Arcadian Nights (2 page)

She rolled her eyes and set her punch
glass down. “Well, you’re an idiot. I would never have come near
you if you hadn’t come over here to make sure I didn’t do something
to upset your precious Aphrodite or fowl up her stupid brat’s
wedding. You simply aren’t that important.” She smiled. “It might
be interesting though if I could manage to get you riled up. I’d
love to see those brown eyes flashing.”

“
I will be angry if you do
anything to cause discord here among people who care for one
another. You have no quarrel with them or with Iris and
Eros.”

“
Don’t worry.” She walked
past him and touched his arm. “I have a better idea.”

As she walked away, he found himself
entranced by her. He couldn’t take his eyes off her ass. The sway
of her hips made him want to throw her over a table and give her
the rutting of her life.

He blinked and shook his head. He
started to follow her, but then he stopped. His arm burned where
she had touched him. He looked down and saw a black apple burned
into his skin. When he touched it, his mind filled with images of
Eris on top of him, naked and moaning. He could almost feel
her.

“
Hermes?”

He turned to Aphrodite.
“Yes?”

“
Are you okay? You’re
breathing hard and your eyes are wild and red.” She looked around.
“Eris is gone now, but she did something to you. Please tell me.
We’ll go to Zeus.”

“
I’m not sure.” He had a
hard time concentrating. All he could think of was Eris. He thought
of what her breasts would feel like, what she would taste like if
he went down on her, how she would scream as she came. “But she has
definitely done something.”

“
I think we should go.”
Aphrodite grabbed him and hurried them off to the woods. She held
him very close, and the feel of her body was not
helping.

“
Aphrodite, what are you
doing?”

She turned around when they were out
of sight. “You’re standing in the middle of my son’s wedding
reception with a hard-on that would make Zeus jealous.”

He looked down. She wasn’t
exaggerating. His erection was incredibly noticeable. It was also
very painful.

He showed Aphrodite his arm. “She
touched me. As soon as she did, all I wanted to do was fuck
her.”

The goddess put her hand over her
mouth, and he realized she was laughing.

“
This isn’t
funny!”

“
It kind of is. It’s
pretty absurd, in fact.” She finally laughed out loud.

“
So because this doesn’t
affect you, you aren’t concerned?”

“
It does affect me. It’s
gotten my attention and pulled me away from the wedding.” She
shrugged and walked toward him seductively. “But it is a wedding.
This could be my sexual blessing for the couple.”

Hermes looked up at Aphrodite. He
realized he’d been staring at her breasts, which looked amazing
pushed together in her white leather corset.

“
You can’t be serious.
This is what she wants.”

“
So? It’s what I want too.
You’re the one who turned away from me, remember?”

“
What about
Ares?”

She began unlacing her bodice. “He’s
as free as I am. We don’t love each other. But I do love the way
you make me come, that one moment when you let go and give me
everything.” She sighed as she pulled the corset down. “You’re hard
to forget, Hermes.”

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. “I
don’t think we should.”

“
You need release. I’ll
give you that.” She stood close to him and stroked his
cock.

He looked into her eyes, remembering
the months they’d spent together. He knew just what glorious
release she could give him. He cupped her breasts and caressed
them, her sighs making his cock harder. Something was wrong
though.

“
I don’t think it will
work.”

She put her arms around him. “I’ll
ride you until it does work.” She kissed him passionately, and he
responded. He pulled at her skirt, finally ripping it off. She
continued to stroke him. As soon as he touched her wet pussy, she
reached into his pants, fighting to free his cock.

He pulled himself out of her embrace.
“Wait. Please.”

“
What’s wrong?” She stood
naked, her breasts heaving. She was so beautiful, offering herself
to him, telling him she still wanted him, but he couldn’t shake the
feeling something was wrong.

“
This isn’t a lust spell.
I only want her. No man could resist you, especially in such an
aroused state, but in my mind all I see is her. Even if we make
love, she may still have a hold on me.”

Aphrodite’s eyes flashed. “So she was
after me. Just wanted to play a little game. She’ll pay for
this.”

“
No. I think it’s me. You
just got in the way.” He turned away so he’d stop staring at her.
He was confused enough already.

“
Perhaps she wanted to
cause strife with Ares. Might happen if you slept with me. Or if
you pursued her.”

Hermes shook his head. “I can’t
think.”

“
Perhaps I can ease
it.”

“
No.”

“
I’m serious. Close your
eyes. Pretend it isn’t me.”

“
No.”

She touched his shoulders. “Let me
try. You can’t walk around like this. It doesn’t seem to be going
away.”

He turned to her and looked into her
eyes. “You don’t have to.”

“
Let me love you one more
time.” She led him to a patch of grass and pulled him onto her. He
couldn’t help but follow her. “I can’t break her spell, but my
powers can’t be useless. Just close your eyes and take
me.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, but
then he opened them. “No. I want to look at you. I don’t want to
think of her more than I have to.”

He moved to her entrance, which was as
wet and hot as he remembered, and slid into her. He looked down
into her eyes, enjoying the pleasure he saw there. “I pleased you?
Sometimes I couldn’t tell.”

She stroked his face. “You did. I
don’t usually like the strong and silent type.” She gasped as he
thrust higher. “But you were such a considerate lover.” She moaned
and pulled him closer.

He pushed deeper, remembering where
she was the most sensitive and shifting her leg up slightly so he
could hit that one spot just right. He kissed her breasts as her
skin flushed, knowing this would heighten her pleasure. He tried to
focus on her, but all he could see was Eris. He couldn’t help
imagining it was her beneath him.

Aphrodite threw her head back and
moaned, grinding against him as she came. Her convulsions sent him
over the edge, and he bit back the urge to yell Eris’
name.

He pulled himself out of Aphrodite’s
arms. “I hope you don’t regret this later.”

“
I won’t. Are you
better?”

He shrugged. “My head’s clearer. I
think I’m sated for now. I can’t get her out of my head
though.”

“
I’ll find out what she
did. I won’t let her hurt you.”

He looked at the goddess and pushed a
blonde curl out of her face. She mystified him still. He had never
understood how she could love everyone around her so completely and
yet never fall in love with any of them. “Thank you. Sorry it was
so quick.”

She shrugged. “I’m not complaining.”
She ran one finger over his arm, looking at him seductively. “And I
wouldn’t complain if you needed me again.”

“
What in the hell is going
on?”

They looked up at Ares, who was
glaring heatedly at both of them.

Aphrodite smiled and stood, snapping
her fingers to cover herself in a pink sundress. “Your sister put a
spell on Hermes. He had a hard-on that would have put you to shame.
He needed my help.”

Ares moved toward Aphrodite and stood
very close. His eyes blazed down at her. “You strip and spread your
legs every time a man ‘needs’ you? Huh?”

“
Wait! Don’t fight. Ares,
I’m sorry. We didn’t know what else to do.” He went to them and
pushed Ares back a few steps before showing Ares his arm. “It’s
true. Eris said she’d love to see me riled up and then she touched
me. She put some kind of spell on me to make me want
her.”

Ares crossed his arms. “So why were
you rutting in the woods with Aphrodite if Eris is the one you
wanted? Given the choice, I’d have preferred finding you with my
sister. At least she’s free to fuck whomever she wants.”

Aphrodite glared at Ares. “So am I. I
tried to get him away when I saw his, well, condition. Then I got
turned on. I thought it would help. He couldn’t just walk around
like that. And it did help. He was muddled before and now he can
think clearly. I’m sure I absorbed some of the spell’s energy.
We’ll have to find out how to break it from her.”

Ares turned and stormed away. “I’m not
listening to any more of this.”

“
Are you kidding me?” she
yelled.

He turned and pointed his finger at
her. “You know you wanted to fuck him again. You’re getting tired
of me. Your pussy is easily bored.”

Before she could say anything else, he
clapped his hands together. A thunderous boom filled the forest and
he was gone.

“
That arrogant prick!” She
made a very unbecoming screech and stormed off.

“
Aphrodite,
wait!”

“
I’m not mad at you, it’s
that thoughtless ass! I’ll come find you when I know
more.”

He let her go, and then got up and
fixed his pants. He sighed. He no longer felt overcome by lust, but
he still couldn’t shake his thoughts of Eris. All he could see were
her flashing eyes, all he could hear was her taunting
laugh.

The one thing he had going for him was
the favor of Zeus and Hera. Add Aphrodite’s anger to that and Eris
was going to be in big trouble. Ares might cause problems, but
perhaps his mother could handle him.

Hermes sighed again. He hadn’t
expected Eros’ wedding to be quite so eventful.

* * * *

After taking a walk and a quick dip in
the stream, Hermes decided to chance returning to the wedding
reception. At least he could say good-bye to his fellow
messenger.

Iris stood watching Eros wipe cake off
his jacket. She smiled at Hermes as he approached.

“
Having even the slightest
bit of fun yet?” she asked playfully.

Since the couple seemed oblivious to
the commotion, he decided not to say anything. “It’s been the most
interesting day in a very long time, I can assure you.”

Iris narrowed her eyes, but before she
could say anything, Hera came bounding up to them.

“
You naughty boy!” She
slapped Hermes on the ass.

He tried to maintain his composure,
but didn’t pull it off. “You have something to say, my
queen?”

Hera convulsed with laughter. “I knew
you had it in you. Did the nuptial blessings bring it out or
what?”

Eros and Iris stood looking back and
forth between the two of them.

“
Did you have sex at my
reception? Seriously?” Eros asked, on the verge of joining in with
Hera’s laughter. “Can’t say I object, but I thought you came out of
social obligation, not to get laid.”

Hermes sighed. “Who told you and
why?”

“
Ares stormed off. He
bumped into me and told me I better find a new messenger for Zeus
because he was going to have your head on a pike.”

Iris’ eyes went wide. “You and
Aphrodite? So that’s why she hasn’t been bothering us the last
twenty minutes!”

Hermes looked at Hera. “This is
serious. Eris put a spell on me.” He showed the three of them his
arm.

They leaned forward and unison. Iris
and Hera both said, “Oh.”

Eros groaned. “That conniving
bitch!”

“
So she turned you into a
stud or what?” Hera looked him over. “You do look a bit
spent.”

“
This isn’t the best place
to discuss this.”

Eros nodded. “You two go on. No one
seems to be taking notice of us. I don’t think anyone else saw
anything. Just go. You can tell us later.”

Hermes and Hera glanced around, and
then began walking toward the woods.

“
So, tell me what she said
to you,” Hera said.

“
She was offended because
I was keeping an eye on her. Aphrodite didn’t dare not invite her,
so she needed someone to watch her. Eris kept commenting on my lack
of emotion and said she wanted to see me riled up. Then she touched
me, and from that moment all I wanted to do was—”

“
Shag her silly! Oh my
gods! I’m sorry, but you have to admit it’s funny.”

Hermes sighed. “Nothing really
happened, but it did disrupt the wedding. Aphrodite stormed off and
left, and Ares is angry with both of us. It’s not a war, but it’s
not something to be laughed at.”

She stopped laughing. “I’m sorry. You
have to admit she’s right though. You don’t let anyone get close to
you. Don’t you think you’ll tire of being alone
someday?”