“How…” I began.
Ares tossed off his shirt and tossed a look over his shoulder. “There are four quarters in the palace that have these baths. Poseidon gets one, I get one, and Zeus gets one, which is even larger than this, if you’d believe it. And then Hera got one, too.”
I trailed after him, refusing to look at the way the dim lighting highlighted the dips and ridges of his prominent back muscles. When he reached the edge of the bath, he knelt beside it and ran the steaming water through his fingers.
“Circe’s magic,” he said by way of an explanation. “She imbued these baths with heat, and it lingers now, even though she’s gone.”
“Yes, and it’s a shame she was forced to leave Aiaia after all the work she put into the place.”
He glanced over his shoulder at me. “I had no part in that.”
“It doesn’t matter. She has a home in Troy now.” I moved to his side. The steam caressed my face, scented with something herbal and sweet.
Ares suddenly went to remove his trousers. Flushing, I averted my gaze and moved to the other side of the bath. With the distance and the steam, he might not be able to see much of me. Quickly, I pulled off my dirt-caked gown and eased into the warmth.
Instantly, every part of me relaxed, and the aches Ares’s blood hadn’t eased finally vanished. With a blissful sigh, I sank into the water until it reached my chin and leaned my head against the side of the bath, closing my eyes.
“Incredible, isn’t it?” Ares said. I could hear water sloshing from his direction, indicating he’d lowered himself into the bath as well.
“It is particularly incredible after the night we had,” I answered.
“Funny, it feels like we were gone much longer than that.”
It was only a single day and one night that we were gone, but Ares was right. Somehow, it felt like far longer. A week, perhaps. Maybe more. We’d crossed a lot of ground. Hell, we’d evenleftthe island for a time. No wonder I was tired.
For a while, we sat there together, enjoying the bath and the silence. The heat cocooned me, and an odd sense of calm settled over me. A lot had gone wrong since I’d arrived on Aiaia, and the next few days could follow suit. But for now, I tried not to think about any of it.
“Thank you, Selene,” Ares said, his deep voice echoing through the cavernous chamber.
I peeled open my eyes. He’d remained on the far side of the bath. His arms were draped across the sides, fingers tracing circles in the steaming water. A single curl dropped into his eyes as he gave me a silent nod.
“For what?” I asked, my throat tight.
“What you did for Hestia. You didn’t have to. Not many would have, especially someone in your situation.”
“And what exactly is my situation, Ares?”
“You are an island surrounded by sharks,” he said.
“And you’re one of those sharks.” When he didn’t respond, I added, “I’m not the island. Islands don’t have teeth.”
His brow rose. “And are you going to bite me, darling? Because I wouldn’t mind.”
That boldness he sometimes conjured in me rose again. I pushed away from the side of the bath and swam toward him. When I was halfway across, I slowed. Steam billowed around my face.
“Perhaps you should come here and find out,” I said.
His eyes sparked with heat. Leaving behind the bath’s edge, he drifted closer. The distance separating us was no more than a few feet. Then it was only two. Then one. He was so close to me now that I could see every single speck of gold in his eyes, and if he dipped his view, he would see far more of me than that.
“Hello,” he murmured with a smile.
I swallowed. “Hello, Ares.”
He held out his hand. Rivulets of water ran down his skin. “Go on, then. Bite me. Taste my blood again.”
My heart thrummed. And before I could stop myself, I leaned in and sank my teeth into his wrist. Blood filled my mouth. I took a long, satisfying drink, relishing in the way it lit up every inch of me, heating me with deliciouswant. Trembling, I released him and pulled back. My breath was a storm of white between us.
“My turn,” he said, gently lifting my arm from the pool. He held my hand palm up and traced the lines that carved from my fingers to my wrist. Every single stroke lit up my core, building an ache between my thighs that nearly made me cry out.
