Arcadian Nights (7 page)

“
I don’t want to, not like
this. I don’t use women to sate my lust.”

She laughed and ran her fingers
through his dark hair. “Then you are alone among the gods, my dear.
Perhaps that is why I want you.”

He looked up into her eyes. She was
playing with him, but her desire was very real. She wanted him. He
ran his hand into her hair and pulled her to him for a kiss. She
tried to rub against him, but he held her away. He kissed her
deeply. Instead of becoming aggressive, she melted in his arms. She
let him explore her mouth, sighing as he enjoyed her sweet taste.
He’d told himself he only meant to shut her up and slake some of
his lust before leaving, but he found her intoxicating. The gentle
way she yielded intrigued him. He had not expected a soft, sweet
kiss.

She broke the kiss first, climbing off
him and stumbling back a little. “I release you. You’re free to go
now.”

He felt something cold touch his arm.
He looked down and saw the mark she’d given him was gone. However,
his erection hadn’t gone anywhere. “But I still want
you.”

“
It will wear off. It’s
like any other sexual stimulus.”

“
Look at me.”

“
Why? So you can
gloat?”

“
I won’t do
that.”

She turned to look down at him. She
seemed to be struggling to maintain her composure. “What
then?”

“
See me again. I want to
talk about this more.”

She laughed. “I’m not an
idiot.”

“
You said I was different.
Give me the chance to prove it.”

“
Why?”

“
You wanted me to pay
attention to you. I did. Now I’m interested. I won’t just go
away.”

“
Fine. I can’t stop
you.”

“
Come to Arcadia with me
tonight.”

“
Arcadia? In
Greece?”

“
Yes, it’s where I was
born. On Mount Cyllene. It’s the home of poetry and literature, so
you may find it stimulating. Some men still seek the gods there.
Iris has a temple near there, sort of like a club almost. We can
have dinner and talk.”

“
A date?”

“
Whatever you want it to
be.”

“
And
afterwards?”

“
Why don’t we see?” Even
with the spell lifted, he knew his fate was still in her hands. He
might have succeeded in upsetting her, but he knew he wouldn’t be
able to make her do anything she didn’t want to do.

“
You seem to have calmed
down.” She gestured to his pants.

His erection had gone away. “Yes. And
I’m still interested in you.”

“
I’m a nice little
mystery,” she joked. The black cat rubbed her ankle, and she knelt
to pick it up.

“
Yes, you are. I
understand what that’s like. You said you wanted to make me feel
something. You seem to have broken through my barriers. Give me a
chance with yours.”

She actually smiled. “Okay. We’ll
see.”

He stood up. “I suppose you didn’t
expect it to end this way.”

She looked at him for a long time.
“No. You’ve surprised me. I actually thought you’d give in just to
be free.”

“
And never speak to you
again?”

She shrugged. “Perhaps.”

“
I almost gave in. You
pulled away. You could have had me if you hadn’t broken that kiss.
Your response was quite irresistible.”

She looked down. “I’ll see you
tonight.”

He decided not to push, thinking he
could get more answers that evening. “Tonight. I’ll come by at
seven.”

He turned and walked away, wondering
how he was going to keep anyone from finding out about this until
the next day.

Chapter Three

Eris looked at herself in the mirror.
“What am I doing?” She hadn’t intended to release Hermes from his
spell any more than she’d intended to go on a date with him. He
would arrive to pick her up in about ten minutes. She wore a knee
length black dress with a scoop neck and sheer, silky sleeves. She
looked nice, but not too nice. She’d done simple make up, just dark
red lipstick and black eyeliner. Her long dark hair she let fall
free down her back.

Would he still think she was “trying”?
Or would he even be able to tell one way or another? Her brother
Ares could read women well, at least when sex was involved, but she
didn’t know about Hermes. He certainly outstripped most gods
intellectually, but how was he with women? She couldn’t exactly ask
Aphrodite, who would probably throw something at her the next time
they met.

She didn’t feel that confident about
her ability to read him. She’d assumed he would want nothing to do
with her as soon as the spell was lifted. Why was he still
interested? He wasn’t the type to take revenge. She hadn’t gotten
her roll in the hay. Was she going to be able to get him to speak
up for her? She didn’t want to get her hopes up.

She felt her whole body flush as she
thought about the way he’d kissed her. He’d been trying to distract
her, make her be quiet, but he’d certainly enjoyed it. She’d been
able to feel that much. It had scared her how much she’d liked it.
She’d pulled away, thinking that would be the end of it, and then
he’d asked her to see him tonight. What if the last effects of the
spell faded away and he decided not to come? She knew men found her
attractive, but she also knew her spell hadn’t completely worn off
when he’d asked her. He’d even said they would see about what
happened after the date. Did he really want to sleep with her? She
didn’t know. Besides Aphrodite, no one seemed to know of anyone
else Hermes had been involved with. There had to be others. She
felt a little twinge of jealousy when she imagined him fucking
Aphrodite in the woods. She pushed that thought aside when she
heard a knock on her door.

Her bedroom door.

She opened it to see Hermes standing
there.

“
How did you get in
here?”

He smiled. “I’m Zeus’ messenger. I can
go anywhere I please. Very little can keep me out.”

She nodded. “I see.” He was wearing a
tuxedo, and she wanted to laugh. She squeezed her lips together and
smiled. “Am I underdressed?”

His gaze moved over her slowly, and
she tried not to blush. It didn’t work though. “You look
beautiful.” He straightened his tie. “You disapprove?”

She looked up and thought she saw a
mischievous gleam in his eye. “No. I just wasn’t expecting
it.”

“
At least it got you to
smile. I can’t say you smile much.” He offered his arm. “Shall we
go?”

She took his arm as they walked down
the hall. “Isn’t that what everyone says about you?”

“
You know, it is. We must
be perfect for each other.” He looked at her as if he was
serious.

“
Are you playing with me?”
She felt he would tell her the truth, but he kept surprising
her.

He touched her hand as it rested on
his arm. “Maybe just a little. I want you to feel at
ease.”

“
So you can learn all my
secrets?”

He opened the front door for her. “Do
you have secrets?”

She felt very warm under his candid
gaze. “Yes. I do.”

He looked down at her for a long
moment and then leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “You aren’t
the only one.”

As they walked down her front path,
Eris began to wonder what she’d gotten herself into.

* * * *

Hermes watched Eris as she listened to
the young man reciting a poem to his sweetheart at the next table.
She had just said yes to a marriage proposal, and he’d asked for
everyone’s attention so he could read a poem he’d written for her.
Everyone clapped when he finished and the young couple
kissed.

“
What did you think?” he
asked when she turned back to him.

“
Very nice. Too
sentimental for me, but it had excellent rhythm. He’s got a natural
talent.”

Hermes nodded. “Are you having a good
time?”

She looked down and smiled, and then
met his gaze. “Did you really just ask me that?”

He sighed. “Will you forgive me if I
humble myself and admit that I can’t tell?”

“
Perhaps.”

“
Good. I’ve been thinking
about what you said about the Fates.”

“
Yes?”

“
I think it’s
interesting.”

“
And?”

“
Like Aphrodite, you were
created, not born.”

Eris tensed at the goddess’ name. “I
think that’s the only thing we have in common.” She scowled down at
her plate.

He pushed forward to distract her from
the association with Aphrodite. “That makes you special. Don’t you
think you must be important if the universe didn’t simply wait for
you to be born?”

She looked up. “I suppose. I’ve never
thought of it. I don’t do anything another couldn’t. How am I then
special?”

“
I can’t really say. It’s
why I wanted to see you again. I think we’re very
alike.”

“
How?”

He sighed again. “You aren’t going to
make this easy, are you?”

“
It’s in my
nature.”

He shrugged. “Maybe it is. I mean our
belief in the Fates. You know more about them than anyone else, it
seems.”

“
I do. No one else ever
visits them anymore. Olympus forgets them until some tidbit of
knowledge is needed.”

“
You think so?”

“
Aphrodite went to ask if
Poseidon and Layla had met through the work of the Fates. Lachesis
said it was the first time she’d seen Aphrodite in over one hundred
years. Zeus pops in every decade or so to pursue his periodic
affair with Clotho. Their advice and guidance is rarely sought
anymore.”

“
I suppose that’s
true.”

“
You seem to put faith in
them though. I like that.”

“
So you like me?” He held
his breath, wondering how she would take the question.

“
I’ve made it clear how I
feel about you.”

“
But you care too much to
only want me for that. I wouldn’t annoy you so easily if it were
only that.”

Her eyes flashed at him. “Maybe you’re
just that annoying.”

“
Maybe.” He leaned back as
dessert arrived. “You do like chocolate?”

She smiled. “Of course.”

The dessert was enormous. Chocolate
ice cream covered in chocolate syrup and chocolate chips with
chocolate wafers and shavings arranged all around it. He looked up
and saw Iris, just for a moment, before she ducked her head back in
the kitchen. If she’d seen them, soon Eros would know, which meant
his mother would too. Then all of Olympus would indulge in
collective eyebrow raising. He decided to enjoy being alone with
Eris while he could.

She laughed. “You obviously like
chocolate.”

“
So you can forgive how
annoying I am?”

She picked up a spoon and took a bite
of ice cream. She closed her eyes as she swallowed, and then looked
at him again. “Yes, but I’m still not sure what your intentions
are.”

“
Why not?”

She ran her spoon through the syrup,
picking up a few chocolate chips on her spoon. “Well, you don’t
have to put forth this much effort to have me, and you’re being a
little too flirty to just want information. I’m still puzzling over
you.” She licked her spoon.

He paused, trying to push away the
memory of their kiss. “Perhaps the Fates have kept something from
you.”

She stared at him a long time. “If you
try to tell me you’re in love with me, I’ll walk out of here right
now.”

He shook his head. “Why would that be
so terrible?”

She rolled her eyes. “It would be a
lie, and I don’t feel like being played with.”

“
You’re a tough girl. You
could handle it.”

“
And that would make it
okay? Because I can take it?”

Hermes tried to collect his thoughts.
“I’m not playing with you or trying to get anything from you,
Eris.”

“
Take me home.”

Instead of saying what he wanted to
say, he put some money on the table and then with a thought took
them back to her house. They arrived in her bedroom, standing very
close to each other.

“
You could have gone home
on your own. I didn’t have to bring you,” Hermes said.

“
I know, but I wanted to
say good night properly.”

He held her chin and looked into her
eyes. “You think I’ll be done with you once I’ve had you. You think
I’ll lose interest and leave you alone.”

“
Yes.”

“
But before you said you
weren’t sure.”

She ran her hands up his chest. “One
way to find out. Leave now if you don’t want this.”

“
I don’t want to fuck you.
I want to make love to you.”