Psyche woke after one of the best nights’ sleep she’d had in a long time. Apparently having sex before going to bed had relaxed her so deeply that she felt totally refreshed. She was quiet when she got up and took a shower, not wanting to wake Eros who was probably sleeping in since he didn’t have to go to work.
Thinking of Eros brought back the previous night. Having sex with him had been out of this world. Eros was a passionate and considerate lover who made certain his partner was taken care of. Just like he’d promised. And while she wasn’t a stranger to good sex, being with Eros had awoken a yearning in her. A desire for more. She sighed and proceeded to get dressed. They’d agreed to keep this a purely sexual arrangement, no strings attached. It was better that way. Relationships were messy and only led to disappointments.
Ready for work, Psyche snatched her bag and walked downstairs. The scent of coffee wafted towards her as she stepped into the foyer. She turned her head and spotted Eros leaning against the doorway of the living room, sipping from a mug of coffee. He wore shorts and a T-shirt.
“Morning, gorgeous.” He smiled at her over the rim of his mug.
“Morning, Eros. I didn’t expect you to be up so early.” Which meant she wasn’t prepared to face him right now. How should she behave? Casual, as if nothing had happened? Would he bring up the previous night? She fidgeted, nervously eyeing the front door.
“You weren’t gonna leave without having coffee, were you?” he asked, his tone kind. He motioned toward the kitchen. “Come on, I made plenty for both of us.”
“Well…” She hesitated. “Sure. Coffee sounds great.”
Psyche followed him into the kitchen, where he poured a mug for her.
“Milk, sugar?” he asked over his shoulder.
“Just black.”
He handed her the mug, and she took a long drink from it, grateful that it saved her from having to say anything for a few seconds.
“I just got word from my plumber friend,” Eros said. “He’ll start on your condo this morning.”
“Today?” Eros hadn’t mentioned that he’d been looking for a plumber for her. “What’s his hourly rate?”
“Don’t concern yourself with that. I told you I’d take care of it.”
“No, you said you’d help get it sorted. That doesn’t mean you have to pay the plumber.” Because she couldn’t accept that. It would be equal to taking money from him.
“I’m not paying him. He owes me a favor.”
In disbelief Psyche shook her head. “Must be a pretty big favor.”
Eros grinned. “Let’s just say he’s eternally grateful to me for helping him out of a bad situation.”
“I don’t know how to thank you.”
His gaze fixed on her face, and he pushed away from the counter. Without breaking eye contact he approached her, until he stood only a few inches away. She swallowed nervously.
“No need to thank me,” he murmured seductively, making her knees weak with just a few words and a searing look. He leaned in, bringing his mouth to her ear. “You don’t have to do anything in exchange for my help other than to continue playing my girlfriend for my friends’ sake.” He paused briefly, adding, “Though I won’t stop you if you absolutely want to show your appreciation in one way or another, be that by watering my plants or anything else you might deem… appropriate.”
His hot breath at her ear made her pulse race and her nipples turn into stiff points. When he stepped back again, she fought for air. Eros’s gaze drifted to her chest. A smile formed on his lips as he raised his eyes back to her face. She realized immediately that he’d noticed her nipples pressing through her T-shirt.
“That view alone is worth a hundred plumbers.”
Her hand trembled when she set the half-empty coffee mug on the counter. “I should really get going.”
“Have a great day at work.”
“Thanks.” She quickly turned.
“Oh, and your truck is fixed,” he called after her.
She looked over her shoulder. “It is?” She’d fully expected to take the bus to her shop again.
Eros winked at her. “Another favor I called in. It was just the starter. Nothing major.”
“I really don’t know how to—” She stopped herself when she saw him smirk.
“As I said…” It appeared he enjoyed teasing her with sexual innuendos.
With a flushed face, she rushed out of the house. Outside she was grateful for the crisp morning air that helped cool her heated body. Another second in Eros’s presence and she would have jumped him right there in the kitchen. How could this man have such an effect on her? She barely knew him, and already she couldn’t keep her hands off him. What was happening to her cool head? To her resolve not to get involved? She had to pull herself together. Eros didn’t want a relationship. He’d made that clear from the start. Just like she didn’t want a relationship.
It was probably just the effects of the strong physical attraction that lay between them, the lust that was barely hidden beneath the surface, that made them both act like randy teenagers. It would settle soon; they’d lose interest in each other once the newness of it wore off.
Convinced of that, she headed for her truck, which started on the first try. Thankful for another problem Eros had solved for her, she pulled out of the parking space and drove off.
~ ~ ~
Eros had just emptied the remaining coffee in the sink, when the doorbell rang. He lifted an eyebrow. He rarely had visitors, however, when he reached the front door, he could already sense who was outside.
He opened the door. “Why so formal?” he asked Hermes, who stood outside, waiting patiently.
Hermes peered inside the house. “Wasn’t sure whether you were alone or not. Didn’t want to, you know…”
“I’m alone.” Eros stepped aside to let his fellow god enter.
Hermes marched inside, his winged sandals peeking from beneath his long pants as he walked. He went nowhere without them. And with good reason: if the sandals weren’t in his possession, or indeed the possession of any god, all gods would lose their power to teleport. It had happened once when his sandals had been stolen by a mortal, and Hermes was making sure there would be no repeat of that incident. In fact, Hermes had gone a step further: he’d married the thief. His old friend was nothing if not thorough.
“How have you been?” Hermes asked casually as he walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator like the place belonged to him.
“Fine. You?”
Hermes was fishing, that much was evident. But Eros wasn’t going to make this easy on him. If he wanted to make sure his friends believed he was dating Psyche, he had to pretend to hide that fact. It was all about reverse psychology.
“Good, good.” Hermes glanced around the kitchen, his eyes falling on the two coffee mugs that sat in the sink. He grinned, pointing to them. “I see you had an overnight guest.”
Eros shrugged, neither denying nor confirming his friend’s assumption. “What do you want?”
“Well, we’re having a little party tonight. To celebrate Penny’s first year of tenure at the university. Just a few couples. I was wondering if you wanted to come.”
“I thought that was a few days ago. Didn’t you tell me you got Hera to babysit so you and Penny could go to some fancy faculty thing?”
“We did, and we went. But this is a private event, not the big bash her department put on. This is just for us and our friends.”
“Hmm. I assume you’ve been planning this for a while?”
Hermes lifted his hands in defense. “Honestly, I wanted to invite you earlier, but Penny said since it was couples-only, you might feel ill at ease. But today I thought, well, that’s stupid. So I was thinking, what if I invite that new lecturer who’s working in Penny’s department, so you won’t be the only single person there? She has a really good personality.”
Eros shook his head. “Really? Hermes, really? You think I can’t scare up a date for a party that’s better than just somebody with a good personality?” Because he knew all too well what good personality was code for and what Hermes was trying to do: goad him into admitting he was seeing somebody—which incidentally played right into Eros’s hands. He wouldn’t have to come up with an idea on how to stage another performance with his pretend girlfriend.
“No, of course not. But given how things have been with you, I didn’t want to assume—”
“I’m bringing a date.” Eros shooed him toward the door. “Now get out of here. I’ve got things to do.”
Hermes walked toward the door. “Seven o’clock sharp.”
“You cooking?” Eros called after him.
“Course I am. With a little help from upstairs.”
It was no surprise that Hermes was calling upon the help of the fairies, the pint-sized servants of the gods. Which reminded him: his place needed a little tidying up, too.
“Fairies,” he called out, and a moment later three of the tiny, magical creatures appeared in front of him. They would have looked human, if not for the delicate, glittering wings sprouting from their backs.
“How may we serve you, oh mighty god Eros?” they asked in unison.
“Make the beds, clean the bathrooms, tidy up. I’ve got things to take care of.”
The three fairies bowed at once like a synchronized swimming team. “It shall be done, oh mighty god Eros.”
Eros smiled. It was good to be a god.