face that had Aphrodite green with envy. Psyche, the creature who made his heart soar, and she was his. Even the arrival and intrusion of her entourage into his sanctuary didn’t diminish the happiness of finally having her.
It had been all Eros could do to stay away until full darkness. Now, he needn’t delay any longer. Psyche lay waiting in his bed. Yet still he stood on the wrong side of the door. He pressed his palm against the wood and willed his wildly beating heart to calm.
Feeling ridiculous for hesitating, he grabbed the doorknob. He’d bedded countless women over the millennia. This one would be no different. The falseness of that idea screamed through his brain. This one was vastly different. This was the woman he’d defied Aphrodite for when he stood before the goddess and swore Psyche was taken care of. That she would never be seen by a mortal man again. That wasn’t a complete lie as she would be his, and he was an immortal. Though he doubted Aphrodite would appreciate the technicality.
Putting the goddess out of his mind, Eros entered the room and moved into the blackness. The illumination from the stars shone through the window opening and allowed him to see just the outline of the wide bed draped in white gauze. He aimed for the bulk of the mattress.
A fluttering began low in his belly when he thought about what it would mean to love her in complete darkness. Would every other sense heighten because he’d deprived himself of seeing her? He shuddered in anticipation of the coming pleasures.
After reaching the bed, he slid his hand along the coverings, seeking her, but he found only the cool, smooth bedding. No warmth. No body of the woman he craved. “Psyche?”
“Here.” Her voice, barely louder than a breath, originated from the dark corner to the side of the window.
Eros moved toward the sound, careful to not step into what little light came from the night sky through the opening. She couldn’t see him. His lie to Aphrodite depended on no one, not even Psyche, knowing the man to claim her would be him.
Hands extended, he found her there in the corner and finally touched the object of his desire for the first time since laying eyes upon her beauty. Had it been only that very day? It seemed as if it had been far longer than that since she had entranced him. “Love, here you are.”
He heard her swallow before she answered. “Yes.”
Smiling, he ran one hand up to cup her face. He felt the softness of her hair.
“You don’t talk very much, my lovely, but after having met your extremely verbose sister, I think I’m grateful for that.” She drew in a sharp, audible breath and he regretted the statement. “I apologize. She is beloved to you and I shan’t speak ill of her again.”
Beneath Eros's fingers, she trembled. He opened himself, seeking the cause. Her emotions flooded him, a tangled mix with fear dominating all the rest. “Please don’t be afraid of me. I would never hurt you. You do believe that, don’t you?”
“Y-y-yes.”
The pounding of her heart vibrated through the hand he had pressed to her back. He sensed the doubt that told him her answer was less than truthful. That pained him.
“No, you don’t believe it yet, but you will, in time.” He bent his head low and breathed in the scent of her. Clean cotton, lavender water, and woman. The hand on her face traced a path down her throat to her collarbone, before breaking away. His hand roamed lower, down over her curvaceous hip and she trembled harder. A thought struck him, one that hadn’t occurred to Eros before. “Am I the first man to touch you?”
“Yes.”
No other answer could have made him happier. He dragged one finger down her arm and felt a shudder run through her. His hand found her cheek again and he leaned in and let his lips brush her jaw, then trail down her throat.
Her head tipped to one side and allowed him greater access. Taking it he stepped closer and let his lips claim hers. He pressed one leg between her thighs as his mouth worked on hers. Her breath quickened and a new emotion flowed from her and through him. Desire. He groaned as her need filled him, mingled with his own, and settled low in his gut.
So hard from wanting her he throbbed, Eros pressed his erection against her hip and felt her reaction to it. Fright mingled with curiosity. “What you fear will only bring you pleasure. I swear to you.”
Doubt radiated from her
.
“What will make you believe me? Tell me. What can I do?”
She hesitated. “Maybe if I…touched you first.”
His laughter sounded too loud as it filled the darkened room. “Touch me all you want, my love.”
She began slowly, tracing the tips of her fingers first over his face, then down his chest until she finally ran just the tip of one finger over his length. Eros closed his eyes from the sensations running through him at even that small contact of her hand on his cock through the thickness of the fabric covering him.
“If you’re going to explore, you need to do it properly.” He lifted the fabric out of the way and placed her hand on him again. She jumped when she connected with his bare flesh.
“There. Now, you can really touch me and see there's nothing to fear.” It took all of his will to continue to speak rationally with her hand on him.
“You’re right. You’re perfectly average.”
Eros choked. “Average?”
“Yes.”
“I assure you, woman, I’m not average.” He pressed himself farther into her hand. Her fingers tightened around him and he took the opportunity to work himself in and out of her grasp, sending thrills of sensation through him. She maintained the grip as he pleasured himself in her palm, but his pride wouldn’t let her comment pass. Average. Ha! “Now, you will explain that remark.”
“I only meant you’re not hideously deformed as I feared.”
He stopped his motion mid thrust. “Why would you think I was deformed?”
His question came out louder than he intended as her statement nearly took away the pleasure her hand gave him.
“I’m sorry. I’ve angered you.” She released her grasp. Her voice dropped low with the contrition and fright he sensed within her, but the softness of her tenor made her sound sultry and caused his insides to twist with an even greater need.
“No. You haven’t angered me at all.” His fist closed over hers, bringing it back to where he needed it to be. She could say anything she wanted as long as she kept stroking his cock and whispering near his ear.
Her grip on him tightened again and he braced a hand against the wall behind her with a low groan.
“You like this,” she said, stroking him tentatively on her own.
“Yes, I do.” It hadn’t been a question, but Eros answered it anyway, adding a statement of his own. “And so do you.”
He felt it amid her many emotions. She enjoyed pleasing him. It made her feel powerful. A mortal female having power over him? He’d show her who was in control here. Eros wrapped both arms around her hips and lifted her easily while she squeaked in surprise. He carried her to the bed where he dropped her onto the mattress then followed her down.
“I want nothing between us.” He grasped the hem of her chiton and pushed it up and over her head.
Enjoying the feel of her exposed warm flesh, he ran both hands and his mouth along her body. She shivered and her nipples hardened when he reached the tip of one breast. He drew the stiffened peak between his lips and heard her sigh in response. He dragged his teeth gently over her tender flesh and a tremor passed through her.
Her breath sped as her hands roamed his back. “You’re still dressed.”
“That can be easily remedied.” Eros smiled at her enthusiasm while pulling off his own clothing. Her hands touched the skin of his back, before they descended to explore the flesh of his buttocks. “Still making certain I’m not a monster? I assure you, I have no tail, but feel free to investigate for yourself. I’m enjoying the touch.”
The downward journey of her hands halted. He reached behind and lay his hand over hers, guiding it down lower. She did as he desired, letting her finger dip into the crevice of his ass skimming over the hole there before sliding lower to tease his balls. Now the tremor was within him. He didn’t care if she did touch him solely to prove he was all man and not beast, her touch ramped up his already overwhelming yearning.
He wouldn’t be able to resist plunging into her for much longer. Yet, he couldn’t move too fast and hurt or frighten her. Tonight would set the tone for the rest of her life here with him.
That thought gave him a moment’s pause, until she reached between them and grasped his cock again, then all hesitancy dissolved. He let out a feral groan, which would do nothing to prove to her he was not an animal and slid down between her legs. He spread her thighs and buried his tongue inside her core, tasting the sweet essence of honey. Mortal women tasted different than immortals, and after indulging in maenads and nymphs for so long, Eros had missed how wonderfully intoxicating they could be.
He targeted her most sensitive spot with his tongue and worked it relentlessly until she squirmed beneath him, panting, wordlessly begging.
“What, love?”
“More.” Her breath heaved.
Chuckling, he slid one digit inside her and was happy to find her wet and welcoming. Adding a second, he stroked in and out as her hips rose off the bed to meet his thrusts. Her muscles squeezed his fingers and he wished it were his cock she gripped instead. In a moment, it would be. He attacked her with his mouth and a new vigor, suckling hard while his fingers worked inside. Finally, the loud cries and rhythmic spasms within her heralded her release.
He barely controlled himself until her throbbing subsided before he rose to his knees and positioned his cock at her entrance. “I can’t wait any longer to have you.”
His mouth covered hers in a savage kiss as he rammed inside. She drew in a sharp breath at the first stroke, but he couldn’t stop himself until he was fully seated in her warmth. He pulled her upright so she sat facing him, her legs and arms wrapped around his body as he supported her with a hand on both her back and buttock.
Her heart thundered against him where her chest pressed to his. He moved her slowly up and down. Holding her close, he felt the friction as she slid down his length. His only regret was not being able to watch her face as he loved her. He needed to at least hear her voice.
“Does this feel good?” Though he didn’t need her to tell him since he felt every emotion she did, he asked anyway.
“Yes.”
Her one-word answers were his fault after the comment about her sister’s talkative nature. He thrust upward into her one more time and reveled in finally being inside her. They had all night and Eros had the control of a god. He could love her until the morning sun meant he must leave. There was no rush, and he fully intended to take his time and make this a night she’d never forget.
Eros found her mouth and slipped his forefinger between her lips. She drew it inside and he felt the hot wetness surround his finger even as she rode his cock. The unexpected pleasure from the combination of sensations assaulted his senses. He enjoyed it for a few moments before he moved on to what he originally had in mind. He withdrew his now saliva-slickened finger and slid it into the crevice of her ass. She drew in a breath as he circled the tight hole, dipping just the tip inside.
“How does that feel?”
“Good.” The heat of her breath brushed his ear and sent a shiver through him.
He pushed the digit a bit deeper and felt her muscles tighten. She was so responsive to his every touch, as if she had been made for him.
Groaning, he tipped her backward onto the mattress where he’d have more control. Rising above her, Eros thrust inside to the symphony of her cries. As she neared another release he changed his angle, plunging deeper. He felt her muscles grip him. He pressed his finger ever so slightly deeper and her body exploded around his.
Riding the wave while inside her was more than even he could take. Eros was never one to deny himself pleasure. He certainly was not about to start now with this woman in his bed. Besides, they had tonight and every other night. He roared with his own release as he came deep within her, before collapsing over her body.
They both remained silent for a few moments, the only sound in the room their mingled breath as it slowly returned to normal. Finally, Eros felt compelle
d to roll off his love, fearing his weight would hurt her. Missing the touch immediately, he reached out and put one hand on her belly while he lay on his side next to her. He wondered absently if his seed had found purchase and her belly would grow with his child.
“Is this what I’m to expect every night from now on?”
After her previous silence, her unsolicited question surprised and confused him. “Yes. This and other things. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes.” Her voice sounded sleepy. She sighed and snuggled deeper into the pillow. “I’m interested in learning more about your other things.”
Shock and pleasure filled him as he smiled. “And I’ll be more than happy to teach you. Later. Rest now, love.”
As her breathing grew deep and steady, Eros made a very tantalizing mental list of all those many other things.
*
Bliss woke to a warm, hard body pressed against her back. In one giant whoosh the memory of where she was and all that had led to her being there descended upon her.
She felt his breath steadily brushing her neck as his head lay with hers on her pillow. Judging by the regularity of his breathing he still slept, yet one part of him was harder than the rest and obviously awake as it protruded into the flesh of her rear. Was the man ready at all times? Were all men? This being her first encounter, how could she know?
It was no surprise he still slept, the oddity was that she was awake. After the night they’d shared, she should sleep for a week. He’d woken her twice more throughout the night. True to his word, he showed her new, and she soon learned wonderful, things. He’d put her on her knees and took her from behind. Once she rode atop him. Every time he reduced her to a slave to the pleasures he provided, making her want to do anything he asked while she sought more.
He groaned and pulled her closer with one arm. No doubt he’d fully wake soon. Bliss’s heart sped at the thought. She pressed back against him.