Chapter Sixteen

With the God's meeting tomorrow both me and Ares are on edge. We hardly say a word, the tasks for tomorrow hanging between us. The God's meeting is nothing but Zeus's way to display power, for all gods and goddesses to mingle with their sharp edged words and their judgement. We are at his beck and call and it has never sat well, but what can we do?

Persephone is always barred from going to the meeting and Hades rarely goes, always claiming their are more dead than he can keep up with. I have always gone, usually alone, playing the role of seductive goddess. Dancing with the immortals, letting them pass me from arms to arms, men and women, lips pressing against my neck, hands roaming my skin and after a while I would be so drunk on the wine of the Gods that I wouldn't give a fuck.

When I went with Hephaestus I was to be quiet and let him flaunt his beautiful wife, reluctant or no. The immortals would stare with envy as I sat with him, cooed sweet lies into his ear and let his possessive touch roam over me, telling all others to stay away. My gut recoils with just the memory. This time... I don't know what role I am to take on. Everyone knows I haven't seen Hephaestus is years and I don't want to go back to being the seductive goddess passed from person to person, letting each person taste what they can never have.

Maybe I don't know because, even after all these years, I don't know who I am.

Ares stands by the windows, the evening sun casting him in a golden light. My heart squeezes and I approach him from behind, running my hands over his powerful back, placing a kiss against the back of his shoulder. Biting my lip, I let him take in my presence for a moment.

"What are you going to do tomorrow?" I ask.

"You mean what role will I play?"

I don't respond. If I recall correctly, he would sit upon his throne, sword leaning against his throne, letting the immortals entertain themselves in front of him, his face always impassive and unreadable.

"I know you want to hear something romantic, Aphrodite. You want to hear that I will make some grand gesture in front of every God, but it's different for me. I must not show weakness. I cannot let the others see I have true care for you. It's dangerous, not for me but for you." His words are harsh, but I can tell he is stressed, the muscles in his back tense beneath my hands.

I knead the knots in his back, not letting his words affect me. "I don't want to hear anything, Ares. I know how the games on Olympus are played. I have played them myself for centuries. Dancing among the immortals, so drunk on wine and their lust that it all ends up hazy. You don't have to explain your actions to me." I keep my voice soothing, pressing against his back.

"And you?" He pauses, turning to face me. "What will you do, Aphrodite, when we go to the God's realm? Will you ignore me? Will you deny me?" Ares circles me like a predator, before gripping my hips, pulling my back against his chest. "Or would you sit in my lap for all to see?" His breath is a warm tickle on my neck, sending molten heat straight to my core.

My breathing hitches as he moves to press his hips against my backside. Boil me alive, he is just as ready as I am. "If it would please you, I'd fuck you for all to see." To punctuate my words, I move against his pelvis, causing him to groan.

And I mean it. I will own every inch of myself. I am the goddess of love and desire for fucks sake, I will own my body, the sensual curve of my hip, the swell of my breasts, the fullness of my thighs. It's mine to use, a weapon in it's own way, a powerful one and Ares will be my platform. Confidence swells in my chest and I know without a doubt what my place will be and it's one of my own choosing.

His breath fans over my neck as he presses his chest against my back, gripping my hips. "Can you feel what you do to me? You cannot deny me after this, not even in the God's realm," he growls in my ear.

"Why would I want to?" My voice is breathy and my heart slams against my rib cage. I've never wanted anything in my life as badly as I desire him.

I move my bottom against his length, feeling his breath stutter against my skin. "I have nothing to be ashamed of."

He whirls me around to face him and slants his lips over mine, unbuttoning my shirt, one by one, until he pushes the shirt from my arms, and runs his hands over my body. Desire overrides anything else and I take off his shirt and pants, working his mouth with my tongue, finally wrapping my arms around his neck. His hands lift me up and I wrap my legs around his waist as he lays me out on our bed, my hair fanning out on the pillows.

"There is no going back once the God's know. They will slander you. Some will call for justice for their comrade." His voice is rough as his lips travel my skin, leaving a trail of scorching kisses down my body.

"Let them," I whisper, sliding my fingers though his hair as I slip my thighs over his shoulder.

"This is no game, Aphrodite," he growls against my center, sliding nimble fingers over my thigh and to the apex of my thighs, pressing down and causing me to jerk.

With a gasp, fist the sheets. "I think you should know by now, Ares..." I pause, shuddering as his tongue lances through me. "I am all in."

Positions switch and I am doing the feasting and again he is on top, driving in again and again, the rhythm of our hips a beat and the sounds of our breathing a cadence with moaning and cursing the chorus.

With everything we have gone through, no matter what happens it will turn out okay. Life feels complete when he is with me and when we are together there is no telling where he starts and I end. Sex with him, feelings with him are like no other. Like I am a greenie at everything and he is showing me the ropes.

All along it was a hopeless fight, trying to stop the fall. What I really needed was to embrace the fall and enjoy the landing. The feeling of solid ground. The surety that when I reach the bottom, he is there to catch me.

In a tangle of limbs, we lay in the bed together, face to face, noses touching, his hand stroking my hair back, the other wrapped around my waist. "I love you," he murmurs.

I tuck myself even closer to him, brushing a kiss along his lips. "And I you, my love."

As we lay there, my past eats at me, Throughout this whole relationship, Ares has valued honesty and craved to know me, yet I never granted him my biggest secret and to me, laying here with him now, the God's meeting mere hours away, that's a barrier between us. One I want to eradicate.

"Ares," I whisper, a wobble sneaking it's way into my voice.

Immediately, his eyes snap open and bore into mine, worry etching onto his handsome face. "What is it, little dove?" he asks.

"I must tell you why I left, Olympus."

He smiles, smoothing a hand down my back. "Ah, this will be interesting. I've been trying to get you to share what happened since I met you."

"I know, I am sorry. I wasn't ready and with everything that has happened and what is to come, it feels like a barrier between us and I don't want that."

"Don't worry, baby. I knew you'd share when you were ready." He places a kiss between my eyes.

My heart races and palms sweat. Just thinking of the events that led to my departure make my skin crawl, the same sense of helplessness I felt then creeping back in.

I watch him carefully, his patience breaking my resolve. Will he look at me differently? He has always seen me as strong, enjoyed my sass and reluctance to give into him. It's what has drawn him to me, what will he do when he finds out I have been weak all this time? That all this time my bravery and confidence was all a facade... he deserves to know. No secrets.

"I was forced into bed with Hephaestus and Zeus tried to assault me..."

Before I can explain, Ares explodes.