The scars that lay in extremely private parts of his body. All the way to his scrotum.
He'd suffered something a lot worse than being burned. Someone had raped and tortured him.
In that moment, she felt her god powers surge. She was the goddess of fury and vengeance. It was her job to avenge those who'd been so wronged.
He's Greek.
It didn't matter. She wanted the heart of whoever had done this to such a gentle and caring man.
Clearing his throat, he reached over her to retrieve his chiton. "I'm sorry. This was a mistake. I shouldn't have..."
Bethany placed her hand to his lips to stop him. "Let me replace your evil demons with happy ones."
"I don't know if you can."
"Will you let me try?"
Styxx pulled her against him and held her close as self-loathing and hatred shredded his soul. "I'm sorry, Beth. You deserve a man, not-"
"You are a man," she said, interrupting him. "More so than any I've known. It's not manly to hurt others or belittle them. Respect and kindness require more courage because people take advantage of those. I don't know what horrors haunt you, but I know that you haven't allowed them to destroy the most beautiful part of yourself. You have the heart of a lion. Fearless. Tell me what is manlier than that?"
Styxx savored the sensation of her hand on his cheek. In spite of her impassioned, wonderful words, he felt so weak and pathetic. I can't even make love to the woman I gave my heart to.
For all intents and purposes, they had gelded him.
She nibbled at his chin. "Forget the animals who've hurt you. Think only of the woman who loves you with every bit of her heart, and that, Hector, is a part of me no man has ever touched before. Not even close. You're the only one who has held it. The only one who ever will."
He sucked his breath in sharply as she kissed her way down his chest and ran her sweet tongue over his scarred nipple. She pulled back to smile at him then nudged him to lie back on the ground. He obliged. She straddled him and took his hands into hers then led them to her breasts. Large and well shaped, they overflowed his hands. Leaning forward ever so slightly, she slid down his stomach to rest against his hips.
The moment she did, his body erupted and he was even harder than before. Smiling wider, she began to sing to him. Between the sound of her sweet contralto and sight of her naked in his arms, he forgot about everything else. There was no past to hurt him. No future to worry over.
Just Bethany.
She lifted herself up onto her arms and slid her legs between his in one sensuous wave that left him breathless. Still singing, she kissed her way down his abdomen to the scars he hated so much. But as she laved them, he no longer saw them either. She brushed her hands through the hair at the juncture of his thighs then played gently with him.
He sucked his breath in sharply as pleasure speared him to the ground. With a wicked grin, she took him completely into her mouth. For the merest heartbeat, he flashed to a memory he didn't want. But he refused to stay there. Rather he watched as she toyed with him while she continued to hum.
His hand shaking, he reached down to stroke her cheek and lay the back of his fingers against skin so soft it wrung his heart.
Bethany savored the salty taste of him while he gently sank his hand into her hair. She knew he was struggling to forget. He would tense and then relax. Yet he bravely stayed with her. In that moment, she wished she could see the face of the man who was so haunted and still so giving.
But his looks didn't matter to her. At this point, she wouldn't care if he were a three-headed toad. He held her heart and it was as blind as her eyes in human form.
Wanting only to soothe him, she gave one last lick then crawled up the long length of him to lie against his body.
Styxx sighed at how good her soft curves felt flush to his skin. Cupping her head, he kissed her deeply then rolled over with her. She opened her legs so that his body lay between her thighs while they kissed.
She didn't know it, but she'd saved his life. In the darkest moment when he'd wanted nothing more than death, she'd appeared and given him a reason to get up each morning. Now, he lived solely for the time they shared. It made everything else bearable. Just knowing he'd be able to see her sweet smile. Hear her precious voice ...
He kissed her lips then carefully slid himself inside her. They moaned simultaneously. For a full minute, he couldn't breathe as the warmth of her body cradling his overwhelmed him. It felt so good it made him shiver. This was the first perfect moment of true happiness he'd ever known.
She had no idea how much she meant to him. Words would never be able to convey the depth to which his heart beat solely for her.
Styxx brushed the hair back from her face as he stared down into her hazel-gold eyes, wishing she could see how happy she made him. "I love you, Bethany."
She smiled at him. "And I, you."
Nipping her chin, he slowly began to rock himself against her hips.