Loved.
Bethany smiled down at him. Her Hector never failed to surprise her.
She tightened her arms around him, wishing she could leave everything behind and be with him. How wonderful would it be?
But the other gods would come for her and they would kill him for distracting her from her duties.
After a few seconds, he lifted his hand to brush it against the breast he faced. To her complete shock, he hooked his thumb into the material of her peplos and pulled it aside so that he could blow a stream of cool air over her bared nipple until it puckered tight.
It was so unlike him....
She frowned. "Hector? What are you doing?"
"Hopefully, not offending you. Since you haven't slapped me or yanked my hair, I'm assuming I'm allowed?"
She smiled down at him. "You're allowed."
Styxx's heart pounded at the sight of her lush perfect naked breast. His mouth watering, he moved his head so that he could sample the taut peak. He groaned at the incredible taste of it as he rolled his tongue around the areola then suckled her gently.
Bethany cradled his head as he moved to taste her other breast. Her body was so hot and needful that it was all she could do not to betray herself as a goddess. She wanted him inside her so badly that it was absolutely painful.
Leaning back, she pulled him with her and released the pins that held her gown up so that he had complete access to her breasts. Then she brushed her hand against his hard erection.
Styxx froze as a fleeting bad memory went through him....
"Hector?"
He allowed her sweet voice to keep him grounded in the present and not on what Estes had done to him. "I'm right here, love." He placed a kiss on her stomach, before he pushed her gown down, over her hips until she was completely naked to his gaze.
His throat went dry at her unadorned, flawless beauty. Unlike him, there wasn't a scar on her body anywhere.
Frowning, she reached to cover herself. "Hector?"
He shook himself mentally as he realized he was sitting back from her. "I'm right here, precious." He took her hand and led it to his face as he laid his body over hers. "I was just temporarily stunned by how beautiful you are."
"Then you're forgiven for scaring me. I thought you'd run off and abandoned me naked in the woods."
"I would never do that to you." He made sure to keep his skin against hers so that she could feel him with her.
As she reached to remove his chiton, he caught her hand.
"Is something wrong?"
Even if she felt the brand on his groin, she'd have no way of knowing it said "whore."
But still it was there. Mocking him with the cruelty of his past. And because of the scars from that and the priests, he had sparse pubic hair. So little that the brand was easily seen and not really covered at all.
He leaned his head down and ground his teeth. "Before we go any further..." He led her hand to the scars on his thighs and buttocks.
Bethany sucked her breath in sharply as she felt what had been done to him. When she'd touched his side, she'd assumed it had been caused by a fire. But these ... she could feel the outline of a poker. It'd left deep welts down the inside of his thighs, all the way to his scrotum. There were places where he had little to no hair from the scarring. But what wrung her heart was the sheer number of them. He'd been tortured over and over again.
"Why would someone do this to you?"
"They thought I was possessed by the god Dionysus. And the priests sought to burn the evil daemons out of me."
Heartbroken over what they'd done, she placed her hand to his cheek. "My poor baby. I'm so sorry they hurt you like this."
"Please don't ever tell anyone."
"I would never be so cruel."
He kissed her then. So slow and tender that it made her breath catch. When she reached to remove his chiton, he jerked back.
"Sorry," he whispered. "I don't like being seen."
"I can't see you, Hector."
"That's not true. You're the only one in my life who does." This time he remained perfectly still while she undressed him.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
He placed her hand to his cheek and nodded then he nibbled her fingers and palm. Bethany sighed in pure pleasure. No one had ever made love to her like this. There was no rush at all. Rather they were truly exploring and sharing not just their bodies, but a part of their souls.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered against her throat as his hand skimmed over her hip and thigh.
She parted her legs for him.
Styxx hesitated as he realized that she was a bit more experienced at this than he was ... and a lot less bashful. "Beth? You've been with other men, haven't you?"
She went rigid under him. "I have, but I'm not a whore."
He cupped her face, wishing she could see his sincerity. "I would never call you that. It's not what I was implying at all. I just ... I don't want to accidentally hurt you with my inexperience. Or disappoint you."
Bethany felt tears prick the backs of her eyes. He was always so concerned about letting her down. Though he seldom mentioned his family, that ever present worry let her know just how harsh they must be toward him.
About everything.