He kissed her, a long, drawn-out kiss that left her breathless. When he let her go, she staggered a little before sitting on the bed. Alex smothered a grin. He’d really knocked her for a loop this time. “Yeah, it was a blast. We’ll have to try it again sometime.”
Alex’s eyes were drawn to the clock. Dang, he’d be late if he didn’t hurry. “Look, gotta go. I’ll see you the morning.”
He paused on his way out the door. “Of course, next time, you get to be the slave. Fairs fair, after all.”
All the way to work Alex wondered about the funny half smile she’d gotten on her face. What did it mean when a woman smiled like that?
* * * * *
After the door closed Chloe picked up the pillow and held it to her nose. It still smelled like Alex, warm aroused man. Even though she was sexually sated, his aroma gave her a warm glow that was only partially sexual.
Good thing since it was a long time until dawn when Alex would return, and she didn’t really want to pull out her new vibrator.
Clutching the pillow to her chest, she lay on the bed. Fair’s fair, he’d said and he was right. She’d tried to trap him and instead she’d been the one tricked into revelations. She’d said the word. Not in English, of course, but in her ancient tongue. When she’d finished her orgasm and lay on his chest, feeling that bound strength in him, the phrase had fallen out of her.
Did the words mean anything when they were tied up with passion? Maybe not, but she’d have to be more careful. She couldn’t say “I love you” to Alex when he couldn’t abide the word.
Chapter Twelve
Carefully Chloe peered at the recipe card, verifying the number of eggs involved. Yep, three of them. Beating them, she added the melted butter, then sugar, vanilla, and flour. The last ingredients to go in were the chocolate chips.
Chloe couldn’t resist taking a finger-full of the mixture and putting it in her mouth. Mmmmm. She closed her eyes in appreciation. Was there anything better than home-made chocolate-chip cookie dough?
After sticking the cookie sheets into the oven, she sat at the spotless kitchen table with a fresh cup of coffee. Chloe took a deep whiff of air. The rich roasted-bean smell mingled with the scent of baking cookies.
She smiled. When Alex got home he’d be so pleased. There was nothing that made a house smell more like a home than baking. Maybe he’d be so pleased that he would finally tell her that he loved her.
That thought led to a wholehearted sigh. After nearly a month of living with Alex, sharing his bed, making his food, and keeping his house, he hadn’t once gone beyond stating that he was “glad she was around”. Even when she posed for him for the portfolio he needed to get his degree, all he ever said was how beautiful she was and how much he appreciated her help.
In bed he always called her “babe” and told how great a lay she was. Satisfying information, for certain, but not what she wanted to hear.
It wasn’t love he was talking about when he said those things. It wasn’t love he was professing for her and it wasn’t enough to satisfy anyone, particularly not the spell of a particular goddess who personified the subject. Aphrodite had told Chloe to make Alex love her or she’d be forced back into the never-world she’d come from. She’d been given no more than two months to do the job.
After a month he still didn’t love her and she was afraid that all of the chocolate-chip cookies in the world weren’t going to make a difference.
The buzz of the timer caught her attention and she pulled the finished cookies from the oven. Almost before they were cool enough to eat she had one in her mouth, unable to resist the enticing smell. As the exotic flavor of chocolate melted on her tongue, Chloe closed her eyes in ecstasy.
Praise the gods…maybe chocolate-chip cookies would make him love her. If these delectable little goodies didn’t do it, no culinary delight possibly could.
Her cooking classes had gone splendidly. The professor, a master chef named Henri was so impressed with her work that he’d offered to find her a place in one of the local restaurants as soon as the semester ended. Unfortunately that was in six weeks, long after her deadline for winning Alex’s love. If she didn’t succeed there, she’d never get a real job.
Sighing, Chloe leaned her hand onto her cheek.
After four weeks here with Alex she’d learned as much as possible about this time and place. As far as she could tell she was well on the way to becoming the perfect modern woman. She’d learned to work the machines that were such a part of everyone’s lives. Only driving a car was still outside of her abilities, but she watched Alex’s actions every chance she got. Someday she’d even get a driver’s license.
As much as possible she wanted to be a woman of this time. An independent woman with the means to supporting herself, the skills to take care of a home, and the knowledge of how to satisfy a man. Every night she had Alex groaning with happiness, both at the table and in the bedroom.
She was the perfect woman for someone like Alex. So why didn’t he love her?
“Wow, Chloe, those smell fantastic!” Nina’s cheerful voice as she materialized in the living room broke through her revere.
A third sigh escaped Chloe’s lips. Her sister had taken to “popping in” at any time, particularly when she had fresh baking done. So far she hadn’t shown up when Alex was around but Chloe figured it was only a matter of time before the pair encountered each other.
Nina professed that men were good for one thing—sex—and sometimes not even that. She already professed a low opinion of Alex just from how little money he’d spent on Chloe. She hadn’t dared tell her sister that she needed to earn the man’s love or risk becoming a loose spirit again.
How she’d take that news wasn’t a situation Chloe wanted to see anytime soon.
Settling onto the chair next to the cookies, Nina helped herself to one. She rolled her eyes as she bit into the still warm treat. “Oh, wow, these are great. Nothing like fresh baked cookies.”
She eyed Chloe’s outfit, one of her nicer skirts and blouses. “You’re all dressed up. Hmm, fresh cookies, sexy clothes. You wouldn’t be trying to coax Alex into marriage would you?”
That hit too close to home. Blushing furiously, Chloe poured a cup of coffee for her sister.
“Not marriage,” she said.
Nina stared at her, chewing slowly. “Not marriage, but something else. Otherwise why would you be staying with him? I could get you a job and a place of your own.”
She leaned forward. “Chloe, have you fallen for this guy?”
Had she? Chloe hadn’t thought about that possibility. She’d had a number of lovers over the years, but their relationships had been fleeting things, not needing more than passion to keep her satisfied. Aphrodite’s insistence on her trying to win Alex’s love had forced her to stay with him long past the point she normally would have.
She’d never before made food for a man, or cleaned his clothes. Keeping a man satisfied had involved time spent in bed, not worrying about what he liked for dinner. To stay with Alex, she’d had to know Alex, really understand him. Oddly enough, this hadn’t been difficult for her. In fact it had been fun. The more she’d known, the better she’d liked the man.
That wasn’t falling for him—was it?
She loved him, at least a little. That was true, although she’d never let herself say the words, at least in English.
Nina had noticed her silence. “Hmm…I don’t suppose he’s said he’s in love with you?”
“No, he hasn’t.”
“Sometimes guys have trouble expressing themselves.” Nina slapped her forehead. “What am I saying? Guys always have trouble expressing themselves…except when they want to fuck. Then they have NO trouble.”
“He has no trouble then,” Chloe confirmed. She took a hard look at Nina who clearly knew much more about men in this time than she did. Perhaps she should get her sister’s advice on how to get Alex to declare himself. “I need him to love me.”
“Oh?” N
ina’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why would that be?”
“To stay human…and here.” Chloe explained about Aphrodite’s spell and its conditions for her release from the statue. By the time she was done Nina’s face was distorted with fury.
“I might have known that bitch would’ve given you some task like this! She forces you to be the sex toy of a human and you have to make him love you? Men like that never fall in love!”
“He’s not like that…” Chloe tried to diffuse her sister’s anger. “He cares for me…just doesn’t love me yet.”
“Sure he cares—you’re better than a blowup doll for him. But he doesn’t respect you and a man won’t fall in love with someone he doesn’t respect. It wouldn’t be good for his ego.”
“Oh.” Chloe made the word a small sound and rested her chin on her hands. Alex’s words about her being easy on their first sexual encounter returned to her. He hadn’t respected her then…it wasn’t likely he respected her now. What if Nina was right and he’d never forget how little he’d had to do to talk her into sex? He’d never love her.
“What am I going to do?”
Nina crossed her arms meaningfully. “Well, one thing is that you need to find some other way of getting free. When one of these situations comes along, there is usually an alternative way to get around it.”
She thought for a moment, rubbing her chin in concentration. A sly smile crossed her face. “When you’ve got a problem with one god, the best thing to do is find another one—preferably a god you can work with, or one who wants something from you.” She stood and spun her finger around herself, fashioning a warm coat that appeared to cover her blouse and black jeans.
“Get a coat on, we need to go to the park.”
Chloe pulled her coat off the rack near the door and shoved her arms down the sleeves. “Why the park? It’s cold outside.”
“To see a god about a spell, that’s why. This god doesn’t mind anything but being cooped up inside. He’s an outdoorsman.”
It suddenly became clear just who her sister was talking about. Chloe froze in place. “Pan? You want me to speak to him?”
Impatiently Nina grabbed her arm and pulled her to the door. “Why not Pan? He’s had the hots for you for a long time and no love for Aphrodite. I bet he’d be real happy to help you.”
“He’s a repulsive lecher!”
“Not in the least,” Nina said. “Well,” she amended, “he is a lecher. And there are the legs. But he’s not so bad once you get to know him.”
“You get to know him then. All he’s interested in is sex.”
Nina laughed. “We’ve got that in common, but he doesn’t want me, he wants you.” Chloe thought her sister sounded a little bitter. “And how does that differ from what Alex wants? You were willing to sleep with him to get your freedom.”
How could she argue with that? Certainly all Alex seemed to be interested in was sex with her. Never once had they had a conversation about the future—at least not a future that included her. Alex spoke of how he intended to get a job as a photographer, possibly in a big commercial studio. He’d finish his degree, get his portfolio together, and move to New York or Los Angeles…maybe San Francisco.
He’d never spoken of her moving to those far-off places with him.
Chloe sighed. If she didn’t earn his love, she wouldn’t be moving anywhere but back to the spirit world. Maybe she’d better talk to Pan. If her relationship with Alex fell through it would be good to have a backup plan.
Reluctantly she followed Nina through the door.
* * * * *
The air in the park was clean and crisp, the day as clear as it was cold. A pale sun hung low in the sky, casting more light than heat on this winter’s day. Deciduous trees that had lost their leaves stood with mute limbs reaching high into the sky, while evergreen bushes, pines, and firs whispered softly in the breeze. Not quite cold enough for snow, but too cold for a casual walk outside.
Chloe picked up her pace to keep up with Nina, who strode fearlessly through the deserted park. Her sister never seemed to worry about dark areas, hidden assailants, or things that go bump in the night. Timidity had never been one of Nina’s qualities.
Of course, being Nemesis meant that she was far scarier than anything or anyone they were likely to meet in the park. Even the god of nature wouldn’t be able to cow her sister.
Probably.
Pan was certainly enough to worry Chloe. When he’d originally looked her way and made suggestive overtures to her, she’d first been afraid to say no to him, instead fleeing him without giving him an answer. Then she’d heard some disturbing stories of the games he liked to play with his occasional lovers, and she’d become afraid to say yes.
Now she was afraid to see him at all. After knowing Alex’s arms, it was hard to imagine herself in anyone else’s, much less someone as rampantly sexual as Pan was.
Besides, he had hairy legs—really hairy legs—and she’d found out she was allergic to wool. Even a cashmere sweater made her skin itch. After a lovemaking session with Pan, she’d probably wind up with hives all over her legs. Or backside. Or breasts.
Or her pussy…gods above, that was one place she really didn’t to have itching—at least not with an itch Alex couldn’t keep scratched!
Musing over her likely upcoming rash, Chloe didn’t notice when Nina came to a sudden stop, and she ran into her.
“You are so clumsy sometimes,” her sister scolded. “Don’t you watch where you are going?”
“Most of the time,” Chloe countered. “I was just thinking about something.”
Nina rolled her eyes. “I can imagine what, too. That man of yours really doesn’t deserve you.” She shook her head. “Well, try thinking about yourself for a change. We need to get you taken care of or you’ll wind up just a disembodied voice in a cave again.”
“Who will wind up in a cave…and can I come live in it with her?”
The seductive male voice came from behind a waist-high hedge next to the path. When they looked, a man stood up, his lower parts covered by the still green bushes. Chloe recognized him immediately. It was Pan with his lean face and thin goatee of a beard. He’d combed his hair to cover his horns, but she’d know those intense eyes anywhere. Just being the subject of his passionate stare made a girl feel flush with desire, even if she wasn’t actually attracted to him.
He glanced once at Nina, but reserved the rest his gaze for Chloe. Immediately she no longer felt cold. Liquid heat burned through her body and she had to resist the irrational urge to take her coat off.
She wasn’t the only one who must have felt too warm for outer garments. Pan wore no clothing above the waist and Chloe suddenly wondered if the hair that covered his well-built chest could possibly be as soft as it looked.
Pan smiled at her, probably noting her befuddled state and recognizing the flush in her cheeks as arousal. Of course he might not care that he’d put her in a state of desire. After all, he’d been bedding befuddled women for thousands of years. What was another nymph to him?
His eyes grew more intense and she realized that she wasn’t just another nymph as far as he was concerned. She was the one that got away, and that meant she was a challenge that needed to be overcome. There was a look of triumph in that smile, which meant he thought he’d already overcome her resistance to him.
He’d bed her and leave her and that would be that.
She had to be strong and force him to help her before he had his way with her body. Otherwise she would end up another notch in his sexual belt and an echo in an empty hall.
Resistance might be futile in the long run…but she couldn’t let him know that now.
Chloe defied her urge to sigh. If only Alex would come through and declare his love. Then she wouldn’t have any need to deal with Pan at all.
Pan leaned over the hedge, staring at her with a lascivious grin. “You look wonderful, Echo. You’ve put on a pound or two.”
“The last time you s
aw me I was starving to death. I imagine I look somewhat better now,” she replied tartly.
“True enough. Being with this lover of yours must agree with you then, if you’re actually eating.” He gave her a once over, up and down, slowly. “Yes, true love must not mean a lack of appetite, at least not where you’re concerned.”
Well, it was more her cooking than Alex’s love that was putting weight on her, but she wasn’t about to tell Pan that.
Nina spoke up, her voice cross. “Alex doesn’t love her Pan. Not really. And Chloe is in trouble because of it.”
Chloe nearly groaned. She didn’t really want Pan to know everything that was going on, not when he could take advantage of it. Of course he’d have the advantage anyway…but no point in telling him right away!
Pan turned to Nina, speaking in his most seductive voice. “It’s Chloe now, is it? All you young nymphs, wanting modern names. And what kind of trouble is Chloe in?”
He glanced suspiciously at Chloe’s stomach. “That human hasn’t gotten you with child, has he?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I’m on the pill.”
“Good. Responsible of you. Can’t be too careful these days. So if you aren’t pregnant, what trouble could you be in?”
He reached out a hand to stroke her face, his touch leaving a trail of sensual fire behind. Chloe became very aware of how long it had been since she’d felt Alex’s caress. Several hours and that was far too long. “How can I be of service to such a fair one as you?”
His emphasis on the word service had her squirming. Just being in Pan’s presence made her eager for a man, any man. Even a man with legs like a goat.
At least she’d heard he was hung like a donkey. Hee-haw!
Of course there were other ways in which he was likely to be an ass and she had to remember those ways. Pan didn’t even know the meaning of the word commitment. Besides, she was with Alex now and she knew how she would feel if he made love to another woman. Really rotten.
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