Hermes stalked over to me. “Fine. Get your head clear. You have until tonight. Then I want what I was promised. I want you naked and eager. I want you to ride my cock with abandon and glory in being the one I choose to be with. Remember who I am, Lomasi. And who you are.” He turned and left the bathroom.
A few seconds later, I heard the bedroom door open and shut. And then I was finally able to give in to my sorrow. I fell forward onto the cold tile floor and sobbed brokenly.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
An hour later, someone brought a lunch tray to the room. By then, I had stopped sobbing, though the tears still continued to flow. The woman stared at me in horror as she put the tray on the table, then hurried out. I sat down and forced myself to eat. The healing Hermes had given me had revived my body, but I knew I'd still need as much strength as possible.
I only had a few hours before Hermes returned.
My stomach balked at the thought, and I nearly lost the sandwich I had choked down. I breathed through it, then sipped the water. Outside the glass balcony doors, the jewel-blue ocean glimmered. My lovers were out there. Close. Somewhere in Greece. How had they found me?
“The shopping,” I murmured. “Cameras in the stores. Damn.” I was both impressed and saddened.
If only they hadn't been so good at hunting, I might have stood a chance of convincing Hermes to let me go.
“Oh, who am I kidding? He wasn't going to let me go. I've given him too much honor, too much credit for morals he doesn't have. Our past has clouded my view of him.”
I shook my head and leaned back in the chair. How long had Hermes been a dishonorable, selfish, bastard who couldforce a woman to stay with him? He wanted me to pretend to love him so that he didn't feel like he was raping me. And he was enough of a son of a bitch that the lie was good enough for him. But then, look at his daddy. Zeus had no problem with rape. He either disguised himself to trick women into sleeping with him or straight up held them down and took what he wanted. He felt as if every woman on the planet was his for the taking. He was the Great Zeus after all. No one had the right to deny him. And he'd taught his son to be just as psychotic.
But what could a mere human do? I had played my only card—me. The illusion of my love. If that's what it took to protect my men, so be it.
I got up and went to the closet. It took me a while to select everything. From the finest lingerie to the sexiest silk dress, it had to be perfect. That's what Hermes would demand. Anything less would risk the safety of the men I loved.
I pulled on the lacy red bra and panty, then the garter belt with its sheer stockings. Wrapped up like a present, I stared at myself in the mirror. Love had made me a whore. So be it. I had lived over four hundred years and only loved one man. That love had been real, no sense in denying it, but it was nothing like what I felt for my hounds. That was an ache now, deep in my chest. I could still feel them. Their love. And that was a gift that even Hermes couldn't take away. Our love would withstand the fury of a god. It would help me endure whatever I had to do to protect them. And it would comfort me in the years to come.
“Maybe he'll get tired of me again,” I murmured. “A few decades, and he might leave me.” I snorted. “The one thing I dreaded, I now hope for.”
I got dressed and put on some make-up. Then I went out to the balcony to wait. When the door finally opened, it wasn't Hermes but one of the male staff. He escorted me to Hermes's cabin. I stepped into a dark sitting room, candlelight flickering off the polished walls. I grimaced at the thin tapers with their tiny flames, surprised there wasn't a trail of rose petals leading me to bed. Even Hermes's romance had taken a bad turn.
Squaring my shoulders, I headed past a chilling bottle of champagne and a dome-covered tray of appetizers. The bedroom door was open. The trembling began as soon as I stepped past the threshold. Not a good trembling.
Hermes was sprawled on the huge bed, his bronzed body pale against black silk. He was gorgeous, as always, but the setting made him look as if he was about to star in a porno. I actually looked around for the cameras. But no, it was just us.
A smile spread across his face when he saw me. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” I went to the foot of the bed and started a slow strip tease.
His dark eyes widened and followed my every move. I drew it out in Gypsy Rose fashion, undulating and stroking myself before pulling down a single strap. But there was only so long I could do that. Eventually, I let the dress fall and crawled onto the bed in my underwear. Time to play the part.
“Oh, yes. This is what I want,” Hermes said, his cock weeping. He gave it a quick stroke before massaging his balls, then drew his hand up his chest, outlining his pecs.
As if that would entice me anymore.
I pretended it did and forced my stare to follow his hand. Hermes loved that, making happy sounds.
“Come here,” he said.
Trying to still my trembling, I straddled his hips and settled onto him. His cock pushed against my sex, only a scrap of silk between us. He pushed, and the head split me, shoving the silk into me. I moaned as if it felt good.
“There's my beautiful flower,” Hermes said.
A snap came as he tore the panties away. Then he shimmied down onto his back. Hermes grabbed my hips, pulling me up until I had to climb over his shoulders. Positioned above his face, I made the mistake of staring down at him.
It was all wrong. Dark hair instead of blonde. Brown eyes instead of green. And those lips did not belong to any of the men I loved.
I jerked to the side just in time to throw up over the edge of the bed.
“What the fuck?!” Hermes roared.
