Under Her Skin

by Mary Winter

  Ari swallowed hard. “I’m dreaming. You’re not real.” She started to back away.

  “How do you know I’m not real?” His deep voice rumbled over her, soothing frayed nerve endings.

  She wanted to curl up against him and never emerge into the real world. Staying here with this fabrication would be so much preferable. “I know. I fell asleep in my living room.” She reached up and caressed his forehead, pausing to finger a leaf in his crown. “You look like someone out of a history book.”

  “What if I am?” He grinned.

  Ari looked at him, completely confused. He acted like Thanos, looked like Thanos, talked like Thanos, but Thanos couldn’t be in her dream with her, could he? She frowned and the image faded away.

  Ari woke on her living room floor. She blinked, taking in the familiar surroundings. Could her dream have been real? Could it really be Thanos? She bit back mocking laughter. She glanced at the phone, then back at the altar. An urgent need to call Thanos filled her. She squeezed her eyes closed and tried to eradicate memories of last night from her mind. No, she wouldn’t call him. Not yet.

  * * * * *

  Stripped down to his briefs, Thanos sat on his couch. For a moment, Ari had pulled him into her dream, and then she had awakened. He stared at the wall, at a painting done for him by a talented young artist. An onyx sphere sat on a gold stand below the painting. Tiny flecks of gold shone in the sphere’s surface. Thanos rose to his feet.

  He crossed the room to the sphere and lifted it from the stand. The stone glowed warm in his grip. Sighing, he turned it around and around. To return to his god form all he had to do was concentrate on the sphere. It would be so easy to do it, to leave this world and leave Ari to her own devices.

  His gut twisted. Pain speared his heart. No, he wouldn’t do that. He loved her. And deep inside, he felt pretty certain she loved him. The party spooked her. That was all.

  Replacing the sphere, Thanos paced his living room. Ari had shoved him out of her dream. He appeared to her as he truly was, a god, and she’d dismissed it. Called it crazy. He felt the disbelief radiating from her. How would she feel if he showed up on her doorstep and announced it to her face? Would she shove him away then?

  The sound of sobs reached his ears. Horrible, gut-wrenching sobs of a heart breaking, and Thanos knew to whom they belonged. Ari. He pressed his fist to his chest, tuning in on her sadness. It called to him. Swallowing hard, he stepped away. In his mind’s eye he saw her slumped before a shelf containing artifacts from his home country. Tear stains marred her face, her eyes red-rimmed with sorrow. Idly, she traced a scar running along her arm. A palatable aura of despair surrounded her. Her lips moved, though he couldn’t hear what she said.

  He longed to go to her. She rose to her feet, wobbling slightly, and went back to the couch, curling up with an afghan over her shoulders. Grabbing the remote, she flipped through the channels, then turned the television off. She picked up a book, looked at it, and put it back on the shelf. Her gaze returned to the small altar.

  At last, she stood and left the room, severing the connection.

  Thanos stormed into the bedroom. He tossed on clothing, jeans and a shirt, not caring if he looked handsome or debonair. Ari needed him. That simple fact thrummed through his veins, drove him onward, so he ran down the hall to the elevator, his car keys tucked into his hip pocket. The elevator took too long. At last it stopped in the parking garage and he raced to his car. I’m coming, Ari. And then you’ll know how much I love you. I won’t let you get away ever again.

  Thanos pulled into the driveway and parked behind Ari’s compact car. He smiled as he blocked her in. Just one more way she wouldn’t be able to avoid him. Power crackled through him, and he pushed it away. He wanted to approach her as a man.

  Thanos stalked across the front yard, his long strides quickly carrying him to her front door. He opened the screen door and listened. Hearing nothing, he tried the doorknob. Unlocked. Without knocking, he opened the door a little bit, listening for any noises coming from the inside. When he heard nothing, he entered.

  The soft strains of a radio filtered in sounding as if they’d come from the backyard. Thanos moved through the house, looking for Ari. He saw her through the patio doors, bent over a flowerbed, wrist-deep working the soil with a hand trowel. A fierce expression covered her face. Thanos fought against the laughter bubbling in his throat.

  He stepped outside.

  Ari looked up. She sat back on her heels, wincing a bit and rubbing her hip. Even that slight pain moved him, and he wanted to scoop her into his arms and carry her into the house. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  Reaching out, he brushed a smudge of dirt from her cheek. “I couldn’t stay away.” He gathered her hands in his and held them tightly. “I can’t stand to see you hurting, Ari. And if I did anything to cause such pain, I’d tear out my heart and offer it to you on a platter. Not just any woman could capture the heart of a god.”

  Ari stared at him. “Did you say a god?” Her dreams, both of them, came crashing into her memory. “Don’t joke with me. Not now.”

  He had to be joking, had to be humoring her. But how could he have known about her dreams? To have dreamt about him before she met him. It made no sense.

  Thanos swallowed hard.

  Her eyes followed the movement of his Adam’s apple, remembering following the same path with her tongue.

  “I’m not joking,” Thanos said. He dropped to one knee and held out his hand.

  She took it, wrapping her fingers around him and clinging as if he were a lifeline.

  “I come to you and give you my true name. I am the god Asclepius,” Thanos said.

  Ari looked at him through the shimmer of unshed tears. A bright halo of light surrounded him. For one moment he indeed looked like a god. Then she blinked, and the light faded.

  “The Greek god of healing,” she said. She glanced at their clasped hands, then looked at her bare arms with their scars. “I don’t understand. You can’t be a god. The ancient deities are just myths. Aren’t they?” She started to pull away, afraid he would impart some horrible news.

  “Every myth is real. We exist and because people believed in us, worshipped us, our myths became known. I am a god, and once I discovered you, I chose mortal form. I love you, Ari. I’ve loved you since you fell asleep in my temple back in Greece. I’ve loved you since I looked down from my life with the gods and saw a beautiful, strong, and wonderful woman battling the aftermath of a horrible trick of fate. I feel as if I love you forever, and I want to spend the rest of my life, our lives, together.”

  Ari blinked away the tears shining in her eyes. Not tears of sorrow, but joy. A part of her struggled to believe Thanos’s words. In the end, it didn’t matter. Whether he was a god or not, she had a handsome, wonderful man who said he loved her. “My dream. You were the first man to make me feel loved for me, not out of pity, not for any other reason but me. When we were together I felt loved, cherished, safe. It doesn’t matter if you’re a god or not. I still love you.” Leaning forward she pressed her lips to his.

  Thanos’s hands went around her waist, hauling her against his hard body. She sighed, opening her mouth to him, knowing she was exactly where she wanted to be ‑‑ in Thanos’s arms. She loved him. Her tongue stroked his, inviting him deeper into her mouth. With her hands, she caressed his back, his hair, the sides of his face, everywhere she could reach if only to convince herself he was real and not a dream.

  She pulled away and sucked in a much needed breath of oxygen. “I love you, Thanos. In my dreams or in my backyard, I love you.” She pressed her head against his chest. “I can’t believe you’re here. I hoped. Do you know how much I wanted you to walk inside last night and tell me how wrong I was?” She let the tears roll down her cheeks, cleansing her of her fears. Relief washed through her. “I thought I lost you forever.” Her voice broke and she chuckled. “You’re really a god?”

  Thanos nodded, an answering grin
crossing his face. “Apollo was my father. I could tell you stories.” Merriment danced in his gaze. “But I won’t. Not yet anyway. Right now I want to convince you that you’re the only one for me.” He stood, pulling Ari to her feet.

  Her body tingled with the promise in Thanos’s words. His strong arms pulled her against his body. Every hard muscle, every inch of flesh pressed against her. Through his jeans, she felt the pulse of his erection, the thick rod jutting against her stomach. His arms came around her, hands cupped on her ass, and he kissed her.

  Not just any kiss, but a kiss of claiming. The first touch of his lips sent shivers through her body. Her nipples tightened. Moisture flooded her pussy. A sense of homecoming, so profound it nearly made her weep, filled her. Slowly, she twined her arms around him, pressing her hands against his broad, muscled back. Ari melted, pliant in his arms.

  His tongue slid into her mouth, stroking and tasting. Ari gave herself to him. She drew him deeper, sucking gently on his tongue until a low moan bubbled from Thanos’s throat. His fingers tightened on her ass and pulled her closer. Ari rubbed against him as sinuous as a cat. Her body ached. Even through their clothing she felt the friction of his chest against her sensitive nipples. Her pussy ached, softened, waiting for something that only Thanos could give her.

  The need for air parted them, but only for a moment. Thanos nibbled her jaw, her cheek, her neck; anywhere he could reach, he rained tiny kisses. Ari wanted more. She tugged at his shirt, freeing it from his jeans, then slid her hands over his warm, smooth skin. Oh yes, she wanted to touch him, to feel his skin. Her hands roamed his flesh. Tugging on his shirt some more, she managed to lift it high enough to press her lips to his chest.

  With her tongue, she circled a flat nipple before drawing it into her mouth. Her own nipples hardened even more in response. Thanos ripped his shirt over his head, throwing it behind them. Standing bare-chested in her yard, Ari didn’t care if anyone saw. The fact someone might actually be watching them only made her want more. She nipped him gently, then licked and nibbled a path across his abdomen. In her dreams he’d taken the lead. Now, she wanted him begging and at her mercy. She dropped to her knees before him.

  Thanos cupped the back of her head. “Baby, wait,” he moaned, though he pressed her close against his hard cock.

  Ari shook her head. “I want you,” she said, sliding her hand around to cup his taut ass. Gently, she squeezed his buttocks, evoking an indrawn hiss from Thanos. She stroked him, running her hands over his hips, up his sides, then stroking the front of his fly with her knuckles. “I want this.” She quickly unbuttoned his jeans and drew the zipper down.

  His cock surged through the opening. The thin, cotton material of his bikini briefs kept him contained, and Ari stroked him through the red material. Slowly, she drew it down to reveal the plump, purple head of his cock. Ari licked him.

  Thanos shuddered.

  Ari grinned. She licked him again, wrapping her lips around him and laving the underside of the head with her tongue.

  Thanos tunneled his fingers through her hair.

  Power filled her. A sense of control so profound it shook her to the core raced through her body. Sitting back on her heels, Ari slid her lips down Thanos’s cock until she had him buried as deep as he could go. She kissed him. She licked him. All the while, delighting in his tiny moans and the feel of his fingers clenching the back of her head. This was how she wanted him, now and always. She loved this man who looked like and claimed to be a Greek god and she wanted him to know.

  Ari sucked harder wanting to feel his warm come slide down her throat. She reached between his legs to fondle his tightening balls. Her own arousal pounded through her body. Her pussy, slick with need, clenched, wanting to feel the hard length of him inside her. She forced herself to wait, stroking the sensitive skin just behind his balls. This time was for him.

  “Ari,” he gasped an instant before his body stiffened.

  She sucked harder, triumph filling her. He shouted his release and his cock shot warm streams into her mouth. Ari swallowed, loving the salty, sweet taste of him. The ache in her pussy intensified. She wanted all of him. In her mouth. In her cunt. She wanted Thanos any way she could get him.

  Slowly, she pulled her lips away, licking the last of him. On shaky legs she rose.

  Thanos pressed his forehead to hers, his half-hard cock still naked in the open air. “I want to fuck you.” He slid a hand beneath her shirt and cupped her breast, pinching the nipple.

  Ari moaned. “Please,” she whimpered.

  Thanos glanced around. “Not out here. I don’t want to share you with anyone.” A wicked glint filled his eyes and before she could speak, he fastened his pants, then hoisted her over his shoulder.

  Ari stared at the delicious view of his taut ass while he carried her toward the house.

  Once inside, Thanos didn’t let her go. Ari waited, his hand spread on her ass, holding her still. He didn’t stop until he tossed her onto the bed and pulled her clothes from her.

  Ari propped herself on an elbow to watch Thanos as he stripped. “My very own Greek god,” she said, a huge grin on her face. “I’d compare you to the statue of David, but he doesn’t have anything on you.” Her gaze lingered on his cock, once more thick and long.

  “You’re more beautiful than any goddess.” Thanos knelt on the side of the bed, then crawled toward her. “More beautiful.”

  The love shining from his eyes nearly brought tears to her own. Watching him, Ari believed every word he said. She spread her legs, ready to welcome him into her body.

  He avoided her pussy, though his hot gaze seemed riveted to her plump, pink folds. Instead, he stopped and kissed her ribs, licking with his tongue. It tickled, and Ari wiggled. Thanos chuckled against her skin, then nibbled a path to her breast. He sucked on her nipple, palming the other globe with his hand.

  “Yes,” Ari hissed, head tilted back. She offered him her body, the heat pooling through her, begging for release. All her life she wanted to be loved, to be consumed by the flames of desire, and now, she was burning, yearning for the feel of his lips on her skin and his cock between her legs. If this was what love was, she didn’t want to ever let it ‑‑ or him ‑‑ go.

  Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him to her breast, her other hand sliding down his shoulder and arm. Muscles bunched beneath her touch. He nipped her lightly, then laved the wound with his tongue.

  “Please,” she pleaded, arching her hips beneath him. “Fuck me, please.”

  Thanos turned his attention to her other breast. He ate her slowly, little nibbles and kisses that had her writhing for release beneath him. It was as if he had all the time in the world to enjoy her body, and she burned beneath him. His hand slid from her breast over her stomach. He paused at the curls between her thighs, then stroked her pussy. Her juices coated his fingers.

  Ari lifted her hips on a long moan. His digits slid easily into her, his thumb brushing her clit, two fingers sank deep inside her. He curled them, hitting her g-spot, and she shuddered.

  “Come for me, Ari.”

  Ari sucked in a breath, her entire body tightening. As if he commanded her flesh, tiny contractions fluttered through her pussy, building and deepening until she keened her release while she came apart under his fingers.

  She lay there, panting, Thanos’s fingers still deep inside her pussy. Ari reached for him as he moved over her. Bracing his hands on either side of her head, he shifted until he rested within the cradle of her thighs. His cock brushed her. He slid forward, until just the tip of him rested within her slick channel.

  He kissed her, hard and hungry. “I love you, Ari.” He surged inside her.

  Ari groaned. “Oh God, I love you.” He pulled back, then thrust once more. “And I’ll love you even more if you keep doing that.” She grabbed his ass and tightened her vaginal muscles around him.

  Thanos grinned wickedly. “As you wish, my dear.” He fucked her then, with long, sure strokes, each one deepe
r than the last.

  Ari wrapped her legs around his hips, ankles locked behind him, and hung on for the ride. She met him thrust for thrust, pouring out her heart and soul into the movements. She kept her eyes open, not wanting to miss a single moment. The rapture on Thanos’s face moved her, and she knew it mirrored her own pleasure. Higher and higher he took her until, like Icarus, it seemed they touched the sun.

  Her release washed through her. She clung to him, the pleasure pounding through her body almost too much. Stars shone before her vision.

  Above her, Thanos stiffened. With a guttural cry he came, releasing his seed into her body. For long moments they stayed that way, locked in an embrace. Thanos rolled to the side, taking Ari with him. Reaching up, he smoothed a strand of hair away from her forehead. “I love you,” he said again. “I don’t know how I made it all these years without you.”

  Ari smiled. “I love you, Thanos. Though it may take me a while to fully believe that you’re a god.”

  He chuckled. “Then I’ll just have to prove it, won’t I?” His husky voice caressed her senses.

  “Every day for the rest of our lives,” she said a moment before she kissed him hard and deep. She straddled him and leaned forward, brushing her breasts against his chest. As Ari kissed him, a sense of contentment filled her. Not only had she fulfilled her dream by going to Greece, but she had her very own god. It didn’t get much better than this.

  Thanos slid his fingers between her legs, and she grinned. Unless he did that…and then she couldn’t think at all.

  Mary Winter

  Mary commutes between her dream home near the Mark Twain national forest in Missouri, and her current residence in Iowa. She lives with a menagerie of animals including an opinionated horse and a cat who was a dog in past life. When not writing spicy tales of erotic romance, she enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy, spending time with her horse, and enjoying the outdoors. Lucky for her, her partner (hero) shares these same passions, and usually both of them can be found in their respective dens writing.