Arcadian Nights (10 page)

“
Eris, you know we don’t
do that, but we can see the thread of your destiny. Yours has
become entwined with his, but you try to pull away and unravel what
you two could have.”

Eris wanted to leave. She didn’t want
to sit and listen to her friend saying the same things Hermes had
said. She wanted everyone to leave her alone. She’d been happier
then.

“
You can’t make me follow
your plans. That’s why you need me. You can’t make things happen
just because you plan them.”

“
But you and Hermes have a
faith in us others have lost. Why wouldn’t we want you above all
others to be happy?”

“
Love doesn’t make you
happy.”

“
How do you know that? How
can you say it doesn’t bring great happiness to everyone it
touches?”

“
Does it always last? Does
it always work out? It hurts more than it helps.”

“
That’s not
true.”

Eris glared at her. “You won’t tell me
what to believe any more than you’ll tell me what to
do.”

Lachesis stood up. “I see this was
futile. You’ll do what you want, no matter what. Just know this.
I’m the assigner of fate. I see farther than anyone. I know what
will come of a life or a destiny before Clotho spins the thread,
and I know what will happen before the moment Atropos cuts it. It’s
different with the gods, yes, as you don’t have the beginnings and
ends of mortals, but you still have a destiny, many in fact. I see
happiness. If you don’t want it, I’ll never bother trying
again.”

Eris knew Lachesis was angry, although
she rarely raised her voice or showed her feelings in any way. “I’m
not being disrespectful.”

“
You’re being stubborn. We
shall make Hermes happy whether you wish to be a part of it or
not.” She disappeared.

Eris looked down at her hands, which
she’d balled into tight fists. She knew she wouldn’t see any of the
Fates for a long time, but she was so angry she didn’t care.
Something else was settling in her heart though. It was another
emotion she wasn’t used to.

Fear.

What had Lachesis meant? What would
they do if she didn’t pursue a happily-ever-after ending with
Hermes? They couldn’t make him feel any different, that she knew,
but what other action might they take? She thought of Aphrodite.
Was Hermes still confiding in her? It seemed unlikely, as she
doubted Aphrodite would be supportive, but what if he became so
frustrated he turned to her for “comfort”? Eris felt her anger
rising again, but she held back. Lachesis might have intended for
her to think this way and run to Hermes’ arms.

It sounded like a good idea, but she
wasn’t going to go to him and pledge her undying love. She had
every intention of bending him to her will and showing everyone
that she was in control of her own destiny.

* * * *

Hermes awakened the instant he felt
the hands on his neck. Warm, soft hands ran down his chest, and hot
lips teased his ear.

“
Eris?”

“
Yes?”

He turned to look at her, but she
kissed him hard before he could say anything. She deepened the kiss
and made every thought fly out of his head. She caressed his chest
as she moved closer to him, her kiss becoming softer, more teasing.
She nipped at his lips with her teeth, and he tried to pull her
close to kiss her again. She moved her lips down to his chest, and
he didn’t see any reason to object.

“
You’ve changed your mind
about wanting to see me.”

“
I wanted you.”

He watched her as she unbuttoned his
shirt and kissed and licked his chest. He wanted her to look up at
him and say that, but he didn’t push. His body had ached for her
since their one night together. His emotions had been in turmoil as
well. He’d told himself to forget about her several times since
then, but his heart and his body refused to forget how she had
touched and possessed both of them.

“
I’m glad.”

She looked up mischievously. “Have you
been thinking about me?”

“
Yes.” For a moment, he
felt guarded. He knew he had broken through her defenses, if only a
little, the last time. But how had she felt afterwards? Was she
here to tease him now? Did she know he felt so much more for her
than she felt for him? Had he misjudged how cruel she could be? He
feared he might have put too much faith in the idea that she was
not what she appeared to be.

“
Have you been remembering
what it was like?”

Hermes swallowed. “I’ve thought about
it.”

Her hands moved down to his cock. “So
have I.” She undid his pants quickly, pulling his cock out and
taking it into her mouth.

He gasped in surprise. “I’ve thought
about how good you felt when you came.”

She swirled her tongue around the
head, then began working the shaft with her hand. “You liked
fucking me?”

I was making love to you.
I’m falling in love with you.
He wanted to
say so much. Instead, he only replied, “Yes.” He couldn’t be sure
what she wanted, but right now she was the one pursuing him. If he
began to push his emotions on her, he might make her angry or scare
her away. He wanted her so much he was willing to take the chance a
fevered coupling was all she wanted.

She moved up to kiss him. “I love the
way you made me come.” She straddled him, taking his cock partially
into her hot, wet pussy. “I love your cock.”

He held her by the hips and thrust up,
but she wouldn’t let him go more than halfway into her. He wanted
to fill her, make her come again, but she only smiled down at him
as she held him at a distance. Then she pulled away and climbed off
him.

“
You want me?” she
asked.

“
Yes.”

“
Will you do whatever I
want?”

He paused for a moment, and then said,
“Yes.”

She led him through the door, and they
emerged in her bedroom, both naked. She went to the bed and picked
up a blindfold.

“
You’ll put yourself
completely in my hands?”

He looked over at the bed, noting the
black straps tied to each of the four posts. He’d expected as much,
but now he knew he’d been right. He had touched her, but she still
wanted to keep him at a distance, even though she couldn’t resist
her desire for him. If she could blindfold him, he wouldn’t look at
her tenderly. If she tied him down, she was in control of how and
if he touched her.

He looked down at her. “Yes.” When she
put the blindfold on, he whispered, “I trust you. I know you won’t
hurt me.” He couldn’t tell exactly how she’d reacted, but she had
moved away quickly. It seemed she hadn’t missed the double meaning
in his words.

She took his hand and moved him over
to the bed. “Lie back in the middle. I’ll take care of
everything.”

He couldn’t resist teasing her a
little as he settled back on the bed. “Are your other playmates so
cooperative?”

She laughed. “I’ve never met a man I
couldn’t subdue.” She ran her hand over his cock before moving down
to restrain his ankles. She tightened them both then moved back up
to his side and ran one finger over his lips. “Did you think I
wouldn’t be able to subdue you?”

“
No. I knew you’d be able
to.”

She was silent, but after a moment she
tied his left hand to the post, then she straddled him and moved
over his body, her wet pussy caressing his stomach for an
instant.

He sighed. “Has anyone ever fucked you
the way I did last time? Has anyone ever made you feel that
before?”

She tightened the last strap, giving
it an extra tug she hadn’t given the others. “I’ve had good sex
before, Hermes. Many times.”

“
That’s not what I
asked.”

She ran her hands over his chest. “So
you want to know that you’re special? Or better?”

“
Different, at
least.”

“
Maybe so. I typically
call all the shots.” She paused. “You were different. You were very
… clingy.”

He refused to let the comment anger
him. She was trying to hurt him to stop him from being “clingy” and
emotional again. “What man would want to let you go?”

She laughed. Her hands moved to his
cock. “Did you find it hard to stay away?”

“
Yes.” He knew what he
wanted to say, but instead he tried a different assault. “I
couldn’t stop thinking about your pussy.”

“
Oh really?”

“
Yes. I didn’t get a
chance to taste you.”

She giggled, and he could tell he was
turning her on. “Do you want to?”

“
Yes.”

She came closer to him. After a
moment, she brought two of her fingers to his lips. He licked them,
enjoying the tangy sweetness of her arousal, but deriving far more
pleasure from her contented sigh. He sucked them into his mouth,
biting them gently.

She giggled again and pulled away. “Do
you want more?”

“
Yes.”

“
Tell me what you
want.”

I want you.
“I want to eat your pussy.”

She kissed his stomach, moving up him
slowly. “I’m not sure you deserve it.” She ran her tongue over his
right nipple. She moved up to nibble on his neck, rubbing her pussy
against him. She brought her lips to his. “Say it
again.”

He bit her lip, gently. “I want to eat
your pussy. I want you to come on my face.”

She kissed him and ran her fingers
through his hair. “You are being a good boy.”

“
Get up here, and I’ll be
even better.”

She moved up him, positioning herself
over his face with her knees on each side of his head, her legs
beneath his arms. She leaned forward and moved close enough for his
lips to touch her.

He swirled his tongue over her clit
and she trembled just a little before pushing herself closer to
him. He licked her slowly, trying to find her most sensitive spots.
Her taste intoxicated him. He probed inside her with his tongue,
and then focused his lips and tongue on her clit.

Her breathing was heavy and deep, and
he wanted to hold her. He sucked on her clit, causing her to cry
out in pleasure.

He took the chance. “Let me see you.
Just let me see you when you come.”

She rubbed her pussy against his lips.
“Make me come first.”

He ran his tongue over her slowly,
seeking to tease instead of satisfy. “Let me see you.”

She groaned. “You said you’d be a good
boy.”

“
Why can’t I see you?” He
sucked on her clit, and she sighed.

“
Why do you want
to?”

He ran his tongue between her pussy
lips, taking his time and enjoying her taste. “You’re so sexy. So
beautiful.”

“
No.”

He was growing tired of her games.
With a thought, his hands were free and his blindfold was gone. He
took her by the hips and pulled her close, relentlessly stroking
her clit with his tongue, teasing it with his teeth.

She moaned, then cried out as her
orgasm hit. He leaned his head back, his hand replacing his lips,
his fingers inside her as his thumb worked her clit. He saw her
leaning over the headboard, the pleasure on her face blatant. She
cried out again as she rode out her pleasure on his
hand.

When she opened her eyes, he saw that
the emotion he’d been longing for had replaced the lust he’d always
seen there. She tried to get away from him, but he held her,
sitting up and dropping her into his lap, her legs still around
him. One tear rolled down her cheek, and he wiped it
away.

“
Eris, I will never hurt
you. Why do you think I want to?”

“
I don’t.”

“
Then why hide this from
me? Why lie about what you feel for me?”

“
I’m not looking for
love.”

“
Maybe it’s looking for
you.”

She looked away. She seemed so
vulnerable, her skin heated and her heart pounding after her
orgasm, her breath coming in heaves. He wanted to cradle her in his
arms, but he knew she’d pull away.

“
Eris, I’m not declaring
anything, but I have very strong feelings for you. They aren’t
going to go away because you don’t like them. I think about you
every day. I dream of you at night.”

She looked back at him, but still
remained silent. He kissed her gently, and she didn’t pull away. “I
think about holding you close, and you don’t pull away. You let me
hold you. You let me make love to you gently. You look at me and
let me tell you how beautiful you are.”

“
What makes you think I
can love anyone?”

He shook his head. “Why do you think
you can’t? There is no reason. None at all. I can’t understand why
you feel this way.”

She shrugged lightly, and he smiled as
she looked down. She looked so sweet and innocent, so cute and
almost shy, resting there in his arms, unable to meet his gaze. He
knew, however, he’d get thrown through the wall for saying any of
those things.