“Tired? But wasn’t I…” She started to say shot, but she felt her side. It was smooth and perfect. What happened?
He sat next to her with his own cup. “You know, coffee is one of those simple pleasures I enjoy. It is a real treat to get some.”
“Weakness for coffee, eh?”
“Yeah, I love it. I do prefer the stronger roast you have here in France. We’ll have to take some home to my place once we leave.”
“Leave? Ares, what happened? What happened to me?”
He looked into her eyes and explained, “I was going to lose you. Hades was even here to take you on your trip.”
“To where?”
“Well, I believe you call it Heaven. We call it the Elysian Fields. Same thing, different names.”
“You mean I died?”
“Not exactly. You were about to die. If you had, your recovery would’ve been more difficult.”
She stroked the skin of her lower right side. “And how did I recover?”
“Aphrodite…she helped.”
“Aphrodite? This is all sounding quite fantastic.”
“Well, I can’t help it. They are my family and friends, the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus. What was most surprising is that my father actually was behind your recovery. He ordered Dionysus to provide ‘Dite with the Ambrosia elixir to help you heal.”
She sat and tried to absorb all of this wild information.
He took another sip of his coffee. “Ambrosia is sweet, but coffee tastes a lot better to me. A man’s drink. The taste is robust, but then I like the high I get after I drink it, especially when it is strong like this.”
“Ares, will you get serious here. What happened to me?”
“I told you. You drank Ambrosia. Now, you are an immortal.”
Immortal? “You mean like a goddess?”
“Well, no. Not a goddess. Goddesses are born, not made. You are an immortal, different. You don’t have any special powers like a god or goddess, but you can never be injured where your life will be in danger…and you’ll never age, nor will you ever die.”
She covered her face with her hands. How could this be real?
“It’s all real, sweetheart. I couldn’t lose you.” He paused then sipped his coffee, and added in a somber voice, “I’d go insane without you, Belle.” He turned to face her, pushing away her hands from her face. “You’re my precious love. I wasn’t going to risk separation from you. I hope you understand.”
“I love you, Ares.”
He set down his cup and held her face between his hands. “I love you so much, you make me want to be a better god because of it. I thought war was a game played with the humans. Now I see it is so much more.” He paused and leaned in to her lips and whispered, “I love you. Love me forever, Belle. I need you for always.”
“Yes, always. I want to be with you always.”
He kissed her tenderly. He senses reeled as his lips caressed hers in a sweet joining of love.
A knock on the door broke their kiss.
“Come in,” Ares said straightening up, holding Belle by his side.
“Ares, I think I’m going to leave you here. The troops will be coming through in a day or so. I’m needed at the beaches.” Hermes looked troubled.
“Bad?”
“It’s…slaughter. My services would best be served where the fighting is the heaviest right now. The town here has a few German snipers to take care of still, but it is relatively quiet. The villagers are helping feed and care for the wounded.”
Ares stood. “Herm, thank you. I couldn’t…”
“No need, brother. She’s a good influence on you. Maybe the humans can see some peace someday in the future.”
“I have no influence over the human wars, you know that.”
“Well, maybe if the god of war learns to love, the humans can too.” Hermes offered his hand. “Later, Ares. I’ll be seeing you, I’m sure.”
“Good luck, Herm.”
And before her eyes, the handsome medic disappeared.
She shook her head. Did she just see that?
“I think I better check in on the landings. Since we’re not at my chamber with my reflection pool, I’ll have to make one.” He picked up the coffee cup, and said, “A shame to waste such lovely brew, but I want to see.” He splashed the liquid onto the floor and passed his hand over it.
There in the coffee came images of the landing crafts edging to shore. Men were scooping out water with their helmets to keep their crafts afloat. The hatch doors wee opening and soldiers piled out, some drowned in the waters, while others walked over the bodies to get ashore. Pandemonium.
“Oh dear God,” she whispered, watching the tragedy unfold from the comfort of her cot.
Men struggled to the beach to be shot at by strong defenses set up by the Germans. Rommel’s Wall, the obstacle built to keep an Allied invasion at bay, didn’t work. The Germans didn’t count on one thing driving each man who landed on the beach—determination. Belle saw this strong driving force in all her dealings with the Allies troops, British and American. The sheer unflinching courage these people exhibited left her in awe.
Bullets and mines, strategically placed concrete tetrahedras, obstacles built to rip the bottoms off landing crafts—none could keep the Allies from invading.
“It’s a blood-bath, but they will make it. I know it,” Ares commented.
“It’s horrid.” She was aghast at the vicious fighting taking place on the shores of her country. “But, we are all thankful to see such determination. We’ve lived through such atrocities under that creature in Berlin.”
“I assure you, he’ll fall. And all will pay for carrying out his plots.”
She closed her eyes, unable to continue to watch the death. “What are we to do now?”
“We’ll stay and keep the town under control. My orders were to wait for the American troops and then continue on with them.”
“What about me?”
“You’re coming with us.” He stood before her and spread a towel over the spilt coffee. “You’re French Resistance. We need you.”
“I’m proud to fight for freedom. Thank you for including me.”
He stopped and turned to her. Getting down on one knee, he took one of her hands in his. “But I’d like to do something before the unit gets here to take us off for more fighting.” He paused, seemingly trying to find the right words. Then he said, “I’m a god, not a man, but I know how much it would mean to you.”
“What?” A knot in her stomach curled tightly in anticipation.
“Would you let the padre here marry us?”
“Oh, Ares, yes!”
They embraced, sealing a future of love and devotion with a kiss.
Epilogue
Normandy, June 6, 2004
Belle and Ares stood upon the shores of Normandy, the beach better known as Utah sixty years earlier. So different now.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Ares asked as he pulled her close to his side.
“Hard to believe it was sixty years ago.”
“It was. Time has little meaning when we stay at home, away from human existence.”
She cast her eyes slowly along the shoreline, absent from the horrors that had taken place, which changed the course of the war. Now, the beaches at Normandy were sacred ground, and memorials stood as silent sentinels to the thousands of men who lost their lives in the fight.
“I figured you both would be here.” Hermes said as he walked up next to them.
“Yeah, needed to come back to the place that brought us together. We visited Sainte- Mère-Eglise earlier today. The padre was nice enough to renew our vows for us while we were there.” She was happy the priest didn’t seem too concerned for paperwork. It was a romantic thing to do, Ares’ idea. Nothing official was signed, just the vows were spoken.
Only this time, Zeus, Hera and Aphrodite had shown up—invisible witnesses. When Belle and Ares had eventually returned to Mount Olympus and he introdu
ced her as his wife, they complained that they missed the ceremony. This time, they didn’t.
“So, what have you been up to these days, Herm? Still doing the medicine thing?” Ares joked.
“I am looking into getting a position at a Florida hospital right now as a cardiologist. They need one, and I would really like to get in there and stay for a while.”
“Don’t you need papers, like degrees and such, for that?” Belle asked. She should’ve known better to do so. The gods could do anything they wished. She learned that in her time with Ares.
“Yeah, got it covered. I even went through the courses at Florida State University to get them.” He chuckled. “It was more of a refresher for the instructors, I think.”
“I can’t even imagine the pro of medicine teaching the teachers,” Ares laughed.
“Yeah, yeah. Hey, you guys want to get a cup of coffee?”
“Oh yes, I have been dying for one of those French specialty coffees. I miss it.”
“When we ran out of it at home, you didn’t want to go and get more,” Belle said with a laugh.
“I believe I was enjoying my lovely wife at the time.”
“Oh, you guys make me ill. Come on, let’s go get some coffee and pay our tribute to the heroes of D-Day.”
“I’d like to visit Jean-Luis first,” she broke in.
“Sure, lets go,” Ares agreed.
He took her into his arms and she flew upon the winds under his magic to the cemetery where her brother was now buried.
“You guys go on. I will see you in a few minutes.” She looked solemn, and they each nodded, allowing her some privacy.
Few minutes later, she was alone. She sat in the grass and pulled her legs beneath her.
“Jean-Luis, I miss you. But, I know you are happy in Heaven. I love you, and I wish I could see you again.”
“You can, Mirabelle,” a voice said from behind her.
She turned and was amazed. There with Hades was Jean-Luis, young, fresh and handsome. His dark hair was brushed back, and he was dressed in a navy suit.
“Jean!” She cried, tears springing to her eyes.
She got up and approached. Before she embraced him, she glanced at Hades, and he nodded hi approval.
She hugged her brother. “Oh Jean-Luis, I miss you.”
“I miss you too. Hades let me come to see you. Many of the spirits are longing and restless today.”
“I couldn’t help but give a few moments of joy to you Belle. Ares is a changed god. I thank you for that.”
“Thank you,” she sobbed with joy.
She was able to spend an hour with the spirit of her brother, before he needed to return to his paradise, and Belle was comforted.
* * *
That evening as they lay in their bed at Mount Olympus, Belle held her husband close.
“Ares, I love you so much. Thank you for talking with Hades to let me see Jean-Luis again.”
“I thought you’d like that. I knew you missed him.”
“Today meant a lot to me, thank you.” She leaned over his chest and kissed one of his nipples. “Hades said you were a changed god because of me.”
“Yeah, well, I rather be home fucking my beautiful wife than fighting in a war. Go figure.”
“I rather think of sex between us as making love. You know, make love, not war,” she said with a laugh. She passed her tongue over his nipple again and he groaned.
“You keep doing that, there will not be any making love in this bed tonight, because I am going to fuck that pretty little pussy, nice and proper.”
“Promises, promises.”
“A challenge?”
“Take it as you want.”
“Oh you…” he flipped her over onto her stomach and licked the indentation of her spine, slow and teasing. “Think I’m going to fuck you, sweetheart?”
“Mmm, maybe.
Then he let his hand fly and spanked her once, soundly upon her buttocks. She jumped and he chuckled, “That was for misbehaving just now.”
“But Mr. War-god, I’m a good wife. I like having my husband talk dirty to me.”
He lay on top of her, his weight blessedly pushing her down into the soft mattress. Oh, such a glorious body he had, hard and muscled.
“Sweetheart, I’ll do whatever turns you on. But right now, I have to fuck you…make love to you.” His last words were laced with emotion.
He eased off her back, and she moaned, but when he opened her legs from behind and positioned her hips upward, she ached in anticipation.
When he pushed his cock through her slick folds, she whimpered in delight. He was perfectly proportioned, and with one swift thrust, he filled her.
“Oh Ares…”
“Belle, honey, you feel so…right.”
He held her hips secure as he eased in then out slow and sure. She enjoyed the sensation of each inch sliding along her wet walls. It was more than heavenly, it was blissfully spectacular.
With leisurely thrusts he made love to her, and she climbed up the mountain of pleasure with him guiding her along the way.
“Damn, sweetheart,” he moaned.
“Oh, I can feel you growing,”
“I’m almost there,” he panted, picking up the pace, unable to resist the building passions.
“Love me, Ares,” she cried to him as he plunged deeper into her core.
“Coming sweetheart, I’m coming…I love you.” He spilled his hot essence into her body, and she milked him of each drop as she tumbled over the edge with him.
And when she lay in the arms of her Ares, her warrior lover, she breathed a sigh and whispered before sleep overtook her, “I love you. For always and forever.”
Fall in love with Hermes in
DR. HEARTHROB by Marianne LaCroix,
Coming from www.Venus Press.com in 2005.
WARRIOR LOVER Page 6
