The Wager- BBW Erotic Curvy Paranormal Romance (TOUCH OF THE GODS) (29 page)

              “This just in, new soul Vanessa Dramsmith has been standing in the fields of eternal wait for three weeks now. Close sources to us say, that her god’s line up will be, Aphrodite, Ares and then Hera. She's trying her hand at becoming a goddess, so that she can join with her love. Wait…  is this real? Okay, then. She'll be with Hephaestus, the lame, grotesque Blacksmith God. As excited as I am to see if she'll fail or not, I’m glad I don’t have to be down there to watch her torture unfold! Well, that's all in breaking news, this is your Muse Thalia. Back to you, Melpomene.”

             
The muse of tragedy started on the sadder events for the evening, but I was too distracted to care about her words. I had to focus on Eros's positive thoughts, because at that moment, I was ready to break every rule in the book, go down to Hades and ask him to rescind what I had convinced Vanessa to do. In her world, there were no gods to fill her mind with how disgusting I was, nor did she have to see the life I lived in the immortal realm, but that would change if she came out of the trials.

Then, there was the three gods who would be handling her judgment that had me truly worried. Since coming home, Aphrodite had done a one eighty, going from cold as ice, to hot as an inferno. During our marriage, she never gave me the time of day, but she had gone as far as visiting me at the forge, a place she hated more than any in all of Olympus.

Shaking my head, I ran my hand over my face, turning off my television so that I didn't hear another sad story and decided a bath was a good idea. I had to get my head on straight, since there was nothing I could do, other than wait the allotted time, until I knew if I would have the woman I loved in my arms again. My clothes shimmered off my body, the water already filled and steaming in the Grecian floor tub. The moment my body, stiff from working the long hours with my hammer, sank into the soothing pool, I sighed while closing my eyes as my muscles relaxed.

             
As my mind cleared, the image of Vanessa immediately came into view. Her silky brown hair cascaded around her shoulders, while she smiled up at me, love shining through hazel eyes. We were dancing in the stars and I could feel the heat of her body, as it pressed against mine. The thin material of the silver gown she wore doing little to hide her form from my hungry gaze. Her grin grew wider as she dipped a hand to squeeze my cock and it lengthened in response to her sensual touch.

Desire came alive in me like a blaze, setting my blood on fire and as I leaned down to kiss her full lips, I couldn't help but think how real this all felt. It was as though she was truly here with me, fondling me, whispering her need to have me fill her body. “Take me, Hephaestus. I need you now.”

              Growling, I arched my hips in her stroking hand, while inching the gown up her soft thighs. Her moans were driving me to the brink, yet I hesitated. I opened my eyes, at the sound of her whimpering protest and knew suddenly, this was no fantasy. Quickly, I pulled my mind away, breaking the connection. Once I found myself back in my room, sitting in the tub, I came eye to eye with Aphrodite, who kept smiling, casually masturbating my dick. Curling my fingers around her wrist, I stilled her movements and though I could have easily broken her delicate bones, I would never harm her. Even still, the feel of her wrapped around me didn't do anything but make me sick to my stomach.

Adding slight pressure, the fire sparked in her eyes and she let me go, her smile faltering for a second before it went back to its seductive brightness. Never taking her eyes off my cock, she reclined on the opposite side of the tub, her perfectly formed breasts thrusting up as she raised her hands behind her head. Clean shaven, to go with the current style of man, her labial lips were pink, puffy, and sinful.

I could see how she always had men fighting to be inside her and I used to be one of them. When she opened her thighs, my erection shrank until I was flaccid in the water. Keeping my anger bubbling beneath the surface, I crossed my arms, making sure my position remained unapproachable. “What are you doing here, Aphrodite?”

             
“To visit you of course and to help relieve your… stress.”

             
“That's what my soak is for. I don't need your assistance.”

             
“Are you sure, Hephaestus? There was once a time when you begged me to touch you.”

             
“Yes, but I am happy now. I don't need you, so please leave.”

             
She pouted, then moved toward me, her form shifting into that of the only woman that could rouse my desire, and as ‘Vanessa’ reached for me again, it took all of my will power to fight the urge to bury myself inside her.

Soft lips pressed against me and despite them belonging to the woman I loved, the cold, selfishness that was the goddess, could be felt below, causing me to visibly cringe.

Aphrodite felt my cringing and separated us with a frown while her pout grew more sullen. It was something she did often, trying to give a little girl stance to get what she wanted, but at her age, which was vastly older than mine, it just looked wrong.

Deciding to put distance between us, I left the bath, wrapped my waist in a towel and walked off to the smaller bedroom. I knew she followed behind and I didn't like it. Back turned, I dried off, modesty not being a strong point for us Ancient Greeks. I partially listened as my ex wife rambled.

              “I can't believe you! She's just a human. A fat, plain, mortal woman. How could you even choose her over me? I am Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty!”

             
“She loves me and I her. She was created for me and I was destined for her.”

             
“But I could give you everything you desire. I have everything you want.”

             
“Aphrodite, you've never given me a thing that I didn't have to pay a hefty amount for. Listen, I'm tired, because your boyfriend has left me backed up, so if you don't mind....”

             
Lips pursed, she clothed her body in a golden, tailored dress suit, before opening a portal back to her own abode. Before walking through, she paused her flashing eyes filled with anger at being turned away. “I have given you something, my darling. And, as you know, I am first to go to your girlfriend. I can make her life easy, or very difficult. Join me for dinner tomorrow night and talk with me. Give me that. Besides, I'm sure you're tired of being confined in this horrid place.”

             
“I want to say no, but if it means you taking it easy on Vanessa, then I'll suffer through a dinner with you. The pub, seven o' clock.”

             
“I'll be there, sexy.” She winked at me before stepping through the portal.

I hoped I’d just made the right decision. Slipping in bed, I couldn't sleep, my mind going from Vanessa possibly suffering to what Aphrodite meant, when she said she gave me something. My answer to her dinner invitation was a partial truth. It wasn't just me hoping she'd give Vanessa a gift, rather than a curse, but curiosity drew me as well to find out what secrets the goddess held from me. Tomorrow would tell, let's just hope it wouldn't break what little, inner peace, I had left.

Chapter XXIII

Hephaestus

             
There was a time when dressing up for my ex-wife would have come easy, but now I was just uncomfortable. Still unsure why I agreed to this stupid dinner, I took a deep breath, before pushing open the doors to Dion's pub. The place was mostly filled, the quiet buzz of patrons speaking clashed with the sounds of the bartender's glasses clinking. It seemed like only yesterday I had entered this very establishment, thinking of only taking away the stress of being single for so long and ended up going on a journey that changed my existence forever.

Now, as I looked around, feeling the tightness of my gray slacks and the constrictive black loafers, I hoped that maybe like all the times before, Aphrodite would stand me up. Unfortunately, as my eyes landed in the far corner, where there was more privacy from the eyes of others, sat the goddess, looking even more stunning than usual.

When she made eye contact with me, her smile grew, dazzling as always which made me all the more nervous. Feeling the heat of anxiety, I rolled the sleeves of my shirt up, until they were along my forearms, undid the top button to breathe better and plastered on my own grin as I made my way to where she waited.

She stood the moment I was close enough, and smelled of roses on a summer's day. Her golden, tea length dress matched her hair which was piled on top of head and clipped in place with three tiny combs. They were the ones I made her as a wedding gift, and I knew she wore them to bring back the memories of our time together as newlyweds. Leaning up, she placed a kiss on my cheek, but only because I moved my face to the side when she meant to aim for my lips.

Ever the gentleman, I held her chair, and then sat across from her at the small table.

             
“I'm so glad you came, Hephaestus. I almost thought you wouldn't.”

             
“I almost didn't, but I’m not heartless like some.”

             
“That's very unfair of you, darling. But I guess you have a right to be upset with how you are treated.”

             
“Upset is probably not the best word to describe my feelings, Aphrodite.”

             
Before she could respond, our waiter a short, round satyr with blue skin, horns and black eyes took our drinks and appetizer order. Once he returned with my ale and her nectarini, he took our dinner order, added a third chair and disappeared to the next table.

Spying the extra seat, I didn't notice Aphrodite moving to sit closer to me, until I felt her hands sliding through my hair. Something told me I should have bound it back, but seeing how she never liked touching me, I didn't think to protect myself.

Stiff, but not wanting to make much of a scene, I ignored her molestations of me, drinking to keep from saying anything I'd regret. Of course, the goddess couldn't recognize my stand-offish behavior and by the time she roamed to my thigh, inching upward, I finally put a stop to her advances, pinning down her hand. “I would like it, very much, if you'd keep off of my body. You had your chance and blew it.”

             
“Don't you think I deserve a second one? I promise to come to and for only you.”

             
“Listen, I don't know what you're playing at, but the answer is no. Not now, not ever. I have Vanessa, so deal with it.”

             
Aphrodite's eyes flashed blood red, before calming back to their rainbow color and she scooted her chair a space away, not as far as I'd like, but away nonetheless. She kept her head bowed her hands flat on the table, saying nothing even as our food was brought to us, and though I knew it was probably an act, I couldn't help but feel bad about snapping at her.

I was the one who’d taken the higher road, the mature member in this crazy group I called family. Prodding at my mashed potatoes, I sighed, my appetite not really working for me and placed my hand over hers. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken to you that way. I have a lot on my mind, with this thing with Vanessa. I did love you once, but we both know if there was any way we came back together, the pattern would just cycle back around. We weren't meant for each other. You are perfection personified, while I'm dirt and grit, rolled into a large, disfigured body.”

              “Yes, you should be sorry for your disrespect. I'll have to pull out the big guns to get you to change your mind about your mortal.”

             
“What do you mean?”

             
“Tomorrow, I go see her and I will destroy everything that she is before her trial is done. Unless you give in to my demands.”

             
“What are your conditions? If it's to protect Vanessa, I'll do it, no questions asked.”

             
“Oh? Well, if you're going to be that compliant, then all you have to do is say that I don't have to tell you a secret that could change the course of everything you've ever known. Then, I will save your girl. Of course, saving her means she can't come here, as I want you for myself. You'll be mine.”

             
Blinking rapidly, I had no words for the ridiculous, most stupid idea that Aphrodite ever spouted. Had I not been so dumbfounded, I would have probably laughed until my sides ached. She honestly believed I would allow her to get Vanessa out of my life, and suffer as being hers for the rest of my eternity, just so she wouldn't have to tell me a fucking secret?

Yet, there she sat, picture perfect while expecting me to fall into line, possibly kneeling to kiss her feet, as the old me would have easily done. I was no longer stupid, longing for a woman that couldn't care less about my feelings, or well being. My head was shaking in the negative, long before I spoke.

Her smug expression fell away, turning into a sneer.

I almost thought I'd not have to say a thing. I decided to speak, however, just to drill it home. “I'm going to pretend that you don't think I'm so dumb to actually agree to that, Aphrodite. Vanessa will be with me. Her alone, so you'll have to just live without having me at your side.”