"I don't care."
"Yes, you do. I know you better than that. You are a man of responsibility. It's part of what I love about you. You always put the needs of others before your own."
Yes, but this one time he wanted to be completely selfish. In all his life, he'd never wanted anything the way he did this woman. For her, he'd give up everything he had and more.
"I would walk away from it all for you, Beth."
She pressed her cheek to his. "But in time you could change your mind."
"No, I won't."
"I know you mean that today. But time and circumstance have a way of mocking our best intentions, and I'm not willing to take that chance."
Sighing, he laid his head against her breasts and let her cradle him there. Her heart beat slowly against his ear while her breath fell against his skin. The scent of her warmed him more than the sun. Honestly, he never wanted to leave the circle of her arms. It was the only place he'd ever felt as if he was welcome.
Loved.
Bethany smiled down at him. Her Hector never failed to surprise her.
She tightened her arms around him, wishing she could leave everything behind and be with him. How wonderful would it be?
But the other gods would come for her and they would kill him for distracting her from her duties.
After a few seconds, he lifted his hand to brush it against the breast he faced. To her complete shock, he hooked his thumb into the material of her peplos and pulled it aside so that he could blow a stream of cool air over her bared nipple until it puckered tight.
It was so unlike him....
She frowned. "Hector? What are you doing?"
"Hopefully, not offending you. Since you haven't slapped me or yanked my hair, I'm assuming I'm allowed?"
She smiled down at him. "You're allowed."
Styxx's heart pounded at the sight of her lush perfect naked breast. His mouth watering, he moved his head so that he could sample the taut peak. He groaned at the incredible taste of it as he rolled his tongue around the areola then suckled her gently.
Bethany cradled his head as he moved to taste her other breast. Her body was so hot and needful that it was all she could do not to betray herself as a goddess. She wanted him inside her so badly that it was absolutely painful.
Leaning back, she pulled him with her and released the pins that held her gown up so that he had complete access to her breasts. Then she brushed her hand against his hard erection.
Styxx froze as a fleeting bad memory went through him....
"Hector?"
He allowed her sweet voice to keep him grounded in the present and not on what Estes had done to him. "I'm right here, love." He placed a kiss on her stomach, before he pushed her gown down, over her hips until she was completely naked to his gaze.
His throat went dry at her unadorned, flawless beauty. Unlike him, there wasn't a scar on her body anywhere.
Frowning, she reached to cover herself. "Hector?"
He shook himself mentally as he realized he was sitting back from her. "I'm right here, precious." He took her hand and led it to his face as he laid his body over hers. "I was just temporarily stunned by how beautiful you are."
"Then you're forgiven for scaring me. I thought you'd run off and abandoned me naked in the woods."
"I would never do that to you." He made sure to keep his skin against hers so that she could feel him with her.
As she reached to remove his chiton, he caught her hand.
"Is something wrong?"