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  Holly took another sip of her drink, wishing all this talk of gods and death would go away. Only an hour before she had been standing in a bookstore dreaming of romance, dreaming of Greg. Then she had a moment of sensual possibility with a hot, dark stud, only to find out he was some kind of ancient killing machine when he wasn’t being a mythical bailiff. All she wanted was to get laid! Was that too much to ask? Her brother had two partners at once and she was tired of listening to the fun and not having any of her own. She needed to take the bull by the horns, as it were.

  “In your time, the man of the house would have offered you hospitality, right?” she asked Glaukos, changing the subject to one with much more erotic promise.

  “Of course.”

  “So you’ve been fed and then you’d probably be offered a willing slave girl or two for the night, correct?”

  Dylan’s eyebrows rose as Cherokee and Glaukos shared a glance.

  “Perhaps,” Glaukos said. His lips quirked. “Perhaps even a princess.”

  “There aren’t any slaves here, or princesses, but I’m offering you the company of my bed for the night.” Holly rose before she could think twice and grabbed the bottle of ouzo off the table. “I’ll be in my room if you’re interested.”

  “Holly?” Dylan asked, his ruddy face paling.

  “I certainly don’t want you offering me,” she said, “even if that would be more traditional.”

  Dylan spluttered drops of eggnog onto the table. “It never crossed my mind.”

  She waved the bottle at him. “Exactly, but I’m tired of you having all the fun. I’m twenty-four years old and I pay for half this house. I want half the sex in it too!”

  The amused expression in Glaukos’ eyes barely registered as she stalked off, hoping she hadn’t made a complete fool of herself. Glaukos might not be a Greek god but he was pretty close and the myths all made the gods out to be hornier than hell, so she might have a chance with him. If only for one lust-drenched night.

  In her room, she tossed back a shot of ouzo. When she finished coughing, she stripped off her shoes and clothes then pulled a short, silky red robe over her underwear. At least she looked beddable. Now to find out if Glaukos was interested in an undersexed redhead.

  She stretched out on her bed, trying to find a sexy pose that was also comfortable. There really wasn’t one, because comfort involved plumping multiple pillows and getting them under her head or arms and that didn’t look too hot. She settled for another shot of ouzo then went to brush her teeth.

  * * * * *

  “She’s in there.” Cherokee pointed to a cracked door.

  Holly had left the table nearly two hours ago, plenty of time for her to either primp or regret her offer. Glaukos wasn’t sure which was more likely in this place and era, though if she did bed him, she’d have no regrets after.

  He nodded. “You’re sure she’s a woman of easy virtue?”

  “She’s a woman of anything but,” Cherokee said. “In the time I’ve known her. But what woman has ever been able to resist you?”

  “Or you.” Glaukos grinned. “Why is it that you haven’t been with her?”

  “I didn’t see her until after I had settled into these relationships.”

  “It’s not like you to make commitments, even to mortals as beautiful as these.”

  “Even the long-lived change,” Cherokee said. “I’m happy and too busy to prowl. We’re in preproduction for a movie I’m in that’s being directed by Brandi’s father. She’s working on it too. And I’ve been auditioning for my next project after that. If it wasn’t for Torc’s reappearance, I wouldn’t have a care in the world.”

  “I never thought I’d see a day where sex didn’t come first for you.” Glaukos clapped him on the shoulder, pleased to see his friend thriving despite the rules of his existence outside Mount Olympus. If he didn’t have sex often enough, Ares could drag him back into slavery. Cherokee had no trouble finding partners but sometimes the finesse of relationships meant not demanding sex as often as required. His friend had found a balance with his two partners. “Just make sure you don’t let your father get his claws into you.”

  “Brandi and Dylan make sure I get enough sex,” Cherokee said. “No problem there.”

  Glaukos nodded and turned back to Holly’s door. “Torc won’t be a problem either. He’s been mine to take care of ever since Acalle. See you in the morning.”

  “If Holly doesn’t fuck the cock right off you.” Cherokee chuckled then stepped down the hall.

  Glaukos opened Holly’s door, pleased Cherokee thought Holly would be so eager. A dim light at floor level showed him a dark shape on a bed but nothing more. Then he heard a snapping noise and a light flared to life. He blinked until his sight focused on the lush redhead in the short red robe.

  “You are still awake?” he whispered.

  Her pink mouth opened in a yawn. “On and off. How long have I been in here?”

  “A couple hours.” He shut the door with a soft click behind him and leaned against it, admiring the creamy skin on her legs and throat. She was a lovely mortal.

  She yawned again and put her hand to her temple. “Ouzo goes straight to my head. What were you doing?”

  “Learning everything I could about Torc and his current situation.” For the balance of the night though, he vowed to focus on pleasure.

  Holly stroked her hand along the white coverlet under her. “So your mind is on war, not love?”

  He stepped closer. How could his mind be on war with this sexy creature before him? His cock lengthened as he imagined that long-fingered hand stroking his rod instead of the blanket. “My people were always a balanced lot and left time for both.”

  “How long has it been since you were with a woman?” she asked.

  Demonesses didn’t count as women, in his opinion. “That is hard to say. Time passes differently in the Underworld. How long have you been without a man?”

  She brought her legs around to the side of the bed and gripped the edge with her hands. “I haven’t dated much since school. That was four years ago.”

  “You will be tight.” He felt his cock rise under his tunic at the idea.

  “And eager,” she assured him. “I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” Her voice faltered a little.

  He knelt in front of her. “Do not be nervous. I am not a warrior now, but a lover.” He grasped her pale ankles and slowly ran his fingers up her shins. Her legs were warm and smooth, the bones prominent underneath. Now that he was close he could smell a floral potion on her skin, something heavy and intoxicating. Giving in to instinct, he bent his head and let his tongue trace along the path of a thin blue vein on her leg.

  By the time he reached her knee he had one clear realization. Mortals were much more enticing than female demons. Holly was all the more sensually beautiful because her time of ripeness was so short. It had been so long since he’d been with a mortal that he’d forgotten.

  He moved his hands behind her knees and heard her pant as he slid his fingers back down her calves. She was already aroused and he’d scarcely touched her. He felt flattered and powerful as he played with her toes, stretching and massaging them until she pulled away, giggling.

  “I’m ticklish.”

  He smiled. “Everywhere?”

  “Lots of places,” she confessed. “Almost everywhere I have freckles.”

  “You have a lot of those.” He decided to skip her round white thighs for now and pushed apart the lapels of her robe. She let him and opened her arms obediently so he could pull it off her.

  Her arms settled at her sides, fingers fluttering against the coverlet. He picked them up, soothing each in turn with a kiss. “Nothing to be nervous about,” he assured her. “Just relax.”

  She laughed. “Relax? My insides feel like a coiled snake ready to strike.”

  “What do you want to strike?”

  Boldly, she traced a line from the neckline of his tunic down his stomach. “Guess.”


  “We have all night. We don’t need to rush.” He pushed his hair behind his shoulders so he could see her better.

  She drew a circle on his stomach with her fingers. “You’re making me crazy and you haven’t even touched me down there yet.”

  “Where?” he teased, capturing her hands again.

  She squirmed. “You know.”

  He smiled. “I’m saving your fruitflesh for last.”

  “My what?”

  He released her hands and touched her belly with a finger, then pushed her back so that he could wriggle her out of her panties. Now all she wore was a brassiere that pushed her smallish breasts into tempting mounds. He smelled the tantalizing odor of her arousal, even though her legs were pressed together modestly. His finger slid down to the top of the slim red line that pointed to her femininity. “Here. Your fruitflesh.”

  “I’ve never heard it called that before.” She put her hand on his but he didn’t allow her to move him farther south. Not yet.

  “Oh, the nectar of the gods lives there,” he said. “But I am curious about your mound.” He stroked the single thin line of curls.

  She exhaled and her voice came out breathy. “It’s just a style. Lots of women wax here.”

  He shook his head. “What a waste. So much perfume is lost that way.”

  He kissed his way down the curls, feeling warm moisture even at the top of her nether lips, then worked his way back to her naked belly. His tongue tasted his damp lips.

  “Like rodi,” he whispered, diving in for another taste.

  “What?” Her voice was only a whisper.

  “Sweet,” he said, licking his lips. “But tart too.”

  “What’s rodi?” she persisted, struggling up on her elbows.

  He unsnapped her bra and pulled it away from her body. “You call them pomegranate.”

  “Oh, the fruit.”

  “Mmmm.” Gently, he pushed her back down, noticing how her breasts remained full and round even in a reclining situation. Yes, she was as young as she was lush. Her legs opened, giving him a view of her treasures.

  He spread her lips and blew softly, then nibbled at the top of her fruitflesh. Just like a rodi, with a hard seed inside, ready for sampling.

  “Oh god,” she whispered, her legs writhing around him as he toyed with her clit. She let out a long sigh when he circled her opening with one finger then pushed it in as it became lubricated with her juices.

  Slowly, the tight space relaxed and he was able to slip another finger in. He could hear her palms sliding on the sheets as he pleasured her. The strong floral smell was overpowered by her arousal.

  Would she lose interest in taking him if he gave her the ultimate pleasure? He wanted to lose himself in her body, yet wanted to send her over the edge first. Her back arched and he knew he had to decide.

  Oh well. Giving a woman joy was a reward in itself, whatever the consequences. He pulled back his fingers then thrust them in again at the same time as he sucked hard on her clit. Her groan was his reward. Round thighs clenched around his ears until his hearing was blocked, the only sensation her warm flesh under his lips, around his fingers. Her entire body clenched then began to shudder. He took her over then soothed her down, only moving away when her thighs slackened and relaxed on to the bed.

  She blinked dazedly. Her beautiful pale skin had blotches of pretty red centered on her chest, a sign of the intense pleasure he’d given her. Oh yes, he was pleased with himself, but his throbbing erection needed attention as well.

  He reached under his tunic and released his loincloth. His cock sprang free and he groaned at the pleasure of no longer being confined. Instinctively, he caressed himself with his fingers then stood over the bed, looking down at this woman. His woman, at least for the night. He grasped his tunic at the hem and pulled it over his head. Holly regarded him lazily, her eyes half hooded.

  “You have an amazing body,” she observed.

  “Thank you.” What a relief to hear the genuine praise of a woman, rather than the practiced deceit of a demon.

  “Were you really a warrior?”

  “Of course. This is the body I died with, though unfortunately it was in an earthquake and not while smiting my enemy.”

  “Such a waste,” she murmured. “And that cock. It’s gorgeous.”

  He felt himself swell further with her praise. A bead of moisture appeared on the tip and he spread it around his glans. She didn’t need the lubrication but a little extra never hurt.

  “We’ll need condoms.”

  He frowned. “That is some kind of sheath, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it protects against pregnancy and other things.”

  “I can’t give you a child,” he told her. “I am a construct of magic.”

  “There are diseases too.”

  “Too magical for diseases,” he pointed out.

  “Oh.” She bit her lip. “Are you sure? I mean, you are sort of human until you get Torc.”

  “Sort of,” he agreed. “But still magic-born.”

  She toyed with a lock of her hair, her legs moving restlessly on the bed. “I’ve never had sex without a condom.”

  “We can use one,” he told her, not wanting her to send him away. “We just do not need to.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.” One white arm waved in the general direction of a drawer in a chest next to her bed. “There’s a box of them there.”

  He bent down and found a square cardboard box, then fiddled with it until he found an opening. Slick squares fell out. He was desperate to be inside her. Hopefully the sheath wasn’t difficult to put on.

  “The condom is inside. Here.” She took one from him and he set the rest down on the chest. His hands were shaking with need.

  He watched her tear an opening in the square packet and pull out a wet-looking disk. She rolled on her side and gestured to him. He tilted his hips until his cock was directly in front of her. As she rolled on the sheath, the sensation was cool and somewhat sticky. It smelled of rubber and some chemical substance. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea of it covering his cock but supposed accommodations must be made for the age.

  Still, having mortal fingers on his phallus again was heady stuff. It had been more years than he cared to remember.

  “Okay,” she said when she finished caressing the limp disk down his aching cock. Her tongue tip rested adorably in the corner of her mouth. She looked hungry and he hoped it was for him.

  He considered kneeling on the bed but chose the floor at the side of the bed instead.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  A demon would never have questioned him. “Trust me.” He reached out and took her hands in his then guided her to the edge of her mattress. Her feet touched the floor on either side of his knees.

  “Like this,” he said, finding her fruitflesh with the tip of his cock. “I want you like this.”

  “Oh, that’s good.”

  His cock nudged her below and his hands found her round hips at the same time as his lips found her right nipple. She arched back on a gasp and he pressed into her. His senses were overwhelmed with the heat, the glove-like surrounding, the tender flesh of her pebbled nipple. She was so alive, so vulnerable, so very sexy.

  He saw her lips were parted in passion as he licked his way up her neck and along her jaw so he couldn’t resist nibbling. Her mouth was as exotic and flavorful as her fruitflesh. Mortal breath was intoxicating. The rise and fall of her chest brushed their skin together. How could he return to demons after this? She would ruin him for eternity.

  He pulled out of her and thrust in again, setting a fast tempo that almost matched the beating of her heart. His own blood pulsed through his veins in a way it hadn’t for millennia. Truly, Hades had sent him here human and vulnerable. Even another, third death would be worth it for this, though one mating would never be enough.

  Holly’s hands slid up his arms, gripping his biceps. He flexed them instinctively and she moaned her appreciation.


  “It’s been too long,” she whispered. “Why did I let myself want so long?”

  “I don’t know.” Why did I? He tilted her back so she fell on the bed then he gripped her under her knees and began to thrust hard. Sure, he wanted to stretch out the pleasure but his body was making urgent demands.

  “Harder!” she ordered.

  “Like this?” He pushed in until their very bones met. The bed frame moved with them, hitting the wall with every thrust.

  Holly put up her hands and pressed against the wall, but it didn’t stop the bed from rocking. She laughed and moaned as his cock found her creamy flesh over and over again.

  Glaukos felt the telltale tingling at the base of his spine. “I’m going to come,” he warned.

  “Don’t say that! You’ll make me…oh!” Holly locked her legs around his hips and arched.

  He felt the inner clutching of her channel and was forced to let go. Pleasure slowed down time so that he existed between unfamiliar heartbeats for a time. His seed flowed and his grip slackened.

  When Holly’s breathing had calmed and her feet had drifted down his legs to hang off the mattress, he bent his head to rest against her breasts.

  “Don’t forget the condom,” she said.

  “Right.” He removed the distasteful thing then disposed of it before flopping onto the bed next to her, still hard. Would she have him again?

  After a moment, he turned and laid his arm along her waist. “A princess could not have offered me more pleasure.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  To his surprise, instead of relaxing, she sat up. “I’m thirsty.” She scooted off the bed.

  He blinked but then realized he was thirsty too. Another mortal trait, to be thirsty after exertion. He stretched out his arms, feeling the muscles in his back relax. Yes, it was good to be back. Hopefully Los Angeles would be free of deadly earthquakes during his visit.

  * * * * *

  The next morning, Holly woke to find her sheets impossibly tangled and her bed empty of company. For a second, she wondered if last night had been some kind of crazy sex dream brought on by ouzo. But, if the ouzo had been real, so had the man. She grinned, grabbed the water glass on her night chest and took a deep sip. Glaukos might have left her room but he was still around here somewhere. After all, she was the one who’d said she would take him to Torc tonight.