Tease

Love’s Immortal Pantheon: Cupid’s Bargain By Selena Illyria

TEASE PUBLISHING www.teasepublishingllc.com

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Cupid’s Bargain Love’s Immortal Pantheon Vol 4 A Tease Publishing Book/E book Copyright© 2011 Dagmar Avery ISBN: 978-1-60767-140-8 Cover Artist: Stella Price Interior text design: Stacee Sierra All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Tease Publishing LLC

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Tease and the T logo is  Tease Publishing LLC. All rights reserved

Dedication: To Diana, Cyn, Tilly and Gail.

Chapter One “She has no matches.” The email from the Oracle said.

Cupid switched windows on his computer and looked over the profile that appeared on his screen. He read Kelly Peters’ stats again. Nothing made sense to him. She was an intelligent, capable, modern woman with a good job and stable income and a competent witch to boot, with excellent magical ability. A cursory perusal of the picture that went with the report showed an attractive woman in her mid-thirties with chin length, curly brown hair, smooth and flawless mocha skin, full lips, button nose and large, expressive dark brown eyes. She wasn’t on the skinny side. He took in her curvy body hidden by a simple mauve knit dress. His body warmed, blood pooled in his groin and the first stirrings of arousal wove through his veins. He wanted to rip away the fabric and bare her completely to his eyes. Focus, he ordered himself as he shifted in his seat. In all his years at matchmaking he couldn’t understand why this one woman couldn’t be paired off. He was beginning to think she was cursed or worse hexed by the fates. It didn’t help matters that he found himself attracted to her. Since Psyche had left him to become mortal again, he’d lost interest in the possibility of having love in his life again. It went so far as to make him wonder if there was such a thing as a soul mate or even someone who could take his life and all that went with it. Sometimes he wished he could have what his mother had. The edge of a gilded silver frame caught his eye. His mother’s loving gaze stared back at him. Currently, she and soul mate Hephaestus were on the outs. Again. He sighed and settled back into his chair, he returned his focus to Kelly’s file once more. He’d done everything he could think of to find her a possible significant other, even going so far as to consult an oracle for help. Which turned out to be a wasted journey. She’d had nothing to tell him that he didn’t already know. His temples began to throb as a migraine started to form. Pinpricks raced along his skin. Tonight, something was going to happen, he just knew it, could feel it and it would be all Kelly’s fault. The fact that she was also a witch under Hecate’s patronage didn’t help matters. Hecate refused to interfere in anything unless something major happened. She also refused to help look for a possible significant other for Kelly, something he couldn’t understand. A soft knock on the door drew him out of his thoughts. “Come in.” He prayed that it would be good news. That something wonderful had happened, like all the people on Earth had found love and peace and stopped fighting. That or Godiva was having a free for all on all of their truffles. The door swung open and his assistant Max flew into the room, his snow white wings flapped a mile a minute it, sweat dotted his brow and a few times he stopped to adjust his glasses. “Sir, I’m sorry to inform you that Kelly Peters has been stood up again.” Red flushed the cherub’s face. Guilt flashed in his bright blue eyes. Cupid let out a curse. “What’s the reason this time?” Anger flashed on Max’s face. “He thought she was chubby so he didn’t even bother to call and cancel, not even a note at the restaurant to let her know he wasn’t going to show up.” Cupid growled. “Fucking asshole. Doesn’t he know how special Kelly is? What’s the tally now on being stood up or disappointed?” The anger disappeared to be replaced by trepidation. His full, bottom lip quivered. “Ten in the last four weeks. I don’t understand it, sir. How could they do this to her?” Cupid stood up and walked over to the floor to ceiling windows of his office building. Stretched out before him lay the bustling expanse of Mount Olympus. He could see all forms of transportation flowing through the streets below from; gold chariots to the latest Italian sports cars all careening on the roads. The tops of the vehicles reflected in the late-afternoon sun created a river of shining gold. The various styles of houses rose up around him from the new, shiny high rise to the humbler cottage. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the vista, not seeing the scenery. He tried to think of reasons to give his most trusted assistant and could find none. Shaking his head, he turned around and looked at his friend. “I don’t know. I just don’t.” His stomach lurched and his head throbbed, the steady pulse turning more insistent. He had a bad feeling about tonight. “Max,” his voice was low and breathy as he felt the air leaving his lungs. “Max?” He tried again. “Help me.” The room began to fade around him as his body became light.

Cupid looked down to find his feet and legs were see-through. Lifting his hands, he saw they too had become transparent. “Shit, she’s doing magic.” The world around him went black as he passed out. *** Stood up again. Not just once or twice in the span of a week. No, this was the seventh time in three weeks that she’d been stood up. She was beginning to think not only did her friends hate her but so did fate and every fucking god and goddess out there. No matter how many times she’d pleaded with all of her friends, to stop the blind dates and the love matches no one listened. Kelly took another sip of champagne. Anger rushed through her as she chanted the summoning spell. The crazy thing to her was that she went out on these dates. That for some reason, whether being a good friend eager to please or a glutton for punishment, she didn’t know, but she went and found humiliation at the bottom of her wine glass when either her date didn’t show or something went wrong. Today she’d been stood up-- at an expensive restaurant no less. She could have taken it had it not been for the wait staffs’ pitying looks and no less than five couples getting engaged. It had become too much to take. The room became too small and she felt alone in a sea of happiness she couldn’t relate to. An old familiar ache began in her chest. Tears had begun to form and she hadn’t been able to stop the first one from sliding down her cheek. Angry, she got up to leave only to have the final blow be handed to her via a small paper bag. The waitress had given her a sad smile. “For you. Don’t worry, love is just around the corner.” Kelly had wanted to take the bag and smash it in the woman’s face. To wipe the sympathy out of her sad, green eyes. Instead, she’d taken the bag, paid for the food ignoring the insistence from the maître d that it was on the house, grabbed her coat and left. Humiliated, angry and alone with alcohol was a bad combination. As soon as she got home, she opened up the bottle of champagne. One drink had calmed her down some, three had given her a warm fuzzy feeling, five glasses caused the tears to flow, followed by needing answers straight from the source. She didn’t care that she was drunk off her ass or that she’d just violated all of her oaths to her goddess to not abuse magic. Answers were all she needed to explain all the pain and humiliation she’d gone through just to find love. Making someone pay would only bounce back at her and she didn’t want that. After every date, after coming home alone she just wanted to know why she didn’t get to have someone to come home to or someone to love when everyone around her seemed to find people, even the worst among society found love. Last she’d checked, she hadn’t stepped on any toes or violated any sacred laws and yet she felt as if she was being cursed for something she didn’t even know she’d done. “Maybe in a past life, I killed someone,” she grumbled as she took another sip of champagne and ate another chocolate truffle. The sacred circle she’d erected glowed a dull gold, the flames of the candles grew brighter and brighter with each passing second. “Oh for, Hera’s sake get on with it. Either I did it right or I fucked up,” she yelled at the space. The candles flared and she winced. “Okay, sorry, geesh. Prickly elements.” A faded image formed in the center. She squinted. It looked like a man wearing jeans and a pink button up shirt. He floated in mid-air. A sick feeling started in her stomach. She put down her glass and the box of truffles and got up. Creeping toward the circle, she prayed what she was seeing wasn’t true. The image grew clearer. The man had long, thick, wavy blond hair bound in a braided pony tail down his back. His features were obscured by a mass of curls. His jeans were the faded kind with holes at the knees. He seemed to wear brown pointed shoes. His shirt was actually striped red and pink. A large tanned hand lifted and scrubbed his face. He grunted and she squeaked and jumped back. Terror pushed away any anger or loathing. “Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap. Hecate? Hecate!” she screamed. No answer. “Shit. Shit. Shit. He’s real. He’s real.” A loud inhale drew her out of her panic. He grunted again and lifted his head. Blue eyes stared straight at her. Something expanded in her chest. Her heart stuttered in its speed. Goose flesh broke out over her bare arms. Tingles raced up and down her spine, burning at her nape and the base of her back. A lump formed in her throat as the air seemed to evaporate from her lungs. A whimper slipped past her lips as his gaze intensified.

“Kelly,” he murmured. His deep, gruff voice resonated inside of her. Heat flashed through her body like a flint to flame. Liquid desire filled her pussy as an ache began between her thighs. Dormant arousal twisted in the pit of her stomach. She swallowed, pushing the lump down. Her thoughts moved at a sluggish pace. “Kelly,” he muttered. “Help me.” His lips were moving but she couldn’t hear anything. A bang sounded near her. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the man in the circle. He looked away. Without his gaze she felt cold. The desire died. She let out a soft moan as the ice spread through her body. Her knees shook, legs losing strength as the fire and energy died. She crumpled to the floor as her body became heavy. “Kelly?” A male voice yelled. “KELLY!” Arms wrapped around her and shook her. Just the sound of that voice caused the need to burst to life as fire flooded her body. She groaned as her nipples became hardened tips. Shots of electricity shot straight to her clit. “Kelly, calm down,” a male voice murmured. Fingers threaded through her hair. The inferno that raged inside of her died down to a dull simmer. This was not the same man in the circle. She tilted her head up to look at the person over her. His eyes were more green than blue. Concern filled the aqua depths. He gave her a kind smile. Her focus narrowed down to his lips, flushed a rose pink. They looked so tempting. He licked them. She wanted to kiss him, bite down on his lower lip and tug, sucking the plump flesh into her mouth. With a whimper she tried to move her face closer but her body still felt heavy. “Please,” she whispered. He licked his lips again. “Kelly, I’m going to break the circle but first we need to know if you’re all right.” She looked into his eyes. Worry and something else stared back at her. “Put her to bed and get me out of here.” That delicious, roughened voice commanded. Wetness dampened her slit. Her pussy clenched. Fire lapped through body, lighting up her nerve endings. “Yes, Cupid, sir.” Much to her annoyance the man scooped her up and carried her away from the other man with the yummy voice and laid her down on her bed. He brushed her hair back from her face. “I’ll be back.” The touched soothed her pushing the fire away, replacing it with something cool, like water. “I’m sorry. I have to go attend to Cupid. I’ll be back though.” He gave her cheek another brush before straightening up and leaving the room. She lay there for a moment absorbing the sensations that continued to skitter through her. The loss of both men’s presence left her feeling like ice all over again. Any arousal she had felt had faded away. Humiliation rose up as warmth filled her cheeks. Fear shook through her limbs. Her hands trembled. I summoned Cupid. I actually brought him to me. I’m going to be punished for this. Thoughts of what Hecate would do to her swirled through her head. Her hands shook even more at the thought of Hecate binding her magic. “I can’t be without my magic, it’s the only thing that gives me comfort and has gone right for me,” she whispered to herself. Shaking her head, she repeated the words over again as she rocked back and forth on the bed. It took a moment for the realization to dawn on her that now she could move. Kelly sat up and hugged her knees to her chest, holding them tight. She rested her forehead against her knees. “Can’t lose my magic. Can’t,” she murmured. An ache began in her chest and spread until her whole body hurt. “Kelly?” The deep gruff voice was back. Her name sounded soft and sexy uttered from his lips. The fire was back and so was the arousal. She tried to ignore it all and focus on her current problem: not losing her magic. “So stupid,” she lifted her head and banged it against her knees. “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I’m such a moron.” “Kelly,” the voice murmured again. The bed dipped next to her but she refused to look at him. Cupid, as the other man had called him, was a victim in her drunken magic debacle. “Never going to drink and spell again.” She grumbled. A hand curled around her shoulder. She tried to move away. He refused to let go.

“Look at me,” he urged. She shook her head. “No. It’s my fault you’re here. I’m so fucking stupid.” “I would have come here whether you summoned me or not. Cupid by the way.” Kelly snorted and lifted her head. She looked at him. The air thinned around her. His deep blue eyes were filled with gentleness and an understanding. “This--,” he gestured to a man standing in the doorway. “Is, Max. He’s my personal assistant and one of my best friends. Now that introductions have been made maybe you can tell me why you summoned me?” His voice wrapped around her body making the pain go away, making her forget what she had done and why she’d done it. Reminded of her misdeed, she rested her head against her knees once more. The pain returned, a dull throb where her heart was. “Kelly, please tell us what’s wrong.” The hand slid down her back, stroking up and down her spine. His touch soothing away the ache with each stroke. “Please, explain why you’re in pain.” “You already know,” she mumbled without lifting her head. “No. We don’t. Tell us,” Cupid urged. “I summoned you. I used my magic for personal gain. Hecate is going to punish me.” Just saying it aloud made what she’d done seem worse. “I promise you, that you won’t be punished. I’ll see to it. Now, let’s discuss today and what happened. You were stood up again.” She winced. “I can’t make that better nor can I make any of the other awful dates go away but I want to make it up to you.” His voice was gentle, soothing and yet she could hear something else in there. An unidentifiable emotion that weighted his tone. Kelly wasn’t sure how he could possibly make her past humiliations better. She lifted her head to look at him, skeptical that even a god such as himself could do anything to help her. “I highly doubt you can make it up to me.” “You summoned me because you wanted answers didn’t you?” His golden eyebrow rose in question, amusement glittered in his sky blue eyes. “I doubt answers will help me. Not now, not ever.” The idea of finding a reason for her inability to find a man seemed minuscule now that she’d broken the rules of magic. “Answers can sometimes help heal old wounds.” The man who Cupid had called, Max, came forward. He knelt down next to the bed and gave her a small smile. “How?” She wanted to know. Max came closer, he placed a hand on her thigh. Even through the thin fabric of her skirt she felt the heat of his touch. Prickles of fire danced along the delicate shell of her ears as her situation took on a new light; she was sitting on her bed almost in between two men. A flash of memory from last night appeared in her mind. She’d been reading an erotic romance ménage novel. What the character had done, how hot and aroused it had made her came back to her. She shifted, trying to hide her growing arousal. Ducking her face, she hoped to hide her thoughts. Clearing her throat, she took a moment to compose herself before opening her mouth. “Hecate’s very strict about these rules. Besides that, I broke my own rules. I don’t do magic for personal gain.” Until tonight, she added silently. “I said,” Cupid slipped a finger under her chin and tilted it up. She sucked in a breath as her gaze met his eyes. There was fire in those azure depths. A determination she didn’t understand. “I would talk to her. I can be very,” he dropped his voice to a low, husky sound. “persuasive. Right now, what I’m concerned about most, is you.” Butterflies flapped up a storm in her stomach. Heat flared through her chest, up her neck and over her face. “Why me?” She squeaked and cursed herself for getting flustered. Clearing her throat again she tried to sound normal.“Why me? I’m nobody.” Her voice came out small and timid and she cursed herself again. In front of Cupid and Max she wanted to sound as put together as possible despite having lost control of herself before. Cupid reached out and caressed her cheek. His fingertips were surprisingly rough. The feel of the coarse

flesh against her cheek stoked the fires from before to life. She could almost imagine those fingers in other places. Liquid desire pooled in her pussy as her nether lips became engorged. Tingles raced along the inside of her thighs as her nipples beaded. “You are very special, Kelly.” Max ran a hand up and down her other thigh. Warmth spread down her leg to her toes and back up again to climb her back. She looked down to find the same fire in Max’s eyes. Swallowing, she tried to find a way to control the riotous emotions running rampant through her body. She ran the gauntlet of feelings from desire to nervousness to fear and back again. She shook her head. “I’m not special. I can’t even land a guy.” The words left her lips before she could stop herself from uttering them. “They were unworthy of you.” Anger darkened Cupid’s tone. Kelly turned her attention to Cupid, shocked he would be mad on her behalf. “Why are you annoyed? I’m the one who’s been stood-up ten times in the last month. I’m the one who has to go home alone to an empty bed. I’m the one who’s considering getting a cat and investing in a year’s supply of vibrators, porn and lube. You guys can get anyone you want. You’re not chubby, plain and you don’t have your friends thinking you’re so pathetic you need to be set up.” As the words came out, past anger rose to push away the slow simmering desire. She tried to move away from both men, feeling like the ugly duckling surrounded by swans. Now, in this light, Cupid’s anger was pity. “How can a Love god, possibly understand what it’s like to be rejected because of your looks? To be passed by for younger, skinner women who look a hell of a lot better in the latest fashions than I’ll ever look. How can anyone want me?” Tears filled her eyes. Blinking a few times, she willed them not to fall as an ache began deep in her chest. It was the same pain that came up every time she thought of single status and wondered if she’d ever be loved, ever be wanted, ever find that special someone. A sob came out before she could stop it. Dropping her head to her knees, she hid her face. The humiliation had returned only for a different reason this time. “Oh, Kelly,” both men said in unison. Arms wrapped around her. She was surrounded by warmth and the scent of male musk, sandalwood and something light that teased her nose and set her blood aflame. Fingers threaded through her hair and lips pressed against the side of her neck and on the top of her head. “So beautiful, she doesn’t even know it,” Max murmured. “She should be shown,” Cupid murmured. The light, mysterious scent increased. Heat pulsed along her skin as an ache began between her thighs. Arousal flared hot and heavy in her stomach. Tendrils of need snaked through her body as the men continued to touch and kiss her on the top of her head, her bare arms, her back. The sweater she wore felt abrasive and too tight. She wanted it off. Kelly wanted to feel the men’s hands all over her, their lips touching places that hadn’t been caressed in a long time. Small, muffled whimpers fell from her lips as the desire grew. Her panties grew damp. Goosebumps rose along her arms. Max pushed up one of her sleeves. “Her skin is so soft,” His lips brushed her flesh as he placed light kisses on her forearm. “I can’t wait to see if she’s this soft all over.” She groaned, wanting more of his kisses. “Yes. I can’t wait to taste her all over,” Cupid whispered. His mouth moved down her neck as Max’s kisses trailed further up her arm. Caught between both men, she was drowning in the sensations that washed through her. Every kiss seemed to sizzle against her skin and increase the fire in her blood. Her lips tingled; she wanted to feel one of them kissing her. She wanted to taste someone, anyone. Yearning tugged at her stomach as the throbbing between her legs increased. Her clit ached for attention. She squeezed her legs together, which only increased the need for touch, a brush, anything that would make the need go away. “Please,” she murmured not knowing how to say what she truly wanted. Kelly sat up and lifted her head. “Please,” she tried again. All the air left her lungs when Cupid reached out and cupped her breasts. The thin yarn of her top did nothing to tamp the warmth that emanated from his touch. Her nipples tightened to aching points. She whimpered as she pressed her chest into his palms. He squeezed the mounds. The pressure caused need to skitter through her. She groaned.

“Those morons have no idea what they’ve missed.” Cupid lowered his head toward her breasts. Ice water flowed through her at the mention of the past men who’d rejected her. She jerked back and scrambled to the other end of the bed. “What the hell is going on? Why am I doing this? Why are you two doing this? Oh goddess.” Reality crashed around her head. “What the fuck is going on?” She turned to look at Cupid and Max. Desire and need blazed in their eyes, focused solely on her. “Are you doing something to me? Have you drugged me? It’s your cologne, isn’t it? Wait a minute, this is a joke isn’t it. This is some sort of prank. Pay back for summoning you. This is my punishment isn’t it?” Kelly scrambled off the bed and stood up. She wrapped her arms around herself feeling unsure of everything she knew. Doubtful of herself and the situation she turned and ran to the one place where she could have privacy and to gather her thoughts; the bathroom.

Chapter Two Cupid looked at Max, stumped at what had just happened. One minute everything was going well and the next she was running away from them. He tried to ignore the arousal running rampant through his body and his fully hardened cock pressing against the fly of his jeans. The urge to go after her to assuage any hurt on their part pushed him to action. Instead, he remained on the bed trying to understand what had just taken place. Max ran a hand over his face and sat down on the floor. “We pushed too hard. She’s so sensitive about her looks,” Max looked up at him. “We have to show her that we’re serious. Besides that, she’s scared that Hecate will take away her powers.” Cupid groaned. “I totally forgot.” He closed his eyes and sighed. “I got caught up in the moment.” “There has to be a way to get through to her.” Determination blazed in the younger man’s eyes. Cupid nodded. “She’s been hurt so many times by so many people and by love itself,” he shook his head. “How do I start the healing process?” His mind worked over all the ways to convince her that they were truthful in what they said. “She did want to know why her love life was the way it was. Perhaps you can use that.” Mischief lit up Max’s face and Cupid couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you have an idea?” Cupid couldn’t wait to hear what his assistant had on his mind. “You strike a deal with her. She wants answers, you’ll give them to her but only if she allows us to show her why we think she’s so special. Sex included.” Fire flashed in Max’s eyes. Cupid shook his head. “You’ve been watching her for far too long, haven’t you? Got a bit frustrated.” He raised his eyebrow and grinned. “I can understand that. She is quite irresistible. Okay, so I strike a bargain with her but there’s a problem there are no answers I can give her that won’t hurt her. How do you tell one someone that you don’t know who her soul mate is? Or that you’re not sure she even has one.” “We don’t have to tell her the soul mate part, not yet. Just work on getting her to open up.” Max said. He couldn’t shake the idea of a soul mate for Kelly. The very thought of Kelly being with someone else sent a pang through Cupid’s heart that he didn’t understand. Perhaps I’ve been watching her too closely as well. Inhaling deeply, he held the breath for a moment before exhaling. “Fine, I can deal with that,” he lied. “But at the end we have to let her go.” The words sent another pang bouncing around his chest. He rubbed the spot over his heart and stood up. “You set up for a cozy evening, something romantic but not overly so. I’ll coax her out of the bathroom.” Max got up and nodded. “I’ll go the simple route, candles, flowers, and a homemade dinner.” Cupid grinned. “I knew it was good idea to make you my assistant after only a year with me.” He walked over to the bathroom and knocked on the door. “Kelly, can we talk?” No answer. “Fine, I can talk and you can listen. I know you’ve been hurt in the past, deeply so. I understand why you have your walls and guard up. We want to help you heal. We moved too fast out here. You weren’t ready for that. How about we treat you to the night that you should have had? We promise not to rush you. Just give us a chance.” Still no answer, not even a sound. He prayed his words were getting through to her. “In the meantime, I’m going to talk to Hecate, convince her no harm was done. When I return, I expect you out here with Max. We have a deal for you.” He backed away from the door, with a thought he teleported himself back to Mount Olympus to find Hecate in his office dressed in all her Gothic glory. She wore a black corset, tight black leather pants and thigh high, lace-up black leather boots. Her pale skin glowed against all the darkness and her silver eyes held a sense of mirth he didn’t understand. She held up a flute of pink champagne. For a moment, Cupid worried that she would indeed do what Kelly feared and take away her powers. “Figured you’d show up back here after she summoned you.” A smirk carved her lips into a cruel smile. “Anyway, I’m going to give you one warning and if you two dunderheads screw up I’ll hex you

to no tomorrow, got it?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “You hurt her and I’ll use your balls as earrings and your dicks as trophies on my mantel pieces. Understand? Good? Now go please my little, Kelly. I have a party to attend. What? You expected me to help you after you’ve fucked her over so many times? Go fuck yourself, flying baby man.” With that she disappeared in a cloud of glimmering silver smoke. Cupid coughed and waved away the mist. He hadn’t expected Hecate to do much of anything, certainly not encourage them. “Mercurial as her planet,” he muttered before using his thoughts to teleport him back to Kelly’s apartment. Max had the candles set up on every surface, tall, thick, tapers, tea lights. It seemed like he used every kind of candle he could get his hands on and yet they all smelled and blended wonderfully together to create a heady perfume that relaxed him with each breath Cupid took in. Among the soothing scents was the aroma of steak cooking. “I’m just reheating what the restaurant gave her,” Max called over his shoulder. “And I’m adding a few spices that were lacking. They seemed to give her enough for at least four people. Could you set the table? I closed the bedroom door to give her privacy. I can hear her moving around in there which is a good sign. What did Hecate say?” Cupid came over to the island separating the kitchen from the living room and dining room area. He sat down on a stool and turned toward the bedroom door, watching for any sign that Kelly would come out. “She gave us the green light with the usual threats. We just have to move carefully. This is a long process that we have to shrink down to a small span of time. I think the first sign of trouble and Hecate will swoop in like a mama hawk ready to peck our eyes out.” “Understandable but Kelly is worth it. We just have to figure out how to get her to open up.” Cupid turned on the chair to face Max. “I have an idea on that front.” Max began plating the food. “We just do what we started to do in the bedroom only slow it down. Tonight is a start.” “Yes, but I don’t think we have enough time. I feel a clock ticking somewhere and I’m not sure what to do about it.” Cupid sighed. Tension ran up his arms, down his legs and swirled in his stomach. In his head a timer was ticking off the minutes and he wasn’t sure why. “Perhaps there is a countdown and Hecate, without telling us, has given us a limited amount of time to start the healing process?” Max began filling up glasses of wine. “Sounds like her. Okay, so you’re suggesting that we just do what we would normally do regardless of the possible time limit?” Cupid wasn’t sure he liked that idea. If he was going to pursue someone, he wanted to take his time. “Yes. She’s worth it, regardless of what happens. We just have to show her that.” Max handed a glass of wine to Cupid. “Besides, it’s time I took my infatuation to another level. I’m tired of watching.” He grinned. Cupid shook his head. “Ah, to be so young and impatient. Sometimes watching is worth it. Maybe I should take advantage of that submissive nature you have and make you watch, make you follow orders?” He took a sip and watched his friend’s eyes light up. Max licked his lips. “Do you think she’ll… I mean I know she’s read books but reality is so much more and maybe she won’t like me that way? Maybe she’ll want me more like you?” Indecision flitted across the younger man’s face. Cupid laughed. “You put together her file, what do you think?” Max’s Adam Apple bobbled. A flush of red crept up his neck and spread through his cheeks. He wrung his hands before looking up at him. “I’ve never—I’ve never had the opportunity to explore that side of me. I know Aphrodite helped me recognize that part of me but I’ve never been with…” Cupid nodded. “If she gives us permission then yes, we’ll explore that side of you, I promise, my friend. Relax.” Max opened his mouth only to have the moment interrupted with the door opening. “Okay, I heard everything you guys said,” Kelly started. Her head was bowed, features covered by a thick fall of wavy dark brown hair. “You want to show me what I’m missing? Fine. But it’s your time being wasted.”

Anger speared Cupid’s stomach. He growled. “Don’t you dare, dismiss what we’re saying just because you’ve been lied to in the past.” Sliding off the stool, he stood to his full height and threw back his head. Kelly’s head came up and her eyes narrowed. “And don’t you dare dismiss what I’ve been through. Those events shaped what you see before you. You want to prove what a big bad, Love god you are, go ahead. Seduce me. Show me what I’ve been missing.” “You agree then? To give us the chance to give you the evening you’ve missed? If you agree then you can’t put yourself down in our presence without punishment. Yes or no?” Her gaze traveled up his frame. The heat in her stare set his soul aflame. He swallowed as a lump formed in his throat and desire flared hot. Need wound through his veins as his hands tingled to hold her again. His lips burned to kiss her again. Never had a woman angered and aroused him so much in his life, not even Psyche. He shoved thoughts of Psyche out of the way and focused on Kelly. “You think you’re god enough to show me what I’ve been missing, then yes, I accept your wager.” She folded her arms over her chest. He took her all in. The deep gray and red sweater hugged her curves and gave just a hint of cleavage. The fire in her eyes showed a determination to defy him and any plans he had. Inside, something roared to life, demanding he make her submit, to tear down all her walls to hell with the consequences. He walked forward. She put one finger up, nailing him with a hard look. “But if you fail to show me that love really is worth the risk then you must order my friends to back off and leave me be, lover, soul-mate or no, I want to left alone.” His heart dropped at her words. The thought of her giving up on love, on ever finding that someone to complete her, hurt him. For a moment he debated on agreeing to her demand. Looking at her, he knew he’d have to agree to her conditions or not be given a chance at all. With a sigh, he dropped his head. “Fine.” “What?” He felt Max’s anger behind him but could do nothing about it. To not say yes would lose them this one crystalline moment to start something that hopefully would blossom into her wanting love. “Max, it’s either take this opportunity or have her not allow us the chance. So I say, let’s give the lady what she wants.” For now, he added silently. She threw up her hands. “Fine. So what’s cooking?” Kelly walked past him, her bare feet slapping against the wooden floor. For a moment Cupid admired how comfortable she was. They were in her home, virtual strangers and yet she didn’t seem frightened or nervous. More like a queen in her castle and they were at her beck and call. At least he let her think they were at her beck and call. Grinning, he turned to Max. “Tell her what’s for dinner. I’ll finish setting things up.” Eagerness to prove her wrong buzzed around his body as he finished putting together the place settings. He made sure that they were sitting as close to her as possible without completely invading her personal space. She looked around. “Where did all these candles come from? I don’t think I’ve seen this many, not even in a candle store.” Max grinned. “I borrowed a few from here and there. They won’t be missed. Do you like it? I thought rose petals would be a bit too much.” Kelly laughed. The sound light, deep and free, a true laugh. Cupid smiled. He felt the tension ebb out of her. “A bit much. I see you found what the restaurant had given me. A nice pity meal for the pathetic, stood up girl.” Cupid growled. “That’s one.” “Uh huh. I’ve heard the stories. What are you going to do, paddle my ass? Or maybe tie me down?” A hint of feminine arousal drifted through the air, melding with the heady perfume the candles were giving off. “You protest but I can smell your need. But no, no spankings needed. The tying down, maybe.” Ideas of how to use Max’s submissive nature floated through his head. He smiled at the thought of binding her to the bed with rope and ordering Max to eat her out, while he watched. Cupid knew all

parties involved would enjoy that. “Enough. Time to eat and talk.” He gestured to the chairs. Cupid stood by his seat and waited for Max and Kelly to join him. As soon as Kelly sat down the two men settled down in their chairs. “Now, you are a successful woman with a stable career, even in this economy. You’re intelligent, sexy, outgoing, with a wicked imagination. Any man would be lucky to have you.” “Then why can’t I find someone?” Kelly ducked her head. The energy that she’d exuded withdrew behind a thick shield. “Maybe I’m too curvy.” Cupid shook his head as he cut into his steak. “That’s two. Go on.” She cleared her throat and rocked in her chair. The scent of her arousal thickened. Kelly licked her lips and continued. “I don’t know. Maybe I keep them away because I’m too guarded.” His lips twitched in amusement. “I’m disappointed,” he murmured keeping his voice neutral. “I wanted to punish you a third time. I’ll have to save that for later.” He let that statement hang in the air and allowed Max and Kelly to wonder just what he was thinking about. “Now,” he continued. “Why do you keep them away? As far as I know your parents had a happy marriage. Didn’t you learn from that?” Kelly grumbled something he didn’t quite hear. “What was that? Speak up? I can’t hear you,” he held back a smile. “I said, Hecate told me you were a nosy bastard.” She speared a piece of steak with her fork and put it in her mouth. Cupid threw back his head and laughed. “I do like to know what I’m getting into. But I assure you it’s not that invasive.” Kelly threw a look over at Max. “So, what about all that talk of watching and monitors? Hecate said you guys were pervs over there too.” Max sputtered and then began to cough. Cupid reached over and gave him a few hard pats on the back. “We observe the people we match up in order to make sure they get the best match possible.” He gave Max one last pat before turning his attention to dinner. “Sometimes we have to do extra research, nothing wrong with that.” She snorted. “Uh huh. So how closely have you been watching me?” The look in her eyes was accusatory. Both Cupid and Max shifted in their seats. “I admit,” Max started off, his voice a bit hoarse. “That my viewing of your life could be classified as more than a casual interest but I wasn’t unprofessional.” “Define unprofessional,” she demanded. Cupid wasn’t sure if he should allow Max to continue or put a halt to the whole thing. He could see her building up walls and finding excuses to not allow them into her life. Max looked her right in the eye when he answered her. “I’ve seen you when you were at your lowest. I felt your pain when you were stood up and felt the joy when you won your latest account. I’ve celebrated with you when you surpassed your limits and felt your sadness when you felt you didn’t go far enough. And yes I’ve seen some of your most intimate moments. I admit it.” Cupid sucked in a breath as the room around him seemed to still. Neither person moved. He could see Kelly weighing Max’s confession. Whether it bothered her or not, he couldn’t tell. She turned her attention toward him. “And you?” He met her gaze, unflinching as he answered, “I can say the same for me.” She didn’t say anything which made him worry about whether or not she thought what they‘d both confessed to was an invasion of her privacy but he refused to apologize for crossing that line. Sometimes just watching her go about her day was what drove him to not call it quits. To see her rise above her circumstances and continue on with life without quitting inspired him, even pushed him to be better rather than lax in his duty. With a deep breath, he blew it out and told her all that was on his mind. “I’m sure Hecate’s told you that Psyche left me,” he started. “It was difficult to understand why she would do such a thing. I’d given her everything I could and it hadn’t been enough. She’d still chosen to become mortal again. She even found a new love.”

The old wound in his heart throbbed to life. Instead of it hurting to the point of stealing his breath, it only panged just a bit. He wasn’t sure when he’d begun healing but knew that Kelly had something to do with it. “It hurt, I’ll admit. I went through my days and nights as a robot. I lost myself in love but didn’t feel that emotion. Not until I saw you.” He paused to take a breath. She still showed no reaction so he continued on. “Yes, I took it too far, but you have to understand, very little in my life interested me. Yes, I did go to all those parties and yes I did whore myself with Bacchus. But I felt nothing. Then I took an interest in you. You brought something to my life I couldn’t indentify. Days were better. I can’t describe it but somewhere along the line, you helped me heal.” He fell quiet waiting for her to say something, anything. A glance at Max showed he too was waiting for a sign that she’d heard him. “Why me?” Kelly asked in a small voice. “I’m no one. There are billions of other people you could have watched and yet you both took an interest in me.” She lifted her face. Confusion showed in her eyes. Cupid smiled. “Because you’re special. There’s something about you, a glow that makes you stand out in a crowd.” “But, I’m not. There are so many other people you could have seen. So many other people who deserve your attention,” she insisted. Max reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. “How can we answer that? I can’t find an answer that you’ll understand. All I can say is we did notice you and now we’re here.” “And you’re here to convince me of what? That I’m worthy of love?” She tried to pull her hand away but Max didn’t let go. “Yes and to give you a night you won’t soon forget, but also, I have deal for you, you give us a week and if after that time we can’t prove to you that you deserve love and adoration then we’ll call it quits and tell your friends to stop interfering in your love life. Do you accept?” He asked, watching her face for any sign that she’d bolt or kick them out. The seconds ticked by before she answered. “I don’t’ want to give up on love. I really don’t.” Kelly lifted her head, pain filled her dark brown eyes. “But it hurts too much to try.” An echo of pain bounced around his chest. His own past hurt answered hers. He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. “I understand. I know what you’re going through. I went through it with Psyche. Believe it or not it was watching you that allowed the healing process to start. Despite everything you went through you always hoped for love, for that one special someone.” Someones, he didn’t add. He glanced at Max and saw yearning in the younger man’s eyes. “When I found Max, he was almost out of love too. Life had been too hard on him, everyone he loved either left or betrayed him. Tell her, Max,” Cupid urged. Max swallowed and nodded. “My mother left me all alone for a man who hated me. An exgirlfriend, whom I thought was the one, betrayed me with a person who called me a friend. My father abandoned me when I was a baby. Despite all of that,” he paused and drew in a shaky breath. “Despite it all I still hoped for love, for someone to want me despite it all. The last blow came when I was confronted by my mother who told me she’d never wanted me.” His eyes glittered with unshed tears. “When Cupid found me, I was all alone, no job, no friends, no family to speak of. It was a dark time for me.” Bitterness entered his tone. “I hated everyone and everything, especially happy couples. Why could they find the love and joy I was never shown. He made me a deal; come work for him and if in a month I didn’t start to have hope for love again he’d release me and let me do what I wanted.” Max shook his head and looked up at Kelly. “You don’t want to know what I wanted to do, you really don’t. Anyway, I figured this was my last shot, so what the hell. Ten years later here I am, happy at matching up couples and working for Cupid, whom, I consider a good friend, family even, like a brother.” Max gave Cupid a soft grin. The ache from before faded at the sight of a person he considered a brother, so at peace with his life. “I want the same for you, Kelly. I want you to know the joy of having love in your life. You deserve it. It doesn’t matter that there are billions of people in the world right now. What matters is that you accept love in your life and that you accept that you deserve love. Please, give us a chance to show you. To please you.”

The last part caught Cupid off guard. His mind went straight to sex; to the moment in the bedroom before she’d had a crisis of conscience. Heat poured through his body as need pooled in his groin. His cock thickened. Not now, he admonished himself and focused on trying to convince Kelly to take the deal. “Give us a week and you won’t regret it, I swear.” Cupid waited for her answer. Hesitation haunted her eyes. He released her hand and focused on finishing his food. To push her would only make things worse, it had to be her decision to accept their help. Again silence fell. He glanced at Max and found the man concentrating on his food. “What will you do for me this week? How will you show me that I deserve love? I don’t understand.” Like a gust of wind, relief went right through him and Cupid couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. “Well, for starters, we’re going to show you what you should have gotten tonight. Tomorrow we’ll spend the entire day doing what you want. We’re going to show you that your needs matter. On Monday, we’re going to go out to dinner. Tuesday we’re going on a date, all of us. Wednesday will be a pampering day. Thursday will be another date night and Friday we’ll stay in and have a cozy dinner.” Kelly laughed. “You’ve really thought this out, haven’t you? And what about sex? I’m not going to forget what you two started in the bedroom.” She ducked her head, her hair covered her features but he didn’t miss the small smile on her face. “That is up to you. You, beautiful, Kelly, make all the decisions. We are your humble servants,” Max answered. Kelly snorted. “You’re my servants, huh? Fine, servants, you get to clean up after dinner and run a bath for me.” Cupid chuckled. For now I serve you, he thought. Later… he looked across the table at Max. He hadn’t forgotten how the man had acted, how eager he was to explore his submissive nature with Kelly and himself. By the end of the week Cupid wanted Kelly so use to having them in her life that she wouldn’t want them to leave once it was all over. A plan began to form. This time my love life will be different, this time she won’t leave me. This time she’ll be happy, we all will be. Cupid didn’t mind the idea of sharing Kelly with Max. In fact he liked the idea and both people needed to be needed, wanted and loved. Between the three of them they had the most love to give each other and they could all heal past wounds that had been racked up. Cupid looked around the table. Yes, forever with Kelly and Max was just what he wanted. Warmth spread throughout his chest. Aren’t you being selfish? A small voice in his head asked him. Do you want to keep them with you because you love them both or are you just trying to stave off the loneliness? He grimaced and pushed around the food on his plate. The voice continued, You’ve been going day after day, week after week, partying it up and trying to do what’s expected of you but are you really happy and can you make them happy as well? Look at them, both of them have been hurt before. Kelly is mortal, and just because you gave Max wings doesn’t make him immortal, he’s just your helper. Cupid gritted his teeth. A stress ball began to form in the pit of his stomach. Tendrils of tension strung through his body. The warmth faded to a dull glow as reality began to snake into the fantasy. The rest of dinner was a blur of eating, drinking and questions, none of which he could remember. A hand touched his shoulder. Startled, he jumped and looked up at Max. A small smile on the younger mans’ face. “Want to help clean up or do you need a moment?” Cupid nodded. “I’m fine. You start the clean up, I’ll run the bath.” He pushed back his chair and stood up. A glance around showed Max moving around the kitchen washing the dishes while Kelly sat on the couch watching TV. The scene seemed so normal, so domestic he felt a tug on his heart strings. Yearning, hit him in the stomach. Being in the small apartment with both people gave him a sense of what he’d been missing. He wasn’t lonely around them. Nor did he feel out of place. Things just were. A sense of belonging threatened to overwhelm him. Tears formed in his eyes. Instead of allowing the emotion to come out he headed toward the bedroom. Once in the darkened space, he inhaled and exhaled until the emotion passed. He flicked on the lights and moved toward the bathroom. “I know what’s wrong with you,” Max said.

Cupid whirled around. He hadn’t even heard Max approach. Max walked further into the room. “You’re afraid that you’re being selfish with us? But you need us just as much as we need you.” Cupid opened his mouth to protest. Max shook his head. “You’re my best friend. The only person who cared enough to give me a second chance, give me a home and new lease on life, now we can give that to Kelly. Psyche really burned you when she left.” Cupid closed his mouth and hung his head. For years he hadn’t wanted to admit just how painful it had been when she left him to become mortal. “I thought we’d be together forever,” he whispered. “Now, you think the same thing could happen, that we, Kelly and I, being mortal could turn around and do the same or that because we’re mortal and you’re not it’s not fair. You really should let us decide.” Max smiled. Doubt continued to needle him. “You don’t think-” Max shook his head. “How about this, take this week and see what happens? We’ll all try and figure out if this is what we want.” Cupid smiled. “How’d you get to be so wise?” Max grinned. “I had a really good teacher who liked to get me drunk and take me to orgies.” Cupid feigned innocence. “Moi? Never! I don’t know what you speak of.” “Are you two going to keep yapping or run my bath? You promised me pampering,” Kelly yelled from the living room. Cupid laughed. “We’re working on it! Better go serve her highness.” Max chuckled. “I’ll get her ready.” Mischief sparkled in his bright blue eyes and Cupid had an idea of what the man would do. He envied Max in that moment. Cupid was quite eager to get his hands back on Kelly, to make her moan, and beg and cry out and most importantly, make her come. “Lucky man.” Max’s grin got bigger. “Don’t I know it?” Cupid watched the other man leave. A sense of competition rose up in him. “If you’re going to do that, then I’m going to have to step up my game.” He rubbed his hands together and headed toward the bathroom. Taking in the small space he didn’t feel it would do for what he had in mind. With a wave of his hand he covered every available surface with tea lights. A large basket of bath salts, oils and scrubs. He turned the tap and started to pour the salts into the water. Next, he sprinkled rose petals of all different shades all over the floor and in the tub. Once he was done with that, he snapped his fingers. A small radio appeared. Soft violin music drifted through the speakers. Satisfied that he’d done a good job, he went to go get Kelly. He found Max giving Kelly a shoulder rub. Her eyes were closed, lips parted and small moans fell from her lips. He grinned, enjoying that he was interrupting the moment. “If you’re ready, your bath is waiting.” Cupid savored the glare that Max gave him. He just shrugged. “Kelly isn’t done with her massage yet. I’ve only worked on her shoulders. There is so much more tension that needs to be released.” Max smoothed a hand down her back drawing out a small sigh. “She can have her massage after her bath. Warm water helps loosen the muscles. It would help her relax so much better.” Cupid hoped that his ploy would work. “Well, I do feel like I need to clean up…” Max’s jaw clenched and Cupid resisted the urge to whoop in victory. “But I want to continue my massage. So how about we just pick this up in the bathroom.” Kelly looked from one to the other and Cupid glowered. “The tub isn’t big enough for all of us,” Max pointed out. “Ah, but you forget, I’m a god. I can help with that.” Cupid turned on his heel and headed back to use his magic to enlarge the bathroom. No way, is he going to have more alone time with her. He couldn’t help the small ping of jealousy in his stomach that Max had won more time with her.

Chapter Three Kelly looked from one man to the other. She wasn’t sure what she’d done to get two men fighting for her attention but found it was both flattering and that it made her a little bit uneasy. I’m not something special. I just don’t get it. She walked into the bathroom and stopped short. The small room had become huge complete with a rain shower in the very center of the space. A large whirlpool tub took up the far right wall near a window that had once been a small casement style, now a floor to ceiling panel of glass that looked out, not on her neighborhood but an empty moonlit beach. “Show off,” Max muttered as he entered the room. Cupid grinned and shrugged. “The lady deserved something a bit more romantic.” “Why not just move the whole, damn building to Hawaii?” Max asked as he sat down on the edge of the tub. “Because I don’t want Zeus ripping me a new one for magicking a large object without permission. Besides, I didn’t think of that.” Cupid chuckled and held out his hand. “Bath first and then you finish the massage. How does that sound?” Kelly didn’t want to give Cupid too much leeway. “Massage first and then the bath,” she countered, smiling at Max. Max’s eyes widened before a smug grin curled on his lips. “One point to me, now magic us a massage table oh great god of Love.” Cupid rolled his eyes and Kelly laughed. “Don’t worry you’ll get your turn in helping me clean up.” Heat rushed through her as the words left her lips. Her skin burned where their lips had been. She could feel the ghost of their hands on her. Groaning, she closed her eyes as sensation skittered through her body. Goose bumps broke out over her skin. “I look forward to it.” Cupid whispered in her ear. She sucked in a breath at feeling him so close. “We both will,” Max murmured in her other ear. Their body heat surrounded her. She hadn’t even heard them move. The moment stretched with neither of them saying anything. The atmosphere grew heavy with unspoken desire and need. Each breath was weighted with something she couldn’t name. Fear slid into her brain. This is a cruel joke. A dream, her mind murmured. Anxiety crawled up her back. Her heart rate rose as her flight mindset came into play. She wanted to run, flee from the possibility of being let down again. Hands grabbed both of hers and gave them a squeeze. “Breathe,” Cupid said before placing a kiss on the hollow below her ear. “We’re real and we’re here for you,” Max murmured as he kissed his way along her jaw. Together they pulled her toward the tub. “I think a bath would be best.” Max stepped into the basin. “For now,” he added. Cupid joined him in the tub. Both of them still wore their clothing. She looked from one man to the other and tried not to laugh. “You’re both forgetting something.” “Huh?” Max looked around and then down. His cheeks and neck flushed a bright red. “What are you talking about?” Cupid looked down. “Oh.” He waved a hand in the air and both men’s clothing disappeared. “Much better. Aren’t you forgetting something?” She looked down at her sweater and skirt and shook her head. “Oh no, you’re not making this disappear. I’ll undress myself, thank you very much.” She pulled back her hands and yanked her sweater over her head and stopped. Self-awareness pervaded her as she stood before them in only her skirt and bra. She wanted to cover her up large breasts and hide her rounded stomach. “Don’t hide from us.” Max shifted until he stood facing her fully. His lean, athletic body bathed in the golden light of candles seemed unreal to her. Every hollow and dip, each ridge seemed to flicker in and out of darkness and light.

Cupid reached out and traced her jaw with his fingertips. “You’re beautiful. Show us what we’ve been yearning for all this time.” Swallowing, she yanked her top over her head. Cupid and Max groaned and for a moment she wasn’t sure what they had seen to make them react that way. Kelly looked down and saw her breasts seemed to strain against the lace of her bra. Max sat down on one edge of the tub, dipped his hand in the water and began to stroke his long, erection. In the dim light she saw the flared head of the shaft was a deep ruddy color, pre-cum glistened at the slit. Cupid sat down on the other side, he grabbed a bottle of body wash, flicked the top and squeezed a generous dollop into his palm before dipping his hand into the water and fisting his long, thick cock. In concert both men stroked their rods, their eyes fixed on her. Awareness flared through her at the heat of their attention. She continued to unzip her skirt, watching them as they watched her. The silk of the material whispered down her legs to pool around her feet. She stepped out of the pile and stood before them waiting to see if they disapproved of anything they saw. Their hands moved faster on their shafts as the candle glow danced around them. The hunger in their gazes couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. Feeling emboldened by their desire, she undid the front closure on her bra. The cups parted and her breasts sagged down. Embarrassed she looked away wishing she were younger and thinner. A shaky breath issued from her mouth when she felt a mouth planting feathered kisses up her side. She looked down to find Max hadn’t waited. “Take off the bra, Kelly,” Cupid commanded in a raspy voice. His hand moved faster, stroking up and down his shaft, pausing at the top to smear his pre-cum before gliding back down. Max continued to kiss his way up her side until he got to the edge of the bra. His tongue traced the bottom, he lifted a hand to move the cup. “Max,” Cupid growled. “Stop. Do as I say...” Max stilled but didn’t remove his lips from her body, instead he kissed his way down her stomach, pausing to swirl his tongue in her navel before moving down to trail kisses along the lace border of her panties. With Max’s mouth on her and Cupid’s gaze never wavering, confidence returned to her. She shrugged out of her bra and stood before both men waiting. Max moved away, making her miss his kisses. He stood up, his hand still fisting his cock. While Cupid’s hand moved quicker, Max took his time stroking himself. Every so often both men would pause either to get more water or soap but they never looked away from her. She had never felt so desired. Concentrating on her breath, she hooked her thumbs into her panties and began to push down. Both men inhaled. The air seemed to still. She pushed her underwear down just a bit giving them a taste of what they desired. With each small bit of flesh that was revealed each man reacted differently. Cupid slowed down his strokes while Max reached up to roll his nipple while increasing the speed of his hand. “If I tell you both to stop masturbating, will you?” She was curious to see just how much they wanted her. Cupid’s jaw tightened while Max slowed his touch until he stopped completely. Max’s hands dropped to his side while Cupid’s head came up. She could sense resistance in him. Kelly relished the idea of a challenge, of making this god submit to her. “If you don’t stop. I won’t take the rest off and I’ll let Max have his way.” She lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes, not moving her gaze away from his. Cupid growled. She shook her head. “Those are the rules. I’m in charge.” The seconds ticked by with no sound between them. Max stayed where he was, hands at this sides, erection standing proud and strong curled against his stomach, the wide head glistening with pre-cum. For a moment she was tempted to reward Max. It hadn’t been an order and yet he’d done as she suggested. “You agreed to let us help you.” Cupid released his cock and crossed his arms over his chest. She mimicked his pose and folded her arms over her chest. “And yet I can say stop to this whole thing if I want.”

“That’s not fair.” Cupid pointed out. Wrong thing to say, buddy. “And you should be in charge? Don’t think Hecate left out all the gossip about your bedroom antics.” Her body heated as she remembered the nights of wine and chatter on her couch as her patron goddess updated her on all the goings on at Mount Olympus. Cupid narrowed his eyes. “Gossip is nothing compared to the real thing.” He moved toward her, splashing water as he went. Cupid stopped until there was a foot between them without getting out of the tub. “I am the Love God and I know ways to make you quiver and shake with need. I can make you beg and I can make you scream. This isn’t my first rodeo, honey. Max and I can take you to the highest heights of pleasure over and over again. The question is, are you willing to submit to me and let me show you what you’ve been missing?” Kelly gritted her teeth. The tingles of heat had turned to pinpricks of fire dancing up and down her inner thighs and burning at the base of her back. Her cunt ached to be filled. Her clit pulsed with need for even the slightest affection. “Let me in.” Cupid reached out and caressed her cheek. Pleasure slid over her skin like oil, down her neck over her shoulders to slip over her breasts and trail down her spine. Her flesh heated, her nipples tightened to hardened points. She cried out as fire rippled through her. Her pussy contracted as a small orgasm rolled over her. She trembled as the aftershocks rode her. “Just think of what else I can do…with my cock inside of you.” His fingers moved down her neck setting off sparks. “Imagine what we could do to you. The pleasure we can give you. Picture it Kelly; Max filling your ass and me, in you pussy fucking you hard. It’s what you’ve wanted, dreamed of, desired. It’s what you think about when you read those sexy stories. We can give it to you, here and now. Take off your panties, get in the tub and let us take care of you. Let us fuck you.” She whimpered. Image after image filled her head showing all the ways they could fuck her; on all fours with her sucking Max’s cock while Cupid fucked her ass, lying on her back with Cupid sliding his shaft into her mouth while Max rode her pussy, in between them with Cupid filling her cunt and Max her back passage. Her juices slipped down her inner thighs as her legs trembled. The passion inside of her flared hot, spreading throughout her body, consuming her. Her nipples and breasts ached for their touch. Her clit throbbed with need and her pussy fluttered, aching to be filled, her back passage contracted and relaxed as if making ready for whoever would take her there. “You’ve used the plugs, fucked yourself with vibrators, moaned, needing, wanting that fantasy. Let us make it come true.” One callused finger circled her nipple setting of electric shards straight to her clit. She almost gave in as she became overwhelmed by need. Something flashed through her mind, a piece of advice from Hecate; If you should be faced with Cupid, beware his tricks. He’ll distract you as much as he can to get what he wants. Hearing the voice of her patron goddess in her head allowed some of the fire to die down. She jerked her head back and smiled. “Pretty tricks but it’s going to take a lot more than that to break me. What else do you have?” *** Cupid wasn’t sure whether to laugh or growl. A glance at Max showed the mortal was just as shocked as he was. “You truly are a treasure,” Cupid decided to go for amusement. He threw up his hands. “Fine, you’re in charge… for now. What will you have us do?” Her lips curled into a mischievous smile. “You are going to bathe me. None of your magic. Then I get a massage.” Cupid gestured toward Max. “And what about him? Look at him, in such need. Can you deny him?” He waited to see what she would do. Indecision and yearning flitted across her face. With a thought he moved behind her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he bent down and brushed his lips along the shell of her ear. “He needs release. How can you be so cruel as to deny him climax, even with his own hand?” He gripped her waist and rolled his hips against her ass. The thin silk of her panties caressed his cock, teasing him. Cupid bit his lip as he held back a groan. He didn’t want her to know just how close he was to losing it himself. Heat pulsed through him. Fire weaved through his veins. His balls ached

for release as need throbbed through his cock. Desire threaded up and down his spine. The demand to take her and fuck her senseless beat at the forefront of his mind. He took a moment to focus himself on the task at hand; convincing her to allow Max release. “Let him come, honey. Give him something for being good,” Cupid whispered. Her body trembled in his grasp. He could smell her arousal. The sweet musk drifted around him, teasing him. “You want him,” he murmured. “He needs you, wants you.” He pressed his body closer and ground his erection against her ass. “And what about you?” She asked. Her body trembled under his hands. He gritted his teeth as his need grew more insistent. “If you let me direct you, I can help you both. Will you let me, have control?” The seconds ticked by as he waited for her response. “For now.” Kelly tried to move forward only to have him squeeze her waist. “Later, I’m in charge.” Cupid lowered his lips to her ear. “I can handle that. Now, you’re going to remove your panties and you’re going to get in that tub and suck him off. I will help you get cleaned up.” She sputtered and whirled around. Confusion now on her face. “So let me get this straight, while I give him a blow job you’re going to clean me up?” Cupid nodded. “Yup. Do as I tell you and I’ll show you.” Amusement flashed on her face. “Fine. Let’s see how you handle this.” She stepped out of his grasp, hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties and shoved them down. With a shimmy she let the underwear fall to the ground at her feet. Now fully naked, she threw back her head and walked to the tub and stepped inside the basin She turned around and looked at him. “Now what?” Cupid used a thought to move him back into the tub. “Max, sit down. Don’t come until I tell you to. Kelly, get down on all fours and begin to suck him off.” With another thought he lowered the water level just a bit so he could start cleaning her back. He watched as she did as he commanded. Picking up a bottle of body wash, he flicked the top and squeezed some into his hand. Rubbing his palms together, he began to scrub her back as he watched her trace the tip of Max’s cock with her tongue. “Grasp his cock, show him how much you want to taste him, suck him.” Max groaned, his head tilted back as his eyes rolled up. He grasped the edge of the tub tight as Kelly enveloped just his cockhead into her mouth. Just watching her giving Max pleasure sent his need spiraling upward. He closed his eyes, breathed in and out as he ran his hands over her back. With slow, gentle strokes, he worked his palms up and down while watching the scene unfold before him. Kelly worked her hand up and down Max’s shaft while taking more of his dick into her mouth. Max trembled. “Max, tell her how she’s making you feel. How much you love her mouth on you,” Cupid ordered. “Kelly, feels so good. Goddess, Cupid, her mouth is amazing.” Max continued to tremble as Kelly’s speed increased. “Kelly, slow down, savor this. Draw out his pleasure.” Cupid cupped his hands and spilled the water over her back. He squeezed out more soap, rubbed his hands together, covered her back and reached under to cup her breasts. He squeezed the mounds and rolled her nipples. She moaned around Max’s cock as her head bobbed up and down, slowing her pace as Cupid dictated. “Yes, that’s it.” He tugged and pinched her tightened tips before slipping one hand down her stomach to slide between her legs. Cupid teased her pussy while continuing to tease her nipple. His fingers delved between her pussy lips to tease her clit while he rolled his hips against the crease of her ass. Sweat slipped down his face, his hair clung to his temple as desire increased between them all. He pinched her nipple, holding the bud for a few seconds while stroking the bundle of nerves. Cupid peppered kisses along her shoulder blades. He splashed water against her sex as he released her nipple. She cried out around Max’s shaft and moaned. “We’re still not done yet. I’m not done yet.” He withdrew his hand and cleaned away the soap. Kelly lifted her head and looked at him over her shoulder. Her lips were puffy and slick, desire blazed in her eyes. “More,” she moaned.

“Max, still hasn’t come. Don’t stop until he comes. Meanwhile, I’ll continue cleaning you off.” Cupid got more soap and cleaned off her arms and legs and stomach but didn’t touch her breasts or her sex. Kelly resumed giving Max pleasure. Max, shook, sweat slid over his face and down his chest. He trembled. His skin was flushed with desire. His eyes shone with need. “Do you want to come, Max? Do you need to come?” Cupid asked as he grabbed the bottle of shampoo and squirted some into his hand. “By the goddess, Cupid, yes,” Max groaned. His knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the tub. “Not. Until. I. Say. Now be still.” Cupid focused on washing Kelly’s hair. He massaged the scalp, working up a lather. Focusing on the task at hand he ignored the needs threading through his body. His cock thudded against his stomach with each movement. His balls ached for release. He gritted his teeth as her moans grew louder. He glanced at Max. His friend had stilled but the need to come was written all over his face. “Now, Max, come.” Cupid growled out. Max bellowed, his face flushed crimson as he trembled. Cupid fought his own desire to take Kelly now and fuck her. Instead, he held back and rinsed her hair before adding conditioner. “Max, clean yourself off.” Kelly lifted her head, allowing Max’s softened shaft to slip from her lips. She splashed water on her face and submerged herself in the water. Max joined her. Once both people were cleaned off they turned to him, as if waiting for his next command. This pleased him. Kelly was letting go of her control and putting herself in his hands. It was a step, a small one but progress none the less. Fighting back the tide of need, he focused on the next step; giving her pleasure. “Kelly, sit where Max was. Now, that he’s been given pleasure, it’s your turn.” The very thought of touching her again, caressing her skin had his palms tingling. His cock twitched as desire surged in his blood. Confusion flitted across her face but she did as he requested. “This is about you learning to accept pleasure and compliments. You will not protest, not once to what we say about you. If you do, we stop and make you wait. Do you understand?” He waited for any sign that she was unsure or falling back into resistance. Instead, Kelly nodded. “Okay.” Despite the uncertainty in her voice she sat on the edge of the tub, her focus was on him. Pride rose within him. It hadn’t taken a bargain and wheedling for her to agree. “We’ll go slowly.” He turned his head and nodded to Max. “Get the massage oil. You finish her shoulder massage and I’ll take care of the rest.”

Chapter Four Kelly sat on the edge of the tub, watching what was happening but still not believing it was truly happening. Giving Max a blow job while Cupid cleaned her up had, much to her surprise, actually ramped up her arousal. It had felt just as good giving as receiving pleasure. Now, Cupid was asking her to accept being the focus of all their ministrations. She wasn’t sure she could handle that. A quick glance down at her body made her inwardly cringe. Her stomach was far from flat. Her breasts had begun their journey downward and her thighs looked like cottage cheese. Despite working out and trying to eat healthy there were those moments when she gave in and went chocolate or junk food crazy, especially after a bad day. It was easy giving Max pleasure. They weren’t really looking at her. Out of the water, in full view of both men, despite their earlier desire, she felt very self-conscious. Any second now she expected both men to turn tail and run. How could a gorgeous guy like, Max and a god even want her? She gripped the sides of the tub like Max had before, only this wasn’t out of some need to hold back, this was a way to keep her from bolting out of the room and hiding somewhere they couldn’t get to her. She eyed, Cupid, waiting for him to get started. It was clear he liked to be in charge, and Max didn’t seem to mind one bit, being ordered around. Their dynamic intrigued her. “Max, is a submissive by nature. He likes to give over control. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want, even order him to do it. He enjoys giving over the reins in the bedroom, but make no mistake about it, he can be just as stubborn and irritating as me.” Cupid gave her a wry grin. “You two have done this before, haven’t you?” The idea that, they had possibly shared women before, that this wasn’t their first rodeo didn’t scare her. At least they knew what they were doing. Cupid nodded. “Yes, we’ve done this before. That doesn’t bother you does it?” Amusement sparkled in his eyes. She wasn’t sure why he found her question or situation amusing but nodded. “No, it doesn’t. It’s… it’s all the attention that sort of scares me.” Admitting her nervousness actually eased her fear. “That’s it, let it come. Feel the emotion and then release it.” Cupid moved toward her, his features softened. He got down on his knees in the tub and rested his hands on her knees. She gritted her teeth, trying to hold in the fear. The stress built until she truly thought she would bolt. Griping the sides of the tub she tried to breathe. “No, no, let it come. Let the emotion rise, give it voice and let it go,” Cupid urged. “It’s okay, Kelly, we’re here for you.” Max rubbed her back. Just having both men here and supporting her caused the dam to break. Emotion swept through her as she let out a cry. Fear and anger at herself coursed through her body. She tried to fight the tide and lost, allowing all the emotions she’d kept back to flood over her. Throughout it all, Max continued to stroke her back and Cupid ran his hands up and down her thighs. “That’s it, Kelly let it out,” Cupid murmured. He reached up and caressed her face. Tears filled her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. She felt humiliated at having lost it in front of them. Their support, was something she’d never known before. Her friends hadn’t understood her. They all thought by helping and telling her what they thought she needed rather than let her find out on her own or respect her wishes it had made things worse. Just having Cupid and Max encourage her without interference had lifted the chip off of her shoulders. The feelings flooded through her unchecked. Shaking and feeling exhausted, she sank against Max’s side. His fingers threaded through her hair as Cupid stroked her face. “See, it’s okay. We’re here for you. Always,” Cupid murmured. He leaned forward and pressed whisper soft kisses over her cheeks, his tongue flicking out to lap up her tears. She doubted they’d be with her always but the idea soothed her raw feelings. Kelly had never allowed herself to be so open and vulnerable before. “I’ve never done that before,” she sniffled. “Not even with my therapist.” Cupid gave her a gentle smile. “Then we’re honored that you felt so comfortable that you could be open with us. We promise not to betray that.” He reached up and wiped away the last of her tears. She

shivered, feeling cold and naked before them. Kelly wanted to cover up, to get warm again, to just curl up and feel comforted. “Let’s get you warm and dry. We can give you pleasure later, when you’re ready.” Cupid stood up. His obvious arousal curled against his stomach. Guilt at her small breakdown made her turn her head away. He was in need and she had ruined the moment. Cupid cupped her cheek and turned her head toward him. “I can use my hand. Don’t feel guilty for what happened. That was more precious to me than you could possibly imagine. Max, dry her off and get her to bed. I’ll clean up here.” Kelly started, not wanting him to be left like that. She opened her mouth to speak. Cupid cut her off. “I said don’t worry about me. We’ll just have to be creative later.” He gave her a wicked grin that sent a tendril of heat threading through her. Warmth spread through her chest, neck and cheeks. She could only imagine what ideas he’d come up with for her. “I’m sure you will.” She stood up and let Max help her out of the tub. Without looking back, she allowed Max to help her dry off. Before she headed into the bedroom with him, she glanced over her shoulder at Cupid. Her breath stalled in her throat. He stood in the tub, head thrown back, hand working his thick shaft. No sound passed his parted lips. Sweat slipped down his face and over his chest. His body shook as dribbles of pre-cum slipped over his fingers and dripped from the slit at the top of his cockhead. “Kelly, do you want to stay and watch?” Max whispered in her ear. She jumped. For that one moment, she’d forgotten about him. “Maybe you could watch us both come, as we watch you masturbate?” He nipped his way down her neck. Pulses of heat burst along her skin as arousal coiled in her belly. She sucked in a breath as he sucked on the skin over her pulse point. A whimper slipped out of her mouth. Max released her flesh and gave it quick lick. “But you have to be a very good girl.” He grabbed her hand and led her stumbling away from the bathroom, jus t as Cupid came. Jets of creamy white shot from the tip of his cock. She whimpered, hating he’d had to use his hand. Later, I’ll show him, she vowed. Max guided her into the bedroom and led her over to the closet. “Do you want to wear pajamas or something else?” For a second she was tempted to go with something else. She eyed the silky, red baby doll edged in black lace with a deep neckline, she’d bought it to make herself feel sexy but never actually wore it, not even for herself. Although, arousal had hummed back to life in her body, she still couldn’t fathom the idea of having sex. Instead, she wanted to get to know them a bit more. Kelly chose her favorite pink and black flannel pajama set with the skull and crossbones and hearts dotted all over the pants. She grinned and selected a pair of simple cotton panties and a bra. “Do you have to wear those to bed? That makes it difficult to you get you out of them later.” Max pouted. She laughed. “Sometimes you have to work for what you really want.” After getting dressed, she headed for the kitchen with Max trailing behind her, totally comfortable nude. She envied his comfort. One day, I’ll be like that. I’ll walk around my apartment totally naked and not care one fig. “So what are we doing now?” Max leaned his elbows on the counter and watched her move around the small space. Despite his presence it didn’t feel crowded and she didn’t feel too selfconscious. In fact, it shocked her how comfortable she was with him, nudity and all. “I’m going to make hot chocolate. And then we’re going to talk.” Despite the sexual buzz still pinging around her body she still was unsure of what exactly they wanted or could want from her. “About? I thought we talked about the rules and what’s going to happen this week.” Max moved into the kitchen area and took things out of the fridge for the drinks. He handed them to her and got out a few mugs. “I know what you guys said but still. This is reality, not fantasy and as wonderful as the thought of a ménage is, I’m also realistic. I need to know where this is going. I’m not a fling type of girl. Once this is over you two will go back to Mount Olympus and I’ll go back to my life. What should I do then? Just forget what I did with you two? Besides you’ve done this before. I haven’t.”

Max stroked her cheek. “We can take this slow but I’ll tell you now I have romantic intentions toward you. I’m serious about starting something with you. Cupid may have his own intentions. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care about you.” Kelly shook her head. “He’s a god. Why should he care about me?” Max slid behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed a kiss against the side of her neck. His breath whispered against her ear. “You forget,” he whispered. “He fell for a mortal once.” Kelly stilled as hope rippled through her. She shook her head. “Don’t get my hopes up. I don’t even know if I want a relationship with you. This is just sex.” “You can tell yourself that, all you want,” Max slipped from behind her and began stirring the bubbling milk and chocolate mixture. “But we know you remember. We’ve been watching you. Besides that contradicts what you just told me. Do you want this to be a fling or more? It’s up to you, Kelly.” Max poured the hot chocolate into mugs and carried them over to the sitting area of the living room. Kelly allowed herself to work over his question. “Hot chocolate, nice.” Cupid walked into the room, wearing just a towel. Heat suffused her cheeks as she remembered what she’d witnessed before leaving the bathroom. She swallowed and took a seat in a cushy chair, as far away from the men as she could get. A sense of vulnerability overcame her as she took them both in. So comfortable in their own skins. She felt a bit silly being fully dressed. “You’re trying to put up walls again,” Cupid pointed out. “You got dressed, you’re sitting as far from us as you can get. Stop it. How can you let love in if you’re hiding?” She winced at his observations. “I’m thinking a week is too long. I’m going to make you a deal. You give us tonight. And we see where it leads, if you want to continue in the morning. I don’t want to give you a chance to run. Yes or no? Do you agree to these new conditions?” Kelly looked at Cupid and nearly left the room at the intensity she found in his eyes. “I’m not playing games with you. This isn’t some sort of joke. I don’t waste my time and I certainly won’t waste, Max’s. This is up to you. You have to ask yourself if you want love in your life or not. Tonight could be the start of it all.” After he fell quiet she shifted in her seat. While Cupid kept his gaze on her, Max, with his head down seemed to focus on his mug of hot chocolate. This was the second time Cupid challenged her about her desire to find love. She didn’t look away instead she met his look head on. “I don’t want to be alone but I’m scared love isn’t in the cards for me.” Kelly decided to go for honestly. “The sex in the bathroom felt good but it’s still just sex. I want—No, I need more. I want a relationship. I’m at the stage in my life where the thought of jumping from one guy to another sends a shudder through me.” Her stomach flipped at her words. She shifted in her seat but didn’t turn her attention away. “I want love. I want to be loved,” she said softly. “But I’m terrified it’s not out there for me. Everything I’ve been through taught me that men take the outside more seriously than the inside.” Cupid’s mouth opened. She held up a hand and stopped him. “Don’t say, no or that I just had bad luck. What’s it say that my friends, people who should know me can’t even set me up with a good guy?” His mouth shut. He said nothing. Neither did Max. “Exactly. So, even though you’re the God of Love and you have excellent skills in all those areas of love how do you expect to find someone for me when my friends haven’t been able to?” She waited for his answer, expecting him to pull some mystical, magical explanation out of his ass. Cupid remained silent for so long that she thought he didn’t have the answers she needed. So much for the God of Love. She took another sip of hot chocolate and let the smooth, thick chocolate run over her taste buds and down her throat. The creamy, rich, bittersweet liquid calmed her down but didn’t hold the fears at bay.

“What do you want, Kelly? What do you want from love? What can it give you? How can love enter your life if you’ve got walls up? Tell me these things and I’ll tell you why love hasn’t come to you yet.” Cupid gazed at her. The look was intense, unblinking. She felt as if a giant spotlight had been put on her and didn’t like it. Sweat broke out on her brow as a prickle of unease slid down her spine. She licked her lips and thought about each of his question. Giving every query its own weight and consideration. “I want…I want to be loved. I want to be accepted for myself, lumps, curves and all. I know I can be irritating and irrational. I can be determined and yet I can be giving and understanding.” She shifted in her seat and looked away from Cupid. “I don’t want to be alone at night. I want someone to come home to.” Tears began to well up in her eyes. The ache of loneliness filled her chest. She gripped her mug. “I’m lonely. I work so much to ignore the pain. I want to know the healing power of love and to know I’m loved in return. But I don’t want to be lonely anymore. I don’t know how to take my walls down? I’ve been hurt so much--” The tears began to fall. Max was there in an instant, on his knees in front of her. He stroked her legs, then her face and arms. “It’s okay. Let it out,” he whispered as he wiped away the tears. “This is so difficult.” She took in a shaky breath and looked from Max to Cupid. “What am I supposed to say? How am I supposed to do this? I don’t know what I’m doing.” Cupid gave her a small smile, put down his cup and joined Max on the floor. “Good, this is a start. I’ll be honest. Most people think I know what I’m doing but sometimes I’m just as confused or confounded as you are now. I don’t know what to do with you but I’m willing to try to help you. You just have to open up to me. Can you do that? Truly trust us?” She looked from one man to the other and let her shoulders sag. “I don’t know. I’ve never done this before. I don’t know what you both want from me.” “We just want to love you and show you that you deserve love in your life.” Max stroked her face. Tenderness shone in his eyes. She took in another deep breath. “Let down your guard. Let us in. Give us tonight. The first place to start is by being naked with us. Be vulnerable,” Cupid stood up and dropped the towel. Her heart hammered in her chest. Be naked? She’d been nude with them in the bathroom but out here in her living room she felt it would be too exposed. It didn’t make sense to her. “If you can’t get naked in your own house and walk around in the buff there’s a problem. Well unless you live with a roommate but there’s no one but us here.” Max grinned. “Do you want love or not?” Cupid challenged. “If you don’t we can leave and find some other woman to pleasure and tease. Some other woman who isn’t so weighed down by her baggage.” She narrowed her eyes. Anger flared inside of her at his words. “I’m not some broken, lost puppy,” she growled and stood up. Max fell back and Cupid moved out of the way. With sure movements she undid her top and shoved down her pants leaving her only in her underwear. “All of it,” Cupid ordered. She threw back her head. “You don’t--” she started. “I do unless you don’t want love.” Cupid gave her an evil grin that set her soul aflame. He knew exactly what he was doing. Giving her no choice either she did as he asked or she would never find out if she could have love in her life. “You are so going to pay for this later, flying baby man.” Cupid growled. “What is it with you and Hecate? Why the hell do I get stuck with the cherub nickname.” She grinned as she undid the clasp of her bra and shook it down her arms. “Because we know you hate it and besides that, not our fault that’s how you’re painted throughout the ages.” Kelly hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her panties and then paused. Taking in both men she could see the hunger in their gazes. Blatant desire was written on their faces, it was a heady feeling knowing both men wanted her. It made her feel like a queen worthy of their attention. She shoved down her underwear and waited, holding her breath to see their responses.

Max was the first to react. He groaned and took hold of his thick erection. The shaft flushed pink, the plum shaped head a deep red. Cupid had dropped his towel, his own cock curling upward toward his stomach. She swallowed and watched as both men stroked their dicks, their eyes on her. “Beautiful. Look at yourself,” Cupid murmured. She glanced down and felt her cheeks heat. What Kelly saw was her breasts were too full and her stomach wasn’t flat. The soft mound reminded her of how many times she’d told herself she needed to lose weight. She didn’t even want to look at her thighs, knowing that there was cellulite and that they were too thick. “Don’t look at the bad. Don’t put yourself down,” Max said. “You are not fat. Your breasts are generous and full. So perfect for sucking and fucking.” She swallowed at his words, not sure how to react. “I can’t wait to suck on your tits, hear you cry out as I give you pleasure that way,” Max whispered. Her nipples tightened at his words, shards of electricity shot straight to her pussy. She resisted the urge to tweak the hardened peaks, continue the pleasure that his words had elicited, further the desire that streamed through her blood. “Your hips are perfect, something to grab onto while I fuck you hard and deep,” Cupid murmured, his hand moving a bit faster on his cock. A single opaque droplet formed at the slit. He smeared the moisture across the flared head of his shaft. She wanted to taste him, to drop down to her knees and give him the pleasure that she’d been denied before. Her body heated at his words. Kelly jumped when she felt hands caressing down her back and over the curve of her ass. “Such a perfect ass, so plush, perfect for fucking,” Max murmured. She pushed her hips back toward his touch wanting more. “I think she wants this ménage. But I don’t think she needs us, not yet.” Max said as he kissed his way down her neck, nipping the nape with a small bite. His hands slid up her sides and around until he cupped her breasts. He pinched her nipples hard. She bucked as pain and pleasure merged. Cupid dropped to his knees and kissed his way over her stomach, dipping his tongue into her navel before moving down to trace the thin line of pubic hair to her damp slit. She shivered as he lapped up one side of her labia and down the other to trace her entrance. He dipped his tongue into her tight channel giving her just a tease. “Are we making you feel desired, Kelly? Do you feel beautiful yet?” Max asked. “Yes,” she moaned as Max sucked on her ear lobe. They continued to touch and tease her; Max pinched and rolled her nipples while Cupid lapped and nibbled her pussy lips. “Do you? Really?” Cupid placed his hands on her thighs and pushed her legs further apart. “I feel desired, I’m not sure about beautiful,” she responded, knowing if she wasn’t honest it could all stop. Cupid pulled away and Max stopped his ministrations. Cupid stood up and grabbed her hands. “Come, let’s take this into the bedroom.” Confused, she allowed him to lead her there with Max trailing behind. He stopped before the bed and let go of her hand. Confused, she watched as he went to the closet and took the full length mirror down from the door. He leaned it against her dresser and then moved around her to sit on the bed. “Kelly, move backward toward me. Max, get on your knees. Kelly, watch us as we pleasure you. Don’t turn away. Watch.” She moved backward until she felt the edge of the bed against the backs of her knees. At first it was hard to look at herself in the mirror. All she could see were what she thought as defects; her arms weren’t as toned as she wanted them to be, her stomach looked too large. Closing her eyes she tried to imagine how she wanted to be but even that image didn’t help her. She wanted to cover up. A sense of self coconsciousness intruded on the intimate moment. “Kelly, open your eyes,” Max whispered. She counted to three and looked down at him. He was on his knees before her. He nuzzled her belly before kissing his way to her slit. She watched mesmerized as he buried his face into her groin. She groaned as she felt his lips on her sensitive skin. He parted her nether lips and blew on her clit. A

small jolt of electricity raced through her just as Cupid began to kiss her back starting at the base of her spine and creating a trail up the column. The touch of both men stoked the fire burning through her body. Ripples of pleasure washed through her. Cupid cupped her breasts, teasing and pinching her nipples as Max began to tongue fuck her. She groaned as an orgasm began to build within her. Cupid pinched her nipples and held them. Max moved his attention to her clit laving and flicking the sensitive bundle of nerves before biting down and holding it between his teeth. She cried out as pressure began to build. She whimpered as the seconds ticked by. As one both men released nipples and clit. Heat washed through her body as an orgasm ripped through her tugging her down. Kelly groaned and shook between them. Max sucked her clit as Cupid rocked his erection against the crease of her ass. She wanted more as sensation crystallized inside of her. Small fireworks went off as her nerves burned under their ministrations. Their hands never stopped, stroking, caressing, pinching. She was losing her mind and breaking apart at the same time. In the mirror she saw Max feasting on her sensitive pussy while Cupid stroked over her skin. Whispers of praise for her body teased her ears. Murmurs of need and desire wove a web of passion as they ramped up the heat. It was a heady picture she watched unfold in the mirror. Her eyes were so dark and bright. Her face was filled with lust. It was a scene she’d never witnessed before. It amazed her. They were doing this to her, bringing this side out of her. Kelly lifted her hands and covered Cupid’s showing him how she liked to be touched, fondled. Once he got the rhythm she drew up the courage to grind her pussy against Max’s lips, sinking her free hand into his hair, pushing him closer to her needy slit. Small whimpers and moans slipped past her lips as she murmured words of encouragement to both men, wanting more, needing more, all the while watching what was going on in the mirror. “Stop, wait,” she panted out. Max pulled away and Cupid stopped stroking her breasts. Kelly lifted her leg and hooked it over Max’s shoulder, opening herself up to him. He groaned and grabbed her hips. “Max, eat her, don’t leave a single inch of her beautiful pussy unloved.” Cupid ordered. She shivered at his words. Arousal continued to rise within her as the inferno grew hotter. Max made a small sound before burying his head back between her thighs. The wet sounds of his mouth on her pussy only ramped up the need inside of her. She rocked her sex against his mouth falling slowly into the abyss that began forming around her. “I’m going to prep your lovely ass. I’m going to fuck you so deep and hard you won’t be able to walk correctly for days.” Cupid gave one cheek a gentle swat and then the other. “Don’t come. No matter what Max does, do not come.” She whimpered and swallowed, unsure of whether she could follow that command or not. Each lap and nip Max gave her pushed her further toward the cliff. Kelly felt Cupid part her cheeks and slather gel over her anus. She shuddered as pleasure rushed over her adding to the sensations Max was giving her with his lips, teeth and tongue. A cry was torn from her mouth when he thrust first one finger, then a second and then a third into her wet channel. She clenched inner muscles trying to pull his fingers deeper inside. Her orgasm built, spiraling upward. Pleasure shimmered through her body, desire threaded through her veins as need clawed at her to move, to rock against his fingers and ride his mouth until she came. She relaxed as Cupid pushed one finger into her back passage. In. Out. In. Out. Each pass going deeper and deeper, pushing past the first ring then pulling out, slicking his finger again and repeating the process. Whimpers of need joined the slurping sounds of Max’s mouth and Cupid’s whispers of desire and need. “Can’t wait to fuck you here, to help take you to the highest heights of pleasure,” he murmured as he kissed his way up her back. He withdrew the first finger and pushed two inside of her. She cried out as he stretched her back passage. Both Max’s and Cupid’s fingers teased the sensitive walls of her vagina. Ebbs of pleasure shuddered through her with each push and pull and tease of their touches. In. Out and around, rubbing her tender walls. She was on fire. Kelly gripped Max’s hair tight as she pushed her hips back and forth riding their fingers. Their fingers weren’t enough. She needed something more, something thicker.

“Please, fuck me,” she begged. “Not yet.” Cupid withdrew his fingers. She felt the rough caress of his leg hairs against hers as he moved back. The end of the mattress scrapped against her calves. Max stopped and sat back on his heels, his lips, cheeks and chin coated in her juices. His tongued flicked out to lap at her cream. “Mmm, makes me want to eat you until you come.” He gave her a wicked smile. Her knees felt weak as her legs trembled. “Kelly, join me on the bed,” Cupid requested from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at Cupid and saw him positioned against a mound of pillows, a bottle of lube sat next to him. “We’re going to give you what you want, both of us.” He trailed his fingers down his chest. “Inside of you,” he murmured as he took hold of his shaft and gave it a squeeze before bring up his other hand. Two small silver packets were held between his fingers. He tossed one past her to Max. “At the same time.” his eye lids dropped allowing her to see a thin line of his glittering, heated sapphire gaze. He ripped open the envelope and rolled on the condom without taking his gaze off of her. The heat of his look centered solely on her. She didn’t have to be told twice. Kelly climbed up on the bed and joined him, positioning her back to his front. Max got up on the bed and crawled toward them, his muscles rippled smooth, golden skin. He came to a stop before them, sitting on his heels, head down as if waiting for Cupid’s next order. Pale blond hair covered his features. Kelly wanted to see his face, witness the emotion in his eyes. She leaned forward and brushed the tresses away from his face and slipped her fingers under his chin, tilting it upward. “Look up. I want to see how much you want this.” He lifted his head and looked at her. The blatant, hunger on his face took her breath away. “See how much he wants you? How much he desires you?” Cupid murmured as he kissed his way along her neck. “Now just think of all that need turned on you.” She shivered at his words as fire and hunger rushed through her veins, engulfing her body in an inferno. Cupid nipped the crook of her neck. “Let me finish what I started. Scoot up a bit.” She moved forward. “Max, kiss her,” Cupid commanded. Her breath stalled in her throat. Until that point they hadn’t touched her lips. Oh, they’d caressed, fondled and kissed other places but neither of them had kissed her. She held her breath, waiting for the moment when Max would take her mouth. He rose up onto his knees and leaned forward until their mouths were mere millimeters apart. His humid breath caressed her lips. Max reached up and cupped her face. The seconds ticked by as she waited. Warm, slick fingers slipped between her ass cheeks. The blunt tips of Cupids fingers caressed her tight rosette once more before pushing their way into her back passage. Pleasure shimmered through, tearing a gasp from her throat just as Max swallowed the sound, pressing his mouth to hers. Max kissed her slowly. His tongue caressed her lips in a slow glide of the tip before plunging past her open mouth to tickle the roof of her mouth. She groaned and leaned into the contact, slipping a hand into his hair and urging him forward. Kelly lost herself in the kiss. Nothing else mattered. Cupid thrust his fingers in and out of her tight back passage. Her cry was covered by Max’s mouth. The kiss turned savage as Cupid finger fucked her ass faster and faster. Kelly rocked her hips back and forth as Max mimicked the action with his tongue. She became lost in the need to feel them both inside of her, with her, filling her. She tried to pull away from the kiss to ask for both men inside of her but Max held onto her face. He tilted her head back, deepening the kiss. His tongue moved in and out of her mouth faster, keeping time with Cupids fingers. Desire built up inside of her. The need clawing through her body ramped up to fever pitch. She reached up with her free hand and gripped Max’s shoulder as he and Cupid increased the speed, pushing right back to the cliff. Her juices slipped down her inner thighs as her pussy clenched. Her whimpers were swallowed by Max’s mouth. He slipped one hand from her face, down her neck and over her chest to cup her breast before giving her nipple a hard tweak. She bucked against Cupid’s fingers. Shards of electricity shot straight to her clit. He moved to the other nipple giving it the same treatment. Back and forth until she was lost in nothing but feeling. Pain and pleasure

crystallized into a large ball of energy. She became dizzy from the lack of air and the overriding pleasure. Max pulled his head back and nibbled his way along her jaw line as Cupid withdrew one finger and inserted two. She gasped and drew in a shaky breath. “Almost ready for us,” Cupid murmured as he withdrew and thrust forward. Impatient she said, “I don’t want almost. I want now. Fuck me now!” Cupid chuckled. “You don’t make the rules here,” he nipped the other side of her neck. “I do.” She groaned when Max slipped his fingers down her belly, over her mound and between her pussy lips. He found her clit. Stroking the bundle of nerves only drove her closer to the edge. She gripped Max’s shoulder and tried to rock her sex against his fingers only to have him stop. Growling, she glared at him. He grinned back at her. “He didn’t say you could come yet.” Max lowered his head and took another kiss. This touch was slow, and sensual teasing her, making her want more. His fingers began to move again as his teeth scrapped her bottom lip. He sucked the plump, heated flesh into his mouth, soothed the burn with a brush of his tongue. She felt the wide head of Cupid’s cock press against her anus. Anticipation flooded her body. She groaned, hoping, praying that finally she would get what she wanted. “Max, now,” Cupid ordered. Max tore his mouth from hers. He crawled forward, grabbed her legs and pulled her up onto his lap, resting her legs on his thighs. At this angle her sex was tilted up, ready for him. Cupid’s wide cock head sunk into her back passage, pushing past the ring before sliding back. Max positioned himself at her entrance. In concert both men slid forward filling her just a bit before sliding back out. In and Out. Only giving her just a taste of pleasure before denying her. The pressure inside her built up even more as sweat slipped down her brow. Kelly reached up and hooked her arms around his neck. “Please, fuck me,” she begged. Kelly didn’t want teases anymore. She didn’t want gentle. “Just do it.” “No, Kelly. My way,” Cupid gritted out. He buried his head in the side of her neck as Max gripped her hips. The men rocked in and out of her slowly until she thought they would never be fully seated inside of her. Each push of their hips, every withdrawal brought her closer to the edge. Pleasure washed over her with each thrust. Max took her mouth in a possessive kiss as Cupid cupped her breasts and rolled her nipples. Overwhelmed. It was the only word she could think of to describe what was happening to her. The sensations, the pleasure, it was bordering on pain. She almost couldn’t take it. Tears slipped down her cheeks as Cupid and Max began to move faster and faster pounding her ass and pussy. She could feel them both, stretching her to her limits and beyond. Just as the thought entered her mind that she wouldn’t be able to last a falling sensation began. Through darkness and light. She was floating and flying at the same time. Pulling her face away from Max she let out a cry as the fire engulfed and the pressure exploded. Color danced before her eyes. The world became a blur and a roaring sound filled her ears. In the distance she heard the men roar as their cocks expanded within her. Her named echoed in her ears as they came. Shaking in their arms, she placed her head on Max’s shoulder as the world came back in a rush of noise. Her vision was still blurred but she could feel her juices running down her thighs. The perfume of sex filled her nostrils. Her hands hurt from the grip she had on Max’s shoulder and his hair. Shocked that she’d been holding on this whole time, Kelly let go and allowed her arms to fall at her sides as both men peppered her neck, shoulders and face with kisses and words of adoration. Her muscles twitched and jumped in the aftermath as small waves of pleasure rolled over her. Her body felt too heavy. Her breasts ached from both Max and Cupid’s ministrations. She felt sticky and damp. No matter how many times she told herself to move her body wouldn’t respond. Her eyelids began to droop. A yawn began in her throat and slipped past her lips. “Shhh, sleep now, Kelly. It’s okay. We’ll take care of you.” Cupid slipped out from behind her and Max unhooked her legs from around his waist and pulled away. Before she could fall back onto the pillows one of the men caught her and laid her down gently. She sighed, a smile curving her lips. She’d finally lived out her fantasy. Now all she wanted to do was sleep. Drifting off into dream land, she hoped both men would be there when she awakened. ***

Cupid gazed at a sleeping Kelly and grinned. Satisfaction hummed in his body. He felt whole, the world was new and alive and vibrated with possibility. The loneliness he’d felt since Psyche had left him didn’t even bother him anymore. He turned to Max, the smile still on his lips. “You hit the shower first, I’ll clean her up.” He peeled off the condom and discarded it before washing his hands. With a thought he made a wash cloth already soaked in warm water appear in his hand and got to work. In silence he just allowed the moment to be. When the door opened, Max appeared in the opening. “Your turn. I’ll take over.” Cupid nodded and entered the small space. He threw the wash cloth in the laundry bin and turned on the water. Once the temperature was just right he stepped under the spray and let out a sigh. With a thought he made a bottle of body wash appear and squirted some of the gel into his palm. As he cleaned up his thoughts turned to Kelly and what had happened that night. He wanted more. Cupid felt as if this was the start of something that he wanted to explore. Being with both Kelly and Max had helped old wounds start to heal. He didn’t feel the pain of losing Psyche anymore just the hope that he could find a new love and life with Kelly and Max at his side. He just hoped they felt the same. Once he was finished, he did a quick clean of the stall, dried off and headed into bed. Max was already under the covers with Kelly in his arms. A contented smile on his face. Cupid was grateful the bed was big enough to hold them and if not he would just use his magic to make it bigger. He climbed in on the other side and settled down. “Happy?” he asked. “Very and also tired,” Max replied. Cupid chuckled. With a wave of his hand he turned off the lights. “Let’s just hope Kelly will want to keep us around come morning.” The bed shifted and Max sighed. “I hope so.” As sleep caught up with Cupid, he didn’t have any doubt that Kelly would give them a chance. Come hell or high water she was theirs.

Chapter Five Kelly woke up with a start. Arms and legs covered her body trapping her to the bed. For a moment she laid still as the memories of the night replayed in her mind. She didn’t feel the least bit ashamed for the acts she’d taken part in. The afterglow had long since worn off and she was beginning to feel the aches and pains of having been the center of so much desire and need. Staring at the ceiling she allowed her thoughts to run the gauntlet from wondering what would happen next to how would she go back to her life after having experienced such pleasures. Nothing was conclusive. She couldn’t find an answer that seemed possible to her. After awhile the limbs became too heavy. She began to feel trapped. Pushing and shoving a few arms and legs aside she sat up and climbed over Cupid’s sleepy body. Her feet hit the plush carpeted floor. Despite feeling the chill of leaving so much warmth she padded over to the window. The full moon hung high in the sky. Just seeing the large silver orb set her at ease. “Well goddess, what should I do now?” she whispered. “You ask the boys if they’re serious about their offer and decide.” Hecate’s voice came from behind her. She whirled around to face her patron goddess and dropped into a bow. “Oh, you know that I hate that kind of pomp. Get up. Looks like you guys had a good party. So, what do you think, hon? You want more from those two?” Hecate nodded toward the bed. Kelly took in the form of the sleeping men. It was hard to believe both of them and her could fit on the mattress but they had. She smiled. Warmth suffused over her skin as a sense of happiness took hold. They had worshiped her body and took her to the highest heights of pleasure and made her feel wanted and beautiful. The contentment didn’t last long. “I don’t know. I don’t’ know how this works. How do Gods love mortals? How can this work? He’s up there. I’m down here. I have a life, friends, a job I love.” She looked to Hecate for the answers. The goddess smiled. “You take it one step at a time. Give them the week they originally wanted. See what happens. But I can tell you, we gods, we can love mortals and have through the years. It’s not so hard you just have to want to make it work like any relationship. Love is possible. Look at you. I haven’t seen you this happy or smiling in a long time.” Kelly nodded. “I do feel good when I’m around them. Comfortable.” Hecate nodded. “So there you go. See what happens.” She walked over to the bed and Kelly watched in horror as the goddess slapped Cupid on his bare butt. “You did good, flying baby man.” With a cheeky wink, she disappeared in a puff of silver smoke. Cupid grunted and sat up. He looked around, confusion on his face. His gaze found her and grinned. “I take you’re ready for another round?” Heat spread through her cheeks. He thought that was me. Her eyes widened as he rolled off the bed, his cock already at half mast. She swallowed and shook her head. “I—I—I don’t think I can take another round and that wasn’t me. H-H-Hecate was here. She slapped you on the ass.” Kelly began to back up until her butt hit the cool ledge of the windowsill. He chuckled. “We don’t have to be inside you to make you come. Wait,” he frowned. “Why aren’t you in bed? When did you get out?” She regained some of her composure. “I needed to think.” “About?” A golden brow lifted in question. “If you still want to, I’d like to take you up on the week of being with you. I want to see where this goes.” Kelly waited for him to respond, hoping, praying the offer was still on the table. Cupid grinned. “Of course. We’ll take it step by step. Are you open to finding love now? To accept it into your life?” She nodded. He shook his head. “No, Kelly. Say it. Yes or no.” Kelly straightened her spine. “I am ready to find love. I’m ready to welcome it into my life. To give love and get it in return. To accept myself faults and all.”

Cupid grinned. “Then let the journey to love begin. But first let’s get back to bed. You need more rest.” He held his hand out to her. She took it without any compunction. Something inside of her shifted as he led her back to bed. A new sense of hope filled her up as she crawled between both men. Max lifted his head and smiled up at her. He wrapped his arms around her. Cupid got in next and did the same thing. In that instant she felt both loved and cherished and safe. She knew that she’d made the right decision to trust and accept both men that night. Kelly couldn’t wait to see what was next. *** Hecate handed over a twenty dollar bill to Aphrodite who tucked it into her bodice. She shrugged. “You were right. Kelly was perfect for him. Didn’t know Max would fit into the equation so nicely though.” Aphrodite grinned. “That’s why I’m so damn good at my job. He’s got a long ways to go before he’ll be as good as me. Besides that, he should have known something was up when the Oracle couldn’t name her mate for him. But sometimes one can’t see the forest through the trees.” “Your fight with Hephaestus was very convenient. Took you far away from the action.” Hecate took a sip of pink champagne. “Yeah, very. Poor Hephaestus didn’t know what we were fighting about. I really must make it up to him, poor guy.” A wicked gleam entered Aphrodite’s eyes. “And that kiddies is when I call it a night.” Hecate disappeared in a puff of silver smoke. Aphrodite laughed and followed Hecate’s example and went home to join her husband.

Interracial author Selena Illyria was born with an overactive imagination. With great curiosity and a love of writing that pushes her imagination. There are many worlds she'd love to explore, from paranormal to sci-fi from cyberpunk and beyond. Are you willing, dear reader, to step into her worlds? If you are feel free to poke around. Mind the pixies. They can be very um... excitable with newcomers. *wink* Email her at [email protected] or visit her: website: www.selenaillyria.com blog: www.selenaillyria.com/blog Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Selena-Illyria/100175079107?ref=nf MySpace: www.myspace.com/selenaillyria Twitter: twitter.com/Selena_Illyria Google Group: groups.google.com/group/selena-illyria-and-shara-coopers-seductive-secrets ARe Cafe: http://www.arecafe.com/members/selenaillyria/